All that was revealed during yesterday’s state of affairs –

Sony recently held its first State of Play presentation for 2023, and it’s fair to say after the Xbox showcase that ended with the shadow drop of Hi-Fi Rush, and the Nintendo Direct that gave us Metroid Prime Remastered, there were certainly some high expectations placed on this event. Find out if it lived up to those expectations and what was revealed as we dive into all the games shown yesterday.

Sony kicked off its State of Play with a focus on the PS VR2. This came as a surprise to very few, since the new VR headset has just been released. We were treated to five games coming to the PS VR2 sometime this year, and they are as follows.

1. Foglands

Set in a strange underground community threatened by a poisonous fog, Well Told Entertainment’s debut title looks like an intriguing VR shooter. As you battle strange creatures that populate the world around you, you eventually make a deal with a mysterious figure known as The Stranger, who grants you blessings and as many tries as you need to hunt a great beast. With just enough intrigue to separate it from some of the other VR shooters on the market, The Foglands may be one to watch.

2. Green Hell – 2023

Green Hell is a game that has been available since 2019, but the VR release only came about last year. Set in a hostile Amazon jungle, Green Hell is a survival game in which you are forced to find ways to survive when the only thing you are initially armed with is a radio.

3. Synapse

At first, we thought we were looking at some kind of Death Stranding VR spin-off when Synapse’s trailer opened with the player walking through a beach of black sand. Like The Foglands, Synapse is a VR shooter, although it looks like there’s more than just gunplay at the heart of the latter. In the trailer, we see the player’s left hand controlling certain powers, such as telekinesis, in a somewhat similar vein to Arkane’s Deathloop.

4. Journey to Foundation

A spin-off of Isaac Asimov’s popular Foundation book series, Journey to Foundation is a sci-fi VR game that also has shooting elements combined with a few gadgets that can support you in combat, but there also seems to be a strong focus on story in this game. You will have to navigate through “a galaxy in chaos”, according to the description of the game’s announcement trailer, and “discover a terrible truth that could change history.”

5. Before Your Eyes

Before Your Eyes is a BAFTA-winning, first-person narrative game that will initially seem strange to anyone watching the trailer. However, after its release in 2021, the game received many rave reviews for its strong story. Unlike most other titles unveiled for the PS VR2, Before Your Eyes is not a shooter and instead gives you more of a “game as an experience”-play style as you work to discover the truth behind the lost soul you are playing.

Destiny 2: Lightfall – Feb. 28, 2023

After revealing these five titles, Sony stepped away from VR for the rest of the presentation and showed us some new and interesting titles coming to PlayStation. The next game shown was Destiny 2’s latest expansion, Lightfall, which got a new launch trailer ahead of its release next week. While we didn’t get much gameplay in this new trailer, we saw a lot of action hyping the latest story to the Destiny universe as the Traveller is once again threatened.

Tchia – March 21, 2023

Away from galaxy-destroying action, we took a much more relaxed turn when a new trailer gave us another look at the calming sandbox experience that is Tchia. Not only did we get some gameplay here, but we also found out that Tchia would be coming to the game catalog for PS Plus Extra and Premium subscribers when it launches on March 21, 2023.

PlayStation Plus Games – March 2023

Next, we got a look at the games coming to PS Plus next month. From the Essential tier, subscribers will get access to Battlefield 2042, Minecraft Dungeons and Code Vein. In the games catalog, we can soon see Immortals: Fenyx Rising, Ghostwire Tokyo, Rainbow Six: Extraction, Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection and the aforementioned Tchia as well.

Humanity – May 2023

Have you ever asked yourself what it would be like to be a spiritual dog controlling huge rows of people as they seemingly walk to the recording? No. Neither have I, but Humanity still looks like an incredibly intriguing game. What appears to be a fairly simple puzzle title already looks like it has many layers, as you also have to avoid having your huge line of people attacked by the mysterious others in what can end up as huge battles. Humanity also has its own level builder and PS VR2 functionality, so it looks like there’s a lot to unpack here.

Goodbye Volcano High – June 15, 2023

Goodbye Volcano High seems to be what you get when you mix Life is Strange with Guitar Hero and sprinkle in a bunch of feathered dinosaurs. A narrative game centered around a high school group of friends who also have a band together, Goodbye Volcano High was originally announced in June 2020, but we’ll finally get our hands on it later this year.

Naruto X Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections – 2023

Combining key moments from the Naruto manga with its gameplay, this action combat game pays homage to the long-standing rivalry between Naruto and Sasuke, as you can relive their most epic moments through in-game custcenes and combat. With a trailer full of flashy anime effects and screams, it seems that Naruto X Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections will be most applicable to those who have a long history with and love for the manga series.

Baldur’s Gate 3 – Aug. 31, 2023

Opening with a monologue from J.K. Simmons, who grew a creepy hairdo in the game, Baldur’s Gate 3 combines the tabletop world of Dungeons & Dragons with top-down, Diablo-like gameplay. Although it has been in beta form for a while, we can finally begin to look forward to the release of Baldur’s Gate 3, in addition to the announcement of the PS5 exclusive version.

Wayfinder – Coming soon

Take yourself and your friends into a fantasy RPG in Wayfinder, which lets you explore an interesting world and enter difficult dungeons. You can even customize these dungeons for better rewards if you feel particularly strong. Wayfinder’s beta period was also revealed as part of the State of Play trailer and begins on Feb. 28.

Street Fighter 6 – June 2, 2023.

As part of a double show from Capcom at the State of Play event, we saw three minutes of Street Fighter 6 gameplay alongside the reveal of three more charaters. The first reveal was fan-favorite Zangief, who showed off his pro wrestling-inspired moves and heavy fighting style. Next on display was newcomer Lily, who also looks like she can take a punch when she dismantles Blanka. The third and final character shown was Cammy, who has a different look in Street Fighter 6 but can still make us wince as she spins her opponents until they snap.

Resident Evil 4 – March 24, 2023

The Resident Evil 4 Remake is the latest for the iconic series, and perhaps the most anticipated. Giving us another look at Leon’s revamped gritty adventure, we get a good look at the combat in the latest trailer, and some more details for the Resident Evil 4 Remake are also confirmed, such as the addition of mercenaries mode.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League – 2023

The State of Play presentation concluded with 15 minutes of gameplay and information from Rocksteady’s latest title. There was quite a bit of anticipation surrounding Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, but there is definitely an emphasis on the “was” here, as it seemed that Rocksteady and WB Games must have some sort of bet on how quickly they can derail the hype on this game. It was up to this gameplay showcase to regain excitement after people heard about the live service elements coming to Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, and yet the design and combat were adequate. Of course, this is just a first look and there’s not really enough evidence to panic yet, but when we’re once again exposed to an inventory screen that involves an endless grind for the biggest numbers and brightest color gear, it doesn’t inspire confidence.

So that was yesterday’s State of Play. What are you looking for most from the event?