A livestream on Feb. 12 by Sony’s PlayStation video gaming console brand included surprises for gamers in a sequence of announcements.
The most impactful among the announcements was a surprise reveal that Santa Monica Studios is developing remade versions of the original trilogy of their flagship “God of War” games, with voice actor T.C. Carson returning in his role of lead character Kratos. Carson was Kratos’ original voice actor, before he was replaced in the 2018 and 2022 releases of the series with Christopher Judge. Carson spoke following the trailer to say that the games are in development and that it may be some time before further announcements are made. He thanked fans for their patience in waiting for the announcement.
“But most of all,” Carson continued, “I want to thank you all for supporting this God of War franchise all these years. Appreciate you. Peace.”
Also announced in the “God of War” series is a side-scrolling adventure game starring a young Kratos fighting for Sparta before his dealings with the antagonist Ares. Titled “God of War: Sons of Sparta,” the game was co-developed by Santa Monica Studios and Mega Cat Studios from Pittsburgh. The latter also developed the video game adaptation of the “Five Nights at Freddy’s” novel “Into the Pit.”
Another major announcement was for a new original game from Game Freak, best known for developing the main series of “Pokémon” games. Their new title, “Beast of Reincarnation,” is an action RPG that combines real-time combat with its human protagonist and command-based battling for the character’s beast companion.
Other game announcements included a story trailer release for the upcoming “James Bond” game, “007: First Light,” which features the iconic secret agent taking on a rogue member of his organization. The game is meant to serve as an “origin story” for Bond.
Sony also revealed updates to some games, including a multiplayer mode for “Ghosts of Yotei” and a PC release for “Death Stranding 2: On the Beach.” A launch trailer for the latest “Resident Evil” game, “Requiem,” was shown, with the game releasing on Feb. 27. In the same genre, a new entry in the “Silent Hill” series was announced, titled “Townfall,” which features a portable tube television as a central game mechanic. The long-running “Castlevania” series also revealed its newest entry, “Belmont’s Curse.”
Several other games were included in the livestream. One is the adventure game “Darwin’s Paradox” by Konami and ZDT Studio, which obtained both a release date of April 2 and a demo that is playable now. Another is “Crimson Moon,” a Gothic-themed RPG by ProbablyMonsters centering on a war between demons, angels, and humans.
All titles are releasing or have been released on the “PlayStation 5” console, with the PC port of “Death Stranding 2” now available for pre-order on the Steam and Epic Games storefronts.
