The 7 biggest stories from Sony’s PlayStation Experience 2017 kickoff event

By Gabe Gurwin December 9, 2017

PlayStation Presents - PSX 2017 Opening Celebration | English

Unlike the traditional stage presentations Sony gave for its E3 and Paris Games Week events in 2017, this year’s PlayStation Experience “opening celebration” presentation was a relaxed affair, focused on deep-dives into upcoming games. Though it lacked the same punch of Sony’s more traditional events, there were still a few awesome announcements, including the return of a long-forgotten hero. Here’s what you need to know.

‘The Last Guardian’ is coming to VR… Sort of

The Last Guardian Coming To PSVR - PSX 2017 Teaser

The Last Guardian from Fumito Ueda and his team, and the world they created is undeniably beautiful. But why just experience it using a traditional television. The Last Guardian fans will able to get a taste of what the game would be like in VR very soon, as a free VR “experience” based on the game is coming to PlayStation VR December 12. The interactive demo will let you pal around with the game’s central character, Trico, a simultaneously frightening and adorable giant cat-eagle hybrid. The demo will be a stand-alone experience, so you won’t need a copy of The Last Guardian to try it.

‘Wipeout’ goes VR in 2018

WipEout Omega Collection - PSX 2017: Announce Trailer | PS4, PS VR

Wipeout Omega Collection, a Wipeout remaster collection, bundled Wipeout HD and Wipeout 2048 in a single game on PlayStation 4 this summer. Now, the package is about to get a whole lot better. In early 2018, a game update will add PlayStation VR support, allowing players to experience every single track in the game in virtual reality with full 3D audio. The game looks absolutely incredible in the first-person perspective, and we can’t wait to throw up after racing around the track a few times.

Create almost anything in ‘Dreams’

Dreams | The Game Awards Trailer | PS4

Media Molecule discussed its upcoming creation-centric game Dreams, which will come to PlayStation 4 in 2018. During the talk, we found out the game will have a story mode, which features three intertwining tales set in a science-fiction environment, a film noir environment, and a childhood fantasy environment. They’re just a few examples of what players can design themselves, and they are actual examples, as all of the story content was actually made using the game’s creation tools. Players will be free to bend game genres and even create films, as the tools are designed to be much more open-ended than Media Molecule’s LittleBigPlanet series.

Aspiring creators will be able to try out a beta for Dreams prior to its launch next year.

Lie your way to victory in ‘Detroit: Become Human’

DETROIT BECOME HUMAN Gameplay Demo NEW PS4 (PSX 2017)

Quantic Dream’s Detroit: Become Human is poised to be the studio’s most ambitious project to date, and during the PlayStation Experience presentation, we got to see first-hand how players’ choices can affect every little aspect of the interactive story. In the demonstration, protagonist Connor, an android hostage negotiator, attempts to rescue a young girl from a “deviant” (malfunctioning) android.

It’s the same section of gameplay shown during E3 2017, but with PlayStation fans at the wheel, we saw a wide range of different options. This time, Connor takes a more violent approach, shooting the android and saving the girl before she can fall off the top of a high-rise apartment.

We’ll able to play the game and make our own choices when Detroit: Become Human launches in Spring, 2018.

Mega Man invades ‘Monster Hunter World’

Monster Hunter: World - PSX 2017: Third Fleet Trailer | PS4

Monster Hunter World is out next month, and the game will be invaded by Capcom’s famous hero Mega Man. In the “Third Fleet” trailer, we see that players can get an 8-bit version of Mega Man as a Palico — a small companion (normally it’s a cat) who helps hunters in battle. In World, Mega Man can shoot enemies with his Mega Buster and even use weapons inspired by the original NES games, including the Skull Man charge blade and the Dark Man bow. Even better, you can listen to classic Mega Man chiptunes on the hunt.

Sir Daniel is back in a ‘MediEvil’ remaster

Medievil - PSX 2017: Teaser Trailer | PS4

It’s been a very long time since we’ve stepped into the boots of MediEvil‘s Sir Daniel, but we’re about to do it again. During the event, Sony revealed that a remastered version of the original 1998 PS1 game is on the way. On PlayStation 4 Pro, the game will run in 4K resolution. No release date was given, but Sony promises more information will be available soon.

Free the sea in ‘Jupiter & Mars’

Jupiter & Mars - PSX 2017: Announce Trailer | PS4, PS VR

If you’ve been hoping for a new Ecco the Dolphin game, Tigertron’s Jupiter & Mars looks like the next best thing. Starring the two titular dolphins in their struggle to disable “man-made machinery disrupting marine life everywhere,” the gorgeous puzzle and exploration game features bright neon colors and the mysterious remnants of a long-extinct humanity. If you have a PlayStation VR, headset, you’ll be able to put it to use, as well.

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Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…

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