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PlayStation showed off 7 radical indie games today

On February 10, PlayStation highlighted seven new indie games in the works for PS4, PS5, and PlayStation VR. While none of the announcements were on the level of yesterday’s Nintendo Direct, quite a few unique games still got their time in the spotlight. These are the seven intriguing indie games that PlayStation highlighted.  

Moss: Book II

Quill approaches a giant tree with a marking on it in Moss: Book II.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The first game PlayStation showed was the sequel to Moss, one of the best VR games out there. It got a PlayStation Blog post mainly focused on world design. Polyarc explained how rooms are much bigger and interconnected in Moss: Book II, so players will have a chance to revisit areas they like and see them from different angles. Moss: Book II will be released this Spring, so it doesn’t look like it will be available on the PlayStation VR2.

Animal Well

Animal Well - Announcement Trailer | PS5

Next, PlayStation showed a platformer for PS5 called Animal Well with a trailer and PlayStation Blog post. Just one person made this minimalist pixel-art platformer, and they plan to incorporate survival horror elements and mind-bending puzzles and secrets into the game. Animal Well will be released for PS5 sometime in late 2022 or early 2023. 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge - Splinter Reveal Trailer | PS4

The highlight of today’s wave of indie game announcements was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge. A new trailer for the game was released and confirmed that Master Splinter is playable. This is the first time he’s been playable in a TMNT game, and his move set is packed with plenty of references to the show. A gameplay video with commentary that lasts nearly nine minutes was also uploaded and gave us our first good uncut look at how Shredder’s Revenge will play. For fans of classic beat ’em up, specifically, the TMNT ones, Shredder’s Revenge looks like it will be a blast from the past. It launches later this year. 

Post Void

Post Void - Announcement Trailer | PS4

Post Void takes the prize for the weirdest announcement. The previously released PC game is like a mix between Cruelty Squad and Doom. It’s a roguelike with psychedelic visuals where players will have to move fast or die. It will be released for PS4 and PS5 this spring.

Salt and Sacrifice

Salt and Sacrifice - Release Date Announce Trailer | PS5, PS4

Salt and Sacrifice is a sequel to Salt and Sanctuary, a Dark Souls-inspired sidescrolling action game and one of the most notable PlayStation indie games. In a new trailer and PlayStation Blog post, the developers highlighted the PvP element of Salt and Sacrifice and confirmed that it will be released for PS4 and PS5 on May 10. 

Samurai Gunn 2

Samurai Gunn 2 - Announcement Trailer | PS5

Samurai Gunn 2 is a fighting game where characters die in just one hit. With a new trailer and PlayStation Blog post, its developers confirmed that the game would come to PS5 and feature crossover characters and stages from popular indie games like Among Us, Spelunky 2, and Minit

Hello Neighbor 2

Hello Neighbor 2 - Pre-Order Trailer | PS5, PS4

As the final indie announcement of the day, tinyBuild games confirmed that Hello Neighbor 2 is coming to PS4 and PS5. The Hello Neighbor games are popular with streamers as players try to survey and escape the grasp of a cast of creepy characters. Those who pre-order the game can try a bet on April 7. 

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Tomas Franzese
Gaming Staff Writer
Tomas Franzese is a Staff Writer at Digital Trends, where he reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…
The best video games of June 2022: TMNT, Fire Emblem, and more
An image of the TMNT in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge.

Following all of the major summer showcases, there's a general feeling that gaming in 2022 already peaked earlier this year with games like Elden Ring, Horizon Forbidden West, and Kirby and the Forgotten Land. That said, this mindset isn't really that accurate because June contained several of 2022's best games.
From beat 'em ups to simple mobiles games to grand Musou adventures, there were a lot of games to enjoy alongside all of the announcements this month. If you haven't played anything new this month because you thought 2022 gaming couldn't get any better than Elden Ring, we recommend the following six games.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge - Gameplay overview
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge isn’t a super complex game; it’s just almost perfectly executed for what it is. This beat ’em up calls back to classics like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time while paying respect to the popular franchise with a variety of Easter eggs and beautiful pixel art. Anyone can pick up and enjoy its beat-’em-up combat, and it’s filled with every hero or enemy you’d expect to see in a TMNT game.
We even gave Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge our first five-star review of 2022. “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge is a must-play for both TMNT and beat-’em-up fans alike,” Digital Trends contributor De’Angelo Epps wrote in his review. “It’s a game that takes what worked in the past, but still finds space to innovate beyond its fan service and nostalgia play.”
Surprisingly, the game features six-player co-op, so all of your friends who are TMNT fans can get in on the fun. It’s a near-perfect beat ’em up that succeeds at precisely what it was out to achieve and shouldn’t be overlooked because of that. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge is available now for PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. It’s even on Xbox Game Pass, so it’s easy to try out if you’re curious.
Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes
Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes - Announcement Trailer - Nintendo Switch
Like Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity and Persona 5 Strikers, Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes incorporates enough elements from the game it’s based on and tells a compelling enough story to stand on its own. Fire Emblem mechanics such as permadeath, distinct character classes and abilities, and support conversations combined with the high-octane Musou action players have come to expect from Koei Tecmo’s Musou games to make something special.
“This is a high-effort hack-and-slash that convincingly functions as a full-fledged sequel to Fire Emblem: Three Houses,” gaming editor Giovanni Colantonio wrote in its four-star Digital Trends review. “While its core action gets repetitive due to a lack of overall variety, there are plenty of familiar RPG hooks around it that keep the adventure engaging. For those who want a good reason to revisit the land of Fódlan, Three Hopes is much deeper than a reunion special.”
The game’s narrative, in particular, stands out as Three Houses’ protagonist Byleth is now the villain. Like Three Houses, You can also play Three Hopes multiple times over if you want to see the story from each house’s perspective. Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes is available now for Nintendo Switch. If you want to try it, a free demo with several hours’ worth of content is available on the eShop.
Poinpy
Poinpy | Official Game Trailer | Netflix
Poinpy is much more obscure than the other games on this list because it’s tucked away as a Netflix exclusive for iOS and Android. If you search for it in the Games tab of your Netflix app on mobile, you’ll be able to jump to the App Store and Google Play Store and download it. If you go through the effort to do all that, you’ll find a simple but enthralling mobile game about collecting fruit to keep a monster at bay as you continuously climb to escape it.
It’s from the creator of the challenging but equally satisfying Downwell. Instead of descending into a dark and dreary well, Poinpy is a much more cute and colorful experience where your focus is on launching your character up to collect fruit and escape. A monster is always chasing you, so you’ll have to collect certain combinations of fruit to feed it and keep it at bay. Once you get the hang of swiping to jump and tapping your phone to stomp into the ground, you won’t want to put Poinpy down.
Netflix’s video game initiative hasn’t quite caught on yet, which is why Poinpy is relatively obscure. If Netflix can keep delivering games of this quality, people will start to notice. Poinpy is available now for iOS and Android via Netflix. Simply get a Netflix subscription, and you’ll be able to access the game without any ads or microtransactions.
Neon White
NEON WHITE | Launch Trailer
Neon White presents itself as a first-person shooter with an edgy story and intense platforming, but it really just wants you to have a good time. This game is about a bunch of criminals trying to earn their place in heaven by competing in a contest to kill the most demons. As you do this, you’ll be platforming around heavenly levels and taking out demons with guns that come from cards strewn about the level. It’s an odd mix of genres, but it works.
“Neon White takes some big swings with its card-shooter/platformer premise and fortunately doesn’t miss,” Giovanni Colantonio wrote in his four-star Neon White review. “Its execution-heavy action is wildly fast and fun, pushing players to complete complex demon-slaying gauntlets that pepper in exciting twists through the game’s last moments.”
Neon White will be up your alley if you love games like Mirror’s Edge and Clustertruck that challenge your first-person platforming skills. Visual novel fans will get a kick out of the game, too, thanks to its compelling story about who deserves forgiveness and gift system that lets the player unlock extra conversations and memories with Neon White’s supporting cast. Neon White is available now for PC and Nintendo Switch.
AI: The Somnium Files – nirvanA Initiative
AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES - nirvanA Initiative Gameplay Trailer
A follow-up to a 2019 cult classic mystery adventure game, AI: The Somnium Files – nirvanA Initiative has been a low-key critical darling this month. Sitting at an 85 on Metacritic, fans of the Danganronpa series or other similar anime-inspired games should check AI: The Somnium Files – nirvanA Initiative out. In it, you’re trying to track down a serial killer who is literally tearing people in half.
To find out who did this, you must investigate the crime scene to look for evidence and delve into people’s minds to extract more information that could help with the case. Its intense anime stylings and frequent innuendo-filled jokes aren’t for everyone, but if AI: The Somnium Files – nirvanA Initiative, it could scratch that detective gaming itch and be one of your favorites of the year.
AI: The Somnium Files – nirvanA Initiative is available for PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
Card Shark
Card Shark - Release Date Trailer - Nintendo Switch
Like Neon White, Card Shark puts a spin on the card game formula. Instead of blending shooting and platforming mechanics, Card Shark is all about cheating at traditional card games with different tactics. It’s also a beautiful game, as Card Shark is styled after the paintings from 18th century France, where the game is set.
“Card Shark is one of the most inventive video games I’ve played this year, completely spinning the concept of genre on its head,” Giovanni Colantonio wrote about the game earlier this month. “Despite having cards, I can’t really call it a 'card game.' It’s an unclassifiable title that’s more about finding a compelling way to turn real-world sleight of hand into engaging gameplay. Whenever I could successfully pull off a trick without arousing too much suspicion, I felt like an overconfident mastermind.”
If you enjoy card games (or maybe want to pick up a few cheating tricks of your own), Card Shark is worth checking out on PC or Nintendo Switch. While it’s been somewhat forgotten as it came out early in the month ahead of Summer Game Fest, it helps show that times of the year that are considered quiet by many gamers can contain some of its best games.

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Everything announced at PlayStation’s June 2022 State of Play
Spider-Man from Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered.

Sony held its second announcement-packed State of Play of the year. PlayStation has had a fun year thus far with games like Horizon Forbidden West, Gran Turismo 7, and MLB The Show 22, but will now highlight what games are coming to PS5 in the back half of 2022, as well as what we can expect from the upcoming PlayStation VR2 headset. 
When announcing the June 2 State of Play on PlayStation Blog, Sony teased that this showcase would contain "some exciting reveals from our third-party partners, plus a sneak peek at several games in development for PlayStation VR2," and it later confirmed Horizon Call of the Mountain was going to be at the show. The showcase itself certainly lived up to that promise as it contained some major third-party titles, cool-looking VR games, and even a surprise PC port. This is everything that was announced during the June 2 State of Play showcase. 
Check out our Summer Gaming Marathon Hub
State of Play | June 2, 2022 [ENGLISH]
Resident Evil 4 is getting a remake
Resident Evil 4 - State of Play June 2022 Announcement Trailer | PS5 Games
To kick off the show, Sony and Capcom revealed a Resident Evil 4 remake. It's a fully modernized recreation of the classic survival horror game in the style of the remakes that Resident Evil 1, 2, and 3 got. It will be released on March 24, 2023, and will get PSVR 2 support. 
Horizon Call of the Mountain impresses with gameplay showcase 
Horizon Franchise - State of Play June 2022 Trailers | PS5, PS4 & PS VR2 Games
We got a new look at Horizon Call of the Mountain. This VR Horizon spinoff is created by Firesprite, a developer Sony acquired last year. This trailer showed a bit of VR climbing, platforming, and combat gameplay and got to see just how visually impressive PlayStation VR games can be. 
Marvel's Spider-Man is coming to PC
Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered – State of Play June 2022 Announce Trailer I PC Games
While it wasn't one of the leaked Sony PC ports, Insomniac Games and Marvel confirmed that Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered would come to PC on August 12, 2022. A PlayStation Blog post then confirmed that Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales will also come to PC in Fall 2022. Prepare for some super cool mods!
Stray will kill you with cuteness on July 19
Stray - State of Play June 2022 Trailer | PS5 & PS4 Games
During this State of Play, we got another look at Annapurna Interactive's post-apocalyptic cat game Stray. It confirmed that the game will be released on July 19 and revealed that the game will be free for PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium members on day one.
Street Fighter 6 leaves an impact
Street Fighter 6 - State of Play June 2022 Real-Time Commentary Trailer | PS5 & PS4 Games
We got our first look at Street Fighter 6's story and gameplay in a new trailer. It confirms new and returning characters alike, shows some exploration gameplay elements, and confirms a 2023 release on PS5 and PS4.
Final Fantasy XVI Finally reemerged 
Final Fantasy XVI - State of Play June 2022 Dominance Trailer | PS5 Games
To cap off the State of Play, we finally got a second look at Final Fantasy XVI for PS5. It gives us a closer look at the game's visceral action gameplay, which is still full of RPG elements, as well as teasing its grand narrative, summons, and setpieces. It also confirms that Final Fantasy XVI will launch in Summer 2023.
Everything else

Resident Evil Village is getting VR support with PlayStation VR2. 
The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners: Retribution is coming to PlayStation VR2.
No Man's Sky is getting PlayStation VR2 support. 
Horizon Forbidden West got a new update that lets players reset skills, transmog armor, and replay the game with New Game+
The Callisto Protocol got a gameplay trailer and December 2, 2022 release date.
OlliOlli World developers Roll7 announced a rollerblading combat game called Rollerdrome. It launches August 16.
Anime-inspired action game Eternights got a trailer confirming an early 2023 launch.
Tunic is coming to PlayStation consoles on September 27.
Seasons got a new trailer and fall 2022 release window. 

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PlayStation Plus Premium is off to a rough start overseas
A person plays Crash Bandicoot using a PS5 DualSense controller.

As gamers debate whether Xbox Game Pass burnout is actually here, Sony is launching its own enhanced PlayStation Plus subscription service on PS4 and PS5. New higher PlayStation Plus tiers started rolling out in Asia on May 23 and will make their way to the rest of the world over the next month. Unfortunately, a couple of issues already seem to be plaguing PlayStation Plus Premium during its first days on the market.
From how much people have to pay for the service to how the retro games themselves play, customers are running into a slew of problems with Sony's service. While it's a rough start for PlayStation Plus Premium and its chances compared to the notable success of Xbox Game Pass, Sony's project isn't quite doomed.
A lacking game library
While this issue is subjective depending on how many games you've played and what you're looking for out of this subscription service, the launch library for PlayStation Plus Premium has been largely painted as underwhelming by fans. Even if it's a bit better than what a blog post earlier this month initially suggested, it mainly contains PS4 games a lot of hardcore PlayStation fans like myself have already paid for and played. Some questionable games like Balan Wonderworld and Mighty No. 9 also stand out even more thanks to the limited selection.
Introducing the all-new PlayStation Plus | PS5 & PS4 Games
The PS1, PSP, and PS2 game lineups are thin at launch, with major franchises like Sly Cooper and Metal Gear Solid completely missing. Trophy support isn't ubiquitous across all retro games, which is frustrating for trophy hunters. PS3 games are not natively emulated on the console; they stream from the cloud and don't include DLC originally released for them, according to VGC.
While this differs from person to person, the PlayStation Plus Premium lineup is starting off on shaky ground compared to Xbox Game Pass, which already gets flack for whether it has a good month or not.
Problems playing games
Unfortunately, there aren't just subjective problems with the library, as Sony actively seems to be releasing poor versions of classic PS1 games onto the service. According to VGC, the first-party PS1 games in the PlayStation Plus Deluxe tier -- the highest tier in Southeast Asia where the service has started rolling out -- are based on the PAL versions of each game, not the NTSC version. PAL PS1 games only run at a 50Hz refresh rate because they had to accommodate the dominant video format in places like Europe and Australia. Meanwhile, North American players experienced the NTSC versions of these PS1 games, which run at a 60Hz refresh rate.
If Sony uses the PAL versions of its PS1 games when the service expands to North America, then those retro games on the PlayStation Plus Premium tier will run slower than North American players experienced in the 1990s. We don't know for sure if the North American version of the service will use the PAL versions just yet, but it's still a worrying development as the PlayStation Classic also had this problem. Some technical issues in games like Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee are also being reported by VGC, raising further questions about the quality of the classic PS1 ports. Playing retro games seems to be a rougher experience on PlayStation than trying original Xbox and 360 games on Xbox Game Pass, even if it's nice that Sony finally acknowledged its back catalog of classics. 

Upgrading memberships is messy
Players who bought lots of PlayStation Plus or PlayStation Now subscriptions at a discounted rate in hopes of converting them to higher-tiered subscriptions were met with disappointment on May 23. Sony reportedly requires players to pay the difference of their discount if they want to upgrade to the more expensive tiers. Couple this with the fact that you must upgrade for the rest of your current subscription, not just a few months or a year of Extra or Premium, and some players are having to pay much more than they expected to upgrade PlayStation Plus. 
Yes, buying several years of PlayStation Plus or PS Now at a discounted rate in anticipation of the service for cheaper is gaming the system a bit. However, PlayStation's decision to surcharge the fans that are prepared to embrace PlayStation Plus Premium in this way doesn't feel like the best judgment call for a new service hoping to earn players' trust.
Is PlayStation Plus Premium doomed?
Despite these issues, PlayStation Plus Premium isn't doomed to fail.
Any new subscription service will have its fair share of problems, especially right out of the gate. Xbox Game Pass was not an overnight success; it had years to build up to become the popular (and sometimes controversial) subscription service it is today. The game library will improve over time as Sony makes more deals with companies for current-gen games and continues to port older PS1, PSP, and PS2 games to the service. They still have a chance to make sure it's the NTSC versions of the games available in North America, so we aren't playing slower versions of these classics. And once PlayStation Plus Premium's launch is months or years behind us, these discount surcharges won't matter to subscribers as much anymore.
Hopefully, Sony can learn from and correct these mistakes as PlayStation Plus Premium rolls out worldwide and subscribers utilize it for an extended period of time. If it does, PlayStation Plus Premium can be the Xbox Game Pass alternative that PlayStation users seem to want, rather than a rough first draft of something that Xbox is already doing pretty well. 

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