Recently, yours truly had the pleasure of partaking in the Sony’s July Holiday Showcase at New York City’s Gotham Hall.
The annual event featured all the hardware, tech, video games, and accessories Sony has to offer for mass consumption. With so much product in the room, it seemed as if I would not have enough time to scope out everything that I was anticipating.
Thankfully, I was aided by some of the best people working with Sony to usher me around to all the wares. By getting a chance to physically touch, see, and experience things such as Project Morpheus, The Last Of Us: Remastered, Disney Infinity, and more — I was impressed with what Sony is offering fun-seekers this coming holiday season.
Without any further ado, here are some of the most intriguing items from Sony’s July Holiday Showcase for your consideration. Enjoy!
The Order: 1886
Powered by the ingenuity of Ready At Dawn Studios, The Order: 1886 is a highly anticipated PlayStation 4 exclusive that aims to re-write history. This was the last title I got a chance to play, but it was the first on my must-play list.
Sir Galahad, a member of an elite order of Knights, uses technology to battle an ominously ancient foe. One of the key factors billed to this title is the seamless transition between cut-scenes and gameplay. There were moments where I was immersed in what was going on around me, but had total free range of moment with my character.
Thanks to the PlayStation 4, the game looks beautiful, and by offering a unique vision of Victorian-Era London, The Order: 1886 is guaranteed to be a future franchise player for next-gen gamers. The only down mark is that this game has been delayed from hitting shelves until February 20, 2015.
Far Cry 4
For those who have been longtime fans of the Far Cry series, the fourth installment promises new experiences, characters, and gameplay. My brief time with the title found me quickly immersed in the next-gen open world, which boasted integrated drop-in/drop-out co-op play. I played by myself as Ajay Ghale, a man who traveled back to his native Kyrat to fulfill his mother’s dying wish, and steps into a heated civil war.
The mission I played found me breaking into a fortress full of armed military guards. I could play one of three different type of styles, but chose “sneak” in an attempt to be stealthy. In a matter of moments, I scaled up a mass of mountains, sniped a few soldiers in the head, and placed a C4 bomb at their front door. I hopped back outside to survey the sprawling landscape, which looks gorgeous in clear 1080p, and immediately hopped on one of the elephants drinking in a nearby pond.
Upon blowing up the door, I charged full speed with my pachyderm and stomped on the troublesome troops. Much like Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, there’s unpredictability, danger, and excitement around every corner. With this title causing so much hoopla already for its villain, its revamped hunting system, and vast open world — Far Cry 4
is one destination you can’t pass up when it hits stores this November.Bungie’s Destiny Bundle Pack
Inside Gotham Hall, conversation about Bungie’s Destiny filtered throughout the venue. The makers of the critically acclaimed Halo series had taken their talents to Sony, and undoubtedly capitalized on their successes. With all that in mind, players had to wait until July 17th to play the beta of the science-fiction first-person shooter, but that didn’t stop anyone from gawking at the Glacier White PS4 bundle.
For a decent price of $449.99, gamers can take home the all-white, crystal clean looking 500GB gaming console. In addition to that, Destiny, which is published by Activision, a matching DualShock 4 wireless controller, a 30-day trial membership to PlayStation Plus, one month of Music Unlimited, and a $10 PlayStation Store voucher.
I already have a PlayStation 4 and this made me want to own this when it becomes available on September 9th.
BigFest
Upon my arrival to Gotham Hall, I spent a considerable amount of time in the “family” wing. PlayStation Vita games, LittleBigPlanet, and indie titles were featured in this area. Developed by On The Metal Ltd., BigFest gives audiophiles the ability to discover real-world music through their PlayStation Vita devices.
Starting off with a small venue in the middle of a giant field, players are tasked with the job of developing bands, managing the festivals, and keeping riffraff from damaging the show’s reputation. I got a chance to see the title in action and as a lover of music, I thought BigFest offered me a chance to learn about new artists not named Bobby Shmurda.
In conjunction with Jamendo, a digital platform for free music, players can help real musicians climb up the charts by building the perfect show/venue for them. It is up to the player to keep the crowd happy, and it’s those decisions that allow for fun gameplay. Friends can join in on the fun through an asynchronous multiplayer and can share their created posters online for the world to see.
While I may never become a force in the song-and-dance biz, I can become the world’s greatest music promoter in BigFest. Another great thing to know about the game is that it is Free-To-Play when it becomes available sometime this year.
CounterSpy
During my attempt to find DriveClub, another PlayStation 4 exclusive, I stumbled upon CounterSpy. The stealth shooter was developed by indie studio Dynamighty, which boasts former LucasArts and Pixar veterans, and was a surprising delight to play. An exclusive to the PS4 console and available on the PS3, PS Vita, and mobile platforms, CounterSpy combines the throwback style of the 1950’s and 1960’s with cool spy mythology.
The mission I chose to accept was to stop a plan devised by the world’s superpowers to launch a nuclear strike on the moon. With only a handful of attempts to defeat them before they blow up the big hunk of rock, I must use my sharpshooting skills and powers of stealth to navigate each level. CounterSpy utilizes procedural content generation, which means that no two missions are ever the same. This is great for those who always want to be challenged or expect something new.
A plus that sealed the deal on me wanting to play more CounterSpy was the ability to sync my game across all platforms. I can also share exclusive content such as unique spy weapons without feeling constricted to the device or console I prefer to use. With CounterSpy dropping this summer, it is a safe bet that any Bond-in-Training will use this game for exercise.
Project Morpheus
If you didn’t know that Sony had gotten into the VR business, let this be your first introduction. I had been hoping to get some face-time with the Oculus Rift competitor since it was announced earlier this year. Currently in prototype mode, Morpheus is designed to fully function with Sony’s PlayStation 4 and work with the PlayStation Vita.
At Gotham Hall, Sony showed off two games: The Deep and Street Luge. I only had time with the latter, but witnessed the former completely terrifying a young lady as a shark ferociously attempted to chew her out of a cage submerged in the deep sea. Meanwhile, Street Luge
felt like your typical skateboarding-esque game. It struggled to follow my head movements and juttered a bit while I attempted to play. Never at any time was I nauseous, but who knows if I had swam with the sharks if I wouldn’t have felt that way.Project Morpheus features a high FOV, 6DOF head-tracking, stereoscopic 3D, and unwrapped output to a TV, so your friends can see what you see. Since this is still a prototype, I don’t know when this will be available for market, but the future of VR looks promising with Morpheus in the mix.
PlayStation TV
Just when you thought that PlayStation couldn’t come up with anything cooler than the PS4 or Project Morpheus, they up and create the PS TV. With this device users can download select PS Vita games, classic PS One and PSP titles through the PlayStation Store and play them through a second television.
Also included are the ability to stream select PlayStation 3 games through PlayStation Now, and use the Remote Play function to do the same for PlayStation 4 games — all using WiFi. The PlayStation 4 also allows interested gamers to purchase movies, TV shows, and music through the PS Store. Incredibly small, the PS TV is about the size of an external hard drive, making it portable enough to be moved from TV to TV.
While this wasn’t demoed at the Gotham Hall event, at a price point of $99.99, this simple-to-use device makes it easier to play games — especially in a crowded house full of people who all love to watch or play something. This product will be available for the whole family this fall. For those who might be interested in getting a bigger bang for the buck, the PS TV will also be sold as a bundle ($139.99) and will include a DualShock 3 controller, 8GB memory card and a game voucher for The LEGO Movie.
SingStar
Anyone who knows me knows that karaoke and I go together like a TerRio and Bobby Brown’s BBQ sauce. So, it was nothing to hop on the M-I-C to play Sony’s SingStar. Leveraging all the social features of the PS4 (see: ‘Share’ button), the game is more community focused as friends all around the world can join in to croon a tune.
During my experience with the game, I sang “American Pie” by Don McLean. Nobody joined in, but it was a fun experience since I was able to turn my smart phone into a microphone. By downloading the SingStar app, I was able to connect directly to the PS4 system and the game registered my phone as if I used a Sony peripheral device.
Along with the ability to create and manage my own playlist, SingStar is a game that promises to get the party started and keep it live. Fun for the whole family, there’s still no definitive release date yet, but keep an ear out for this to drop Holiday 2014.
The Last Of Us: Remastered
This was the first title I got hands-on time with when I left the family area. 2013’s Game Of The Year is getting the remastered treatment for the PlayStation 4, much to the chagrin of hardcore fans. Having already beaten the game a number of times, I was impressed by how improved everything felt. From the bullet holes looking like real bullet holes to seeing the stitches in Joel’s backpack, The Last Of Us: Remastered is pegged to give next-gen players thrills, chills, and a whole lot of 1080p blood spills.
Disney, now officially the worldwide leader in colorful characters, has doubled-down on their properties in Disney Infinity. The action-adventure sandbox video game threatened to monopolize most of my time, as the game is a fan’s dream come true. Similar to Activision’s wildly popular Skylander franchise, Disney Infinity boasts an unlimited amount of ways to have fun.
During my time with the game, I saw mostly Marvel characters such as Nick Fury, The Incredible Hulk, and Nova of the Nova Corp who were seamlessly synchronized with the game using the base board. In addition to the open-world gameplay, I was shown the Toy Box, which allows the creator in us all to design our own levels for mass enjoyment.
With a huge announcement coming at next week’s San Diego Comic Con, this is a title that you should familiarize yourself with, if you haven’t already!
What games are you looking forward to playing this holiday season? Share your thoughts with us below!