PlayStation State of Play: packed with games, but lacking real star power
Gaming
New Bond and old Mortal Kombat made for a serviceable showing, but nothing more Skip 8 photos in the image carousel and continue reading
You might well disagree with our assessment of last night's State of Play, the latest in a series of Sony livestreams in which upcoming games strut around to catch your eye. Whether you do or not probably depends on how much you love James Bond, samurai swords and fighting games.
If you do like those things, you sound pretty hard, so we're happy to just defer to whatever you think and then buy you a new pint. Sorry. Have a good evening.
Advertisement - Page continues below
To us, though, it felt like a decent showing that lacked a real hype machine. There was a big new IP reveal in the form of 007 First Light , some admirable screen time given to more niche propositions like Baby Steps and Grasshopper Manufacture's Romeo is a Dead Man , and an exciting reveal from Nioh 3 .
Still, if you find yourself watching an extended reveal of an official PlayStation fightstick at one of these livestreams, a nagging sense emerges that this probably isn't one for the ages. You might like
No, fair enough. 007 First Light has a bit of triple-A glitz and glamour about it. And handing that franchise over to Io Interactive, the Danish studio behind the Hitman games, makes all the sense in the world.
It was probably the biggest moment of the show, but seeing James Bond as a young floppy haired man who might easily have walked on from an Uncharted game left us neither particularly shaken nor stirred. Maybe we're just being harsh because of what they've done to Thief .
Advertisement - Page continues below
You'll want to take a seat: they've turned it into a VR game. No disrespect to the project or the platform, but this is a seriously respected series of immersive sims from the late Nineties to early Noughties we're talking about.
The 2014 reboot suffered for having been pushed through the square hole of triple-A blockbuster conventions instead of being allowed to retain its aloof, slow-burning, hardcore qualities, so watching footage of someone waggling their hands cartoonishly around the screen while they pickpocket guards and shoot water arrows into fireplaces doesn't exactly quell the fears that might happen again. It's like hearing your favourite band have reformed, but only to appear on The Voice. Enough moaning, let's hear about some good games.
Quite right, those exist too. Romeo is a Dead Man is the latest project from Grasshopper Manufacture, the legendarily idiosyncratic studio who made No More Heroes , Let it Die , and, in a supreme act of irony, No More Heroes II & III . This one sees you fighting hordes of undead, Dead Rising -style, and the combination of slick combat and a hyperactive mashup of visual influences makes it punch through the noise. It ought to be a lot of fun.
Capcom's Pragmata looks like some imaginative sci-fi action with a faint whiff of Death Stranding to it. And speaking tangentially of Hideo Kojima, Metal Gear Solid Delta will be too, and although that's a rather more known quantity at this point (it's MGS3 running in Unreal Engine), it's a nailed-on part of our gaming diet this year when it arrives on 28 August.
Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox.
Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox.
Glad you noticed. Nioh 3 and Ghost of Yotei provided a one-two punch of feudal era Japan swordplay, and demonstrated two distinct approaches to that time, place, and activity. The Nioh threequel will offer more ultra-demanding duels that reward deft inputs and quick reactions, while Sucker Punch's follow-up to Ghost of Tsushima will do that, but with a bigger health bar and more narrative choices. Anything else worth keeping an eye on?
Now that we've had a cup of tea and put the Thief VR thing behind us, yes there is. The show might have been missing that 'Hold on, what ?' reveal moment, but its smaller beats were very pleasing.
Like the Mortal Kombat Legacy Kollection , which takes an archival approach to the first four classic beat 'em ups plus their various spinoffs, bundling them all into one place where they're super complete – sorry, Komplete – and playable on modern hardware.
And Silent Hill f , a horror spinoff from the famously misty mainline series, which invites you to 'find the beauty in horror'. At first sight this one seems to be about the worries of a girl in adolescence made manifest as gore-drenched nameless horrors with blades all over them.
Um, is it ok if we have a go at finding the beauty in that while the lights are still on and we keep pausing to decompress with restomod Tiktoks? Ok, deal.
This is only the start of all the big announcements and trailer-spamming though, with Summer Games Fest 2025 due to start in earnest on Friday 6 June. You can keep abreast with all its happenings by checking the official schedule.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Times
6 hours ago
- Times
Where to eat, shop and cycle like a local in Copenhagen
Best friends Mathilde, Linnea and Maria are quintessential 'Copenhagen girlies'. As content creators, they share a love of Scandi style, Danish design and delicious food with their followers. In this episode of Detour, the girls take us on a bike tour around the city centre. From luxury vintage fashion to antique homeware, and the legendary breakfast 'BMO' to trendy small plates and natural wines, this is one of the world's coolest cities. In each episode of this series, local creatives take us to visit the hidden gems of their city, from the best places to eat and shop to where to go after dark.
BBC News
6 hours ago
- BBC News
Grow a Garden: The surprise Roblox gaming hit
If people discover they love virtual gardening, might they be encouraged to take up the real thing? Andrew K. Przybylski, a professor of human behaviour and technology at the University of Oxford, said it was possible the game could "plant a seed" that could lead to a passion for plants. But, overall, he's sceptical. "It is unlikely that a game like this will encourage real world gardening any more than Super Mario Wonder encourages plumbing," he told the BBC. Prof Sarah Mills of Loughborough University has carried out research into the experience of young people and gaming. She highlights a key appeal of Grow a Graden is it is free to play, but the in-game currency is important. "This wider landscape of paid reward systems in digital games can impact children and young people's experiences of gaming and financial literacy," she said. "It can also cause challenges for many families to navigate, changing the nature of pocket money." Gardening podcaster and BBC presenter Thordis Fridriksson, meanwhile, is hopeful that any interest in gardening is a good thing. "Obviously the whole process is pretty different to real life, but it taps into the same thing which makes gardening so addictive, and that's planting seeds and watching your garden grow. "Fingers crossed some of the people who love the game will try growing something at home." Outside the living room in Edinburgh where they play the game is Owen and Eric's actual garden, which both boys help in. "I like gardening - and gardening in Grow a Garden," says Owen. But asked which one he prefers, he's emphatic: "Grow a Garden!"
Daily Mail
21 hours ago
- Daily Mail
British rising star makes shock appearance among front runners for James Bond takeover amid ongoing speculation over who will be next 007
Speculation as to who will take over the role of James Bond from Daniel Craig in the next instalment of the franchise has been heating up in recent weeks. And now a British rising star has found himself among the front runners as one of the bookies' surprise favourites. The actor had a huge year in 2024 as he lead one of the most anticipated Disney live action films. Film-lovers have been patiently waiting to find out when the new 007 movie will be released since Craig finished his five film stint as the British spy with No Time To Die. And as this actor's popularity grows, it seems the bookmakers think he could be in line to be cast as the iconic spy. Amazon recently took over 'creative control' of the much-loved franchise and are said to be fast-tracking the new film, with Hollywood producers David Heyman and Amy Pascal hired to bring in the new era of Bond. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the Daily Mail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. British fan favourites Aaron-Taylor Johnson and Henry Cavill have been linked to the role, while The White Lotus actor Theo James emerged as the latest bookies' favourite last month. But Mufasa star Aaron Pierre, 31, has now found himself in the mix, with William Hill putting him at 8/1 - the same odds as Cavill. The bookmaker sees Taylor-Johnson the most likely to take over at odds of 11/8, while James sits at 7/2. Right behind Pierre and Cavill is Happy Valley actor James Norton, and chasing his tail is Slow Horses actor Jack Lowden. Earlier this month, betting companies released their odds for the next James Bond villain - with one unexpected household name topping the list. The favourite was then none other than Peaky Blinders star Cillian Murphy, 49, who sits at the top of OLBG's odds at 9/2. The Irish actor - best known for playing Thomas Shelby - had previously been touted for the part of Bond but played down speculation, telling Deadline: 'I think I'm a bit old for that.' Also in the running to play the Bond bad guy are American actor Paul Giamatti (11/2), The Boogeyman star David Dastmalchian (13/2), and unlikely contender Zendaya (7/1). The bookmaker sees Aaron Taylor-Johnson (left in August) the most likely to take over at odds of 11/8, while Theo James (right in January 2024) sits at 7/2 Despite 'usually playing the good guy' in her previous roles, the female actress told Elle in 2023 that she's ready to enter her villainous era. 'I would love to play a villain of sorts,' the 28-year-old said. 'Tap into the evil, supervillain vibes. Whatever that manifests in, I don't think necessarily in a superhero sense, I just mean in like an emotional sense. 'I feel like I usually play the good guy, so I'd like to play the bad guy.' Cillian Murphy remains the strong favourite for the role, with Betting Expert Jake Ashton backing the Irish star too. 'The villain role in the Bond movies is just as iconic as Bond himself,' he said. 'With Cillian Murphy at the height of his powers and trusted by major directors, he's a natural favourite.' No Time To Die saw Oscar winner Rami Malek star as its lead antagonist Lyutsifer Safin, a terrorist chief and scientist driven by a desire to dismantle the criminal group SPECTRE. Before him A-lister Christoph Waltz starred as the villain in Spectre and Javier Bardem played Raoul Silva in Skyfall, an antagonist described as 'up there with the great' Bond baddies. Amazon bosses are currently said to be considering locations in which to set the much-anticipated new film, which experts predicted is likely to be released at the end of next year or in 2027. Due to a filming ban being imposed in Central London next year, new locations are reportedly being considered - with Liverpool a frontrunner, according to The Sun. An insider told the publication: 'This will no doubt irk Bond purists who already fear Amazon taking over the 007 franchise may lead to them making big changes. 'But Liverpool is a well-known alternative to London for film-makers. 'It has appeared in everything from The Batman to Captain America and Harry Potter movies, doubling up as international cities.' The source added that it doesn't necessarily mean the story will be set in Liverpool - though eagle-eyed Merseysiders will no doubt spot their city centre in the background.
