Well, Sony did it again. Over the past few years, nobody has been able to touch Sony at E3, and this year was no different. Surprise blockbuster announcements, perfect fan-service moments, stunning new IPs, Sony’s E3 2016 press conference delivered on all fronts. And it delivered with no filler – somehow Sony managed to unveil twice as many games as its competitors in about the same time. Frankly it was hard to keep track of all the reveals, but thankfully I’m here to keep you up to speed.
First up, if you’ve got an hour and 45 minutes to spare, you can check out the whole show, below.
I also encourage you to read the full posts we wrote about the new God of War, The Last Guardian and Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding. Since those games have already been covered, we won’t double up on them here. Now onto the rest of the show…
Days Gone
Days Gone is Sony’s new post-apocalyptic survival game seemingly designed to fill the hole left by The Last of Us. Honestly, the game doesn’t look terribly original, but it seems like Sony is pouring a lot of resources into it (surprisingly, they ended their show with it). No word yet on when Days Gone might arrive.
Horizon Zero Dawn
Horizon Zero Dawn is a new open-world action adventure from Guerrilla Games (the folks behind Killzone). The game takes place in a world where humans have devolved to a medieval-like existence, while the landscape is packed with all manner of robotic wildlife. You play as a redheaded lady named Aloy, who’s handy with a bow and has the ability to tame some of the world’s robotic creatures. If the footage Sony showed was real, Horizon Zero Dawn is easily the best-looking open-world game to date, and has a really serious shot at being Sony’s answer to The Legend of Zelda. The game arrives Feb. 28, 2017.
Detroit: Become Human
The latest game from Quantic Dream (Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls) has resurfaced, and it looks a bit different than the last time we saw it. Previous trailers for Detroit: Become Human starred a newly-built android named Kara, but this new trailer features Connor, an android who hunts down and negotiates with “deviant” androids. Like another recent Sony game, Until Dawn, it looks like Detroit will be all about exploring the butterfly effect, with your detective work and choices determining the outcome of various scenarios. Like most Quantic games, Detroit looks a little goofy, but it also appears to be less pretentious than some of their recent work, so I’m willing to give it a shot.
Playstation VR and Batman Arkham VR
Playstation VR is coming out Oct. 13, 2016, for $399. There’s also an exclusive Batman Arkham VR experience on the way for the headset. Fifty games are expected before the end of the year.
Resident Evil VII biohazard
Speaking of virtual reality, Capcom is producing a new VR-compatible Resident Evil game, and it’s a major change of direction for the series. The trailer for Resident Evil VII biohazard looks and feels very much like the canceled Silent Hills, with a heavy emphasis on horror, atmosphere and grotesque imagery. According to Capcom, the game can be played “front-to-back” with a VR headset, but you can also play it without one. It’s unclear if Resident Evil VII biohazard is meant to be the next full numbered entry in the storied series, but the slightly awkward subtitle seems to suggest it’s a spin-off. The game shambles into stores January 2017.
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
Sony showed off a new space battle stage from Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, and honestly? It looked pretty badass. As of this writing there are already more than 20,000 dislikes on the trailer. Shrug.
Crash Bandicoot Remasters
Crash Bandicoot is returning! Well, sort of. The first three entries in the series are getting remastered, and Crash is coming to Skylanders. Hey, it’s something!
Spider-Man
Insomniac Games (Ratchet & Clank, Sunset Overdrive) are working on a new, original Spider-Man game in conjunction with Marvel Studios, and it looks pretty impressive. The trailer seemed to be mostly pre-rendered, but the hints of action we got were promising, and the game has an interesting, semi-realistic style. No release date yet, but I’m going to go out on a crazy limb and say the game will come out sometime around the release of Spider-Man: Homecoming (June 7, 2017).
And that’s Sony’s show! Maybe not quite as legendary as last year’s, but Playstation 4 owners still have a lot of great-looking stuff to look forward to. What were you favorite things Sony showed off?