What were the highlights from the PlayStation Showcase? May 2023 | Team Talk

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As we enter the hole where E3 used to be we can expect a series of announcements from console makers and publishers and first out of the gate was PlayStation with their annual Showcase event last week.

We all expected Spider-Man 2 news (more on that in a bit), but what else did Sony bring to the show to delight, dazzle and demonstrate the exciting experiences they have in store for us.

We've picked a few of our own, but what was your highlight? Let us know on Discord.

by Team PTC

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@pass_controller

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Spider-Man 2 and Helldivers 2 | Liam Andrews

I do enjoy a good co-op game, so there was actually quite a lot that interested me in the latest showcase, despite its mixed reception.

Call of Duty Warzone 2’s DMZ got me into extraction games, and I’m looking forward to seeing more of Marathon, Bungie’s take on the genre. The art style was cool, and Bungie are still top notch when it comes to shooters, so this is on my radar.

Another title that impressed me was Helldivers 2. I don’t remember seeing a Helldivers 1, but from the tone of the trailer and the chaotic gameplay on show, I don’t think I need to go tracking it down to catch up on any lore or backstory. Having friendly fire enabled will certainly be interesting, considering the amount of ordinance that seemed to be getting chucked about during battles.

Finally, Spider-Man 2 was another highlight. The new Venom suit abilities look very cool, and the wingsuit upgrade, though seemingly a bit overpowered, also looked like a lot of fun to use. I’ve still yet to play the original game but I’m even more motivated to do so to be ready for Spider-Man 2’s arrival later this year.

​Alan Wake 2, The Talos Principle 2 and Immortals of Aveum | James Parry

First things first, Foamstars, from Square-Enix, is the most shameless rip-off of a game – in this case, Splatoon – that I had seen for a long, long time. I wouldn’t mind so much if it had anything new to bring to the table, that’s how genres are made after all, but it seems pretty clear this is just a shameless cash grab.

Spider-Man 2 was the blockbuster everyone expected to appear at the Showcase, and the talented team at Insomniac didn’t waste any time in blowing our spider-socks off. I particularly enjoyed how the Venom suit was completely unexplained, putting us in the same shoes as Miles and Ganky.

You already know about Spider-Man though, so instead onto one of my most anticipated upcoming games Alan Wake 2. While I haven’t finished the remastered release, not only have I really enjoyed what I’ve played, but am always transfixed by anything Remedy decides to put out. Yes, even Quantum Break.

It must be the way Sam Lake approaches storytelling, but the idea of taking another journey into the Wake-averse with a new protagonist is particularly exciting, because not even Alan Wake likes Alan Wake as a character.​

Elsewhere we were given a glimpse at heavy-hitters like Assassin’s Creed Mirage (looks fine, nothing particularly stood out) and Talos Principle 2 (looks like a narrative web I’ll get lost in). It’s a shame we still aren’t seeing more gameplay trailers for things even if they are only a few months out from release, but making games is hard so I get it.

One game which stood out, even when it sneaked out in the form of an EA press release a few months ago, was Immortals of Aveum. The main character has a similar vibe to Jayce from Arkane: League of Legends and the magic FPS vibe seems interesting, especially with some Gina Torres in there for good measure. Will be keeping an eye on that one.

Finally, there were a handful of indie titles which had the “this looks interesting, but it’s not for me”, including Sword of the Sea, The Plucky Squire and Neva. While they might not grab me to play, it’s great to see a variety of smaller titles find their way onto the platform and all show a consistent level of quality. It certainly bodes well for PlayStation’s continued market dominance in the near future.