While it’s undoubtedly early days, we are beginning to worry about Sony’s lack of commitment to PSVR2 software. Yes, it released Horizon Call of the Mountain and a Gran Turismo 7 update alongside the headset, but it’s yet to announce anything else for the unit aside from Firewall Ultra – not even ports of PSVR favourites like Astro Bot Rescue Mission and Blood & Truth.
But this highlights one of the main problems with State of Play: it doesn’t really feel like a venue Sony wants to announce its games at anyway. There have been some trailers and game-specific showcases over the years, but this is rarely a place for first-party reveals otherwise, and if the company hosting the broadcast thinks it’s above it, then what hope is there really?
It doesn’t help that the star attraction this time, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, is just so odd. Make no mistake, the gameplay looks fast and fluid, but it doesn’t feel like anyone asked for this game, and considering it’s taken Batman: Arkham developer Rocksteady the best part of a decade to put it together – well, we can’t see it making back its money. Are you going to buy it?
In the end, this State of Play felt like a box-checking exercise: contractual obligations and exposure for a handful of titles that wouldn’t normally get this kind of spotlight. After a couple of surprisingly stellar instalments last year, this proved a wake-up call – a reminder that Sony doesn’t really know what to do with this format, and it’s had more than enough time to figure it out.
There have been good Nintendo Directs, and there have been less good Nintendo Directs – but every time the Mario maker posts a bright red rectangle on its social media accounts, fans know to expect new Nintendo games. State of Play has been around for several years now, and it’s still yet to build that kind of consistency. Mark this latest show down as one to forget.
What did you think of the latest State of Play? Are we being a little bit harsh if the broadcast delivered on exactly what Sony promised, or were you still underwhelmed by the showing in the end? Let us know in the comments section below.
