Sony held its July 2021 State of Play livestream this afternoon, though it was a relatively low-profile event considering Sony skipped E3 2021 last month. Arkane Studios and Bethesda's Deathloop was generally pushed as the big game to look out for, amongst other indie and third-party titles. Sony had preemptively dampened fans' hype by confirming games like Santa Monica Studio's God of War: Ragnarok and Guerrilla Games' Horizon: Forbidden West would be absent.
Considering Horizon: Forbidden West got its own dedicated State of Play event not long ago, it's possible the God of War sequel will receive one as well down the line. However, for now, Deathloop and an assortment of other games took center stage for the 30-minute showcase. Here's everything that appeared at the July 2021 State of Play.
Moss: Book 2
Polyarc's Moss is a VR puzzle-adventure game released in 2018 that caught many peoples' attentions thanks to its adorable protagonist, Quill, and storybook world. The newly revealed sequel, Moss: Book 2, led off Sony's State of Play event. Book 2 promises to continue Quill's story as she explores the hexed castle of the Arcane, and aims to stop a tyrannical ruler who wants to unmake the world, according to a Polyarc press release. The trailer shows her taking to various environments and collecting new items to aid in this quest, including a large hammer.
Arcadegeddon
Developer Illfonic is best known for its asymmetrical titles based on existing horror properties, including Friday the 13th: The Game and Predator: Hunting Grounds. Its next game, a "flashy multiplayer shooter" named Arcadegeddon, is billed as a brand-new IP. It features alien-looking characters battling solo or in co-op to take on hordes of enemies in a futuristic world with a "90s punk rock" influence, and looks stylistically similar to Velan Studios' Knockout City. The game is available in Early Access starting today.
Tribes of Midgard
Tribes of Midgard debuted during E3 2021's Summer Game Fest, and will launch on PC, PS4, and PS5 later this month. The State of Play trailer discussed free Season updates that developer Norsfell is developing, and details the classes, loot, and new boss coming with a questline in Season 1: The Wolf Saga - which will begin right at launch.
F.I.S.T. - Forged In Shadow Torch
F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch, an action-packed metroidvania starring a burly rabbit in a suit that gives him massive fists which can transform into helicopter blades, drills, and more, received its September 7, 2021 release date for PS4 and PS5 during Sony's State of Play event. The game looks packed with anthropomorphic characters of all ilk in a gritty 2D world, and it can be pre-ordered now for exclusive bonus content.
Hunter's Arena: Legends
Developed and published by Mantisco, Hunter's Arena: Legends is a 30-player battle royale game focused around martial arts and swordplay as hunters and demons clash - described as "fighting game meets battle royale." However, the thing that stands out most about this trailer is it confirmed Hunter's Arena: Legends will be a free PS Plus game for August 2021, available between August 3 and September 6.
Sifu
For those looking forward to Sifu, the PlayStation-exclusive and heavily stylized kung-fu action game reminiscent of the John Wick film franchise, today's State of Play came with some bad news. Sifu is being delayed from 2021 to "early 2022," though no more distinct window is given. Luckily, the trailer should still provide a fix of action as the protagonist brawls his way through a neon-tinted club.
JETT: The Far Shore
After being announced in June 2020, Superbrothers' JETT: The Far Shore was delayed last September. Its newest trailer debuted during the July State of Play event does not confirm a release date more specific than 2021, but it offers interested players a lot of sweeping environmental shots to sink their teeth into.
Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles
Demon Slayer is one of the mot popular recent Shonen manga, in-part thanks to the start of its anime adaptation in 2019. Video games were sure to follow, with CyberConnect2's Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles coming out on October 15, 2021 thanks to publisher Sega. Fans got a look at one of Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles' adventure mode missions playing on PS5 in today's livestream, taking them through Tsuzumi Mansion to hunt and kill demons as various characters.
Lost Judgement
Lost Judgment, a sequel to the Yakuza spin-off Judgment released in 2018, was announced in May after a handful of leaks. It will be releasing this September for last and next-gen consoles, and a new trailer provides a hearty look at various mechanics players can expect. The game is chock full of hijinks that Yakuza fans will expect, from running along walls to playing Dance, Dance, Revolution-styled minigames or attacking foes with a Shiba that growls like a lion. However, that all underpins more serious crime investigation in what seems like a perfect balancing act.
Death Stranding: Director's Cut
Sony has announced both Ghost of Tsushima and Death Stranding will receive Director's Cut releases on PlayStation 5, and the latter was given a full showcase for why it is "the definitive experience" with a new trailer. Beyond showing cutscenes remastered for the next-gen console, the trailer confirms that Kojima Productions is adding new battles, combat mechanics, story missions, a firing range to practice gunplay, and much more. Overall, it makes a good case for why players may want to jump into Hideo Kojima's first solo project since leaving Konami all over again.
Deathloop
A nine-minute gameplay walkthrough for Deathloop closed out the State of Play presentation, making up the largest chunk of the show as promised. Plenty of footage has been shown for Deathloop before, though this extended demo shows protagonist Colt Vahn trying to kill one of his targets, Aleksis "The Wolf" Dorsey. Viewers get a closer look at how they'll be able to use hearsay to track down their marks more efficiently, and how primary antagonist Julianna Blake can appear mid-loop to cause trouble.
The game releases September 14, and after that Arkane should be shifting focus to Redfall, a game first unveiled during the joint Microsoft and Bethesda E3 2021 conference. While this may not have been the most exciting way to end a State of Play, it's clear Sony has a lot planned for the PS5 that players can look forward to throughout 2021 and 2022.