PlayStation Showcase Winners and Losers
Image: Push Square

The long-awaited PlayStation Showcase has come and gone, just like that. And while the event seems to have divided opinion among hardcore fans — like us! — we thought it'd be interesting to break the showcase down into two categories: winners and losers. Because even though the show as a whole might have broken more than a few hearts, we think it's sometimes a little unfair to lump everything together — especially when the event itself ran for over an hour.

So, without further ado, these are our PlayStation Showcase winners and losers...

Metal Gear Solid

Winner: Metal Gear Solid

Hideo Kojima may no longer be a part of Konami, but the games he made during his tenure were so good that they simply can't be left behind. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is real — a full current-gen remake — and the first three Metal Gear Solid games are going to be bundled together into one big PS5 collection, which just so happens to be launching this year. Franchise fans are loving life right now.

Fairgame$

Loser: Fairgame$

Sheesh, where do we even start with this one? The PlayStation Showcase opened with the reveal of the dreadfully named Fairgame$, and its shockingly uninspired CG trailer pretty much set a disappointing tone for the rest of the event. Now, we don't want to dump on a game before we've even seen it in action, but this is the "innovative" new PlayStation IP from Haven Studios, the developer Sony snapped up in 2022?

Just to recap, Fairgame$ is a competitive multiplayer heist game with a clear emphasis on attitude. Given the number of similar live service titles that get binned on a regular basis, it just seems like such a tone deaf move from everyone involved. We'd love to be proven wrong, but it's hard to have faith in Sony's live service plans if this is the kind of thing it's cooking.

Capcom

Winner: Capcom Capgod

You'd think Capcom would be tired of winning after the last decade or so, but no, the Japanese powerhouse continues to try and carry events like the PlayStation Showcase. A lovely new trailer for Street Fighter 6 and a reminder that Resident Evil 4 is coming to PSVR2 would have been fine, but it also decided to unveil Dragon's Dogma 2 to the world with a great looking gameplay video.

Capcom's output has been outstanding for a long time now, and it's really starting to feel like very few other companies can compete in terms of consistency.

PlayStation Studios

Loser: PlayStation Studios

There's just no getting around it: we're still in the dark when it comes to PlayStation's first-party projects post Marvel's Spider-Man 2. The general sentiment was that this PlayStation Showcase had to give us some kind of roadmap for the future of PS5 — but really, all we got was the inevitable reminder that Peter Parker is back later this year, alongside shrug-inducing CG trailers from two of Sony's latest acquisitions.

We're still trying to work out why The Last of Us' multiplayer project wasn't featured, and why games from the likes of Sucker Punch, Sony Bend, Bluepoint, and many more remain in the dark. Simply put, Sony hasn't been this secretive in over a decade — since before the PS4 — and that doesn't make for a particularly exciting showcase, does it?

Alan Wake 2

Winner: Alan Wake II

A lot of people were sceptical of Alan Wake II's touted 2023 release window, but it actually looks like the long-awaited sequel really will release this year. The horror-driven adventure had one of the PlayStation Showcase's best trailers — all gameplay running on PS5, it should be noted — and it topped things off with a confirmed 17th October launch date, adding yet another potential blockbuster to what has been a quality year for gaming.

Seriously though, cross your fingers that we haven't just jinxed this into oblivion.

Phantom Blade Zero

Loser: Phantom Blade Zero's English Voice Acting

Look, that reveal trailer for action RPG Phantom Blade Zero was sick, but man, that voice acting. We've already seen loads of comments about it online, and to be totally honest, it didn't seem too bad to us when we were actually watching the show. However, we've since gone back to the trailer itself, and yeah, it's bad. Egregious, even.

"This is a real face!"

Helldivers 2

Winner: Helldivers II

The original Helldivers was a great little co-op-focused shooter, and we're frankly delighted to see the franchise return with what looks like a genuine evolution of the concept. It's gone from being a top-down blast-'em-up to being an over-the-shoulder bullet sprayer, and the trailer does a great job of conveying the probable chaos.

And the best part? It's aiming for a 2023 release date! Just the kind of reveal that we like to see.

PSVR2
Image: Push Square

Loser: PSVR2

It's still early in PSVR2's life, but the PlayStation Showcase still did a disappointingly poor job of conveying why early adopters should be excited for the platform's future. As it stands, Resident Evil 4's VR adaptation is still the only 'big' PSVR2 title on the horizon — with all due respect to Arizona Sunshine 2 and Crossfire: Sierra Squad — and the distinct lack of PlayStation Studios announcements was a real kicker.

We've had Horizon Call of the Mountain, but what's next? Your guess is as good as ours, because Sony clearly doesn't want to play ball.

Sword of the Sea

Winner: Sword of the Sea

Some trailers just give you good vibes, and that's exactly what we got from Sword of the Sea. Longtime readers will know all too well that we're massive fans of Journey — a rare Push Square 10/10 — and this Giant Squid project basically looks like the spiritual successor.

The deciding factor, though? It doubles down on the best part of Journey's gameplay: the effortless sand surfing. And here, you use a big sword as a surfboard. We couldn't ask for more, really.

Granblue Fantasy Relink

Loser: Granblue Fantasy: Relink

Okay, before we're beset by weebs, we need to stress that we think Granblue Fantasy: Relink looks really good. We've been following this project for what feels like an eternity — it was first announced in 2016! — and to be frank, we're just a bit sick of not having a release date.

When it popped up at the PlayStation Showcase, we thought "this is it, it's finally happening" — but no, we had to settle for another (slightly more specific this time) release window. We don't necessarily have a problem with that, but when a project has been this bogged down in the development cycle — rebooting with a change of developers and enduring several delays — we can't help but roll our eyes at 'winter 2023'.

At this point, Cygames simply has to commit to a date, lest we start thinking Relink will be delayed. Again.

Spider-Man 2

Winner: Marvel's Spider-Man 2

There's no doubt that Marvel's Spider-Man 2's gameplay reveal would have gone down better if it was rounding off a more impressive PlayStation Showcase — but in isolation, it's a bloody good video. We've given it another watch in 4K, and we'd argue it's right up there with something as bombastic as an Uncharted announcement. The level of detail is mental, and the way it combines so many crazy setpieces makes us wonder what else the PS5 sequel has up its sleeve.

Developer Insomniac Games has said that Marvel's Spider-Man 2 takes full advantage of the current-gen hardware, and after that showing, we're inclined to believe it.

Foamstars

Loser: Foamstars

Again, we don't necessarily want to dunk a game that we're yet to try, but it doesn't take a genius to see that Foamstars has a serious uphill battle on its hands. Not only is this yet another live service title with a multiplayer focus and trying-to-be-cool character designs, it's blatantly, er, taking inspiration from Nintendo's colourful Splatoon franchise.

And believe us, the last thing you want is for your game to suffer the wrath of unhinged Nintendo fans. Although having said that, it worked out pretty well for Genshin Impact!

Queen

Winner: Queen

Yes, unlike the actual queen, Queen is still kicking, as evidenced by the freshly announced Beat Saber DLC. More than enough to warrant a Winner spot in this admittedly bumbling article.


What were you winners and losers from the PlayStation Showcase? Vote for the biggest winner and biggest loser in our polls, and then feel free to make your own lists in the comments section below.

What was the biggest winner of the PlayStation Showcase? (2,234 votes)

  1. Alan Wake II11%
  2. Capcom16%
  3. Helldivers II3%
  4. Marvel's Spider-Man 242%
  5. Metal Gear Solid22%
  6. Queen3%
  7. Sword of the Sea3%

What was the biggest loser of the PlayStation Showcase? (1,992 votes)

  1. Fairgame$25%
  2. Foamstars23%
  3. Granblue Fantasy: Relink1%
  4. Phantom Blade Zero's English Voice Acting  0.9%
  5. PlayStation Studios38%
  6. PSVR212%