My PlayStation has been collecting dust, but it looks like I’ll be pressing the power button and picking up the sticks once again. At least towards the end of summer, and probably until GTA 6 comes out. Sony’s June 2 State of Play ran for more than 60 minutes and came loaded with exactly the kind of games that can restart a neglected console… and wreck a PTO calendar.Led by a big gameplay blowout for Marvel’s Wolverine and a surprise swing with God of War Laufey, my PS5 looks like it’ll be coming back to life.
The Games That Actually Got Me Ready to Play Again
God of War Laufey is probably the best example of why this State of Play worked for me. Santa Monica Studio is making Faye the lead, sending her into the Everywhen, an afterlife of the gods full of dangerous magic and mythological threats. All that while keeping the series’ core mix of brutal combat, exploration, and story intact.
I still have not really sat down and beaten the God of War games, but they are always a blast right up until life gets busy. Then I put the controller down for a few weeks, and come back with the muscle memory of a confused rock. Laufey looks like it will hit that same sweet spot, familiar but with its own perspective. I will probably wait for a sale, but I am absolutely paying attention.
Marvel’s Wolverine is different. That one is a must-buy for me. Insomniac finally showed proper gameplay, confirmed a September 15 release date, and revealed a setup involving the Reavers, Bolivar Trask, Jean Grey, and a very brutal Logan who can stalk, parry, rage out, heal through damage, and go full monochrome murder poem when things get ugly. I love Insomniac’s Spider-Man games and pretty much everything else they do, so this is easy. I will buy it, use PTO for release, 100% it on normal, and then lie to myself about getting the platinum in New Game+ someday.
Then there is Onimusha: Way of the Sword, which locked in September 25 and dropped a demo immediately. That game has one job, which is to make me say, “Shut up and take my money,” and it succeeded instantly. Right next to it, Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis looks like a huge win too, bringing Lara’s 1996 debut back as a full Unreal Engine 5 reimagining with a February 12, 2027 release date. I love Tomb Raider, so that is almost certainly a day one for me too.
The Games I’m Eyeing Hard, Even If My Wallet Is Trying to Hide
Stuntman: Hollywood might be the sleeper hit of the show for me. Saber is turning stunt work into an arcade spectacle built around film sets inspired by Fast & Furious, Back to the Future, Knight Rider, Miami Vice, and Death Race. It absolutely reminds me of The Fall Guy in the best way. I do not know if it is day one yet, but I am intrigued. Kemuri also looks like real danger for my free time, especially because Unseen says it supports online co-op for up to three players in a yokai-infested city. I love co-op games, so this could absolutely become a day one if I can convince my knucklehead friends to show up.
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The September traffic jam is also very real. Control Resonant launches September 24, the same day as Silent Hill: Townfall, while Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve arrives October 2 and Rayman Legends Retold lands October 1. Control Resonant looks fantastic and I am absolutely excited to see more, but September is ridiculous already, so I will wait. Rayman still does not really own me the way it owns other people, though when that price drops or it hits PS Plus, sure. Ace Combat 8 is a different kind of problem. I want it, but I know exactly how that ends. I buy the game, then I start looking at flight rigs, then I convince myself I need one, and suddenly I am living inside a very dumb expense spiral. Not happening.
Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls is still one of the coolest-looking games in the whole PlayStation lineup, and State of Play gave it even more villain juice by adding Magneto, Green Goblin, and Carnage to Doctor Doom’s side of the board. I love Marvel. I love Guilty Gear. I am also very aware that the online community would body me on sight, so I am still on the fence. Bancho the Chef nearly had me instantly with the style, the music, and the sheer swagger of making a full Bancho prequel, but the cozy gameplay screams Steam sale. Marathon remains exactly what I expected too. Bungie shooters feel incredible, but if my friends do not jump in early, I am not jumping in either.
The “I Respect It, But I’m Probably Watching From the Couch” Section of State of Play
Until Dawn 2 looks great, but it spikes my heart in exactly the wrong way after a workday. Same with Silent Hill: Townfall, which I will very happily watch friends play instead. Phantom Blade Zero looked slick again, but not enough for me to commit. Dune: Awakening looks cool and its console push gives it more scale, but I am not a big enough Dune fan for it to move me. ILL has an incredible name and looks deeply gross, so if it turns out to be co-op I am in, otherwise I will wait.
The Lost Wild has dinosaurs and Annapurna’s involvement going for it, which is a strong combo, but co-op would be the thing that pushes it into instant-buy territory. No Rest for the Wicked still does not look like my kind of game, and while I love Dynasty Warriors, I mostly love the crossover lane now. Give me the next One Piece Warriors and I am there immediately. This one, I can wait on.
And yes, State of Play had even more weirdness flying around the edges too, including titles like Gitaroo Man, Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams, Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy, and RuneScape: Dragonwilds. Sony basically dumped a whole summer convention floor into one hour, and for the first time in a while, my PS5 has a reason to stop impersonating a very expensive dust magnet.
Did this State of Play finally make you want to turn your PS5 back on too? Which game actually won the show for you, Wolverine, Laufey, or Onimusha? And which reveal are you pretending is not a day one even though you already know it is? Share your thoughts in the comments or @me.
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