By Grant Stoner | The Duquesne Duke
Quantic Dream, developers of “Heavy Rain,” debuted their new project “Deroit: Become Human.” The concept for the game, based around cyborgs, originally appeared in a tech demo that debuted in 2012.
Tensions had been running high for Playstation enthusiasts after Sony was a no-show at Gamescom in Germany in August. During Paris Games Week, held Oct. 28 through Nov. 1, Sony redeemed themselves when they presented new titles and game previews during their conference.
Sony opened the show with clips and release dates of upcoming games including “Star Wars Battlefront,” “Street Fighter V” and “Tekken 7.”
In addition to the footage, cheers erupted from the crowd when Sony presented roughly seven minutes of unseen gameplay from Playstation 4’s recently announced game, “Horizon: Zero Dawn.” Managing director of Guerilla Games, Hermen Hulst, began the demo by showing the protagonist, Aloy, hunting robot-like creatures.
“Horizon” is an action RPG and you can see that the looting of the parts of the machines, and the crafting of the items with that, is a major part of this game,” Hulst states.
His play-by-play continues during the demonstration as Aloy recovers rewards from one of her downed foes.
Suddenly, she is attacked by a robot with features similar to that of a Tyrannosaurus Rex and “Transformer” hybrid. After successfully taking down the beast, the demo ends, and the show continued.
Sony also devoted a large portion of their conference toward their virtual reality hardware, titled “Project Morpheus.” According to playstation.com, The headset will “…deliver exciting and innovative gaming experiences to Playstation.”
Also during the conference, fans of the popular Playstation franchise “Gran Turismo” learned about plans for a continuation of the series. “Gran Turismo Sport” is being developed for Playstation 4, as well as offering virtual reality support.
Devotees of the horror genre will not be excluded, as Sony revealed that its latest horror game “Until Dawn,” will receive a virtual reality exclusive expansion. “Until Dawn: Rush of Blood,” takes the horror elements of the original game, while adding first-person shooter mechanics, providing opportunities for players to encounter new adventures.
Finally, Crytek, the studio behind “Crysis,” unveiled a new title called “Robinson: The Journey.” The plotline revolves around a young boy Robin, who finds himself stranded on a strange planet, which also happens to be inhabited by dinosaurs. With the help of his robot companion, Robin must find a way to survive the harrowing ordeal after encountering numerous beasts that populate the alien planet.
As the conference drew to a close, developer Quantic Dream, known for titles such as “Beyond: Two Souls” and “Heavy Rain,” took to the stage in order to debut their most recent project, “Detroit: Become Human.”
The game, originally shown as a test demo of their engine during 2012, follows the story of an android named Kara. After her assembly, Kara ventures into the world searching for her identity, as well as a purpose for her existence. Also shown, is the animosity from the residents of Detroit, protesting the use of androids, and their coexistence with humanity.
After Sony’s Paris Games Week presentation, the announcements simultaneously excited and eased the fears of many gamers. It is evident by the reaction of the attendees, that Sony’s absence from Gamescom is no longer an issue. With the assortment of upcoming titles, Sony and Playstation’s popularity will likely remain secure.
