Announced a few short days ago, this morning’s State of Play is PlayStation’s first for 2023. Will the year be kicked off in grand fashion, or will it be a low-key affair? Well, we do know that five PSVR 2 titles will be revealed, several indie games will be on show, and the showcase will close out with 15 minutes of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. That doesn’t exactly scream low-key to me.
Here are all of the announcements made during the February 2023 PlayStation State of Play:
The Foglands
Our first PSVR 2 title announcement was The Foglands, a Wild West-themed shooter with supernatural enemies and a cool art style. We don’t have a set release date, but it will be dropping in 2023.
Green Hell VR
Next up is a narrative survival game called Green Hell VR. Set in the Amazon rainforest, the player is alone, stranded and in danger and is forced to craft weapons and shelter and protect yourself from all manner of threats. Green Hell VR is releasing in 2023.
Synapse
This one got my attention right out of the gate. A shooter with an incredible, monochromatic colour palette, Synapse showed off gameplay that mixed gunplay and telekinetic abilities that were used to throw spooky enemies all over the place. Releasing in 2023.
Journey to Foundation
Based on the novel by Isaac Asimov, Journey to Foundation is a sci-fi action game that will take players across the stars as they attempt to infiltrate a group of defectors. Hidden truths will be uncovered, and enemies will be blasted in the space epic. Journey to Foundation will release later in 2023.
Before Your Eyes
Before Your Eyes is a beautiful and thought-provoking game that takes you on a journey through your own afterlife. Previously released back in 2021, the VR version utilises the PSVR 2’s eye-tracking technology, furthering the game each time you blink. I’m worried about this one because crying while wearing a VR headset will be a weird experience. Before Your Eyes releases on PSVR 2 on March 10.
Destiny 2: Lightfall
Moving away from VR, we got a new trailer for Destiny 2: Lightfall ahead of its release on February 28. Neon lights, smoke-headed foes and plenty of drama are present in this cinematic, as well as a sneaky look at the traveller seemingly fighting back.
Tchia
Finally. A new trailer for the gorgeous adventure game Tchia gave us another solid look at the form-swapping fun that’s in store, but more importantly, we got a March 21 release date. Better yet, the game will be added to the PlayStation Plus Deluxe game library next month.
PlayStation Plus Catalogue Update
After the reveal that Tchia would be hitting PlayStation Plus in March, the floodgates were opened. We got confirmation that Battlefield 2042, Minecraft Dungeons and Code Vein would be the monthly games for PlayStation Plus Essential in March, but that’s not all. It was also announced that alongside Tchia, Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection, Ghostwire Tokyo, Immortals: Fenyx Rising and Rainbow Six Extraction would all be added to the game Catalogue for PlayStation Plus Extra and Deluxe members.
Humanity
The next game from the developers of Tetris Effect, Humanity, looks to be a surreal puzzle game where you play as an ethereal dog, leading hordes of humans through various trials and dangers. The game also features a level creator that will allow users to make and share their own puzzles. Humanity will be coming to PS5, PS4, PSVR 2 and PSVR in May.
Goodbye Volcano High
Wow, it’s been a while since we’ve seen this one. The narrative-driven adventure game starring a cast of anthropomorphic dinosaurs gets a new trailer filled with drama and intrigue. Excitingly, we finally know that Goodbye Volcano High is coming to PS5 and PS4 on June 15.
Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections
As someone who doesn’t watch a second of anime, this trailer was just filled with very intense folks wanting to kick the crap out of each other. The next instalment in the Naruto Storm series of games, Connections is celebrating the 20th anniversary of Naruto’s anime debut with a huge roster of playable fighters and will bring together moments from the first four Storm games. Connections is releasing sometime in 2023.
Baldur’s Gate III
Hell. Yeah. The latest entry into the legendary RPG series is coming to PS5. Set in the Forgotten Realms, Baldur’s Gate III will have you and your party of heroes fighting against powerful foes with your newfound abilities, given to you by a Mind Flayer parasite. It’s D&D nerdiness at its best, and it’s releasing on PS5 on August 31.
Wayfinder
Wayfinder is an online multiplayer game set in a fantasy world…with guns. This action RPG will be a console exclusive for PS5 and PS4, with a beta period starting on February 28 that you can sign up for HERE.
Street Fighter 6
New character announcements are incoming. The mountain of muscle, Zangief, is joining the roster alongside series newcomer Lily and the fan-favourite bad-arse Cammy. The gameplay shown off here continues to look amazing, so fighting fans should be very keen. Street Fighter release on June 2.
Resident Evil 4 Remake
Hello again, Leon. As if we weren’t excited enough to head back to Spain, this new trailer for Resident Evil 4 Remake highlighted some of the game’s biggest moments, looking better than ever. We also got a brief tease that the Mercenaries mode will be available, as well as the announcement that a special demo will be available tomorrow. Resident Evil 4 Remake releases on March 24 for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
Alright, it’s time for the main event. Set five years after the vents of Batman: Arkham Knight, we see the squad trying to rescue Lex Luthor from a brainwashed Flash in an action-packed gameplay trailer. Moving between main characters Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, Deadshot and King Shark, we see that each playable antihero has their own traversal abilities and combat capabilities. For a group of mainly superpower-less degenerates, the members of the squad move around the broken-down Metropolis with ease, jumping, swinging and flying about quickly and efficiently.
The gameplay trailer finishes off with a confrontation between the Squad and The Flash, with a sane Wonder Woman stepping in to neutralise the speedster. Flash tells Diana that the League needs to die to save the world, giving us the stakes for the game.
Following the gameplay trailer, the dev team took a moment to dive a bit deeper into what we can expect from Suicide Squad. We get confirmation that Toyman, Gizmo, Penguin and other well-known DC villains will be making appearances alongside new characters made for the game.
The game’s progression and gear were also touched on, confirming that gear scores, levelling and other RPG elements will be found throughout. Weapons can be customised and improved, while rare gear sets will be themed to specific villains and will feature more devastating abilities.
The game will also have a battle pass…that’s focused on cosmetic items only. Thank the lord. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is releasing on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC on May 26.
If you’re keen to watch the entire showcase for yourself, you can do so right here:
What did you think of this State of Play? What was your standout announcement? Let us know in the comments or on our social media.
Adam's undying love for all things PlayStation can only be rivalled by his obsession with vacuuming. Whether it's a Dyson or a DualShock in hand you can guarantee he has a passion for it. PSN: TheVacuumVandal XBL: VacuumVandal Steam: TheVacuumVandal