Sony’s 2017 E3 conference has come and gone in a flash, and with it a host of new games to look forward to over the next year. Sony brought a number of strong contenders this year but in my opinion, failed to wow the audience with something new or groundbreaking, as every trailer or announcement wasn’t much of a surprise.
Check out our first impressions of the games they previewed during their conference!
Your favorite treasure seekers return, although not quite in the way you’d expect. Sony starts things off well by showing new footage of their new stand alone Uncharted chapter, chronicling the adventures of fan-favorite Chloe Frazer, who returns after last appearing in Uncharted 2. In Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, Chloe pairs up with mercenary Nadine Ross to seek out a treasure called the Tusk of Ganesha. Hopefully this game will have the same feel, thrills, and puzzles as the predecessors did, but chances are we’ll all still be left wanting more even after we quickly finish it.
Horizon Zero Dawn: Frozen Wilds
To be honest, I wasn’t expecting Sony to announce DLC for Horizon Zero Dawn but now that it’s been announced, I’m incredibly excited. Horizon Zero Dawn is one of my all time favorite games and its incredible world building and engaging story have made it a commercial success. Aloy returns in a new installment as she seeks to uncover more mysteries in a new winter wasteland with what appears to be new machines to take down, or override and master. Expect to see the DLC release sometime in 2017.
Sony premiered some new game play of its open world zombie thriller, Days Gone. This year, we got a better look at the stealth system and strategies such as using swarms of zombies to get rid of human enemies. It looks like a gritty, brutal game and chances are that it is going to do well. I will likely have nightmares after because the zombies in this game are crazy fast, far faster than those in the Walking Dead franchise.
The Monster Hunter franchise has primarily been limited to the older consoles, but Sony has announced the newest title to launch on all current consoles, including PC. Imagine a combination between the Witcher and ARK and you’d get this open world action role-playing game. The dinosaur/monster hybrids look interesting at the least. It is is set for an early 2018 release.
This is a remake of the Sony’s critically acclaimed Shadow of the Colossus from 2005. The game’s graphics look pretty decent but details are sparse so be on the look out to learn more later this year. Projected release sometime in 2018.
This was an peculiar addition to Sony’s line up and, while it isn’t the type of game I typically play, it doesn’t look bad. The game includes 2-on-2 fights and the addition of infinity stones. It is releasing in September 2017.
Playing off of the success of Battlefield 1, COD’s latest multiplayer installment takes players to World War II to the trenches and battlefronts of the bloody war. Shown game play had the typical COD feel but also looks similar to Battlefield’s. I’m excited to see what the game will offer when it launches on November 3. You can pre-order the game now to gain access to the closed beta testing later this fall.
Likely Sony’s most talked about game this year at E3, fans were enamored by new footage and game play for the upcoming God of War. The eighth installment in the God of War series finds protagonist Kratos once again battling Greek and Norse monsters, but this time, he has a young son that he must mentor and protect. I will definitely be picking this up on launch day and am eager to see how Kratos’ son will change the dynamic of the story. God of War is coming in early 2018.
This game’s graphics look incredible and the game trailer invokes a story one would find in a big screen blockbuster. In this Playstation exclusive you will play as an android, and you will have the choice of choosing between violence or pacifism and choosing how you want to save your fellow androids. Will you murder humans or will you find another way? The game’s premise is intriguing and slightly terrifying. No release date has been announced.
No surprise here. The first Destiny game has gathered a solid loyal fan base and in the sequel you find that the Tower has fallen and it is up to you and your friends to re-take it with new armor and weapons. Destiny 2 launches on September 6.
Being developed by Insomniac Games, Spider-Man is Sony’s next big project and I must say, it looks damn good. It is apparently being built as a stand alone new story about Spider-Man and not tied to any film or comic book.
From the long clip of gameplay shown, the web-slinging between buildings looks seamless and fighting includes a variety of mechanisms and tactics utilizing all of your Spidey abilities. My only complaint thus far is the footage appeared to be heavy in quick time events, or QTEs. Anyone who knows me know that I suck at QTEs, as do the majority of gamers, yet it seems to be a big part of modern gaming. Here’s to hoping the new Spider-Man game won’t have that many. Expect Spider-Man to swing onto consoles in 2018.
VR Titles
Sony revealed a number of brief trailers for their virtual reality (VR) software. These included a science fiction game called Starchild, a thriller called The Inpatient, a Final Fantasy XV add on called Monster of the Deep, a military shooter Bravo Team, and a cute drama, Moss, about a pint sized mouse.
Rounding out the VR titles was also the addition of Skyrim to the VR library. I wish that they would stop trying to improve Skyrim and instead create a brand new single player RPG Elder Scrolls game. The problem is that it will be very difficult to produce a game that rivals Skyrim.
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