Well, PlayStation fans, we just sat through another PlayStation State of Play showcase, honestly? It was a mixed bag that left me with more questions than answers. Don’t get me wrong, there were some genuine highlights scattered throughout, but man, this presentation felt like it was trying hard to convince us that mediocrity is the new excellence.
The Tech Talk That Said Nothing
Right off the bat, PlayStation opened with this whole spiel about “the future of gaming” and threw around buzzwords like third-generation Luna filament and AI-powered whatever. Look, I’m all for innovation, but when you’re being this vague about actual features, it feels like corporate fluff designed to distract from the fact that we’re still waiting for those groundbreaking PS5 exclusives we were promised years ago. The Deli Corporation mentioned? Yeah, that went nowhere fast.
Games That Actually Matter (And Some That Don’t)
Let’s talk about what caught my attention and what didn’t.
Final Fantasy Tactics: The Evil East Chronicles drops September 30, 2025, and okay, I’ll give them this one. Having both an enhanced version with modern bells and whistles AND a classic mode that respects the 1997 original? That’s smart. Pre-orders are live; honestly, this might be the only thing from this showcase worth getting excited about. Finally, a remake that understands what fans want.
But then we get to this mysterious 2026 title with characters named Diana (or D03367, seriously, who approved that naming convention?) and Romeo “the dead man.” Cool, more cryptic marketing with zero actual gameplay shown. I’m tired of teasers that tell us nothing. Show me what the game actually plays like, not just moody character names.
The open-world game hitting PS5 on September 8, 2025, starring some guy named Nate on a quest to find a toilet? Look, I appreciate weird humor in games, but this feels like random funny territory. Maybe it’ll surprise me, but right now it screams “trying too hard to be quirky.”
Bandai Namco’s Hiroami actually looks charming, a paper hero shapeshifting into frogs and airplanes to save an origami world. It’s creative, I’ll give it that, and sometimes simple concepts executed well beat overwrought “cinematic experiences.” Coming this summer to PS5, and honestly, this might be a sleeper hit.
Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots (September 5, 2025) is fine, I guess? Golf games have their audience, and unlocking Pac-Man as a playable character is genuinely fun. But in a showcase starved for big announcements, spending precious time on golf feels like padding.
Ninja Gaiden Ragebound (July 31, 2025) has potential. The Blasphemous team knows how to make challenging action games, and the rival clans concept could work. But after years of disappointing revivals of classic franchises, I’m keeping my expectations in check.
Kairen, the survival climbing game, at least has a demo out now. Props for letting us actually try before we buy, which feels revolutionary in today’s pre-order culture.
PlayStation Plus: The Same Old Song
The PS Plus additions are… predictable. Sword of the Sea from the Abzu developers could be beautiful, and FBC Fire Break might scratch that Control itch for co-op fans. But let’s be real, adding Deus Ex from PS2, Twisted Metal 3 and 4, and old Resident Evil games to the catalog isn’t exactly groundbreaking content in 2025. These are games we’ve all played to death already.
The Days of Play celebration runs through June 11 with Myst and Riven additions. Fine, but where are the day-one releases that make the subscription feel worth it?
Astrobot: Still Carrying PlayStation’s Marketing
Five new Astrobot challenge levels bring us to 90 planets total, plus new bots like Atsu from Ghost of Yote. The DualSense controller is coming back, too. Look, Astrobot is charming and well-made, but at this point it feels like PlayStation’s go-to whenever they need something universally likeable to pad out presentations.
The Big Promises: 007 and Marvel
007 First Light showing young James Bond as a Royal Navy crewman? It could be interesting, especially with Iron Tractive’s experience in the genre. But we’ve been burned by Bond games before, so forgive me for not getting hyped over a concept trailer.
The Marvel tag fighting game with Arc System Works is probably the most intriguing announcement. 4v4 anime-style brawling with adaptive systems sounds genuinely fun, and Arc System Works knows their fighting games. This could be special, or it could be another license cash grab. Time will tell.
This State of Play felt like PlayStation playing it safe when they should be taking risks. Sure, some solid games are coming, and FF Tactics fans have reason to celebrate. But where are the system sellers? Where are the “holy crap, I need a PS5 for that” moments?
Instead, we got a lot of “coming soon” teasers, some solid-but-not-spectacular announcements, and the usual padding with retro titles and incremental updates. It’s not terrible, but for a showcase in 2025, it felt disappointingly safe.
The games that look genuinely promising, FF Tactics, the Marvel fighter, maybe Hiroami, are worth keeping an eye on. The rest? We’ll see if they can deliver on their modest promises.
What did you think? Am I being too harsh, or did this showcase leave you wanting more, too? Let me know in the comments, I’m curious if I’m the only one feeling like PlayStation’s playing it a little too safe these days.
If you missed the Showcase, you can watch it here.
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Also, we will cover the Summer Game Fest 2025, so don’t miss it and stay updated!
