PlayStation State of Play recap: All the news as it happened
The PlayStation State of Play showcase is over, but you can relive the excitement through our live coverage
Hello there, and welcome to the 12DOVE live coverage of the PS5 State of Play for September 2024.
With little under four hours to go before the anticipated PlayStation stream kicks off, I'm going to be running you through key predictions and getting you up-to-speed on everything you need to know!
While we always need to take any PlayStation State of Play leaks with a grain of salt – I promise you right now that every single list that's floating around on social media right now is false – this one is confirmed: Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver 1-2 Remastered.
The legendary Soul Reaver series is set to make a return on December 10, and will be available for digital download on PS5 and PS4. This doesn't replace my burning desire for a full series reboot, but it will be fun to return to this world with remastered graphics and key quality-of-life improvements.
In fact, if you're looking for a little more information on Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver 1-2 Remastered I've got you covered. (And by "I've got you covered" I actually mean "Dustin Bailey has got you covered" as he's written a lovely news story covering the leaked announcement in greater detail.
There were rumors coming into State of Play that we should expect a remaster announcement, and I do wonder whether Soul Reaver is it. Sony is currently kicking off its 30th anniversary celebrations though, so there's plenty that could make a splash from the back catalog.
If you put me on the spot for a wishlist, it might look something like this:
1. Killzone Shadow Fall remastered
2. Folklore remastered
3. Infamous Second Son remastered
4. The Last Guardian Remastered
5. Knack remastered Bloodborne Remastered
Naturally, there are plenty of remaster rumors out there right now. The most popular seem to surround Horizon Zero Dawn (2017) and Days Gone (2019). Now, on the one hand, these titles are technically playable on PS5 already through backwards compatibility and do still play exceptionally well – Guerrilla Games and Bend Studio make excellent games – so perhaps remasters are premature.
Then again, I do understand the desire on Sony's part to bring these franchises forward – ensuring that players new to the platform are able to connect with these excellent experiences in the best way possible. If I had to pick one over the other, I think I'd lean towards Days Gone; Bend Studio has been exceptionally quiet since 2019, and if a remaster affords the team some additional time to deliver whatever it's working on next then that's fine by me.
The Horizon Zero Dawn remaster does seem exceptionally likely though. It was discovered on September 19 that the rumored game has been ESRB rated for PC and PS5 (a listing which was later pulled offline). As for Days Gone, it could just be wishful thinking – a lot of people loved Deacon St. John's cameo in the exceptional Astro Bot, after all.
In fact, speaking of the best PS5 game of 2024 so far: If you're still deciding whether you should buy it or not, perhaps our five-star Astro Bot review will help.
A buddy just text me to say that, after almost 12 months of me banging on about how incredible Alan Wake 2 is, they have finally picked it up. I'm not telling you to emphasise the point that peer pressure works, but rather because it reminded me that the second DLC expansion is due to launch in October.
Alan Wake 2: Lake House will apparently explore the mysterious FBC facility situated on the shores of Cauldron Lake, which is currently locked behind an inaccessible area. I actually think it's quite likely that we'll get a first look at the expansion here at State of Play. So this is my first bold State of Play prediction: Lake House will get a firm release date, and a trailer which shows Alan Wake / Saga Anderson connecting with Jesse Faden through the veil.
Will Death Stranding 2: On the Beach appear in the PS5 State of Play? The highly anticipated platform exclusive is currently scheduled to land in 2025, but Kojima Productions is yet to put a firm date on it yet. Here's my second State of Play prediction for the night: Death Stranding 2 will get a Q2 release date here tonight, which should keep it well clear of GTA 6 hitting in the fall.
I'll tell you why I believe Death Stranding 2 will have a big showing, and it has everything to do with the Tokyo Game Show. Hideo Kojima was set to deliver a 60-minute 'PlayStation Presents Death Stranding 2: Special Stage!!' presentation on September 29 at the event, but this has recently been increased to 90 minutes. It could signal that there's going to be plenty to talk about this week… or maybe Kojima wants to just have a longer conversation with some of the cast, who knows!
The PlayStation State of Play will air in under 60 minutes! Which means we've still got plenty of time to talk about the, you know, state of play for Sony heading into the final stretch of 2024.
I know I said earlier that I was pretty confident we'd get a Death Stranding 2 release date tonight, but I'm already wishing I could backtrack on my bold prediction there. It's way more likely that we'll see Lego Horizon Adventures... which is apparently due for release later this year.
I hope the game does land in the weeks ahead, because everything we played of it out at Summer Game Fest was rather delightful.
I would think that almost everything shown during this PlayStation State of Play will come equipped with a PS5 Pro label. The PS5 Pro pre-orders go live on Thursday and, given the exceptional price of entry ($699.99 / £699.99) I personally believe that Sony still has a lot of work to do to really sell the benefits of this more powerful console. Expect a lot of talk about framerates and performance settings throughout this broadcast, and a lot of rather dazzling particle effects.
Looking for more on the system? We've got a list of the confirmed PS5 Pro enhanced games, and the specs compared between PS5 and PS5 Pro.
Realistically through, it's going to take a new first-party release from PlayStation Studios to really push this system – and that could be a long time coming. I'm keen to see what the likes of Guerrilla Games, Naughty Dog, Insomniac, Sucker Punch, and Sony Santa Monica can do with this thing... but it appears that new titles from these teams are still a long way off.
It's probably worth emphasising that PS VR 2 has a role to play in today's showcase. I have to say that I've been pretty underwhelmed with the system from what time I've had with it since its release in 2023 – in spite of all its promise, and the exceptionally talented developers working behind the scenes to deliver fantastic virtual reality experiences. At this stage, I don't know what's going to draw me back into the platform though...
Okay, I do know. It's Half Life: Alyx. Just let us have this one Valve. PlayStation started putting its first-party games out on Steam. It's time to return the favor.
We are now 20 minutes out, so fair warning for all of you: If PlayStation announces any of the following I will be the most insufferable boy on Planet Earth.
1. SOCOM 2 remastered (with full online support)
2. A new Warhawk game, because why not.
3. The return of Eye of Judgment
4. Killzone, in any capacity
I know it's more likely that Sony announces it has acquired Xbox than any of those becoming a reality right now, but it's fun to dream.
The pre-roll has officially begun. You've got fewer than 10 minutes to grab a drink, run to the bathroom, and get yourself ready for what I imagine will be a fairly breakneck showcase.
Watch the PS5 State of Play here
Oh, and if you're reading this while at work... don't worry, I'll keep you updated with all of the biggest PS5 news out of this thing!
The PlayStation State of Play is officially underway! Good luck, everyone – and may your wildest predictions come true.
Sony is kicking things off with a delightful PlayStation Studios sting, featuring adorable 10 adorable new bots – including Helldivers figures! There's a free DLC landing later this year, which also includes five all new speedrunning levels. It looks rad.
There's a pretty awesome horror game up next from Moon Hood Studios. It's entirely handmade with clay, and coming to PS5 and PS VR 2. Details are still light on the ground for The Midnight Walk, but Sony says we should anticipate more details later this year.
Hell Is Us just showed up. Looks pretty interesting – 3rd-person action-adventure game that focuses on exploration. I'm still keen to see more of this one, although I do like the idea of getting lost in that semi-open world.
Okay, so it's not Half-Life Alyx, but it might be the next best thing! A brand new look at Metro Awakening, which has just received a release date for PS VR – coming November 8, 2024. Listen, I love me some Metro so I'll happily take what I can get. It looks proper lovely.
Metro Awakening has been followed by a new look at Archeage Chronicles, a longstanding MMO franchise which is heading in a new action-RPG direction – still need more details on that one.
Never let a good controversy keep you down! Even with Nintendo challenging the studio over its similarities to Pokemon, Palworld is out right now on PS5!
We're getting some quickfire updates now:
1. Fantasian Neo Dimension is coming December 5 for PS5
2. Lunar Remastered Collection coming to PS5 and PS4 in Spring 2025
3. TMNT: Shredder's Revenge DLC is out later today
4. Sonic X Shadows Generations is getting a Sonic The Hedgehog 3 movie pack on December 12.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard is up now, a new extended look at the game in action. BioWare is really pushing this new PS5 RPG ahead of its release on October 31, 2024.
I have to admit, I'm really coming around on this new Dragon Age game. The shift towards action-RPG combat models looks pretty stunning, and I'm continually impressed by the visual direction BioWare is driving towards.
12DOVE recently unleashed a deep-dive on the game, and you can read all of our impressions over in the Dragon Age: The Veilguard Big Preview coverage hub.
As I predicted earlier! Alan Wake 2: Lake House DLC makes an appearance, taking us inside the Cauldron Lake FBC facility. This is where Remedy will further tangle the worlds of Alan Wake and Control, and I really can't wait to see more on that one.
The new story expansion will launch this October!
Hitman: World of Assassination is coming to PS VR 2 this December, which is a pretty neat idea! Devil will be in the detail on that one, but keen to get my hands on.
We knew about this one already. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1+2 remastered is coming December 10 and (honestly) looks pretty damn crisp. The news leaked earlier today, but we're still super excited about that one over here.
The first game from the Blumhouse Games horror initiative – Fear the Spotlight – is coming to PS5 on October 22. Worth keeping an eye on this one, especially if you're a fan of low-poly PS1-style horror games!
Epic Games is bringing a splitscreen mode to Lego Fortnite this October! Always keen for more couch co-op games, so I'm totally here for that one!
Dynasty Warriors Origins is launching on Jan 17, 2025, for PS5. And yes, it has suitably outrageous scale.
Okay, Monster Hunter Wilds is now on screen which means it's time to pause and get lost in another lush Capcom world. It's difficult to describe just how good this game is shaping up... if there's anything capable of drawing attention off of GTA 6 in 2025, it may well be this.
Monster Hunter Wilds is hitting PS5 on February 28, 2025.
REPEAT
Monster Hunter Wilds is going to release on PS5 on February 28, 2025.
This is exceptionally good news.
You can get your pre-order in for Monster Hunter Wilds starting today, which includes a suitably ridiculous Guild Knight Set of armor which opts for style over versatility... which is classic Monster Hunter.
"Look at those chompers!" Lego Horizon Adventures is potentially closing out this State of Play, and I'm not upset with it. The game is set to launch on November 14, with pre-orders going live on October 3.
Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered is real!
It's coming to PS5 and PC on October 31, 2024. If you own the original game you'll need to pay a $10 price of entry. Highlights here include a promise of visual fidelity on-par with Horizon Forbidden West, and over 10 hours of re-recorded dialogue. Look I won't lie to you folks, I'll probably play it again.
I got so distracted with how pretty Horizon Zero Dawn looked that I almost missed the biggest news of the State of Play: Stellar Blade is getting a photo mode and a Nier crossover. Yep, you heard me.
We're in quick-fire territory now: Dino Crisis and Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain are joining the Classics Catalog soon on PS Plus Premium... look, juice the Dino Crisis numbers and we might get a sequel, you know what to do.
Oh nice! Last of Us: Part 1 comes to PS Plus Game Catalog on September 26 in celebration of Outbreak day.
Okay, this is not a drill. Something big is happening...
Ghost of Tsushima 2 has just been announced.
Sucker Punch has completely blown expectations out of the park here. Set 400 years later, Ghost of Tsushima 2 is offering up another utterly stunning world to explore from this early look.
The Ghost of Tsushima 2 title is Ghost of Yotei. And the best news yet, it's coming in 2025.
Right, that's it for the State of Play showcase, everybody!
That was a really solid showcase. I'm surprised by how much of it was focused on October, but we did get some nice hits for 2025. I suspect that it's the release date for Monster Hunter Wilds and the announcement of Ghost of Yōtei which reverberate the loudest.
