Sony’s State of Play Was Underwhelming – Here Are the 3 Best Reveals
It’s no secret that Sony has recently been at the center of controversy amongst gamers, especially after the company announced plans to end physical disc releases for new games in 2028. Still, many look forward to Sony’s semi-frequent State of Play events as a way to see what’s in store from their favorite developers. Given the controversy, many expected Sony would be firing on all cylinders as a way to distract from, or even apologize for, their recent decisions.
While State of Play events commonly vary in quality, this month’s event unfortunately was on the weaker side. Regardless, here are the best reveals/trailers from this month’s State of Play, and my opinion on whether the event will improve Sony’s public image.
WOLVERINE
Personally, I found this “final look” before launch to be the strongest showing from Insomniac’s Wolverine since it was revealed all the way back in 2021. While I’m still not entirely sold on the game, this trailer intrigued me more than any of the game’s previous showings. As always, Logan’s combat is snappy and brutal, combined with some visually striking graphics.
It was also nice to see more of other characters from the X-Men universe, such as Jean Gray, Mystique, and Lady Deathstrike. Unfortunately, I am still not sold on the art/character design Insomniac is building for their X-Men Universe. At times, the art direction feels tonally bland, especially compared to the more vibrant visual identity of Insomniac’s Spider-Man games.
Still, what really intrigued me about this trailer was the combat sequences between Logan and the Sentinels. Because of the recently released Sentinel boss fight clip, I was not expecting much from other in-game fights involving them. However, I appreciated all the different moments of Logan tearing through the robots in uniquely savage ways. Wolverine is certainly on my radar as the September 15 launch date approaches. I remain somewhat hopeful that this game helps restore some of the goodwill Insomniac lost following the somewhat messy Spider-Man 2.
UNTIL DAWN 2
After the original reveal of Until Dawn 2 in June’s State of Play, I was eager to learn more details about what exactly Firesprite Studios was developing with the UD franchise. More importantly, I was curious if a new Until Dawn game could live up to (or even replicate) the haunting atmosphere and endearing character dynamics of the critically acclaimed original. Thankfully, based on this new trailer, the series seems to be in good hands.
As the trailer began, I quickly noticed a change in setting from the original trailer. Instead of a warm and inviting tropical island, the game’s crew were in a cold, bleak sanatorium on a snowy mountain. Specifically, this sanatorium is the Blackwood Pines Sanatorium, the prison location from the original Until Dawn. Furthermore, a close-up shot of a Wendigo can be seen at the very end of the trailer!
My guess is that this portion of the game will serve as a prologue, connecting the two games before switching to the tropical island setting. Maybe the additional post-credit scene from the Until Dawn remake has more relevance to UD2 than previously thought.
What makes me even more confident in the game, however, is the reveal that AdHoc Studios (known for their own critically acclaimed narrative game, Dispatch) assisted with writing duties on this project. Considering that writing is arguably AdHoc’s strong suit, I remain confident that Until Dawn 2 can live up to its predecessor.
FINAL FANTASY 7 REVELATION
As usual, FF7 Revelation remains the most interesting segment of each game presentation. After just having Revelation as Gamescom’s show-ender (a link to my thoughts on that presentation can be found here), many were worried that State of Play’s showing would be lackluster in comparison. Thankfully, Square Enix showed off some genuinely great new features and gameplay.
What immediately excited me was our first real look at the game’s open world. While it appears larger in scale, the explorable areas feel more contained and compact. Traversal across the world is also more convenient and engaging with the new Highwind airbase, which has a completely explorable interior to boot.
These concepts seem to line up with previous developer comments about avoiding “open-world fatigue”. I didn’t personally experience much fatigue with Rebirth’s open world, mainly because I avoided content that didn’t interest me. However, complaints about Rebirth’s bloat and repetitive content are warranted, especially when compared to the extremely linear world of FF7 Remake. It seems that Revelation will be aiming for a middle ground between the two games, which is a decision I strongly agree with.
While we were already aware of Revelation’s increase in playable characters, it was interesting to see just how much variety and customization was possible with them. In addition to the Synergy and Roster mechanics from FF7 Rebirth, we also learned that certain side quests can change based on which characters you choose to start them with. This seriously improves player choice, replayability, and quest variety. Considering how repetitive a lot of quests were in Rebirth, this is definitely a positive.
All characters can also choose one of four equippable costumes to wear from the FITS system. Beyond making your roster look stylish, each costume type also comes with its own stats and buffs. I’m sure this will add yet another layer of strategy for roster building.
All in all, FF7 Revelation seems like a fitting and robust conclusion to the FF7 trilogy. Like many others, I was impressed with Square Enix’s showcase in an otherwise underwhelming event.
CONCLUSION
Unfortunately, I think this event will do very little (if anything at all) to sway current public opinion about PlayStation as a brand. Although the show did have a few highlights, it lacked any big new reveals or surprises. The negative reaction was particularly noticeable in the live chats for the event on YouTube and Twitch. Both streams were flooded with increasingly angry comments about the boycott as the show progressed (especially due to the perceived lack of interesting reveals).
With Nintendo recently announcing two full directs back-to-back next week, this showcase could quickly fade into obscurity. Plus, if Sony does not course-correct soon, negativity surrounding the brand could continue to grow, regardless of how strong future showcases will be.
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