Sony E3 Press Conference Delivers on Exclusivity Promises

Sony kicked off their E3 week with an amazing press conference that addressed many questions fans had. SCEA President and CEO Shawn Layden said games drive innovation and are a hub of connection and interaction. Their E3 presentation reflected that view, introducing new and interesting games. Their presentation delivered on the past year and a half of reassurances. But the wait looks to be worth it. Let’s get to Sony’s amazing presentation.

The Last Guardian

That’s right! Sony officially confirmed and re-revealed The Last Guardian. It’s not really a surprise, but more of a pay off to fans who have been anticipating this game for years. The game focuses on the playable character, a young boy, and his bird-dog companion with whom you interact with to solve puzzles. A beautiful game echoing the art style of Shadow of the Colossus and Ico. The Last Guardian releases in 2016.

Horizon: Zero Dawn

This game looks amazing. I didn’t know anything about it, but the moment the trailer started, I immediately wanted to play it. Horizon: Zero Dawn is a post-apocalyptic future where man has regressed to a primitive state pitted against animalistic machines. The cutscene to gameplay transition was so seamless. Horizon’s graphics are beautiful and smooth. The story sounds fascinating and the gameplay looks challenging, but fun. Guerilla Games new IP looks very good.

 

Hitman

Sony teased us with a glimpse into the newest Hitman. Continuing the stealth based deadly tradition, this game is deadly beautiful. Coming on PS4, Xbox, and PC on December 8, 2015. PlayStation players will gain access to an exclusive beta with pre-order of the game.

Street Fighter V

An very interesting PlayStation exclusive, Street Fighter V is going to be pretty badass. The graphics are stunning and character moves look tight. They are also bringing back Cammy and Birdie. The beta launches first on PlayStation 4 with pre-order July 23rd this year and releases next March.

No Man’s Sky

This game has been tantalizing players for some time now and we finally get a small pay off. Demonstrating some space combat in the beginning, the demo quickly switched to exploring an entirely new planet that has never been encountered before. A beautiful and expansive game, No Man’s Sky certainly appears stunning. My only issue is Hello Games has yet to demonstrate the other alleged aspects of the game, like trading and space exploration. With no release date yet, it seems they have a lot of work left to do, but it might be worth the wait.

Dreams

Media Molecule’s new game breaks so much of what we conceive games to look like and function. A new and innovative take on art and gameplay, Dreams utilizes many aspects of the DualShock 4 previously under appreciated.The cross-platform potential is also very exciting. It also might play into why Sony is holding a large press conference at Paris Games Week rather than Gamescom this year. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing more.

FireWatch

Two teenage girls have gone missing and someone is stalking the woods destroying your equipment. Creepy and thrilling, this mystery will be coming out later this year on PS4 and PC only.

Destiny: The Taken King

Launching September 15 this year, The Taken King expansion will feature some exclusive PlayStation content. PlayStation players will receive new gear, a map, and a co-op strike. If you’ve stayed committed to Destiny, look forward to this new expansion.

Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate

While tired with how repetitive the AC series has gotten, Syndicate introduces some new concepts. The setting is amazing and the art looks beautiful, but let’s remember Unity before we get too excited about that one. One of my favorite aspects is the playable character Evie Frye, twin sister to Jacob, the other main character. The trailer at E3 featured Evie as a total master assassin, wielding a cane sword and throwing knives. PlayStation players receive exclusive access to the Dreadful Crimes Missions, in which you solve crimes as either Jacob or Evie.

World of Final Fantasy

Set in a chibi-style world of final fantasy, World of Final Fantasy has all your favorite characters and creatures of the universe. It involves a new story and gameplay. This game looks adorable and fun, but it was sadly overshadowed by what was revealed right after it. Which leads me to…

Final Fantasy VII Remastered

Teased all the time, fans finally get what they’ve always wanted. Midgar, in beautiful high-definition, came upon the screen and the audience went wild. Coming first to PlayStation, no other consoles were mentioned. While in development, there is no release date yet.

Devolver Digital

Devolver Digital and PlayStation partnered up to bring new and interesting retro-style indies to PlayStation players. Here’s a list of the awesome titles set to launch soon:

• Ronin
• Eitr
• Mother Russia Bleeds
• Crossing Souls

Shenmue 3

The fans’ desire for this sequel rivals those who wanted a FF VII remastered edition. And it’s happening. The Kickstarter for the game launched during Sony’s E3 press conference and is close to reaching its goal mere hours later. Set to be one of the most successful Kickstarters in history, Shenmue 3 will be on PC and PS4 exclusively coming tentatively December 2017.

Arkham Knight

The highly anticipated new Arkham game will release later this month and PlayStation owners get a nice DLC exclusive. The Scarecrow Nightmare Missions are a PlayStation exclusive. Scarecrow is back to releasing crazy, psycho-trippy drugs into Gotham and as the Batman, you need to stop him.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 3

This was the E3 debut of the game and it looked amazing. Not really a fan of the series or FPS games in general, but this game looks stunning and the multiplayer gameplay caters to the core of the fanbase. PlayStation players will have exclusive access to a beta test this August and all map packs will launch on PlayStation first from now on. Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 releases November 6th.

Star Wars

Disney Infinity 3.0

Known for some time, this was more of a fun preview. Two Star Wars specific games will be Twilight of the Republic, focusing on the Clone Wars era of the Star Wars Saga, and Rise Against the Empire, which will recount the memorable moments of the original trilogy. PlayStation will have a limited edition exclusive package that will launch a month earlier than other consoles and also include a Boba Fett figurine as well as playable character.

Star Wars Battlefront

While there are no exclusives for PlayStation, this game is exciting all by itself. The gameplay on PS4 looks beautiful and extremely fun. Featuring a variety of game types, Star Wars Battlefront brings the thrill of the movie franchise to your console of choice. Launching November 17th in North America and November 20th in Europe.

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

 

Closing out the show, Uncharted 4 is definitely their top liner. After having to delay the game’s release, Sony must be anxious to show one of the few announced exclusives. PlayStation and Naughty Dog debuted a beautifully awesome demo of the game. Minus an early demo problem, the game ran smoothly and was filled with dynamic gameplay and quippy dialogue. Nathan Drake’s story is about to come to an end and I don’t think you want to miss it. The game releases March 2016.

Project Morpheus

Sony forges ahead in the VR game, breaking ground in making VR gaming a cooperative experience. Focusing on bringing local and online multiplayer to a new level, Sony sees Project Morpheus as the best VR experience to play with others. There will be several games demoed at E3 on Project Morpheus. Currently the VR headset is set to release early next year.

Some other non-game announcements included PlayStation Vue allowing channel based subscriptions via the Vue app. Will they only have three channels offered right now (Showtime, Machinima, and Fox Soccer Plus), this was welcomed news to many in the audience.

One of my few complaints about Sony’s presentation was the complete avoidance of the Vita. It seems that Sony does not know what to do about its handheld and the sales are reflecting their hesitance and noncommitment. There was a brief montage of PS Vita games, but none recognized by name or demoed on stage. Poor support for a great handheld that is under promoted and appreciated.

Final Thoughts

Sony did a brilliant job addressing many fans questions and concerns about PS4’s game schedule. Unfortunately a good percentage of the games shown are releasing next year at the earliest and some don’t have a release date at all (*cough* No Man’s Sky*cough*). Regardless, the games demoed looked amazing and release of Project Morpheus is sooner than we think. Really an amazing press conference to finish the day.

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