September 2021 was a long time ago. We were all baw deep in COVID and still getting to grips with our shiny new hardware. Little did we know when Sony wrapped their conference on September 9th that year we’d be waiting the guts of two years for another blowout. Sure, we’ve had regular(ish) State of Play streams in the meantime, but none that have felt box office. The word ‘showcase’ brings with it a level of expectation, and I believe Sony knows that. As such, I’m expecting big surprises, release dates and a clearer picture of what PlayStation will look like over the next two years.
First up, let’s lay out the details as we know them. The PlayStation Showcase 2023 will take place on Wednesday, May 24th @ 9pm UK time. The publisher states “The show will run a bit over an hour, focusing on PS5 and PS VR2 games in development from top studios from around the world. Expect a glimpse at several new creations from PlayStation Studios, as well as spellbinding games from our third-party partners and indie creators.” So essentially everything is on the table. What I want to do is group together what I feel are some slam dunks, some announcements that make sense and then a few long shots.
WHAT WE’RE LIKELY TO SEE
Spider-Man 2 gameplay and release date
This is probably about as nailed on as it gets. I think this opens the show. Everything points to Insomniac’s next blockbuster landing this September, so a proper look at gameplay and a firm date makes perfect sense. I do expect us to get a look at some unannounced new features as well, whether that be the ability to seamlessly switch between Peter & Miles on the fly, or maybe the introduction of some co-op.
Metal Gear Solid 3 Remake
I was torn between sticking this in with the slam dunks or the ‘makes sense’ middle tier. But I honestly feel at this point it just has to happen. There have been rumours for years now and I believe the only reason we haven’t had confirmation about the game’s existence already is due to Sony not pulling the trigger on a showcase earlier. I also think it will be at least a timed exclusive, if not locked down completely.
Last of Us: Factions deep dive
Back when The Last of Us Part II launched in June 2020 I don’t think anyone thought three years later it still wouldn’t be out, let alone us having barely any more details on it. I’ll stand by my thinking that this is a 2024 release, but surely we get some kind of look into what the game entails.
Ghost of Tsushima PC port
As Sony continues to break into the PC market, more and more of its exclusive games will migrate over to the PC space. Now it is understandable if there is some trepidation after The Last of Us Part I shitting the bed, but it isn’t going to halt PlayStation’s progress. Ghost of Tsushima is the next logical move.
Silent Hill 2 remake
Again this feels like a safe pick. I think we’ll get some gameplay followed by a release date. If I was a betting man, which I am, I’d say October.
Twisted Metal reboot
This is another game we’ve heard rumours about for a while now. Apparently first in development at Lucid Games before being shunted over to Firesprite, bringing the franchise back now along with the upcoming TV show is a no-brainer. I also wouldn’t be surprised if it is ready to launch later this year.
Upcoming VR games
Two games I think we are almost guaranteed to see are Resident Evil 4 & Firewall Ultra. Both have been announced and are expected fairly soon, so it would be odd if we didn’t get an update on both games. I’d say there is a decent shot at some release dates too.
Helldivers 2
Outed by the NVIDIA leak a ways back, Helldivers 2 has never been officially confirmed, but rumours have gathered steam in recent months that the game isn’t too far off being ready, so it makes perfect sense that it will be shown at this event and launched later this year.
WHAT MAKES SENSE
A Bloodborne remaster
I say remaster because the time for a 60fps patch has come and gone. Multiple times people have said they are aware of this being worked on, and yet it still somehow feels like just a giant troll job on the hardcore fans. I still have faith though. A wee bit of faith. FromSoftware’s stock has never been higher. Tap this one in and unlock god tier.
Astro Bot IN THE BUILDING
Bundling this together as a two-for-one. I think we’ll get a look at the next Astro Bot game. It’ll be playable in and out of VR, exciting fans of both Rescue Mission and Astro’s Playroom. And I also think it’ll be given a 2024 window. To top that off, I think a port of Rescue Mission will be announced for PS VR2, launching soon (possible shadow drop).
Half-Life: Alyx port
This should be in the slam dunk section because it’s such an obvious move. Valve has no need to port this over, but Sony should be actively seeking out these deals. If you want your VR headset to succeed, you need to get the best games on your platform and Half-Life: Alyx is a landmark VR title.
Wolverine
Many have dismissed an appearance since Spider-Man is expected to have a big presence, but there is no reason Insomniac can’t show both games. Latest rumours suggest the relentless first-party developer plans to launch Wolverine in Fall 2024 and so with potentially only around 16 months till release a closer look at how the game is coming together makes sense.
Death Standing 2
Given the recent reports of Sony visiting Kojima Productions, I wouldn’t be shocked at all to find they have recorded an interview with some of the team to show alongside some new gameplay. 2024 is the loudest rumour I have heard and so if this really is only a year old it might be time to have a proper blowout.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
It is very likely that Square Enix’s ‘winter 2023’ timeline means the game is aiming for early 2024, but this is still probably the biggest stage the game could appear on between now and launch. I would expect to see a cinematic trailer, with gameplay to come closer to launch via a State of Play.
Bungie’s next project
Bungie is reportedly working on a new IP called Matter. Details are thin on the ground, but early job listings suggested Matter would apparently have more of a character focus, and with Bungie looking to initially hire developers with a background in live service, F2P games, and MMOs. Rumours of a 2025 targeted release mean we could get a world-exclusive reveal.
Little Devil Inside
I swithered between sticking this in here or under long shots. First announced via a Kickstarter in 2015, Little Devil Inside hasn’t had the smoothest development. The last we heard was that the game would launch in 2022, but developer Neostream has been radio silent ever since. Hopefully, a re-reveal is just around the corner.
Santa Monica goes Sci-Fi
I believe the rumours that Cory Barlog is working on a new Sci-Fi game. It may seem early for Sony to pull the trigger on this, but hints to Barlog’s new game trace back all the way to 2019 and so the game may be further along than we expect. If it doesn’t show up this year, expect to see it revealed in 2024.
A FEW LONG SHOTS
Final Fantasy XVI demo shadow drop
I have this in the long shot solely because of the shadow drop part of the prediction. I think it’s way more likely that we get a trailer followed by a demo date closer to launch, but a shadow drop would be an amazing way to build excitement coming out of the show.
Q-Lite & cloud gaming
We know Sony is working on a new remote play device that is codenamed Q-Lite. It’s essentially meant to be a pimped-out Vita that reportedly runs games via remote play. We could see this announced at the show and if so, maybe tied into PlayStation’s cloud gaming initiative. I file this under long shots because I think Sony will stick to games and reveal hardware, including the Q-Lite and the detachable disk PS5 at a separate event.
Infamous Collection
This one feels like it should be in one of the first two columns. Infamous 1, 2 & Festival of Blood are tremendous PS3-era games that are currently stuck in limbo thanks to Sony’s inability to figure out backwards compatibility. A remaster collection would be the perfect way to celebrate the franchise and not impact Sucker Punch as they remain hard at work on Ghost of [insert name here]. However, rumours of a collection were shot down last year, which makes this unlikely.
New Uncharted game
I think most people would probably slot this into their middle tier, and with good reason, but I’m just not convinced this is happening. Like I have said on the podcast before, I think at one point there was a plan to continue the series with a female protagonist (being vague to avoid spoilers), but I get the sense that those plans changed after the success of the movie and it now makes more sense to do a remake or reboot with Nate.
So these are a few of my predictions. A few days ago I would have said Bioshock as well, but reports have surfaced saying the game is having a troubled development, which makes an appearance less likely. Pragmata is another game that seems to have fallen off a cliff and may be ready to resurface. What do you think we’ll see at the showcase? Get in touch on Twitter and let me know!
-Craig
