Last year was a strange one for the PlayStation brand, in that it felt like most of its perceivable highs were followed by at least one relative low. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 was the jewel in its first-party exclusive crown, for example, yet Xbox had Starfield. Final Fantasy 16 was received well, but Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth was delayed by several months. Runaway hit Baldur's Gate 3 inadvertently became a timed PS5 console-exclusive, yet Forspoken faltered in similar circumstances.
Moreover, after months of pushback against Microsoft's high-profile bid to acquire Activision, that deal eventually went through. And while we're yet to see how that will inevitably alter the landscape of the video games industry in the longer term, you'd have to assume Sony will be keen to hit the ground running in the here and now – all of which paves the way for an interesting 2024 as far as PlayStation is concerned.
Games on
12DOVE is exploring the most anticipated video games of the year with Big in 2024, with new articles dropping every day throughout January.
The first notable move for PlayStation in 2024 is The Last of Us 2 Remastered, a souped-up re-release of the 2020 original for PS5 that's due on January 19 and includes cut content by way of the "lost levels", and a new roguelike mode named No Return. Given the sheer volume of remakes this horror series has released over the last decade or so, this console-exclusive is hardly a big one, but it is a console-exclusive all the same.
February is an exciting month for PlayStation fans, with the 4v4 online party shooter Foamstars kicking things off on February 4. It's then closely followed by the console-exclusive squad-shooter Helldivers 2, which brings an old twin-stick affair into shiny third-person in the process. Pacific Drive follows that on February 22, which our own Leon Hurley said already feels like a brilliant mix of the road, the radio, and roguelike after going hands-on earlier this year. And after that again comes what may well be the PS5's biggest game of 2024: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Landing on February 29, Rebirth marks the second part of the planned trilogy that reimagines its 1997 JRPG source material against today's standards, taking us beyond the confines of capital city Midgar for the first time.
Into March and a game I'm personally pining for comes in the shape of Rise of the Ronin. Due on March 22, this Edo period-set action-RPG is the work of Team Ninja, whose past chops include everything from Dead or Alive to last year's Wo-Long Fallen Dynasty, and the superb Nioh series. After that, PlayStation's console-exclusive calendar dries up, but the likes of Phantom Blade 0, Sword of the Sea, Death Stranding 2 and Hideo Kojima's new project OD, Concord, Marathon, and Bloober Team's Silent Hill 2 remake all boast vague TBC due dates, with many of those expected to drop at some point in 2024.
Hardworn
On the hardware front, 2023 was solid for PlayStation. Between its slimmed-down PS5, the PlayStation Access controller, the arrival of PSVR2, and even the PlayStation Portal – which our own Phil Hayton liked but didn't love, ultimately billing the handheld as a one-trick pony in their PlayStation Portal – last year was busy for Sony in hardware terms. All of which means the 12 months ahead will likely be quieter to this end. Rumors tied to the whys, whens and hows of the PS5 Pro endure, of course, with some pockets of the internet suggesting 2024 is when we should expect an upgrade to the existing models that are out there right now. But that is, of course, all speculation.
What's also hearsay is who might replace outgoing PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan who, after announcing his plans to retire from the role last year, is expected to vacate his position in March, 2024. Looking over the fence, it's hard to predict exactly what Xbox has planned this year, but by the time a new face takes the throne at PlayStation that'll likely be more clear – and at that point, the new PS CEO will be better placed to determine how much they wish to alter the company's course of action.
In the meantime, what I'd love to see from PlayStation in 2024 is something from the company's first-party studios. You'd have to assume Insomniac will go radio silent for the foreseeable following last year's catastrophic in-development leaks – which is totally fair – but the likes of Naughty Dog, Guerilla Games and Bluepoint could surprise us, either with something from their current ensemble of games, or something new altogether. The best place to do this? A blockbuster PlayStation Showcase event. Following last year's less inspiring showings, I'd love to see PlayStation come back with a bang on this front in 2024, and I'm sure the company itself is keen to do so given how front-loaded its schedule is for the year ahead. We often talk about tone-setting at this time of year, and whereas 2023 was stable but subdued for PlayStation as a whole, laying down a marker early doors seems like the most sensible tact for Sony and its flagship games brand.
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