By now, the chances are you have become a proud owner of a PS4 or a PS4 Pro, or you’ve remained on the fence whether or not to become an adopter of the PlayStation 4 family. You’ve still yet to consider the tricks, the treats and the exclusives the PS4 has to offer. During E3 Sony exhibited one of its strongest line-up’s to date, giving us a glimpse at some of their returning franchises, a look at franchises about to release new titles this fall, and even decided to send us on our way during Paris Games Week with some astounding reveals.
Lets be honest; the PlayStation 4 has a lot of tantalizing gaming treats, so many that a part of you has already had the urge to head to your local store, and grab a PlayStation 4 if you don’t already have one. So why not? Is the future going to be as strong as the past for Sony? Will the games remain as diverse as they are now between VR, non-VR, and interactive platforms using PlayLink? The future looks bright for Sony and it seems they’ve knocked next year already deep left field in hopes for a home run when next year gets underway.
So lets take a look at how the PS4’s 2018 is shaping up and just what we feel it could look like after PlayStation Experience next month. Below we’ve given release dates, trailers, and a glimpse at the future of these titles. Some have yet to be officially dated, so they may not have their actual dates, but instead placeholders.
The Last of Us 2| Naughty Dog | 2018
When we first saw Ellie take to the screen strumming her guitar with a dead Firefly member beside her, we were breath taken at the idea of once more retreating into the reality of a world ravaged by a deadly fungal infection. This time around, we aren’t just hypnotized by the allure of such a predicament, but more-so by the fact Ellie has survived. Her pal Joel didn’t give the world the second chance it could have had. Instead he saved her, condemned humanity into its darkest hours, and has set the world into a true fight for survival. At Paris Games Week, we got an idea of how the Chaos Theory works. With the zombie-like infection ravaging the world, humanity has begun to show its truer colors, and how far they will go to survive. With cults running amock, undead creatures roaming about, and the need to survive: humanity will do anything to survive and “purify” the infestation. How far will you go to remain one of The Last of Us?
Days Gone | SIE Bend Studio | 2018
“You know what I remember most? Riding the open road. The Smell of your hair. The touch of your skin. I remember you. But those days are Gone”
When we first heard Deacon’s voice fill the air, we know the story would be powerful, that Deacon St. John would be a man haunted by his past and the world about him. The narrative approach of the reveal trailer shows that Sony knows they can lure us in with emotionally riveting stories, plots, and reveals. Days Gone is no exception to Sony’s current momentum. It’s a game that once more throws us into a zombie-like outbreak, one where humans, animals, and the world around us has changed. This new outbreak has taken everything we’ve known, we’ve loved, and we could ever cherish away from us. Days Gone, in many ways, was the most well received title next to God of War during E3, and even left us riveting emotionally after hearing what all the main protagonist has lost, loved, and now does to survive. The only downer? Days Gone was absent during Paris Games Week and can only leave us wondering if the game will make an appearance at PSX 2017 this December.
God of War | SIE Santa Monica Studio | 2018
What more should I say other than Kratos is back in God of War? This time he’s not alone, which is a nice change of pace for the typical smash-’em-up gameplay the series is known for. The story seems it will be taking a few notes on how to tug at our hearts strings from games such as Horizon Zero Dawn and The Last of Us. The game, however, has changed a bit. We will no longer be seeing Greek gods running about, we will no longer be seeing the beautiful lands of Greece change due to the awakening of the Titans. This time around, we are seeing something a bit newer, rarely touched upon by games: Norse Mythology. The game doesn’t appear to be holding back as players will be taking on trolls, dragons, and even soul eaters as they wonder about the frozen lands of the Norsemen this time around.
Shadow of the Colossus | Team ICO| Feb. 2018
If there’s anything Team ICO does better than the rest of the world, it’s the fact they give us some of the most mind-bending journeys for us to take. They don’t hold back, they aren’t shy about what they do, and they’re proud of their masterpieces. One of those masterpieces from this legendary studio just happens to be Shadow of the Colossus, a game with little story, but a lot for players to take in. It’s a game where they look to enter a forbidden land, traveling across a massive bridge upon their mighty steed named Argo, while attempting to place the maiden Mono upon a shrine. Unknown to the cause of her deep sleep, players will take on unforeseen forces that appear to take the ancient sword Wanderer wields, and even end his very life on the behalf of an entity known as “Dormin”. This time around, we’re getting to see the game with an entirely new overhaul. The graphics, gameplay mechanics, and story have been brought up-to-date. Players will take on a more modernized version of this adventure, which has been completely re-worked through and through, in order to utilize the power of the PS4 family.
Marvel’s Spider-Man | Insomniac | 2018
How do you not mention 2018 and Marvel’s Spider-Man for PS4 in the same sentence? We’re about to see him take on gameplay reminiscent to that of the Batman Arkham series, with both an open-world setting and even fluid combat. We’re about to see one of Marvel’s most-beloved characters come to life through the PlayStation 4 as he takes on new enemies, deadlier threats, and become the hero of the day once more. All we want to know now is one thing: when can we play this bad boy?
Detroit: Become Human | Quantic Dream | Early 2018
The last on the list is quite possibly one of the most enigmatic games out there. Detroit: Become Human has a lot going for it thanks to its backstory on what it was, how it became what it is, and where it’s going. Detroit: Become Human is a multifaceted game. It’s one that has come to life thanks to the player demand to know more about Kara, a cybernetic creation they got to see assembled during the PlayStation 3’s initial tech demo that Quantic Dream created. It’s one that took our hearts by storm and made us want to know Kara. We wanted to know why she was afraid, why she was so alive, and what she would be like had she been our friend. This is where Detroit: Become Human comes in. We are being delivered a game that lets us see the world through the eyes of Kara and her friends as a revolution begins. A revolution where these cybernetic “servants” don’t want to be non-existent. They want to be human, they want to be like us, and they want to exist. If you’ve seen the TV show Humans you may be right at home with the initial idea. But for now, we’re given a healthy taste of action-vs-reaction in the games latest trailer and it has left us wanting more.
Honorable Mentions:
Death Stranding | Kojima Productions | TBD
When you step away from a series you’ve been apart of your entire life, what do you do, and where do you go? That’s where Kojima is now. He’s picking up those pieces with his (mostly) new studio that has officially decided to fly under the Sony banner. His focus? To make one of the most disturbing survival horror games on the planet, one that could quite possibly send us reeling for our blankets, and hiding our heads under our pillows. While we know so little about Death Stranding, it has the attention of the entire gaming community, industry, and fans alike. The only downside about this title featuring actors Mads Mikkelsen, Norman Reedus, and legendary writer, producer, director, and actor Guillermo del Toro? We don’t have a release date and Kojima isn’t talking much about it right now. The only thing we can assume? He’s hard at work preparing to screw with the heads of every gamer on the planet.
Ghost of Tsushima | Sucker Punch | TBD
One of the most surprising parts about Paris Games Week was when Sony and Sucker Punch (the minds behind Infamous) took the stage, and announced Ghost of Tsushima. A game that will inherently embrace is Japanese themes with a rich history, rich lore, an open-world to explore, and an exploration of the Mongol Invasion of 1274. While it is clear that the Mongols will be the main threat, it seems like our character won’t be living through the strict samurai code, instead, it seems that Sucker Punch is taking an even more interesting turn as the main protagonist appeared to become something close to a shinobi or ninja of sorts. While we don’t know much about it, Ghost of Tsushima will prove to be one of Sony’s strongest titles joining the likes of Nioh and Genji: Days of the Blade as some of the strongest Japan based games to date.
