Here are all the highlights from Sony’s State of Play

February 25, 2021

by Andrew Kulp

Sony’s State of Play showcased some fresh looks at games that are in development and set to be released later in 2021. Compared to last week’s Nintendo Direct, which had a few buzzworthy announcements, and BlizzCon, which largely showcased updates or remakes for existing titles, Sony’s State of Play was shorter on actual news but provided some updates on games coming to PlayStation.

Only two new titles were revealed during the 30-minute program, and one of those is the PS5 upgrade to an existing PS4 title. That being said, it’s an upgrade RPG fans were no doubt happy to see. Here’s a rundown of all the highlights.

Final Fantasy VII Remake gets PS5 overhaul, including new content

While far from breaking new ground, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is more than just a graphical overhaul for an already impressive-looking game. The re-release also features quality of life improvements, adding difficult settings and abolishing load times, and it introduces a new episode featuring Yuffie, one of the story’s main protagonists.

The game also provides a glimpse into how new entries into the FFVII Remake series will be handled, as PS4 saves can be carried over to PS5. With owners entitled to a free upgrade, you might want to consider waiting to finish this chapter, if you haven’t already.

And, yes, the game looks amazing, with State of Play showing a side-by-side comparison to give everybody a sense of just what a difference there is. Looks like another visual masterpiece on the way from Square Enix, available June 10.

After the show, Square Enix also revealed two new FFVII mobile games, a single-player game and a battle royale.

Sloclap debuts new brawler, Sifu

The other game we got our first look at was Sifu, what appears to be a beat ’em up-style game with a martial arts theme.

The trailer starts off with the main character taking on a group of gang members in a hallway in a scene that looks remarkably similar to the acclaimed hallway fight in the first season of Marvel’s Daredevil on Netflix. Our hero — who seems to be aging quite rapidly for some unknown reason — isn’t done there, showing off his martial arts in other settings, some with dramatic lighting effects.

Sifu is set to drop in 2021 for PS4 and PS5, and … that’s about all we know. From the video, it looks like something with some pick-up-and-play value, but that’s just a guess. I’m certainly interested to hear more about the title.

Updates on Five Nights at Freddy’s, Returnal, Deathloop and more

Mostly, State of Play gave us extended looks at a number of previously announced games, including several PS4 titles going next gen — the most notable among them, Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, with a makeover and new features, at least.

As far as new new titles, the trailer for the eerie and visually arresting Returnal (coming April 30 from Housemarque) gave us a crash course in the third-person shooter’s mechanics; we got our first gameplay footage of Solar Ash, an adventure-platformer by Heart Machine that pairs slick movement with combat against massive, airborne beasts (due out in 2021); and Deathloop, a futuristic-looking FPS with a not-so-subtle James Bond influence (developed by Arcade and releasing May 21).

We also got our first look at gameplay footage from Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach, which is the next installment in the cult horror game franchise and is due to be released later this year. Kena: Bridge of Spirits, Ember Lab’s adorable-looking action-adventure game finally got a release date: Aug. 24.

State of Play did not give us any updates on Horizon Forbidden West or God of War Ragnarok, but if you’re a PS5 owner starved for new games, State of Play gave you a little something to get excited about.

Lead image credit: Square Enix