Sony started off Gamescom with a bang over night, revealing a number of interesting new games, features and updates for PlayStation 3 and PS Vita.
The Best
Until Dawn
Having first appeared as a Sony trademark back in 2010, Until Dawn was a mysterious title that few knew anything about.
Sony made the game official at Gamescom overnight, revealing that it is a PlayStation Move exclusive horror game that will use the motion controller "in a totally neutral way".
The game has been written by "Hollywood writers" and will feature US TV talent.
Developed by Supermassive Games, it's "inspired by classic movies in the genre" and will "draw you in with its characters, killer dialogue and shocking, twisted story"
"On the anniversary of their friends’ disappearance, a group of classmates visit the site of the mystery to bury their ghosts and get some closure. Little do they know, they’ll end up burying each other instead," explained the developer.
"To play the game you’ll use the PS Move controller in a totally natural way. It’ll act as your flashlight, guiding your way through the darkness, or when you want to use something the controller will intuitively map your actions in the real world to those of your character’s hand in the game world."
The game is set for release in 2013. Check out the reveal trailer below. What do you think?
Rain
Sony has officially revealed yet another PlayStation 3 exclusive, and it looks stunning.
The game, titled 'Rain' (it shares no connection to Quantic Dreams' 'Heavy Rain'), is being developed by Sony's Japan studio, and will be released exclusively on the PlayStation Network.
The game tells a fascinating story about a young boy that can only be seen when he walks in the rain. Check out the beautiful trailer below, direct from Gamescom.
The Last Of Us
Naughty Dog's highly anticipated The Last Of Us is showcased in a stunning new trailer, once again focusing on the intriguing relationship between the game's two main characters, Ellie and Joel.
Free Games!
Buying PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, Sly Cooper and Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal on PlayStation 3 means you'll get a copy of each game on PS Vita for free.
PS+ members can also look forward to a free downloadable copy of Red Dead Redemption.
Killzone Mercenary
If you thought the battle lines were clear, you've not seen the whole story. Killzone Mercenary throws you into a deadly firefight where you not only fight alongside the dangerous ISA, but also shoulder to shoulder with the vicious Helghast. There is no good. There is no evil. There is only the mission...and the money.
From The LittleBigPlanet team...
From the developer of the popular LittleBigPlanet series comes a new Vita platformer called Tearaway.
Media Molecule is developing the action-adventure game, that will take full advantage of Vita's hardware features.
Players will guide iota, a messenger from a “paper dimension”, through various whimsical landscapes, using various Vita mechanics to great effect.
Check out the game's Gamescom presentation below.
(Thanks to Tsunamo for the reminder on this gem!)
And The Rest...
Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified
Hyped as the system-seller Vita is in dire need of, the Black Ops Declassified trailer failed to impress. Developed by the team at Nihilistic Software, which also made Resistance: Burning Skies and PlayStation Move Heroes, it promises to offer covert single player missions, multiplayer on the go, four versus four over Wi-Fi, plus new maps (as well as at least one old one in the form of Nuketown).
PS Vita Update
PlayStation Vita is set to receive a big update late this month, with PSone compatibility and cross-controller functionality the key features set to come to the handheld.
Update 1.80 will allow Vita gamers to use their handheld as a controller for compatible PS3 games, including LittleBigPlanet 2. The feature will be accessed via the Remote Play application on the Vita.
The Vita's main home screen will also get button functionality, a often-requested feature after Sony opted for touch-screen exclusive control of the system's operating system.
Music support will get a new Playlists function, allowing you to transfer iTunes, M3U and M3U8 playlists from a PlayStation 3 or PC via Vita's Content Manager.
The web browser will bring touch pad operation, which will allow you to control and scroll through webpages like on a tablet.
Check out the full list of updates at the officially PlayStation Blog
Assassin's Creed: Liberation Trailer
The latest trailer for Assassin's Creed: Liberation showcases some of the game's unique touch-screen gameplay features, which seem cool, but not especially inspiring. While it didn't have the explosivity and excitement of the Killzone trailer, it's still something to look forward to for Vita owners.
What did you think of Sony's Gamescom showcase?
By Gaetano Prestia