We got a state of play recently and no matter who you are or where you game it’s always nice to get a look at upcoming games dropping in the near future. While the show highlighted many different games I want to talk about what caught my eye and what I’m excited about going forward this year.
Lost Soul Aside
I have been waiting for a release date for this game for quite some time and we finally got it! The China Hero Project game developed by UltiZeroGames will be released the same day as FromSoftware’s Elden Ring Nightreign DLC on May 30th.
Even though it is releasing alongside what is shaping up to be another juggernaut hit of DLC to Elden Ring, I am still excited for this game to release and believe that it won’t get overshadowed too much by Nightreign.
With its fast past, anime-esque-looking combat, combined with its clean and beautiful aesthetic Lost Soul Aside has a very positive reception around its pre-release. It’s going to have to deliver on the interest it’s gained so far but I am excited to get my hands on this game in a few months and am praying I have the time to enjoy it while playing Nightreign at the same time.
Shinobi Art of Vengeance
A game that caught me off guard early on in the State Of Play was Shinobi Art of Vengeance. This Sega-published game created by the team behind Streets of Rage 4 Lizardcube, looks to be a smaller experience that could pack some value in the later part of the year.
The art style for this game is sensational and the gameplay seems to follow a more linear design which for me is win. It has a release date of August 29th so it is still a ways away but right now I see myself picking this up and enjoying it as much if not more than some of the heavy hitters that are scheduled to release this year.
Tides of Annihilation
Another game that caught me off guard, even more so than Shinobi Art of Vengeance was Tides of Annihilation. A single-player narrative-driven experience that takes place in a shattered modern London.
We will play as Gwendolyn, who wields the power of a mysterious gray fog that can manifest two spectral knights at her side. The PS Blog boasts of how this game is going to feature intuitive co-op combat in a single-player experience.
For myself, I don’t get too caught up in the technical side of what the gameplay is going to offer until it’s time to sit down and start playing. I will say though, that the trailer itself sold me on the combat and gameplay more than any description of the features ever could.
Even in the short snippet of gameplay that was shown you could already see there is combo potential in the combat with these knights that Gwendolyn has at her side. We still need to see more but as far as first impressions go, I don’t think you could have a better one than Tides of Annihilation showcased.
Saros
Now we get to the game I am most excited about that was shown at the State Of Play. The last trailer shown in the show at that. Returnal is easily my favorite game that I have played this generation. I was late to the party on it too.
Housemarque is back again with Saros. The smile on my face when the projectiles from the monster showed in Arjun Devraj’s (main character) eye, I wish I could have captured that expression and grin. It was only a CGI trailer, and I can tell you this game is a day-one buy.
Bringing that addicting, difficult, roguelike gameplay loop is not going to miss. Now the difficulty of Returnal put some people off of the game and that is a valid critique if you don’t enjoy challenging games.
However, the creators have already stated that a key difference in Saros is that there will be permanent resources and progression, making every death valuable. So there is something there already that hopefully can make Saros more enjoyable for those who didn’t like Returnal.
The gameplay is being shown later this year and you can count on it being elite and something that is going to deliver. You don’t even have to question it!
Final Remarks
Overall State Of Plays or any showcase for that matter are great time to see what’s on the horizon. I think too much can be made of any showcase.
I find pleasure in seeing trailers for games that I’ve known about, did not know about, and games I’ve wanted to learn more about. Learning about Saros was more than enough for it to be an enjoyable watch.
I have said this the last two years but it still applies again, 2025 is shaping up to be an incredible year and I don’t think I will have the time to play all of the heat that is dropping.
