Advertised as a third-party focused affair, October's 20 minute long PlayStation State of Play rattled through a solid number of games and updates coming to PS4 and PS5 from beyond Sony's first-party studios. With 2021 having witnessed a noticeable slow down in terms of releases thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly from indie developers, the event demonstrated why the next 12 months is starting to look a lot more promising.
While some fans were understandably disappointed by the lack of an update on the highly anticipated Final Fantasy 16, or any truly show stopping announcement, the latest State of Play still managed to provide a glimpse at a bunch of intriguing titles. Shining the spotlight primarily on smaller indie games, players will hopefully have found at least one title that speaks to their personal tastes.
Deathverse: Let It Die
Back in 2016, Suda 51's free-to-play roguelike Let It Die gained something of a cult following on PS4 and PC, with seven million players reportedly having checked out its zany antics since then. Fast-forward to the present, and it was confirmed out of the blue at the start of Sony's State of Play that the franchise is expanding thanks to Supertrick Games.
Fueled by a reality TV-inspired aesthetic and the dark humor that was found within the original game, Deathverse: Let It Die is a unique melee-based take on the ever-popular multiplayer survival action genre. Set to launch next spring on PS4 and PS5, this unexpected sequel will mirror its forebearer's footsteps by also being free-to-play.
We Are OFK
Announced back at this year's E3 for PC, it was confirmed during the latest State of Play that We Are OFK will also be heading to PS4 and PS5, via a fourth-wall breaking trailer. Centering around the real-life indiepop band OFK, the music biopic game promises to be an interactive episodic adventure that explores the group's challenging quest to bring their debut EP to life. Featuring all manner of topics from dating to paying rent in Los Angeles, the making-of-style title will launch alongside the record at some point in 2022.
Bugsnax: The Isle of BIGsnax
Having launched alongside the PS5 as one of November 2020's PlayStation Plus titles, Bugsnax will likely hold a special place in the minds and libraries of a lot of players who own Sony's latest console. One of the more surprising announcements that came with October's State of Play was the news that Young Horses' Pokemon Snap-inspired adventure game is being expanded.
Arriving early next year as a free update, players will be able to explore the mysterious Isle of BIGsnax, which is seemingly home to a smorgasbord of new supersized critters. What's more, a number of other additions have been promised for good measure too, like an Animal Crossing-esque ability to now decorate the player's Snaxburg home.
Five Nights At Freddy's: Security Breach
Considering Halloween is only a few days away at this point, it wasn't all that surprising to see Five Nights At Freddy's: Security Breach feature during Sony's latest State of Play. Having already served up a number of jump scares within some of the publisher's other recent presentations, this latest showing offered the best look at the game's spine-tingling gameplay in action, which brave fans can dive into for themselves when it arrives on PS4 and PS5 on December 16.
Death’s Door
Earlier this year, Acid Nerve's Death's Door captured the hearts of players when it launched on PC and Xbox, and has since become one of the contenders for 2021's game of the year. Following that success, the acclaimed action-adventure indie RPG was confirmed during the latest State of Play to be making its way to PS4 and PS5 on November 23. Following the show, it was later revealed that Nintendo Switch owners can look forward to the game on the same day as well.
Featuring a blend of clever explorative puzzles and challenging combat, there's no doubt that even more players will soon fall head over heels for the isometric Zelda-inspired adventure. As an added bonus PlayStation owners who pre-order the title before its upcoming release, will also get their hands on the Manchester-based developer's previous hit, Titan Souls, for free to tide them over while they wait.
KartRider: Drift
During October's PlayStation State of Play presentation it was announced that the NEXON Korea developed free-to-play KartRider: Drift, will be making its way to PS4 next year. Featuring an almost ModNation Racers-esque level of character and kart customization, players will be able to sign up and try their hand at its mechanics and circuits via a closed beta that starts on December 8. Cross play support will also be included within the experience, ensuring players can burn rubber with their PC and Xbox friends when the online test launches day-and-date on those platforms.
The King of Fighters 15
Set to launch on February 17, 2022, SNK's The King of Fighters 15 also made a punchy appearance at Sony's latest presentation. During the event the publisher showed off the upcoming entry in the popular fighting game franchise, with an in-depth look at its newest combatant, Dolores. To sweeten the deal it was also confirmed that PS4 and PS5 players will be able to throw down as the newcomer alongside seven other fighters, when the game arrives in beta form on November 19.
First Class Trouble
This summer, it was announced that Invisible Walls' First Class Trouble would be making its way to PS4 and PS5, after having launched in early access on PC in April. Following a stint in the spotlight in-part thanks to its popularity on Twitch, confirmation came during the presentation that the social deduction party game, that features some noticeable homages to The Hitman series, will arrive on PlayStation consoles on November 2.
At the end of the game's segment it was revealed that it will also launch on PS Plus, which likely didn't come as too much of a shock to viewers thanks to the fact that the subscription service's upcoming lineup had leaked earlier in the day.
Star Ocean The Divine Force
While the appearance of Square Enix's logo during October's State of Play likely prompted a few onlookers to believe they were about to see Final Fantasy 16, the news from the publisher that actually followed was still very much welcome. That's because it's now been confirmed that next year the latest entry in the long-running Star Ocean JRPG series, subtitled The Divine Force, will land on PS4 and PS5. A simultaneous Xbox Series, Xbox One, and PC release was also later confirmed after the show.
Commemorating the 25th anniversary of the original 1996 Star Ocean game, this newest title features an array of beautiful sci-fi-themed open-world locales, deadly monsters, and two distinct protagonists for players to control during their quest amongst the stars.
Little Devil Inside
During the week Sony preemptively confirmed that the intriguing Little Devil Inside would feature within October's PlayStation State of Play presentation. Having debuted alongside the PS5 itself last year, the publisher showed a significant amount of trust in Neostream Interactive to select the adventure game as the event's closing act.
While no hint of a concrete release date was provided, what was shown still lived up to the unique and quirky vibes that its debut trailer embodied. Featuring a Bastion-style deadpan narrator, on top of a surprising PS1-era JRPG overworld, Little Devil Inside looks unlike anything else players can currently get their hands on within the PlayStation ecosystem.
