The much rumored PlayStation showcase is less than one week away. There is no doubt that they are going to come out with heavy-hitters, especially considering we haven’t had updates on the plethora of studios. While some things are a bit more likely, we also hope there are some surprises in store.
What We Think They Will Show at the PlayStation Showcase
A Big Marvel (and Insomniac) Update
Spider-Man 2 is aiming for a fall 2023 release. Expectations are that they will hit that target date. Insomniac Studios has proven to be one of the most efficient first party studios across the industry. Their games release with few bugs and almost always sell well. The first Spider-Man and its counterpart, Miles Morales, released to rave reviews from critics and fans alike. PlayStation fans are in for a treat with how well the first two games in the franchise fared. They nailed nearly every aspect of what it means to be Spider-Man.
A Marvel’s Wolverine update. Speaking of Insomniac, they have been busy with another Marvel property in Wolverine. Little is known about the project, but I imagine we are likely to get a CGI trailer that more closely resembles gameplay. I’m not certain we’ll actually see gameplay since I don’t think they want to overshadow Spider-Man 2. However, I imagine the title will show up in some form or fashion.
A full reveal of Factions
Remember playing Factions way back in 2013 when the first The Last of Us released? It has been a long time since most of us have played Factions. It is still playable via the PS4 Remaster. With its popularity, Naughty Dog committed to create Factions alongside The Last of Us 2. Due to scope, those two projects became two separate entities. The Last of Us 2 was the showcase piece as to why Naughty Dog ranks as one of the top developers in the world. While it has had its time to shine, we are still waiting for any morsels of news from Factions.
There isn’t a better time to release more info for their most ambitious multiplayer title. The HBO show was stellar, and most certainly increased the value of the franchise substantially. I honestly have no idea what the new Factions would look like vs how it was in 2013. I fully anticipate an information blowout, albeit with a small amount of gameplay if any. I also imagine this would set up nicely for an early (maybe February?) 2024 release date.
Gran Turismo Update
GT7 is a core game for PlayStation. Polyphony Digital has been constantly updating the game with new cars and new books to the GT Cafe.I’d bet for a couple of new cars, with a new track being the pipedream, but certainly possible.
PSVR2 Support
PSVR2 is now out in the wild and is a huge step up from their very-much dated PSVR1. Their showcase piece, Horizon Zero Dawn: Call of The Mountain, reviewed well with a respectable 79 Metacritic rating. The ugly beast of a new platform, however, means it will live or die with support. This is where PlayStation has their ace up its sleeve. Astrobot is the answer for any perceived content drought. Team Asobi are platformer masters. They’ve shown their prowess off with Astrobot Rescue MIssion (PSVR) and Astro’s Playroom (showing off the Dual Sense). Both games legitimize their selective platforms. Can you imagine an Astrobot title taking advantage of Sony’s newest hardware?
Beat Saber is also the other title I expect to see there for PSVR2. I mean… it’s Beat Saber. It’s that one VR title that everyone has played. Sony and the developers have confirmed that it is indeed coming. Seems like this is the perfect time no? The big question is, what will it entail? I’d love to see an exclusive level or maybe even a soundtrack from a PlayStation property make the beat Saber on PSVR2 release extra special.
There will no doubt be more in the way of PSVR2 titles. On the console-side, this is Sony’s Opportunity to make a stamp on VR. It’s highly unlikely they’d let it flounder like the PSVR did shortly out of the gates.
Fighting Games
More Street Fighter VI information almost seems like a lock at this point. The updated open beta which will include eight characters, and more modes, will have come and gone by this time. The open beta is set to be live from May 19 to May 21. But, there is always more to show as we approach the release in early June. More character breakdowns and stage reveals would be a great fit for this type of show.
How much is too much for fighting game reveals at a presser? Netherrealm had their first official Mortal Kombat 1 reveal on May 17, but I have to imagine they will be featured here as well. The reveal was a completely CGI showing, with little more than tidbits of lore. Will they go as far as to show a PlayStation exclusive guest character? Unsure on that one, but I imagine there is potential for the first snippets of gameplay at the show. With a September release date, we will be seeing more of MK1 sooner than later.
Final Fantasy
Does Final Fantasy 16 come out about a month after the show? Yes. Does it mean they don’t need to show even more of it? Absolutely not. I would be shocked if FFXVI wasn’t shown, even if it was just a trailer interspersed with gameplay. We don’t need a full showing, since we’ve already had a lot of that already. However, FFXVI is a big seller and is important for Square Enix and Sony alike. Having said that, I don’t think it will be the only thing shown.
Guess when the FF7 Remake received one of its biggest initial showings? You got it. May 2019 at a Sony show. The timing really does line up to see part 2 of the FF7 Remake. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth can be a showstopper in itself, so receiving at least two pieces of FF info would be icing on the cake.
Indie Games
Sony always features indie titles at its show. No matter how big or small the showing is. These are also a bit hard to predict, but they’ve given a lot of time to Goodbye Volcano High (developed by KO_OP). It being a console exclusive means it will certainly be one of the featured indies.
If you had to think of a single indie title that people have been clamoring for years, it’d have to be Hollow Knight: Silksong. While it isn’t an exclusive to PlayStation, it is one the most anticipated indie titles coming in 2023. It was just hit with a delay, so I wouldn’t anticipate anything lengthy from it. Toss a trailer with even the briefest snippets of game play to whet our appetites.
A couple other indies that have been shown or featured in the PS Blog that might have a presence include:
Other Reveals and Updates at the PlayStation Showcase
We know a handful of Sony Studios (and various 2nd and 3rd party studios) are working on games. We just don’t really have a clue as to what most of those might be. I’d wager we would see updates from at least a few of the following teams:
- Sony Santa Monica
- Sony Bend
- Sucker Punch (Ghost of Tsushima 2?)
- Bluepoint
- Kojima Productions (Death Stranding 2?)
Wow. It almost seems like the above is a wishlist, but nothing is that far out of being possible. This doesn’t even count some of the more outlandish games that could magically appear, like a Metal Gear Solid 3 Remake or Bloodborne (ha!). The former which seemingly gets rumored at on the daily. While the latter is just the last, last gasp…again.
Catch the PlayStation Showcase on Wednesday, May 24 at 1pm Pacific Time. You can watch the showcase on their YouTube or Twitch Channel.
