Kena: Bridge Of Spirits Will Launch On PS5, PS4 This August

PlayStation revealed a new trailer for Kena: Bridge of Spirits during February 2021’s State of Play. The trailer reveals that the upcoming PlayStation console exclusive will launch August 24 on both PS5 and PS4.

In the trailer, we get a closer look at the story in Kena: Bridge of Spirits, as well as how the titular Kena will utilize the cute Rot in both combat and platforming challenges. Those little black creatures may be adorable, but when Kena has a lot of them together, they sure can pack a punch.

Interestingly enough, we see Kena don a mask in the trailer as well–developer Ember Lab made their mark with a fan film of The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, a video game all about using masks to gain additional abilities.

Kena: Bridge of Spirits was originally planned for release in 2020 before initially being delayed to Q1 2021.

Now Playing: Kena: Bridge of Spirits Gameplay Trailer | PlayStation State of Play

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PS5’s Oddworld Soulstorm Will Be Free On PS Plus When It Releases In April

Oddworld: Soulstorm launches for PS4 and PS5 on April 6, Sony revealed during its February 2021 State of Play presentation. What’s more, Sony confirmed the game will be free for PlayStation Plus subscribers when it releases in April.

Soulstorm is a remake of the second installment in the Oddworld franchise, Abe’s Exoddus, which first released back in 1998. Like the original, the game is a side-scroller that pits players in the role of the titular Abe, who can save more than 1,000 allies during the course of the adventure. Abe will also be able to scavenge, loot, and pickpocket items from enemies, as well as take control of them via possession and turn their strengths against them.

According to game director Lorne Lanning, your actions in Soulstorm will ultimately determine the fate of Abe and all of the allies you rescued during the game. Soulstorm will also make use of the PS5 DualSense’s haptic feedback, allowing you to feel Abe’s heartbeat.

Soulstorm has been a long time coming. The game was originally slated to launch in 2017 before suffering multiple delays. Prior to its appearance during the State of Play broadcast, we most recently saw it during the 2020 Game Awards, where developer Oddworld Inhabitants shared a new trailer.

Oddworld: Soulstorm is also coming to PC this spring. The PC version will be available exclusively via the Epic Games Store, although it’s not yet clear if that is releasing at the same time as the PlayStation version.

Now Playing: Oddworld: Soulstorm Trailer | PlayStation State of Play

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Deathloop Gets Stylish New Trailer At State Of Play

Sony showed off a new trailer for the PS5-exclusive shooter Deathloop during its State of Play, and it was nothing if not stylish. The new trailer interspersed combat footage with a Bond-like animation sequence set to a smoky ballad.

And fitting with the Bond vibes, we saw some impressive tech gadgets at play too. You can cloak to look like someone else, turn invisible near enemies, or use phase out similar to Dishonored’s Blink ability.

Deathloop is coming to PS5 and PC on May 21.

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Absolver Dev’s New Game Revealed During State Of Play; Coming 2021

During February 2021’s State of Play, PlayStation revealed a new trailer for Sifu, an upcoming game from developer Sloclap. Sifu is set to come to PS5 later in 2021.

The game seems to be a combo-focused action game in which “dying” only ages the protagonist. Throughout the trailer, we see them grow older and older, becoming an old man by the end. The cinematics seen in the trailer were captured on PC, but Sifu is also coming to PS5 and PS4.

Previously, Sloclap developed Absolver, a combat-heavy game set in an online world. Absolver was first released in 2017; in GameSpot’s Absolver review, critic Richard Wakeling gave the game an 8/10 and said: “There’s a significant challenge involved in learning Absolver’s combat intricacies, but it’s the kind of struggle that rarely frustrates. Defeat is part and parcel of the experience, but your demise always teaches you something new that you can take with you into the next battle–and Absolver’s deep, nuanced combat always finds ways of enticing you back for one more fight.”

For more news from PlayStation’s February 2021 State of Play, check out our recap.

Now Playing: SIFU Reveal Trailer | PlayStation State of Play

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Five Nights At Freddy’s: Security Breach PS5 Gameplay Revealed

During its February 2021 State of Play presentation, Sony debuted a new trailer for Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach, which is coming to PS4 and PS5 in 2021. The creepy trailer gave a better look at the colorful environments and what appear to be new mechanics coming to the series.

The trailer showed the player interacting with environments like a colorful ball pit inside the indoor amusement park that is the hallmark of the FNAF series. The trailer showed the player-character going behind the scenes through hallways with pipes and other backstage equipment, and a companion voice warned that the enemies will never stop hunting you. The trailer ended with a suitably creepy clawed monster coming straight at you.

The most recent Five Nights at Freddy’s game, Help Wanted, was also revealed during a State of Play presentation. That game was originally released only in VR before a non-VR version came to PC and PS4 at the end of 2019.

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Hyper Light Drifter Studio Gives Us Closer Look At Solar Ash Gameplay

One of the many games showcased during PlayStation’s State of Play was Solar Ash, the follow up from Heart Machine, the creators of Hyper Light Drifter. We got a closer look at its gameplay which emphasized its movement system and combat, as well as a bit of insight into the premise.

Creator Alx Preston said that the game focuses on speed and fluidity with some platforming elements. The main character, Ray, glides across the environment as if she’s skating across the colorful lo-fi world, and uses a grappling hook for platforming elements. Combat is also simple, but challenges do ramp up throughout the game.

Solar Ash is set to launch sometime this year for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. For more on the recent reveals, be sure to catch our State of Play recap.

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No, Mr. And Mrs. Potato Head Aren’t Going Anywhere

For the first time possibly ever, the plastic toy Mr. Potato Head ended up going viral Thursday, due to Hasbro announcing that the branded toy would lose its gendered pronouns and instead be labeled as simply Potato Head. As it turns out, though, both Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head aren’t being retired. Their packaging will just look a bit different.

“Hold that Tot–your main spud, Mr. Potato Head isn’t going anywhere! While it was announced today that the Potato Head brand name & logo are dropping the ‘Mr.’ I yam [sic] proud to confirm that Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head aren’t going anywhere and will remain Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head,” a tweet from Hasbro reads.

What this means, essentially, is that the packaging will be emblazoned with the Potato Head brand name and a description of which specific toy you’re buying. You can see the new packaging below. What’s more, according to Fast Company, Hasbro will release boxed sets of multiple Potato Heads without attached gender pronouns, allowing kids who play with them to essentially create their own potato family.

“Kids want to be able to represent their own experiences. The way the brand currently exists–with the ‘Mr.’ and ‘Mrs.’–is limiting when it comes to both gender identity and family structure,” senior vice president and general manager of Hasbro Susan Boyd explained in a statement to Fast Company.

Mr. Potato Head first launched in 1952. Initially, it didn’t come with a plastic potato at all. Instead, it was a set of accessories that were meant to be attached to actual potatoes. The plastic potato was added to the playset in 1964.

Image credit: Getty Images/Bloomberg/Contributor