Sony promised nearly 40 minutes of gameplay and trailers for the PlayStation Showcase on September 9, 2021, and it certainly delivered. President and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment Jim Ryan gave a quick preamble to the show, but what followed was nearly uninterrupted game news. No hardware was present, as Sony had made clear prior to the showcase that the next PSVR device would not be shown. Instead, the event was all PlayStation games, including brand-new reveals and looks at existing announcements. Screen Rant has a list of every PlayStation Showcase reveal, but some particular announcements are worth highlighting.
With Deathloop's release right around the corner, it wasn't surprising to see it get another trailer at the showcase, preparing players to step onto Blackreef Island when it launches on September 14. Other previously announced games got screen time as well, including a story trailer for Rainbow Six Extraction, the co-op survival shooter that adopts the operators of Rainbow Six Siege. Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy received a new story trailer too, but it was greatly overshadowed by the two other Marvel game announcements later in the PlayStation Showcase. The show also gave a first look at gameplay for Alan Wake Remastered, which is launching in October.
Perhaps the lowest point of the PlayStation Showcase was the new Grand Theft Auto 5 trailer. The game initially launched in 2013 but has continued to be rereleased on every new console since. Rockstar showed off some gameplay and a look at how fast the new hardware will make switching between the three main characters, but the announcement of the current-gen GTA 5 port's delay to 2022 took the wind out of the trailer. Luckily, there were plenty of big reveals to more than make up for the reappearance of a 2013 game.
PlayStation Showcase Reveals - Star Wars: KOTOR - Remake
One of the biggest reveals came immediately following Jim Ryan's introduction: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - Remake. The beloved Star Wars RPG was originally released in 2003 on Xbox and PC, and rumors have long been swirling about it making a return. The remake is in development exclusively for PS5 and PC by Aspyr Media and still appears to be a ways off, since there was no gameplay shown - only a wonderfully high-definition look at Darth Revan. According to Aspyr in Sony's post-show, the iconic narrative of KOTOR will remain mostly intact, but there were no details on whether its gameplay will evolve.
PlayStation Showcase Reveals - God Of War Ragnarök
PlayStation fans eagerly awaiting news on the sequel to 2018's God of War were finally given confirmation of God of War Ragnarök's name, along with gameplay. Ever since it was teased a year ago, Ragnarök was the presumed title, but developer Santa Monica Studio had been mum on the issue. This new trailer offered not only a significant amount of gameplay footage but a look at Kratos and Atreus' next journey, teasing an encounter with Thor and other Norse gods.
PlayStation Showcase Reveals - Gran Turismo 7
Another long-dormant PlayStation exclusive came back into the light with Gran Tursimo 7's new trailer. Polyphony Digital's long-running racing series has been a PlayStation staple ever since 1997. 2017's Gran Turismo Sport was the last entry, with a heavy focus on multiplayer, but GT7 looks as though it will be a return to form. It was initially announced as a PS5 title during last year's PlayStation Showcase, but Sony later clarified it's Gran Turismo 7 is coming to PS4 as well, though the PS5 version appears to have ray tracing and DualSense features.
PlayStation Showcase Reveals - Uncharted: Legacy Of Thieves Collection
Uncharted, another of PlayStation's flagship franchises, also made an appearance. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy will be coming to PS5 and PC early next year via the Legacy of Thieves Collection. Uncharted 4 concluded the story of the iconic Nathan Drake (at least until Naughty Dog decides otherwise), while The Lost Legacy followed Chloe Frazer and Nadine Ross on an expedition in India. Both games were PS4 exclusives, and this will mark the first time the series comes to PC.
PlayStation Showcase Reveals - Marvel's Wolverine
Coming as a complete surprise was Marvel's Wolverine, a brand-new title developed by the Spider-Man series' Insomniac Games. Very little information was revealed in the Wolverine game's cinematic teaser trailer, but Logan appears to be doing what he does best: eviscerating opponents in a dive bar. Marvel's Wolverine does not yet have a launch date, but its lack of a release window implies it may be following the next game in the Marvel's Spider-Man franchise.
PlayStation Showcase Reveals - Marvel's Spider-Man 2
Insomniac delivered even more Marvel news at the PlayStation Showcase with the announcement of Marvel's Spider-Man 2, which features both Peter Parker and Miles Morales and teased Venom and what sounds like Kraven the Hunter. The first Marvel's Spider-Man came to the PlayStation 4 in 2018, and Miles Morales launched alongside the PS5 last year. The prolific developers at Insomniac have their hands full, apparently, and Spider-Man 2 won't be releasing until 2023.
PlayStation Showcase Reveals - Forspoken
Forspoken has long been quietly teased, with not a lot of information outside of some flashy trailers. The PlayStation Showcase's new look at the PS5 console exclusive gave some story context. The game follows Frey Holland, who's sucked into the expansive, magical, and visually stunning world of Athia. A bit of gameplay was also revealed, with Frey coming into possession of a sentient bracelet that grants her magic powers. Those interested should expect more information in the coming months, since Forspoken is slated to release on PS5 and PC in spring 2022.
PlayStation Showcase Reveals - Ghostwire: Tokyo
Ghostwire: Tokyo - which was out of the spotlight for an extended period, just like Forspoken - also received a new trailer at the PlayStation Showcase. The paranormal, supernatural, first-person game is still mysterious, but it looks creepier than ever with the introduction of its masked antagonist. The game comes from developer Tango Gameworks, known for the The Evil Within series, though Ghostwire appears to be more action-oriented, rather than horror. The game is published by Bethesda as well, which joins it with Deathloop as projects technically under the purview of Xbox Game Studios that will be exclusively launching on PS5 for a limited time.