Astro Bot! Silent Hill 2! Concord!
Sony’s PlayStation State of Play May Showcase 2024 may have been announced at short notice, but packed within its 35-minute presentation we got a look at a whole host of brand-new PS5 games coming in 2024 and beyond. There were also two new PSVR2 games announced here, as well as the surprise return of one of PlayStation’s most beloved mascots, Astro Bot.
Whether you missed the showcase or just want a handy round-up of all the trailers again, here’s everything that was announced in Sony’s State of Play May Showcase.
Concord
First up, we got a long-awaited look at Concord, Firewalk’s upcoming PvP shooter, both in the form of a cinematic vignette and a proper gameplay trailer (embedded below). Big Guardians of the Galaxy energy, this one. Lots of big guns, lots of colourful moons and planets, and a very chatty cast. Could this be the perfect second course after Helldivers earlier this year? We’ll find out when it launches on PS5 and PC on August 23rd 2024.
God of War: Ragnarok
Ragnarok and its Valhalla DLC is finally coming to PC in one bundled package, adding unlocked frame rates, DLSS, XeSS and FSR support, as well as support for super ultrawide monitors. It’s coming on September 19th 2024.
Dynasty Warriors Origins
Giant army battles? Check. Dashing heroes on horseback cutting down waves of soldiers in a single swosh of their sword? Double check. Yep, this is Dynasty Warriors all right, and honestly, it’s great to see Omega Force return to their flagship series after spending several years applying their ridiculously over the top (but oh so satisfying) Warriors formula to Zelda, Fire Emblem and Persona. Dynasty Warriors Origins certainly looks ambitious, what with its hundreds of onscreen footsoldiers all waiting to get mowed down like human hay bales, but dare I say that it also looks like one of Omega Force’s most technically proficient games yet? We’ll find out for sure when it launches in 2025.
Infinity Nikki
Described as an open world dress-up adventure, Infinity Nikki is all about styling it out as you venture across the vast world of Miraland with your cute cat bud in tow. On top of some light platforming, it also looks like you’ll be using the powers of your various outfits to fight big monsters, chase after sheep, take pictures, ride giant flower stems through the air, and give fluffy doggos a tiny sponge bath. Adorable stuff. No set release date just yet, but there will be a beta test sometime between July and September later this year.
Ballad Of Antara
Just in case Shadow of the Erdtree doesn’t fulfil your towering, enigmatic beast quota for the year, Ballad of Antara is an upcoming fantasy action RPG from TipsWorks and Infold Games. You won’t be travelling through this strange and mystery world alone, either, as you’ve got a small child clamped to your back at all times, it seems. It’s currently unclear what role your tiny friend plays at the moment, or indeed how the other protagonists hinted at in the reveal trailer below come into play, but hopefully it won’t be too long before we find out. Ballad of Antara is coming in 2025.
Skydance’s Behemoth
From the developers of The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners, Skydance’s Behemoth is a new PSVR2 game set in an icy, mountainous realm known as the Forsaken Lands. After its initial cinematic tease all the way back in 2022, tonight we got a look at some proper gameplay. On top of turning its regular-sized foes into jam via its hand-to-hand combat, you’ll also be trying to avoid getting jammed yourself by the altogether larger hoofs and stampy feet of its titular giants. Shadow of the Colossus, eat your heart out. It’s coming later this autumn.
Alien Rogue Incursion
Another one for PSVR2 fans here, we got a very brief, 53-second glimpse of Alien Rogue Incursion in action as well. Set on the planet Purdan, it looks like you’ll be exploring the very, very dark and not at all creepy ruins of a crashed spaceship, and yep, trying not to get munched by the resident Xenomorph. Truly, the perfect Christmas present for all PSV2 owners, as it’s coming sometime during Holiday 2024.
Marvel Rivals
Announced earlier this year, Marvel Rivals is another PvP shooter that asks the question, what if Overwatch was made up of Marvel supes? Its big selling point is that certain groups of heroes (and villains) can team up to perform big signature combo attacks to nuke both your opponents and the local environment. Will it be enough to overcome my extreme Marvel fatigue, though? There’s still no set release date for this one, but there will be a closed beta coming to PS5 in July.
Where Winds Meet
Now this is more like it. We’ve seen several glimpses of Where Winds Meet at this point, but cor, this latest trailer really does get the pulse racing with its big, juicy sword fights. It’s essentially a montage of lots of neat-looking fights, and yep, that does include a battle against a very big fish, and a flaming wooden bird robot. Some of the weapons look quite tasty, too. A paper umbrella laced with throwing blades, you say? Well, don’t mind if I do. Alas, there’s still no release date for Where Winds Meet, but the trailer wants to assure you it’s very much ‘in development’ still.
Until Dawn
A fresh trailer for the PS5 version of Until Dawn, which (whisper it) looks more or less identical to how I remember the original looking, to be honest. Still, it’s nice to be able to play this on modern consoles, and it’s getting a bonus PC release too. Both versions are coming this autumn.
Path of Exile 2
Another look at Grinding Gear Games’ take on Diablo, Path of Exile 2 is a moody, top-down action RPG. Over the course of two minutes, we get a whistlestop tour of some of its major classes, as well as a look at the truck ton of magical spells you’ll be employing to rid its dungeons of various nasties. The big news from this latest trailer, though, is that the console version will be adding couch co-op, as well as crossplay and cross-progression. It will also get an early access launch across all platforms (PS5 included) in late 2024.
Silent Hill 2
Ahead of Konami’s own Silent Hill Transmission showcase, we got another trailer for the Silent Hill 2 remake, and a release date. It’s coming on October 8th 2024.
Monster Hunter Wilds
After its initial teaser reveal last December, we got another big chunky look at Capcom’s Monster Hunter Wilds next. Lots of big, mean, new beasties here, including a shaggy dog lion lad who also happens to reside inside a giant, electrified sandstorm. What a delight. Some fan favourite monsters also make an appearance here, too, and we get a proper look at Wilds’ mounted combat as well. Lots to enjoy here for long-time Monster Hunter fans. All I need now is to set eyes on my trusty dual blades and we’ll be golden. It’s coming in 2025.
Astro Bot
Now that’s how you end a showcase. It’s been a hot minute since we last saw a game from Team Asobi, but Astro Bot is finally back and reporting for delightful, harebrained duty. Part 3D platformer, part on-rails space shooter, and part celebration of all things PlayStation, this ‘super-sized’ Astro Bot adventure will see you traverse over 80 dazzling worlds that all look to have their own unique hooks and special powers to enjoy. My personal favourite? That big, giant sponge bob. I mean, boy. Err, bot. In any case, Astro Bot looks absolutely delightful, and I can’t wait to play it when it launches on PS5 on September 6th 2024.
Hope you enjoyed this year’s PlayStation State of Play May Showcase? Anything catch your eye?