The air was electric on this chilly San Francisco morning as Sony opened the doors to the convention center to finally let fans scramble into the PlayStation Experience keynote. Many came in with some high expectations, and if the Twitter reactions are anything to go by, not everyone felt it was a strong showing. Though there were definitely some lulls–especially with all of the inconsequential third party talk–not all was bad. There were actually some really great moments, and we are here to discuss just that.
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End dialogue choices.
Things started off with a bang in the convention center. I wasn’t expecting to see much more of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, considering the fact that Sony recently dropped a trailer to introduce a new character, so you can understand why I wasn’t too stoked to see more of a game that I’m already sold on. But then…during a key narrative moment, dialogue choices appeared out of thin-air, like a glorious unicorn surfing on a rainbow. Most of the convention center didn’t even know how to react. I was stunned, but I was ecstatic once the initial shock wore off.
I’m not dismissing those that aren’t too thrilled about the addition, since there really is an argument to be made about whether dialogue choices make sense in this universe. But, with that being said, there’s now potential for moral choices, and different endings. That would be incredible. Ending the Nathan Drake story the way you want to sounds like a great way to send off the series, if it really is the end that is.
Final Fantasy VII Remake gameplay footage.
Did that just happen? Sony decided to wow the audience by dropping a brand new trailer for Final Fantasy VII Remake which showed off some drool-worthy gameplay. Those that were worried about the combat being completely revamped can definitely breathe a sigh of relief. Though combat isn’t completely the same, the basics look to be there and it looks glorious. You can check out the complete breakdown of the trailer here.
VR spectacular
Looking back at the morning events, it’s clear that Sony had a mission to sell the audience on PlayStation VR. How well they succeeded on that depends on who you ask. Personally, I thought it was a great showing for the future tech. Now, hear me out. Yes, plenty of the software shown off looked absurdly silly–and that’s fine. Let’s remember that VR is in its infancy, at least in the form we are seeing it today. A lot of the new games shown off at least prove that developers are thinking about this tech in different ways. That’s exciting.
Here’s a list of games that will be coming to PS VR:
- Psychonauts: In the Rhombus of RuinÂ
- Ace Combat 7
- Golem
- Eagle FlightÂ
- Job Simulator (my personal favorite)Â
- Modern Zombie Taxi Co.Â
- Rez InfiniteÂ
- 100 Ft. Robot Golf
- DistanceÂ
- Classroom AquaticÂ
- World War Toons
- EclipseÂ
There’s still no definitive killer app for VR, but today was a good sign that at least shows potential–even if you do look silly doing a jig with the PlayStation move in your hands.
Let me also say, there was a live demonstration of Rez Infinite that’s worth taking a look at.
Destiny Sparrow races.
I know I said that the third party talk wasn’t great earlier, but this one was pretty spectacular. Every Guardian in Destiny has at least once tried to race through the rough terrain of Mars on their Sparrows. My fireteam were victims to eating my dust plenty of times. Well, an announcement dropped that will make all the speed-racers in the tower incredibly happy. Sparrow races are coming in a 3 week event where you can put it all on the line for some sweet gear–which also happens to include new sparrows.
I swear the convention center was filled with tons of Guardians because this announcement got one of the loudest responses. The madness begins on December 8.
Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom announced.
Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom was announced, and it looks brilliant. Level 5 is a great team that has been killing it with their recent titles, and this sequel is something that fans of the developer have been waiting for. Not much is known about the game at the moment, other than it looks gorgeous. You can watch the trailer above. I was more disappointed that a Ni no Kuni remaster wasn’t announced.
Final Street Fighter V character.
When Yoshinori Ono took to the PSX stage, he instantly brought an inhuman amount of energy and excitement to the room. Is there anyone else in the industry with as much enthusiasm? He took to the stage to announce the final character to be making it into the Street Fighter V roster: F.A.N.G. He already looks like the biggest troll character.
He has an interesting way of moving around where it kind of looks slithery. He’s also second in command to M. Bison in the Shadaloo organization, so he means business. You can watch his moves in the trailer above.
The additional 5 characters that will come in the form of DLC were also revealed to be Alex Guile, Ibuki, Balrog, Juri, and Urien. They will be earn-able for free, but you’ll also be able to purchase the season pass to unlock these challengers as soon as they are released.
It was a good showing overall for Sony. It wasn’t all glamorous, but the above moments were pretty special. What was your favorite moment? What did you think about the big announcements? Let us know in the comments below.
—
Image: PlayStation
