We were prepared for the Not-E3 season to bring a ton of game announcements for PlayStation fans, and this June did not disappoint. Although PlayStation did not have a dedicated exhibit of its own on the same scale as Xbox, a State of Play and Summer Game Fest provided the goods.
Players finally got to see the long-rumored Resident Evil 4 remake alongside the second chapter of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, officially titled Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. On top of that, Sony’s planned PlayStation Plus overhaul went into effect for North America.
Did you miss something from the last month? Take a look at all the important news you’ll want to know.
PlayStation Studios course is correct in light of Roe v Wade decision
Remember last month when it came to light that PlayStation’s Jim Ryan decided to speak out about his cats’ birthdays and essentially said “all opinions matter” after a leaked document indicated the Supreme Court was seeking to overturn Roe V. Wade? ? Yes, that was last month. At the time, an internal email from Insomniac’s Ted Price reportedly said that Sony banned its studios from talking about the issue, but the company appears to have changed its mind.
The Supreme Court ended up overturning Roe v. Wade because it’s run by disengaged “pro-lifers” who don’t really care about life at all and lie under oath. Fortunately, Sony was not silent this time. Many of his studios published the same image after the ruling was issued, simply stating that “reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy are human rights.”
Naughty Dog went further and said would “actively support” employees in need of care. Co-Chairman Neil Druckmann and Vice Chairman Arne Meyer even donated several thousand dollars to charities such as the NARAL Pro-Choice America Foundationwith matching donations from PlayStation.
bungie too reiterated his position in no uncertain terms. “The US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade bars millions of Americans from that access and leaves open the possibility of even greater restrictions on life-saving health care for all of us.
“Bungie is committed to ensuring that each of our employees and their families have safe and affordable access to essential health care needs. As we continue to expand our digital-first workplace to more states, we will now implement a reimbursement program for trips for any employee to use when they or a dependent cannot access the health care they need where they live.
Bungie, you’re doing amazing, honey.
If you would like to make a donation to support essential healthcare, you can donate to the National Network of Abortion Funds (local/regional lists available), Family planning, NARAL Pro-Choice America, Indigenous Women’s Uprisingthe Repro Legal Defense Fundor any number of local and national organizations and charities.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Finally Takes Center Stage
It feels like so much more than just two years since the first part of Final Fantasy 7 Remake came out. Even though it was recently released, gamers were expecting Square Enix to reveal the next entry almost since its release. That finally happened during a short showcase to celebrate the game’s 25th anniversary.
Alongside the announcement of a Crisis Core remaster later this year, the publisher revealed that Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the next part of the remake, will launch exclusively on PS5 next winter. His trailer showed Cloud, Zack Fair, and Sephiroth, though it’s unclear how much of the original game this part will be adapted from. It is also expected to be the second part of a planned trilogy.
“Rebirth is being designed so that people can enjoy this game, whether they know the original game or not. In fact, new players may even enjoy starting their Final Fantasy 7 journey with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth,” said series director Tetsuya Nomura.
This is fantastic news for me, a person who hasn’t finished the first part and probably never will. (Editor’s note: I definitely never will.)
PlayStation Plus Premium causes a sensation
Sony’s planned PlayStation Plus overhaul launched in North America this month, bringing the service closer to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. PS Plus Essential still offers everything it used to, but now PS Plus Extra and Premium offer a catalog of hundreds of games on demand for a higher monthly fee.
I think PS Plus Extra will be more than enough for some people. All Premium brings to the table is streaming, a catalog of classic games, and limited-time game trials. If you can live without some classic games, it is better to save the money that Premium would cost you. PS Plus Extra has it where it boasts over 400 PS4 and PS5 games.
What currently needs work is the user interface. Navigation can be quite tricky at this point and it can be hard to find a particular game unless you search for its name specifically.
Resident Evil 4 remake reinvents the iconic horror title
Continuing Capcom’s string of successful remakes, now it’s Resident Evil 4’s turn. The Resident Evil 4 remake debuted at Sony’s State of Play, showing a brooding Leon Kennedy as he races to save the president’s daughter. of a mysterious cult. Because we all love a brooding Leon Kennedy.
The graphics have been completely reworked for modern consoles and early gameplay footage appears to show Leon moving while aiming his gun, a departure from the original game. Interestingly, story-wise, Capcom calls this a reimagining that keeps the “essence of the direction of it.”
Will I play it? Absolutely not. Am I happy for Resident Evil fans? I’m sure. Although the original Resident Evil 4 is still fully playable and not as dated as Resident Evil 2 or 3, it is considered one of the best games of all time.
The remake will be released on March 24, 2023 for PS5, PC and Xbox Series X|S.
Naughty Dog brings back The Last of Us Part 1
Speaking of games that probably don’t need remakes but will get one anyway, there’s The Last of Us. Remember that game that came out in *check the calendar* 2013? Less than a decade ago? The game that was already remastered on PS4? The game that by all accounts still looks and plays beautifully? Yes, that. Sony is remaking it. Because money. I fully admit that I am part of the problem because I will 100% buy it on PS5 and play it again.
Naughty Dog has been eager to show off its graphic prowess, giving fans a good look at the changes to the character models for Joel, Ellie, and Tess.
Tess’s shine ✨@Wersching 9 years ago vs September 2, 2022 — #TheLastofUs Part I pic.twitter.com/jDoT9bMmL1June 14, 2022
Arguably the biggest change in The Last of Us Part 1 is its suite of expanded accessibility features. The Last of Us Part 2 was already praised for the sheer number of accessibility options, and bringing even some of them into the first game will make it easier for people to play.
The Last of Us Part 1 arrives on PS5 on September 2, 2022 and is expected to arrive on PC at a later date. While I won’t be playing the PC version, I’m excited to see what modders can do with it.
Summer Game Fest was all about horror
Summer Games Festival It clearly had a theme this year and it was all about horror, specifically sci-fi horror runner shooters. Between The Callisto Protocol, Aliens: Dark Descent, Fort Solis, Routine, and Layers of Fears, there was no shortage of terrifying gameplay trailers.
I’m happy to see the horror genre prosper even if I’ll never play any of these games. We may never get Silent Hills (rest in pieces) and the rumored Silent Hill remake is nowhere to be seen (LOL), but maybe one day…someday…but not today. (Editor’s note: How dare you?)
Lady Dimitrescu is heading to PS VR2 with Resident Evil Village
Lady Dimitrescu is coming to PS VR2 with Resident Evil Village and absolutely nothing could go wrong with this. It’s not like modders have done anything weird in their lives. I have to imagine that Capcom is also messing with internet memes, because the press release says, “In PS VR2, feel the presence of the castle’s inhabitants is even greater as they stalk you through the halls, and prepare to be overwhelmed by their owner, Lady D…” OK Capcom.
Regardless, Resident Evil Village in VR will take advantage of PlayStation VR2 Sense controllers, which are meant to represent every hand in the world. Hopefully this should make for some interesting combat situations with dual wielding weapons.
I’ll repeat myself one more time: I’m not going to play this yet. Not even for Lady D.
Horizon Call of the Mountain received some much-needed gameplay footage in June’s State of Play, finally giving us a good idea of what players can expect when it launches on PS VR2 at some point in the future. Eschewing the third-person perspective that Horizon is known for, Call of the Mountain takes the action into the first person, much like other VR titles. It’s unclear how this will affect the feel or controls, but Sony seems to be working on making it great.
We also learned that Horizon Call of the Mountain will star an ancient Shadow Carja Warrior named Ryas, who seeks to redeem himself by subduing any threat to the clan.
This is something that I Will I’ll probably end up playing. I love the Horizon series and PS VR2 seems to be the step forward Sony needs to get VR right.
Final Fantasy 16 reappears in Sony’s State of Play
I have a confession: I know next to nothing about the Final Fantasy series or Final Fantasy 16, so each and every trailer for the game tends to confuse me rather than give me a greater understanding of the plot. But after 84 years, Square Enix has unveiled a new trailer and release window for the anticipated title coming to PS5 and PC sometime next summer.
Set in the world of Valisthea, Final Fantasy 16 follows Clive Rosfield and his brother Joshua Rosfield, the Dominant of Eikon Phoenix and heir to the throne. Clive is thrown into a fast-paced adventure when a power struggle rages across the country.
Putting pressure on PlayStation
It’s been a whirlwind year so far, and we’re only about halfway there. As nice as it is to see new game announcements and jump into a game to escape reality for a bit, at the end of the day, companies need to take a stand and do the right thing in our current political climate. I’m glad PlayStation is finally getting that message.
–Jennifer Locke