It’s said that this year’s PlayStation Experience is one of, or if not the biggest one for Sony. There were a ton of things that PlayStation fans definitely had a great time with. From the magnificently designed booths to the floor panel consisting of developer interview, PSX 2018 looks and feels absolutely grand.
Let’s start with some of the booths.
First off, let’s talk about the one that a lot of players definitely went to: The Shadow of the Colossus remake booth. The game is a 3rd person open world exploration game where you take on massive beasts known as Titans. The fact that the game is getting an HD remake is a treat that many loyal fans of the original game are going to enjoy. It looks amazing, and people seem to not want to let go of the controllers just so they can keep playing. We’ll have to wait for its release, but it’s a game that’s definitely worth waiting for.
Next would be the Inpatient Booth. Inpatient is a PlayStation VR game where you’re plunged into a sanatorium. You take the role of an amnesiac inpatient where you must find out your identity and why you’re in the structure. The booth looks extremely unsettling as you’re literally wheeled in by a nurse to the VR station; making it that much more atmospheric.
And for those who enjoyed The Last Guardian, you will all be happy to know that there is VR demo for it. Lots of people definitely had fun with the experience and the wait will be a long one.
Now comes the booths which focus heavily on two PlayStation VR FPS games; these being Farpoint and Bravo Team VR. While the booths themselves aren’t as grand as the rest, the games are too interesting to deter anyone away.
The booth for Far Cry 5 has minimal details that players can appreciate. The fact that the tables are set on top of barrels that can be found in the game is a nice touch. But most likely people barely noticed them as their focus was more on the great game they were about to play.
While these booths are great in their own way, there are 2 that definitely stood out from the rest.
The first of these would have to be for Days Gone; an upcoming action-adventure survival horror video game. The booth was definitely unique as it definitely made you feel as if you were in zombie apocalypse. The fact that the zombies looked gruesome and played out like actual undead horrors, and that they used real soil to give off to give you that environmental feel shows just how much they’re trying to hype this game. Hopefully, it meets or goes beyond expectations, but we’ll have to wait and see until its release.
Lastly, we have the booth for God of War, which is by far the most beautiful among them all. There was definitely a lot of love put into the booth. It has everything from a good looking Kratos and Atreus Cosplayer, a rowboat which depicts the perfect God of War atmosphere, and a grand mini-museum (yes, an actual mini-museum). The museum even contains real-life replicas of in-game weapons and beautifully made portraits whose images change every now and then. It’s the booth that really tries to get players excited for the game’s release and it does that well.
Now let’s move over to the floor panels.
Starting with IGN; the ever popular American video game and entertainment reviewing company. They came out to the crowd to talk about the best PlayStation games of all time. Fans were definitely vocal about their choices, but it ultimately came down to 3 games; Journey, The Last of Us, and Metal Gear Solid. While it was a tough argument and voices were raised, Journey somehow won this claim. It was still an enjoyable panel from beginning until the end.
Then we move on to what must have been the most emotional panel of the night; the one for Uncharted. Naughty dog celebrates 10 years since Uncharted’s launch in North America, and it was grand. Gamers are certainly going to be happy with the news of getting an Uncharted 10th Anniversary character skin bundle; the promo lasting from Dec 10 to 19 for both Uncharted 4 and Uncharted the Lost Legacy multiplayer. They’ll also be happy to know that a 10th Anniversary PlayStation 4 theme and profile avatar will be free for 48 hours starting on Dec 10. Other select Uncharted PS4 themes and avatars will also be free during this time; Signaling all PS4 owners to get to the PlayStation Store now!
While that’s a treat for the fans, it was Nolan North who got the most out the Uncharted series. He talks about how amazing the experience was and the friends he gained. He even says that even though it’s over, it was still an amazing experience. Those who have followed the franchise since day 1 definitely should have felt emotional by the end of the panel.
Following Naughty Dog’s amazing tribute is an interview with the people who form The Able Gamer charity. If you don’t know who they are, then they’re the people who are trying to make video games accessible to everyone. This goes especially for those who have disabilities or medical ailments that possibly prevent them from playing. They explain that they want to try and make all games can be played by just about any type of gamer; no matter what physical or health problems they may have. All they care about is that everyone is able to play video games with their friends and enjoying the experience. If you want to know more about them, then go to ablegamers.org or charity.pizza to get more information. You definitely will not regret the decision.
Next up is the panel that everyone has been waiting for; the one meant for The Last of Us 2. It starts off beautifully by having both the voice of Joel (Troy Baker) and Ellie (Ashely Johnson) perform a lovely song that beatifully captures the essence of the Last of Us 2. Then both Neil Druckmann (director and co-writer) and Hayley Gross (co-writer) came out to discuss more about the upcoming game.
The two were very careful to not give anything away, meaning that we’re going to have to wait for more information about the game. The panel also gave us a trailer that was presented in Paris Games Week 2017. It shows 3 new characters coming into the next game, and if you didn’t catch it, you can watch it on Youtube. The trailer itself was gruesome, but it was still enjoyable and you should definitely check it out. As soon as it was done, the voice actresses for all 3 came to the panel; these being Ian Alexandar (Lev), Victoria Grace (Cara), and Laura Bailey who plays a mysterious unknown female character.
They talk about how great it is to work with the team, its difficulties, and that fans should expect a lot out of the game. They even talked about auditioning for their roles and how big it was to actually get the chance to play these characters. Like the others, they made sure that they didn’t leak any information about the game, teasing fans even further.
However, one good thing that came out of this is that we now know to expect The Last of Us 2 during E3 2018. So for those of you who plan on going, keep your eyes and ears open and enjoy what you can learn.
That about wraps it up for PSX 2017, and it was as good as you would expect it to be. There won’t be any doubts when one says 2018 is going to be a great year for PlayStation owners.
What caught your eye during the event? Did it live up to your expectations? Comment below and share your thoughts!
