a physics-based puzzle game that shouldn't work but feels worth playing
In a single broadcast, Sony offered a window into gaming's evolving ambitions: a whimsical puzzle game about guiding humanity through chaos, a respectful resurrection of a genre-defining classic, and a franchise behemoth whose next move may quietly redraw the line between sequel and expansion. Each announcement, in its own way, asks the same underlying question — what do players owe a game, and what does a game owe its players?
- Humanity's absurdist premise — a Shiba Inu shepherding human-like creatures through 90 physics-driven levels — arrives as one of the broadcast's most genuinely surprising reveals, suggesting the industry still has room for the inventive and strange.
- The Resident Evil 4 remake carries the weight of a game that reshaped an entire genre, and Capcom is walking a careful line between honoring the original and modernizing it for a new generation.
- Bringing back The Mercenaries mode as free post-launch DLC signals a rare gesture of goodwill in an era when beloved legacy content is routinely sold back to fans.
- The most consequential news may be what wasn't officially announced: Bloomberg's reporting suggests Call of Duty's 2023 entry will extend Modern Warfare 2's story as a standalone product, blurring the boundary between sequel and expansion in ways that could set a costly precedent.
Sony's State of Play broadcast laid out three distinct visions of gaming's near future, each one quietly probing the industry's direction.
The most unexpected reveal was Humanity, a physics-based puzzle game in which players embody a Shiba Inu tasked with herding crowds of human-like creatures through 90 levels of obstacles. The visual chaos — bodies tumbling, colliding, responding to force — carries echoes of Katamari Damacy's anarchic charm, and a built-in level editor opens the experience beyond its campaign. The game launches in May across PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and both generations of PlayStation VR, a range that suggests Sony sees it appealing to casual players and VR enthusiasts in equal measure.
The broadcast also brought a closer look at Capcom's remake of Resident Evil 4, the 2005 original that sold over 12 million copies and permanently altered how third-person action games were designed and felt. Producer Edvin Edsö described the studio's intent as preserving what made the original work while applying modern visuals and contemporary design sensibilities. The beloved Mercenaries side mode will return as free post-launch DLC — a notable commitment in an era when legacy content is frequently monetized. The remake arrives March 24, 2023, across PlayStation, Xbox Series, and Windows platforms.
The announcement with the furthest-reaching implications came not from Sony directly, but from Bloomberg reporting: Call of Duty's 2023 release will continue Modern Warfare 2's story rather than begin something new, yet Activision apparently plans to sell it as a full standalone product. Whether that constitutes a sequel, an expansion, or something in between remains unanswered — and with Microsoft's acquisition of Activision still navigating regulatory scrutiny, how the company structures its flagship franchise carries consequences well beyond any single game's release.
Sony's latest State of Play broadcast delivered a trio of announcements that sketched out the near future of console gaming, each one raising different questions about where the industry is headed.
The most visually arresting reveal was Humanity, a physics-based puzzle game that asks you to embody a Shiba Inu herding a flock of human-like creatures toward salvation. The premise sounds absurd on paper, but the trailer suggests something genuinely inventive: you command your congregation to jump, climb, and shove their way past obstacles across a 90-level campaign, or you can abandon the story entirely and build your own levels from scratch. The visual language—all those bodies tumbling and colliding, the way objects respond to force and momentum—evokes the old Crysis barrel physics demo that became a meme about PC gaming power, mixed somehow with the anarchic charm of Katamari Damacy. Humanity arrives in May across PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and both generations of PlayStation VR hardware, which means Sony is betting on the game's appeal spanning casual players and VR enthusiasts alike.
The broadcast also showcased a remake of Resident Evil 4, the 2005 original that fundamentally changed how third-person action games felt and looked. That game sold over 12 million copies and spawned a franchise that had already released five major titles before it—the original, RE 2, RE 3: Nemesis, Code: Veronica, and Zero—yet RE 4 became the one people remember. Capcom's approach to the remake, according to producer Edvin Edsö, is to honor what made the original work while grafting on modern visuals and contemporary game design. The studio is also committing to bring back The Mercenaries, a beloved side mode from the original, as free post-launch DLC. The remake launches March 24, 2023, on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series consoles, and Windows, with a PlayStation demo coming soon.
But the announcement that may reshape the industry's economics came from reporting by Bloomberg: Call of Duty's 2023 entry will not be a fresh start. Instead, it will continue the story of Modern Warfare 2, the 2022 reboot of the 2009 game of the same name. The publisher apparently intends to market it as a complete, standalone product—not a season pass or expansion—even though it will be a direct narrative continuation. This raises a question that has been circling the industry for months: is this the rumored Modern Warfare 2.5, or something else entirely? And if it's a full-priced release that extends an existing game rather than launching a new one, what does that signal about how Activision sees the franchise's future, especially as Microsoft's acquisition of the company remains in regulatory limbo? The answers will matter not just to Call of Duty players, but to anyone watching how major publishers decide to structure their biggest franchises.
Citas Notables
The remake aims to preserve the essence of the original albeit with modern gameplay and updated visuals— Capcom producer Edvin Edsö, on Resident Evil 4
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
What struck you most about the State of Play announcements?
Humanity, honestly. It's the kind of game that shouldn't work—a Shiba Inu herding people—but the physics engine makes it feel like something worth playing. It's not trying to be serious.
And the Resident Evil 4 remake? That's a 2005 game getting remade. Why now?
Because it's one of the most influential games ever made. Twelve million people bought it. You can't just leave that alone. But the real question is whether you can remake something that changed the medium without making it feel like a museum piece.
Capcom says they're preserving the essence while updating everything else.
That's the promise every remake makes. The Mercenaries DLC being free is smart—it shows they're not just extracting value, they're trying to give people a reason to stay.
And Call of Duty continuing Modern Warfare 2's story instead of starting fresh?
That's the real story. It suggests the franchise is tired, or at least that Activision thinks players are. Why make a new game when you can extend the one you already have?
Is that cynical or practical?
Both. It's practical for the publisher's bottom line. But it's cynical about what players actually want—which is probably a new experience, not a continuation.