Top 5 Highlights of PlayStation Experience 2016 | List

This is a list of my top 5 highlights of the PlayStation Experience 2016 showcase which was live-streamed on the 3^rd December (the 22^nd birthday of the PS1). The event was basically a mini E3 all about the future (and past) of PlayStation games. While not being as strong as Sony's previous showcase at E3 earlier this year, it was still a very strong event featuring some new announcements and some new gameplay footage for games that have been previously revealed.

Despite not being a huge event (when compared to the likes of E3) Sony didn't seem to hold back with the new releases and announcements. It was a great showcase and got me hyped for more information regarding certain games and to get my hands on some of them. This list is ordered from least anticipated (at the top) to most anticipated (at the bottom). So, without further delay, here are my highlights of the event:

5

Absolver

I re-watched the whole conference to make this list and I didn't expect to have Absolver on here at all after watching it the first time. But upon watching again I actually thought this particular game had potential. Upon further research into what the game actually is I found the idea very very appealing. It seems to be a mixture of Street Fighter, Dark Souls and Journey which is quite a mash up of genres but let me explain.

The combat appears to be similar to that of a typical fighting game (think Tekken or Street Fighter) but with a more 3D perspective (like Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm or Pokken Tournament) but with the ability to roam around and explore like in Dark Souls and with the possibility of randomly running into other players like in Journey. Upon meeting these other players you can either team up with them and work together or get yourself into a brawl. Like with Dark Souls you have a limited amount of gestures to interact with other players which will no doubt create tense situations in which you don't know if you can truly trust anyone.

It's a very interesting concept (and it has a really cool art style too). I didn't feel like the trailer shown at PlayStation Experience did it much justice (which is why the above video is from E3 and features gameplay and an interview IGN did with the developers), but I highly recommend looking into more gameplay footage if you think it sounds interesting.

4

Parappa the Rapper
(LocoRoco and Patapon)

A very unexpected announcement at the showcase was that a remaster of the PS1 classic Parappa the Rapper was being created for PS4. Not only that though but a playable demo actually came out straight after the event and is available right now to download and play.

It's not just Parappa the Rapper making a return, but the PSP titles LocoRoco and Patapon are also getting upgraded for PS4 too! This is a great opportunity for anyone who hasn't played any of these to give them a go and will introduce them to new audiences which could even result in new games in those franchises.

What excites me quite a lot about this particular reveal is that if Sony are now up for remastering/remaking PS1 titles, perhaps we'll see more in the future. Just thinking about a remaster (or remake) of Medievil, Spyro the Dragon or Rayman is making me salivate.

3

The Last of Us Part II

The biggest announcement by far (and the climax of the whole show) was the reveal that The Last of Us Part II is in development. They were clear on the fact that it's very early in development, but a very interesting teaser trailer was shown, introducing us to an older Ellie who will now be the playable character (rather than Joel, who also shows up in the trailer) and will revolve around the theme of hate (rather than the previous game's theme of love and bonding). During their presentation after the trailer was shown, Naughty Dog showed off some impressive motion capture technology which is apparently some of the most advanced in the industry right now. Impressive and exciting stuff.

2

Resident Evil VII: Biohazard

It's no secret that I'm looking forward to Resident Evil VII quite a lot, and while not a lot of new information was given to us at PlayStation Experience, a very short new trailer was revealed, showing off some of the dangers in the game as well as giving us a very brief glimpse at some combat (which Capcom have been keeping very quiet about).

The trailer gives us a little bit of information about the story of the game, telling us that Ethan (presumably the main character) had a wife who died but has somehow sent him a message "from beyond the grave". This premise share obvious similarities with Silent Hill but the execution of that premise appears to be very different. The trailer also implies that the teaser for the game (Resident Evil VII: Beginning Hour) is tied very heavily to the main game in terms of plot.

Speaking of the teaser demo, it was also announced that the final update for Resident Evil VII: Beginning Hour would be released straight after the showcase, so that's available to download and play right now if you're in the mood for a fright.

1

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy

My number one highlight of E3 2016 was the huge reveal that the Crash Bandicoot trilogy on PS1 would be getting remade from the ground up for PS4, just that information alone is enough to raise my excitement levels to the maximum. However, flash-forward a few months to PlayStation Experience 2016 and not only was gameplay footage shown, but people also had a hands on session with a demo of the game (which I'm hoping will be released on the PlayStation Store at some point).

The remake looks to be an incredibly faithful recreation of the first three games, but for now only sections from the first game in the trilogy have been shown off and it looks brilliant. The full opening cinematic has been released alongside full versions of the levels N. Sanity Beach and Heavy Machinery and it all looks as good as I hoped it would.

I'm extremely excited to play the game myself and I'm looking forward to seeing gameplay footage from the remakes of Crash Bandicoot 2 and 3.