Fizza

Harrowing but unsurprising given the heightened acceptance of the tech in Asian territories (which has always perplexed me given their simultaneously strong anti-piracy stance which seemingly runs in direct contradiction to Gen-AI being built off of stolen work but I digress). I'm fairly curious if the recent media firestorm Level-5 went through regarding their AI usage has some Japanese devs reconsidering their own implementation of Gen-AI because we've seen time and time again that people learning a game was made with Gen-AI in some capacity through means like the Steam disclaimer can utterly derail any and all marketing and discussion on a game once it becomes known. I doubt Gen-AI will ever fully go away (its truly the Pandora's Box of our time) but I don't see it maintaining its current stranglehold on the globe either when its burning through cash, goodwill and the environment as rapidly as it is 🤷

@ShadowRJ I'm the polar opposite funnily enough because Portrait of Ruin is my favourite game in the whole franchise XD

Ritual of the Night is an awesome time as well, even if I think its a bit derivative and overstuffed at times 😅

@ShadowRJ

I think both will be great but appeal to pretty different demographics IMO. Belmont's Curse is definitely aiming for a broader audience with its modernised gameplay structure reminiscent of indie Metroidvanias like Hollow Knight and Dead Cells alongside the Netflixvania-influenced visuals and status as a CV3 sequel. Bloodstained TSE then is laser-targeted at the existing sickos (like myself :3) who have been entrenched with Castlevania and JRPGs in general for years already who are basically looking for the ultimate SotN-style experience possible. Both look like they'll be great in their own unique ways and I'm ecstatic that I'll be able to play both within the same year-long time period XD

Not sure if I'm 100% sold on the visuals as of now (the outdoor backgrounds in particular look very grainy XD) but goddamn the sheer mechanical creativity on display here is utterly breathtaking. Day-night cycles, enemies which utilise the environment around them for attacks, Final Fantasy-style Job systems paired with the Idea system from SaGa; its such a monumental flex of genre-experience from Igarashi and his crew that they're still able to figure out crazy new concepts for the RPG subsection of Metroidvanias they pioneered initially.

Cannot wait to play this next year and the fact that we're getting brand new Castlevania, Metroid and Bloodstained games in a single year is madness XD

A social sim in the vein of Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley would be a good fit for Media Molecule honestly but I can't help but feel like this might be a result of chasing the cosy game trend kickstarted all the way back in 2020 😅

Still though, MM tend to put out pretty unique spins on the genres they tackle (particularly in regards to player creativity) so I'd be hopeful the same rings true for whatever they've got in the pipeline next 🙏

also any first-party Sony game which doesn't adhere to hyper-realism will be a nice change of pace regardless XD

@ShadowRJ Highest-rated game of the year so far and I guarantee you it won't get a single mention at TGA 2026 given how 1st Chapter got snubbed during the same situation 🥲

I can't take the wait any longer, LET ME IN FALCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

Trails 2nd is currently the highest-rated game for 2026 on Metacritic right now too, what a resurgence Trails has had ever since 1st Chapter came out last year 🧡

Every time you think Sony can't possibly get worse than they already are, they pull s*** like this 💀

I'm happy the project isn't dead thanks to Xbox but christ alive how on earth do you cancel a KOJIMA-EXCLUSIVE but still hold onto stuff like Fairgames and Horizon Hunters Gathering 😭

The only new game which caught my attention during the show today honestly, very much intrigued by what this'll end up being like especially with Konami being on one hell of a hot streak lately XD

'inFamous Remaster Collection' god what I wouldn't give for 1 and especially 2 to be unshackled from the PS3 XD

My own personal hopes and expectations for this State of Play are basically zero with everything that's happened these past two months straight, coupled with Capcom/Konami's presences probably being diminished due to their own shows happening in close proximity to this one. Still I'll dare to dream all the same and if I could get something as simple as either Dino Crisis 2 or Silent Hill 1 on PS5's Classics catalogue then I'll be feeling very satisfied regardless of what else is shown off 🙏

well I was anticipating that Konami would pop up in that State of Play but hey this works too XD

Only game I've got a major stake in here would be Castlevania Belmont's Curse but given how this showcase is falling within close proximity to the series' 40th anniversary I've definitely got a hunch we'll see at least one big announcement related to it (3D collection for the N64/PS2 games please 🙏).

Definitely wanna see more of Rev.Noir too since I'm always hankering for a new (and quality) JRPG from a big developer 🔥

The year is 2013. Microsoft are gearing up for the launch of their next-generation digital-only console at the height of fanbase-fury with a new app to watch mainstream television on their device.

The year is 2026. Sony are gearing up for the launch of their next-generation digital-only console at the height of fanbase-fury with a new app to watch mainstream television on their device.

the more things change the more they stay the same XD

@EfYI I thought the last State of Play was one of the worst ones they've ever done and the one before it was one of the best ones they've ever done so realistically this next one could go either way for me XD

Excited to see the absolute drubbing the live-chat is gonna experience if the Phantom Blade Zero SoP was any indicator XD

Probably gonna tune into this just for any potential third-party announcements myself since Sony has basically torched their first-party reputation in my eyes and I really don't see how they'll bring that back without reversing course on killing physicals (which is incredibly unlikely given how stubborn they tend to be 🙃). Still though, it'll be a nice watchalong with some mates while we complain about everything we're seeing all the same XD

@Cikajovazmaj This is an aspect which really gets to me as well: any distinct stylistic elements a game might have in comparison to another, even if they employ similar visual styles on the surface, get sanded-away entirely once DLSS5 enters the picture. It is the exact same filter for literally every single game regardless of whether that game is something like an over-the-top and bombastic action game or a more down-to-earth and melancholic cinematic game and it puts everyone and everything into a deeply unsettling uncanny valley.

Isn't the future so exciting guys? Now every video game character and environment can look like the same homogenous blob of overproduced AI Youtube thumbnails! This is totally worth slashing performance in half, worsening the already dire RAM crisis and destroying any semblance of artistic integrity and respect for video games as an entertainment medium!!!!!!!

Hated DLSS5 from the moment it was first revealed and this 'improved' version has done nothing to shift that opinion in the slightest, absolutely horrendous both visually and ethically 💀

that's because they're saving all of it for GTA Online obviously

I jest somewhat but its real rich of Rockstar to say there aren't any microtransactions in GTA 6 when a bunch of content that's already in the game is gated behind paying $20 extra for a deluxe edition 💀

No Gen-AI is a big positive though, I will give them major credit for that 🙌

As GTA fever starts to envelop the masses, I've come to a realisation of sorts that the size-and-scale prioritisation series like GTA and other open-world franchises pride themselves on simply isn't for me in the slightest. Might be the Nintendo fan in me speaking but I value highly-focused experiences which don't waste my time and provide the illusion of scale without actually being big for the sake of being big.

GTA 6 seems like it'll be another decent GTA game judging by the newest footage but I don't really see what makes it a GotY contender like so many are already claiming. Couple that with the egregious business practices being employed with this entry in particular (digital-only release and a $80 price tag with plenty of important features locked behind a $100 deluxe edition) and I just can't bring myself to get excited for GTA 6 whatsoever.

At least they're splitting those games across multiple development studios rather than putting all of that weight on a single dev team but man trying to adhere a series to an annual release cadence has basically never ended well; sure it'll work in the short-term but burnout from both internal and external sources is gonna set in real-quick which will inevitably lead to a downturn in quality, sales or both 😓

@AhabSpampurse Oh so that's how they're avoiding people gaming the system here: the physical disc can be swapped around endlessly but the digital license you get following the digitisation process is a one-time deal which is transferred to the next person who tries to digitise that same disc.

@ShadowRJ 'But surely this has the potential to completely screw over the collectors market. How many people do you think will try and digitise the disc, then sell them on eBay.'

We'll only know for definite once the feature goes live at the end of August but the wording of the blog post seems to indicate that the discs will still be completely fine to use following the digitisation process (though again we don't know for sure so take my analysis with a grain of salt for now XD).

I'm certainly concerned this signals that the next Xbox will be all-digital just like PS6 (presumably) but this is still a very cool initiative nonetheless. The fact that your discs can still work after putting them through this process is incredible as well since it basically just gives you a free digital copy of a game as long as you have it physically which opens up a lot of exciting avenues for game preservation on Xbox systems. Xbox Helix having physical games would make this even better but time will tell on how that pans out as of now 🙏

the next one better be Sky 3rd or so help me GOD-

@ShadowRJ I was rewatching the June trailer for Belmont's Curse a while back and actually predicted that Lindbeck was the voice for Rose; I was bang-on with her being in BC, I just got the character she was voicing mixed up XD

Big fan of Abby Trott for Rose though, great VA all around (know her best for Magik in Marvel Rivals ^_^).

Castlevania games aren't strangers to having stacked voice casts (remember when Lords of Shadow managed to nab Patrick Stewart?) but good lord this voice lineup is so unreal that I'm genuinely wondering how they had the money for all of these guys XD

Alejandra Reynoso and Graham McTavish reprising their Netflix roles is the obvious standout but VA's like Abby Trott, JB Blanc, Ray Chase and more being attached as well is insanely impressive. Loved what I've heard of them so far and cannot wait to hear them properly in-game ❤‍🔥

Also judging by the dialogue seen in the trailer it seems like all of the text dialogue might be fully voiced? Haven't seen that for the series since SotN back on PS1 🤯

@Neuromancer Bad games deserve just as much preservation as good games so that we can learn from their problems and hope not to repeat them going forward.

@8th_Observer Correct but they still removed them from player libraries without asking whether the people who had owned them wanted to keep them or not; what would stop them from doing the same for a beloved game?

@Neuromancer I can understand your reasoning but I would still disagree with accepting an all-digital future nonetheless. Removing physical options and, more importantly, the competitive pricing they bring means that Sony has zero incentive remaining to put games on sale or restrain themselves from horrid consumer practices like delistings and removing paid games/DLC from player's libraries (issues we've already seen crop up with the PS5 generation with games like Concord or Highguard). Physical games hold an important role in keeping gaming ecosystems leaning in favour of the consumer and removing them from the equation will lead to ens***ification the likes of which we have never seen before.

@Neuromancer May I ask for your reasoning as to why you have no problems with a digital-only future? I'm genuinely really curious because I cannot see any upsides to it whatsoever personally.

Bit unconvinced this blackout will actually do much personally due to the suspiciously convenient timing of it (if they really wanted to hit Sony they should've held it during Wolverine's release week IMO) but I still want to do my part in taking a stand all the same so I'll be participating in this myself 🫡

I am a very big Golden Axe hater personally (did not like 1 or 2 whatsoever and think Streets of Rage is the infinitely superior Mega Drive beat-em-up franchise) but I will say that I quite like the animation on display here, though the self-referential dialogue sounds like its going to get very grating very quickly XD

also where the hell is that new Golden Axe game they announced three years ago at TGA? 💀

I genuinely cannot imagine why Sony are so attached to this project when everything, between the fanbase pleas for Horizon 3, poor internal feedback from playtesting and aggresive apathy towards live-service games from Sony, signals such an obvious flop. Like I'm really trying to not be too mean about Hunter's Gathering because its clearly had a lot of effort put into it over a long stretch of time but its a product of an initiative which, outside of Helldivers 2, has only caused unfathomable damage to PlayStation as a whole. At the rate we're going I'd be stunned if this even makes it to a launch in the first place, what a mess 💀

Tides of Annihilation is a strange duck for me in the sense that I've liked what I've heard about it way more than what I've seen of it XD

I'm always aching for more modern action games to lean in the direction of DMC than Dark Souls but a lot of the gameplay I've seen for ToA seems like its prioritising raw spectacle and scale than proper mechanical depth (especially during boss fights) which has me worried that it won't end up being the kind of action game I'm looking for 😓

Still though, this preview was a great read all the same and hopefully ToA can get a demo to win me over on it Pragmata-style 🙏

Fine enough special edition system but having it be the digital models only when Spider-Man 2's version also had the disc-drive variant is not gonna go down well in the slightest 💀

airing the day after Gamescom damn poor Geoff 😭

I'm curious as to whether we will see proper 'gameplay' for GTA 6 here or just multiple in-engine cutscenes stitched together to give the illusion of gameplay but all will be revealed at the end of August I suppose XD

also yes I know I'm being very cynical here but after GTA 6 effectively kicked the door down on an all-digital future for PlayStation, I have very little positive to say about it other than 'it looks nice' 💀

@Oram77 100% agree with you there. Especially true with Capcom games as well: Pragmata is my GotY so far and I doubt I would've picked it up day-one like I ended up doing if the demo showing off how good the hacking-shooting gameplay loop felt wasn't available 😅

I remember trying a demo for Rise years ago and bouncing off of it very hard but I'd be willing to give the series a go again with this Wilds demo to see if it can finally click with me the same way almost every other Capcom franchise has for me so far XD

A game which shines in its gameplay and world but struggles with technical aspects like performance and visual fidelity? That sounds like a Game Freak game alright XD

I've always held a soft spot for Game Freak's non-Pokemon works as they tend to offer a pretty distinctive flavour of their respective genres so I'd love to give Beast of Reincarnation a go in the near future myself, though preferably on a discount 🙏

News stories like this just make me even more convinced that the next generation of consoles is going to go disastrously for all parties involved that aren't named Nintendo (and even they're having some difficulties as of now). With the diminishing visual returns console gaming has reached, distinct advantages of the platform compared to PC gaming like physical media getting snapped out of existence post-2028 and the glacial release cadence of exclusive titles, I can't see why people would shell out $1000+ for a PS6 or Xbox Helix when the previous generation would still be supported to hell and back by third-parties.

well if they're going to cautiously move to an all-digital future then I will cautiously say adios to PlayStation and hop on over to PC instead of PS6 😶

The fact that they only addressed it during an investor meeting after an entire month of silence on the matter says all you really need to know about how Sony views its fanbase nowadays IMO 🙃

I'm not gonna sit here and argue with statistics but framing it as a 'reality check' for fans of physical media seems pretty inflammatory no? Like obviously physical media is a smaller piece of the pie compared to digital but 6.7% out of millions of game sales across all of Capcom's titles is nothing to scoff at and certainly not this embarrassing figure which should be mocked. Plus a lot of Capcom games such as their collections don't really get physical versions anyways (or if they do, they're either Japan-only or in limited supplies) so the data will naturally skew in favour of the digital side.

I still maintain that if physical isn't going to be the primarily supported means of delivering video games to the masses anymore then it should be transitioned into a more luxury item in the same way as vinyls for music or DVDs/Blu-Rays for movies. Going full scorched-earth on physical media only benefits corporations who not only get to save money on production costs but also gain full control over the markets which players utilise.

Sitting at a very firm 'maybe' right now personally XD

I've had a blast with the gameplay these past couple days (Ghost Rider and Ms Marvel being my primary character choices) but there are two major things preventing me from hopping on the full release right away: the €70 price tag and the necessity to have an active PS Plus membership to play online. Both of those aspects combined with the general questions regarding Tokon's longevity as a more casual-oriented fighter with deep ties to Sony (which is an especially bad mark to have if the PC version is any indicator) has me feeling a lot more hesitant on it than I would like to be right now 😓

@TensuraFan7 You're definitely correct there but with the way Sony is going right now, it wouldn't surprise me if they found a way to muck that up too XD

@johnedwin I mean content that you paid for becoming unusable because of a server went down is literally one of the most obvious disadvantages of an all-digital future, people have every right to complain about it if you ask me XD

Tokon beta gave me a connection error and my friends list is missing, there is no way in hell it just went down again right?????

If a momentary AWS blip can nuke PSN this badly then how the hell can we trust Sony to keep it steady in a proposed all-digital future 😭

(answer: we most certainly cannot XD)

@Dart-TheRedDragoon Its a fighting game/live-service staple at this point, whether we like it or not XD

@AdamNovice TBF there have been a lot of characters who have had the Phoenix Force inside them over the years XD

Given that this version of Cyclops is pulling from Avengers VS X-Men specifically though, it could be a safe bet to look at characters from that run for the DLC Pass, which gives us choices like Emma Frost, Colossus and Namor in terms of the Phoenix Five (Magik was also a part of that but she's base roster already).