With Microsoft already delivering a powerhouse presentation during its press conference earlier in the day, the pressure was on Sony to match or exceed expectations with its own presentation, which took place at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena. Although it didn’t address the company’s intentions to make the Xbox One backwards compatible, it delivered in a completely different area – it brought plenty of games.

The first thing that took the crowd by surprise was the return of The Last Guardian, a game that was announced years ago, but then quietly went into obscurity for some time. This announcement, however, assured that it would finally arrive in 2016 for PlayStation 4. The game focuses on a heroic young boy, teaming up with a large, majestic creature as they attempt to make their way through a troubled world.

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The fighting game Street Fighter V, which is exclusive to PC and PlayStation 4, also returned, bringing with it a pair of new fighter announcements – Birdie and Cammy, both veterans of the popular series.

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Square Enix took huge precedence at the Sony event, taking the opportunity to announce the return of the Hitman franchise to consoles. The self-titled Hitman continues the journey of Agent 47, a seemingly unstoppable killer who’s got new targets in his sights.

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Square wasn’t done, however. It also introduced an entirely new Final Fantasy game to the PS4, World of Final Fantasy, which features a unique, kid-friendly visual approach, combined with plenty of action and role-playing tactics. The game should make its debut next year.

 

The original Final Fantasy VII, a popular hit in the 90’s, also made a return, as Square Enix finally confirmed that it would be remade with the PlayStation 4 in mind.

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Sony then debuted the latest game from Media Molecule, the developers of favorites like LittleBigPlanet and Tearaway. In Dreams, players can actually build their own scenarios using a number of paint styles and techniques, with the PlayStation 4 DualShock 4 controller working as their paintbrush. An example of this work can be seen in the trailer below.

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Campo Santo’s Firewatch also got a debut trailer, with Sony confirming that it will release for PlayStation 4, as well as PC, when it’s finished sometime next year. The game tells the story of a firefighter in the mountains, and the various adventures he faces.

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In rather unusual fashion, the show was also home to a special KickStarter project announcement, as legendary producer Yu Suzuki came out and confirmed that he wants to make the long-awaited adventure sequel Shenmue III. The move has been a bit of a success, as the project has already earned $2.5 million – thus guaranteeing that it will be produced.

Third-party companies also teamed with Sony for a variety of exclusives on PlayStation 4. The forthcoming add-on for the science fiction shooter Destiny, The Taken King, will feature new missions exclusive to PS3 and PS4 when it arrives this fall.

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Disney Interactive also scored an exclusive deal with Sony, with one of Disney Infinity 3.0’s playsets making its debut on PlayStation 3 and 4 a month early. In addition, a special Boba Fett toy will be introduced exclusively with this version of the game, as you can see in the trailer below.

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Finally, after spending years in an exclusive partnership with Microsoft that saw Call of Duty content hit Xbox consoles first, Activision announced that, starting with Call of Duty: Black Ops III, content will now be exclusive to PlayStation systems for a few weeks, before becoming available for Xbox and PC. Multiplayer footage can be seen below. 

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Last – but certainly not least – Sony debuted some brand new footage from next year’s forthcoming blockbuster, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. In this final go-around for Nathan Drake, the adventurer and his allies find themselves in deep trouble in a remote village, where an exciting car chase ensues.

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There’s no question that Sony brought an energetic presentation during its E3 showcase, and its show floor should have no shortage of great games to play. Keep an eye open for more reports over the week.