State of Play 2021 – What did Sony Reveal?

After skipping this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in June, a lot was expected from Sony’s State of Play. However, a lot of expectations were dampened, leaving gamers at the mercy of new mobile phone slots when Sony announced that both Horizon: Forbidden West and the next instalment in the God of War series, God of War: Ragnarok would both be absent from the State of Play Livestream.

The event still provided some excitement for gamers, as we got to see footage from Death Stranding: Director’s Cut and Arkane Studios highly anticipated Deathloop game whilst casting an eye on upcoming third-party releases for 2021. So, without further ado, here are some of the highlights (upcoming games) for 2021.

Lost Judgment

This action-adventure revolves around a private detective Takayuki Yagami as he investigates a criminal, Akihiro Ehara, accused of both sexual harassment and murder. Developed by Rya Ga Gotoku Studio and published by Sega for a September 2021 release, Lost Judgment is a direct sequel to Judgment —a Yakuza spinoff game released in 2018– and it explores the real-life recreations of Japanese districts Kabuchiko and Isezakicho (with both districts called Kamurocho and Isezaki Ijincho in the game).

Players will control Takayuki Yagami, played by Japanese actor Takuya Kimura who uses three distinct fight styles Crane Style, Tiger Style, and Snake Style for combat as he combs through a host of missions (which involves stealth, trailing, and fighting).

Lost Judgment is expected to release for both PlayStation 4 & 5, as well Xbox X, Series X/S on September 21 later this year.

Deathloop

First announced at E3 2019, Deathloop is a video game version of the movie Groundhog Day, which sees players dropped in the shoes of Colt Vahn, an Assassin tasked to kill eight targets while stuck in a time loop. Colt wakes up on a beach on the island of Blackreef, a former army base where strange experiments were carried out, and must kill all eight targets without getting killed; otherwise, the loop restarts with Colt having to hunt his targets afresh.

Deathloop also offers a multiplayer feature where players can also take up the role of Juliana, an agent tasked with protecting the time loop by preventing Colt from completing his task. This feature allows players to jump into a random person’s game whilst online and interfere with their play. However, it’s optional, and players can decide to let the AI take control of Juliana.

Deathloop is developed by Arkane Studios and published by Bethesda, with its release date scheduled for September 14 later this year.

Death Stranding: Director’s Cut

After the relative success of the original game, Sony announced that Death Stranding will be getting a Director’s Cut version along with Ghost of Tsushima. The original Death Stranding was the first of its genre, the Strand Games, defined by the game’s incorporation of social elements. Death Stranding was set in the post-cataclysmic United States, where destructive creatures roam the surface of the earth, with players playing as Sam Bridges tasked with supply deliveries and reestablishing colonies through wireless communication networks.

In Death Stranding, the director’s Cut is expected to add remastered next-gen cutscenes along with new combat mechanics, story missions, battles, and a firing range to practice gunplay. The game is developed by Kojima Productions and is expected to be released on September 24.

Tribes of Midgard

Developed by Norsfell Games and published by Gearbox Publishing, Tribes of Midgard is a role-playing, action-survival game about Norse mythology. The game revolves around a Viking hero, Einherjar, who must protect the seeds of Yggdrasil from trolls, dark elves, Helthings, and giants. Tribes of Midgard features a dual-purpose style of play that sees Einherjar explore a procedurally generated world during the day, searching for resources for crafting new armour, weapons and building village defences to protect against enemies who seek to destroy the seeds of Yggdrasil at night.

The game is slated for release in July 2021 and will be available on PlayStation 4, 5, and Windows.

Hunter’s Arena: Legends

This battle royale-style game focuses on martial arts, swordplay as hunters and demons engage in a fight for supremacy. Developed by Mantisco, Hunter’s Arena: Legends can be summarised as a form of Apex Legends or Fortnite but with a blend of fighting rather than shooting. The game is slated for release sometime in August this year but will only be available on PlayStation as a PlayStation Plus free game.

F.I.S.T – Forged In Shadow Torch

Developed by PlayStation China, Forged In Shadow Torch is an action game that combines storytelling and arcade-style combat in a Metroidvania world.

Following the brutal defeat suffered at the hands of the invading Robotic Legion in the Resistance Wars, surviving animals of Torch City have been forced to leave in hiding whilst keeping a low profile, including former resistance fighter, Rayton. However, the arrest of a close friend forces “Rayton the rabbit” to pick up his giant metal fist and fight against those oppressing Torch City. Unknown to Rayton, his sudden jump out of retirement would place him in the middle of an ongoing conspiracy involving the Rat Gang, the Resistance, and the Robotic Legion.

F.I.S.T provides players with three weapons to switch between during the Arcade Combat System —Fist, Drill, and Whip— with each weapon providing different fighting styles and a combination of serious damage, high combo, and long-range attacks. The game is also equipped with seamless maps which provide dozens of unique areas to explore, offering players the chance to experience the beautiful, detailed environment of Torch City.

Forged in Shadow Torch was designed by the Unreal Engine 4 for PlayStation 4 but can also be downloaded digitally for PlayStation 5, provided PS5 users have the latest system update installed. The game is slated for release exclusively on PlayStation for September 7 later this year, but PlayStation Plus subscribers can preorder for a discount of 10%.