PlayStation 4: These are all of the PSN games announced so far

Posted by Curtis H on June 19th, 2013 | 12 Comments | Tags: Basement Crawl , Blacklight: Retribution , Carmageddon: Reincarnation , Contrast , Daylight , DC Universe Online , Doki-Doki Universe , Don't Starve , Galak-Z , Hohokum , Mercenary Kings , Octodad: Dadliest Catch , Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty , Outlast , Planetside 2 , Primal Carnage: Genesis , PS4 , Ray's the Dead , Rocketbirds 2 , Secret Ponchos , Super Motherload , The Pinball Arcade , The Witness , Tiny Brains , Transistor , Trials Fusion , War Thunder , Warframe

E3 2013 is in the books and with it we saw numerous game announcements, a PlayStation 4 price-point and clarity on recent DRM issues that brought about a LOT of conversation over the past few weeks. There’s still plenty of things we don’t know just yet about the PlayStation 4 and much of that information will come over the next few months. But currently, as a website dedicated to all things PSN, we have a total of 29 games that are headed to the new platform. Many of which are slated to hit in the launch window of the system and early in 2014.

We have posts on the site already dedicated to a few of these games but I figured it might be cool to put together a lengthy feature highlighting what’s been announced up to this point for PSN on the PlayStation 4. The games are featured in alphabetical order and include as much information as I could find.

Note that some of the screenshots below are NOT from the PS4 version of the game.

Basement Crawl | Launch

Basement Crawl probably isn’t the best way to start things off unfortunately as the only thing we really have on the game at the moment is that horrific image of a clown that you see above. The game is apparently scheduled to release at the launch of the PS4 and the information ends there. The developer, Blooper Team, previously worked on Paper Wars: Cannon Fodder for the Minis platform and A-Men for the PS Vita which only saw a release in Europe and Japan. Despite how much that clown image scares me hopefully we’ll get something soon to shed some light on just what this game is.

Blacklight: Retribution | Launch

Blacklight: Retribution is the first of six Free-to-Play games that have been announced for the PS4 at the time of this writing. Developed by Zombie Studios (who also has a 2nd PS4 game in development that we’ll get to later) the game takes place in a futuristic world with gameplay that seems to focus on HRV, HardSuits and weapon customization. HRV is an ability that allows players to see through the game world which ideally allows you to then work out strategies with your team while HardSuits are mechs that players are able to control within the game. Every aspect of each weapon is customizable from barrel, scope, muzzle, and receiver. Blacklight is scheduled for launch but is playable now on the PC if you’re interested.

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Carmageddon: Reincarnation | Q1 2014

In 1997 Stainless Games released Carmageddon on the PC. As a game that apparently put “laughter” into the term “vehicular manslaughter” (ugh) it seemed to have stirred up a bit of controversy as the game encouraged players to run over innocent pedestrians in a race. At least in certain territories the pedestrians were replaced with zombies or robots as a form of censorship.

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Going by their funded Kickstarter it seems that Stainless Games has recently reacquired the rights to Camageddon and are looking to reboot the series with the aptly named Carmageddon: Reincarnation. Much of the game will be inspired by the tracks, cars and powerups found in the original game while also featuring “rag-doll pedestrians” and new physics-based powerups. I couldn’t find too much information as far as a release date is concerned but it seems like we’ll see the game early next year.

Contrast | Q4 2013

Contrast was clearly inspired by Film Noir and Burlesque eras. The trailer above even has a really catchy jazz song that’s going to be hard to get out of my head. Trailer alone there’s a lot of style present but what is Contrast? In the game you’ll play as Dawn who is tasked with helping out a young girl named Didi who seems to have some sort of family issues she’s dealing with. While the game takes place in a 3D world you have the ability to turn into a shadow on the walls which turns the game into a 2D platformer.

Personally the 2D sections immediately reminded me of Lost in Shadows which came out on the Wii back in 2011. However in Contrast the connection between the real and shadow worlds seems to be the core mechanic at play. The real world allows Dawn to alter the lighting in an area that, as a result, opens up new areas to explore in the shadow world.

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Contrast is currently aiming to launch alongside the PS4 later this year.

DC Universe Online | Launch

As was expected Sony Online Entertainment recently announced plans to bring content to the PS4. DC Universe Online is one such game and is aiming to be available at the launch of the system. At this time of writing there doesn’t seem to be any information as to whether or not the PS4 and PS3 versions will feature any sort of connectivity. Certainly you would hope to see character data transferable at the very least but I haven’t been able to find any confirmation on that just yet.

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Daylight | 2014

The second PS4 game in development by Zombie Studios is Daylight which, if you’ve been following the game’s development at all, is one of the first Unreal Engine 4 games announced. In Daylight you wake up in an abandoned hospital equipped with nothing but a phone to serve as a flash light. The goal of the game is to discover just why you’re in the hospital and of course to find a way out. Something to note is that the developers behind this game have previously worked on the FEAR, Condemned and SAW games. Daylight is currently scheduled for a release sometime in 2014.

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Doki-Doki Universe | Q4 2013

HumaNature Studios is owned by Greg Johnson, who you might know from Toejam and Earl, and is currently hard at work on something called Doki-Doki Universe. In Doki-Doki Universe you play as a robot who is about to be discontinued. However you’re given the opportunity to prove that you have some sort of humanity in order to save yourself. Thus you’ll travel to different planets and meet with many different characters on a journey of self-discovery. You’ll dance, take personality quizzes, customize your own world as well as visit the homes of friends. Doki-Doki is free-to-play and scheduled for a release at some point around the launch of PS4.

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Don’t Starve | TBA

In Don’t Starve you play as Wilson who is trapped in the wilderness and must do whatever it takes to survive in a randomly generated world. This means finding food, collecting resources, crafting new tools and weapons and whatever else might be a factor in survival. The game is developed by Klei Entertainment who have previously worked on Shank and Mark of the Ninja. There doesn’t seem to be any concrete information as to when we can expect Don’t Starve to release.

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Galak-Z | TBA

Galak-Z is described as a “physics-driven open-world action game viewed through the lens of the classic 16-bit space shooter”. The enemy AI in the game employ tactics similar to shooters from this generation. Whereas typically in a 16-bit shooter the enemies aren’t necessarily trying to avoid being killed in Galak-Z they’ll take cover, if they spot you they’ll call for help, and generally they’re actually dangerous.

Galak-Z is deeply rooted in late 70’s and early 80’s sci-fi anime. Gundam is certainly one of the first things to come to mind. The characters and design of the world will take on visual cues from that era as well as influencing the story.

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Galak-Z is currently in development at 17-BIT (Skulls of the Shogun) and is planned for a release in 2014. Unfortunately I couldn’t track down a trailer for the game but here’s some .gifs that look pretty awesome.

GlowTag | Q2 2014

One of two upcoming Move games from GreenFly Studios is GlowTag. The game functions much like tag where players put the Move controller in their back pocket with the trigger facing outward. The Move controller will then randomly glow for one player and all others must quickly attempt to hit the trigger while the chosen player avoids everyone else at all costs. GlowTag uses the TV screen as a form of keeping track of how long each person has survived being ‘it’ with the winner being named after each round.

GlowTag is currently scheduled to release in Spring of 2014.

Hohokum | 2014

Chris has played it and I’ve read nearly every story out there regarding Hohokum and we still aren’t entirely sure what it is. In that respect it reminds me of Noby Noby Boy which I suppose could be quite the compliment. Hohokum puts you in control of a snake-like creature in a game that doesn’t simply tell you what to do. Instead Hohokum is a game that wants you to explore and lose yourself in it’s world. There do seem to be goals in the game but what those might be are a mystery to me.

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Hohokum is in development at Honeyslug (Frobisher Says) and is coming to the PS4 sometime next year.

Mercenary Kings | Q4 2013

Think Metal Slug combined with Monster Hunter, a crafting system that’ll allow you to customize nearly every aspect of your gun, and a focus on four player split-screen and you’ve got Mercenary Kings. The game drops you in a large non-linear map and encourages you to explore, take out enemies, and collect as much loot as you can. As mentioned on the podcast this past week the developers wear their Monster Hunter love on their sleeves. Boss enemies will appear in a random place on the map and, if you can’t defeat them, will run off and appear in another location. It’s in these boss encounters that you’ll need to work together to hunt and eventually take down each boss.

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Tribute Games (Scott Pilgrim vs The World) is aiming to bring Mercenary Kings to PS4 by the end of the year.

Octodad: Dadliest Catch | Q1 2014

Octodad: Dadliest Catch, the sequel to Octodad, answers the question “what would it be like to be an octopus?” In the sequel Octodad’s wife is starting to lose trust in you and among many other wacky adventures you’ll need to hide your true identity as people believe you to be quite human. An example of this comes in the E3 demo where Octodad, in preparation for his wedding, had to track down specific items while not drawing attention to the fact that he’s not the human people think he is. This game is crazy.

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Octodad: Dadliest Catch is scheduled to release on PS4 early in 2014. If you’re interested the original game is available on PC as a free download.

Oddworld: New N Tasty | Q4 2013

As another one of the games that showed up during the Sony E3 press conference New ‘n’ Tasty is an HD remake of the original Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee. Not only have the graphics been updated but now the game features scrolling instead of separate screens like in the original. Enemy AI patterns, level design and some puzzles have been updated to better suit the new game. The game is set to release on the PS4 later this year.

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Outlast | 2014

Somewhere in the mountains of Colorado there are horrific things that live within the walls of Mount Massive Asylum. As a journalist you set off to investigate the abandoned asylum based off an anonymous tip and, as these things go, you soon find that what lies within the asylum is the kind of stuff that will give you nightmares.

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Equipped with just a night vision enabled camera the entire game is seen through it’s lens in a way that feels like Outlast is some kind of found footage film that you’re in control of. All of the horrors in Outlast will be captured with this camera as you explore and do whatever it takes to survive the asylum.

Outlast will arrive on PS4 next year.

The Pinball Arcade | Launch

Announced back in March The Pinball Arcade will be making it’s way to PS4 at launch. The announcement also came alongside confirmation that they’d be working hard on making the PS4 version look and play even better than the PS3 version. Now for those of you who already own tables for The Pinball Arcade on PS3/PS Vita you might be in for some bad news as this post on Facebook seems to indicate that you’ll need to purchase this content all over again for the PS4 version.

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Planetside 2 | Launch

Planetside 2 is yet another of a handful of free-to-play games that will be launching with the PS4 later this year. Of note for the PS4 version of Planetside 2 is that, according to the developer, the game will look like the PC version at Max settings. Additionally the PS4 and PC versions will receive new content at the same time (every two to four weeks) though the PS4 and PC servers will be separate. Planetside 2 will not require the PlayStation Plus subscription due to it’s free-to-play nature and instead will offer cosmetic changes and short term boosts for a set fee.

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Primal Carnage: Genesis | Launch

Last year Lukewarm Media released a dinosaur-heavy multiplayer shooter on the PC entitled Primal Carnage. Now they’re following it up with a single player spin-off set to launch alongside the PS4 later this year. Primal Carnage: Genesis is an episodic game that’s set to combine action, stealth and puzzle solving as you try to survive. Genesis serves as a prequel to the multiplayer shooter from last year and will tell the story of your arrival on the island as well as how the dinosaurs were first introduced. Each episode aims to introduce new gameplay elements as well as new dinosaurs.

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Primal Carnage: Genesis is set to be a launch title for the PS4. Currently I don’t believe there has been an official announcement about whether the original Primal Carnage will be making it’s way to PS4 or not.

QuickDraw | Q4 2013

QuickDraw is another game from GreenFly Studios focusing on party play with the Move controller. In QuickDraw players hold Move controllers in front of them, facing away from everyone else, and enact a Western standoff. (Complete with bell tolls and whistling!) After taking a few steps away from the group players must turn around and pull the trigger faster than their opponents. Much like GlowTag it looks like QuickDraw could serve to be a great time at parties. The game is set to hit a handful of platforms this October with PS4 following at some point later in time.

Ray’s the Dead | Q1 2014

Raymond La Morte has recently discovered that’s he’s a zombie. His death and the events surrounding it are a mystery to him but thanks to the light bulb that’s protruding from his cranium he now has the ability to build and control an army of zombies. According to the developers at Ragtag Studio the game feels like a mix between Pikmin and Stubbs the Zombie. Throughout the game you’ll use your newly acquired zombie army to overwhelm the humans on your journey to discover how you died. In addition to the undead gameplay you’ll also be able to play through flash back scenes leading up to Ray’s death.

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Ray’s the Dead is in development at Ragtag Studio (three people who have worked on Stubbs the Zombie, Halo Wars, and Thief 3) and is scheduled for release within the PS4 launch window “which is considered to be within the first six months of the release of the system.”

Rocketbirds 2: Evolution | TBA

Rocketbirds 2, to my knowledge, didn’t really have an official announcement. Instead ‘Rocketbirds 2’ just showed up in the options menu for the Vita release of the original game with a quick teaser video featuring concept art and a new original song from NWR. The only information we have currently is that the new villains are Transdimensional Space Owls, something that was teased during the ending of the first game, and that it’s being developed for the PS4.

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With the exception of the teaser video and the confirmation that Rocketbirds 2 is a PS4 game there’s been nothing of note said about the game. I imagine that silence will likely remain for quite some time.

Secret Ponchos | 2014

Secret Ponchos asks “How much is your head worth?” Inspired by the Spaghetti Western genre the game starts with players creating their own persistent outlaw. You’ll engage in battles against other players with each additional kill bringing higher rewards as well as a larger bounty to your head. As you gain reputation you’ll be able to upgrade your abilities as well as your appearance but that also means more people will be aiming to take you out.

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Secret Ponchos will make it’s debut on PS4 in 2014.

Super Motherload | Q4 2013

Super Motherload is based in an alternate Cold War era. The Solarus Corporation have begun mining resources from Mars in order to meet the growing demand back on Earth. As these stories usually go it’s not long after arriving on Mars that you learn that things aren’t quite as they seem. In Super Motherload you’ll go below the surface to collect minerals and then return to sell what you find as well as repair, refuel and purchase upgrades. Eventually you’ll come across subterranean facilities that will allow you to do all of these things without the need to return to the surface. The game supports up to four players for local co-op and will scale the difficulty depending on how many players there are.

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Super Motherload will release on PS4 later this year.

Super Stardust Successor | TBA

As vague as the announcement was last month it was confirmed that a spiritual successor to Super Stardust is in development for the PS4. Who knows when we’ll get any sort of concrete information on the game but mentioning Super Stardust at least gives us an idea of what to expect once it’s officially unveiled.

Housemarque also mentioned they were working on an unnamed PS4 game as well. That game isn’t included on the list as we don’t even have a title for it so, for now, it’d be kind of pointless.

Tiny Brains | Q4 2013

A group of developers that worked on games like Assassin’s Creed, Dead Space, and Army of Two went off to form their own studio named Spearhead Games. Their first game, revealed shortly before E3 this year, is a cooperative puzzle-platformer called Tiny Brains. Players will take control of one-of-four lab rats as you’ll need to work together to solve different physics based puzzles. Each rat have their own psychic powers (warp, create, repel, and attract) that you’ll use to solve puzzles. Tiny Brains only supports local cooperative play but if you’re playing with less than four players you’ll be able to swap between rats on the fly.

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Tiny Brains currently is on track to release later this year.

Transistor | Q1 2014

After work on Bastion finished Supergiant Games began working on their next game which would come to be known as Transistor. While Bastion was an action RPG Transistor looks to take a more tactical approach with it’s combat. The game puts you in control of Red, a singer who has lost her voice, as she finds herself in control of a mysterious and powerful weapon. The weapon itself has a voice and will talk to you throughout much of the game. If you’ve played Bastion you’ll recognize the voice as the narrator from that game, Logan Cunningham, and I’d expect to see the weapon play a similar role in regards to the way the story unfolds in Transistor.

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At the moment Transistor is currently scheduled for a release sometime in early 2014.

Trials Fusion | 2014

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Announced during the Ubisoft E3 2013 press conference the Trials Fusion trailer hinted at a futuristic “city above the clouds” setting. No gameplay was shown but Trials is a series that tends to focus on shifting the weight of the player on a motorbike and precise control as you navigate a dangerous obstacle course. Trials Fusion will be the first time the franchise is available on a PlayStation console and will release sometime next year.

The Walking Dead: Season 2 | Q4 2013

Season 2 of The Walking Dead is something that’s really only been briefly mentioned in interviews up to this point. We know it’s happening, we know it’s scheduled to start sometime later in the year and we know that they’re looking to put it out on next-gen systems. Telltale recently revealed DLC for the first season of The Walking Dead that will probably give some hints as to what to expect from the next season. For now though all we can do is speculate.

Warframe | Launch

Another free-to-play game to check out at launch is Warframe. From the developers of Dark Sector and The Darkness II the game is set to take advantage of the new touch pad on the DS4 controller as well as offer a new companion app for smart phones. For instance you can swipe your finger along the touch pad on the controller and charge directly into an enemy perhaps catching them off guard. Warframe Nexus is an iOS and Android app that players will also be able to download and use to get “alerts” which display missions and awards from the game that you might be interested in once you get back to your console.

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War Thunder | Q4 2013

War Thunder is a World War II based vehicular combat MMO that’s currently in open beta and free-to-play on PC and was recently announced to be coming to the PS4 later this year. The game will eventually focus on aerial, ground, and naval combat though currently the main focus is on aerial. War Thunder is aiming to have cross-platform functionality between the PS4 and PC versions of the game but it’s not quite clear what that means just yet.

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War Thunder is expected to release on PS4 later this year. Despite many of the other free-to-play games for PS4 confirming that they don’t require PlayStation Plus we have not received confirmation of this for War Thunder. Seeing as that’s something that’s up to the publisher we’ll have to wait and see what is said regarding this in the future. That said I’d have to guess that it won’t be a requirement for the game.

The Witness | Q4 2013

Described as “an exploration-puzzle game on an uninhabited island” The Witness, according to Jonathan Blow, intends to fix a lot of the things that he finds wrong with adventure games in their current form. The island is divided into ten specific areas containing puzzles with their own set of rules that you’ll have to discover on your own. The non-linear nature of the game will allow you to seek out and solve these puzzles in whatever order you wish and once you’ve cleared at least seven of these areas the final area will open up.

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The Witness will be Blow’s first game since Braid and is currently on track for a release sometime later this year.

Originally I had 30 games on this list but decided on removing one of them simply because the developer didn’t seem completely committed to saying what platforms exactly that game was going to release on. (That game being Silent Enemy from the creators of Papo & Yo.)

We’re still about five months away from the launch of the PS4 and there’s already a large and diverse lineup of games confirmed to be hitting the PS4 within the first six months of it’s launch. I originally created this list as a way to inform our readers of what to expect over the next year or so for the PS4. In the process I’ve found myself very excited for what kinds of games we’ll be able to cover in the future.

Which of the games above are you excited for? Anything you hope to see make it’s way to PS4 that hasn’t been announced yet?