Dreams do come true
This year, Sony's conference was all about revival. So many projects that seemed impossible or too good to be true have all been brought back to life on the PS4. When you see The Last Guardian - a game that had been a no-show at E3 for years - as Sony's opener, you know you're in for a barrage of reveals, and that's just what we got today. A Final Fantasy 7 remake and a potential ending to the Shenmue saga round out solid showings from No Man's Sky and Guerilla's new project Horizon. I'm still trying to catch my breath here.
If you missed the show, don't worry - because we've got you covered. We've summarized all the good bits of the show and distilled everything you need to know about Sony's E3 2015 conference. Press on to the following slides to find out how dreams really do come true.
Sony opens the show with The Last Guardian
HOLY SHIT IT'S ALIVE. Sony opened their press conference with PS4 gameplay footage of the long-awaited, assumed-cancelled, probably-in-our-heads-the-whole-time The Last Guardian. The footage opens on a young boy as he wanders through an ancient ruin. He looks back, calls out in an unknown language, and out of an archway pops a massive feathered beast. He summons the beast over to a distant platform, and then makes a leap across the giant chasm, and almost misses - but the beast is there to grab him as he falls. The boy moves a giant weight across a rickety platform, which (as these things go) crumbles underneath him. He makes a jump, and just barely grabs onto the beast's tail. After some close shaves, the two finally make it to the end of the platform. The demo ends with the two looking confidently at each other, a fade to black, and single date: 2016.
Guerilla debuts Horizon: Zero Dawn, and it looks like a techno Monster Hunter
This new title from Guerilla games takes place long after our modern civilization has come and gone. Skyscrapers decay, then disappear, and the Earth becomes wild again. But humans aren't dead - they've just gone back to their nomadic ways, and have achieved a symbiosis with nature and technology. The gameplay demo shows a young woman skulking through dense foliage, toting her compound bow, and hunting down creatures that appear to be as much machine as they are organic. A massive robo-dino stampedes on the scene, and the woman uses her bow and a variety of ammo (like one that lets you shoot ropes onto the beast to keep it pinned to the ground) to take the beast down.
New Hitman game coming, is called Hitman
Just a CGI trailer here, but there's a new Hitman coming. It's called Hitman, and you'll probably, I dunno, cook breakfast for people? Probably not. Anyway, there's a beta coming first to PlayStation, and 6 contract missions that are exclusive to PlayStation.
New characters and an online beta coming for Street Fighter 5
Two new characters were revealed for Capcom's latest brawler, Street Fighter 5. First up is the ever-popular Cammy, a series mainstay since Super Street Fighter 2. Also announced was the lesser-known Street Fighter Alpha combatant Birdie. These two will join up with Ryu and the rest of the cast when Street Fighter 5 launches in spring 2016, though you might not have to wait as long as you'd think to get a chance to play it. Sony and Capcom are rolling out a series of online betas, and the first phase is coming exclusively to PlayStation 4. Starting on July 23rd, PS4 players who pre-order the game in North America will be able to take part in a five-day stress test of the online servers.
Sean Murray actually shows us how No Man's Sky plays
A live demo helmed by Hello Games' Sean Murray actually showed us how No Man's Sky will play when it finally comes out. It opens on a dogfight between two rival factions, and you could either engage or avoid combat if you wish. He then pulls back to show the galaxy. Every single light is a sun, and every sun has planets orbiting them, with their own ecology. The brightest light is the center of the galaxy, and it's the ultimate goal for players of No Man's Sky. He then warped to a random planet - a planet he's never visited before. A quick scan shows no alien life around him on land, but after destroying some trees (and gaining their resources) a few giant mechs started to hunt him down. Beacons are strewn about each planet that allow you to upload your discoveries. No release date yet, but it's looking killer.
Media Molecule unveils Dreams, a game that lets you build surreal yet lucid creations
The studio behind LittleBigPlanet showed off a brief glimpse of their next project, called Dreams. In it, you can create living, three-dimensional drawings by manipulating various in-game tools with the PS4 controller's built-in motion sensor. These can become entire animated scenes, like a surreal claymation. We're not sure what the 'game' part of Dreams is exactly, but as a creative suite for building trippy visions, it looks interesting.
Firewatch is making its console debut on PS4
Firewatch looks super cool. You're a forest ranger out doing jobs in the wilderness, until you find that someone has holed themselves inside your tower. Your only human contact is the woman on the other end of your walkie-talkie. The first game from Campo Santo will make its console debut on PS4.
Destiny gets a new expansion called The Taken King
Coming September 15th, The Taken King gives Destiny new gear, new maps, and new supers.
Assassin's Creed: Syndicate finally shows off what Evie can do
Coverage around Assassin's Creed: Syndicate has felt a little bit male-centric, but it's finally Evie's turn to shine. With her cane sword and throwing knives, Evie is just as brutal. You'll get to solve mysteries around England, and the PS4 is getting exclusive criminal missions.
