Last night was a crazy one for the folks at PlayStation, who held an event where they announced 12 new indie titles for the PS4, with a few of them also appearing on other PlayStation systems. We’ll be sure to highlight all of the new games throughout today, and right now we’ll focus on Axiom Verge, Drifter, and Starwhal: Just the Tip:
Axiom Verge (PS4, PS Vita) – Early 2015
A 2D side-scrolling action-adventure “metroidvania” game coming to the PS4 and PS Vita in early 2015 after being Pub-funded, Axiom Verge has one person as the programmer, artist, designer, and composer: Tom Happ. Inspired by classics such as Rygar, Contra, Bionic Commando, Blaster Master, and Metroid, Axiom Verge gives you power over glitches like those found in classic games, allowing you to scramble enemies, corrupt environments, and enter hidden areas.
Here’s a list of features you’ll be getting in Axiom Verge:
- Expansive Non-linear Exploration of 9 labyrinthine, interlocking areas.
- Gobs of unique tools and abilities, loads of weapons, and tons of health/power/attribute upgrades.
- Combat with dozens of unique creatures and bosses.
- Glitches allowing you to break past the boundaries of normal gameplay.
- Speedrun Mode – Play with a streamlined interface and additional features to facilitate speedrunning.
Tom also said, “Cross-Buy is a must. Cross-save a strong likelihood!”
Drifter (PS4, PS Vita) – “Hoping” for 2014 Release
Drifter, an open-world, sandbox, space trading game with a procedurally-generated galaxy 100,000 light years across, made up of tens of thousands of star systems to explore, features an original soundtrack by composer Danny Baranowsky and is developed by Celsius Game Studios.
In Drifter, you take on the role of a spaceship captain attempting to make a living among the stars by trading goods between star systems, hunting pirates for bounties, mining asteroids for valuable ore, or even becoming a pirate yourself. In addition to this, Drifter will feature a hand crafted series of story missions to advance your character and learn more about the universe.
Drifter also allows you to play in many different styles by offering classic space trading, crafting, salvaging, exploration, and mining. For those who prefer to use their ship’s weapons to make a living, there’s bounty hunting, combat, escort missions, and piracy, along with the ability to develop your pilot’s skills to get the most out of whatever profession you choose to pursue.
Celsius Founder Colin Walsh then revealed a couple more things about Drifter on the PS Blog:
- He “definitely” wants to support Cross Buy and Cross Play, but nothing’s confirmed yet.
- “It’s 2.5D (originally it was going to be top-down but then I realized it looked really great from behind and the rest, as they say, is history) and it should almost certainly be native resolution.”
- It’s a single player game.
Starwhal: Just the Tip (PS4, PS3) – TBA
Including “burrito-wrapped narwhals in space,” Starwhal: Just the Tip will have features like Challenge Mode, the competitive Versus Modes, and much more. Since words don’t really do the game justice, check out the trailer to get an idea of what you can expect:
Are you planning on buying any of these games? Let us know in the comments below.
