Sony’s second State of Play of 2024 was a feast of details on the next chapter of Square Enix’s Final Fantasy VII revival, not the least of which was the confirmation of the game's demo (which you can download now!) From games at the Gold Saucer, dolphin racing, polygonal recreations of the characters’ PS1 models, and of course, changes to the familiar story of the original, Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth looks to be one of the most exciting games of the year. It’s a good thing it looks like there’s so much to do, because there will be plenty JRPGs that'll be competing for attention in 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The first PlayStation State of Play of 2024 is the topic of discussion in this episode of BEYOND! Akeem, Max, Brian and Jada break down what we saw, from titles like Helldivers 2, Stellar Blade, Sonic x Shadow Generations, Silent Hill: The Short Message, Silent Hill 2 Remake, Judas from the creator of BioShock, Metro Awakening VR for PSVR2, the PSVR 2 title, Legendary Tales, Dragon’s Dogma 2, Rise of the Ronin from Team Ninja, Until Dawn, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, a new action espionage game by Kojima, and so much more in this episode of BEYOND! #PS5 #StateofPlay Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The entire Beyond crew is finally back together again and this time, we talk about Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth and how much of a breath of fresh air it is. As if the year hasn't already gotten off to a good start, we also find that Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is exactly what we're looking for in a quality Metroidvania and we tell you why it's worth diving into. We also dip into more Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League's plans for the future and what exactly is the deal with Dragon's Dogma 2's lack of fast travel. Join Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Akeem Lawanson, and Brian Altano in this jam packed episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Metal Gear Solid has no shortage of memorable boss fights, but which boss is the best boss of all? Is it The Boss, or is that too obvious? This week, your regularly scheduled PlayStation discussion takes a back seat in favor of something much more esoteric and absurd, so if you’re not a Metal Gear fan, you may want to sit this one out. Join tactical espionage fanboys Max Scoville, Nick Limon and Nick Maillet as they debate this hallowed series’ iconic rogue’s gallery using the newly revamped Face-Offs function on IGN.com. Our esteemed judges will be reaching decisions by weighing a variety of extremely scientific criteria, such as how cool each boss looks, how many weird ways they can be killed, and most importantly, the age-old playground debate of who would beat whom in a fight. From infamous showdowns like Psycho Mantis and Metal Gear Rex to absurd encounters like Fatman and The Pain, this series has plenty of great bad guys, many of whom become recurring characters between games, like Revolver Ocelot, Vamp, and Liquid Snake (in one form or another) so there’s a lot to talk about, and if nothing else, this’ll help Kojima fans pass another hour or so until we get more news on Metal Gear Solid 3 Delta Triangle: Snake Eater, Death Stranding 2, and Overdose. Check out the Metal Gear Solid boss face-off right here: https://www.ign.com/faceoffs-new/face-off-best-metal-gear-solid-bosses Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SPOILER WARNING! We absolutely spoil stuff that happens in The Last of Us Parts 1 and 2, so if you haven’t played either of those games… Go do that before watching/listening to this week’s show. Anyway, in addition to fiercely debating the seemingly simple hypothetical question of who’d win in a fight, Leon S. Kennedy from Resident Evil, or Joel Miller from The Last of Us. Speaking of The Last of Us, the HBO series has found Season 2’s Abby Anderson in Kaitlyn Dever, and we also got a faint glimpse of the Gravity Rush movie, plus non-updates on Prime Video’s God of War series and Netflix’s live-action Horizon prequel show. Meanwhile, Sony and Honda showed off some new features of the AFEELA electric vehicle, which can be driven with a DualSense controller. Ya know, on stage at CES 2024 for tech demo purposes, but also later this year when the EV comes to Gran Turismo 7. Speaking of first-party PlayStation studios games, there aren’t man first-party exclusives coming out in 2024 that we’re aware of, but there are still a bunch of huge third-party PS5 console exclusives, and we’re gonna be eating good for the next few months at least. Finally, Jada flexes about the mountain of Platinum Trophies she racked up in the final weeks, days, and hours of 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this pre-recorded episode of Beyond, the hosts discuss the potential for a Death Stranding film adaptation capturing the game's best qualities. They reflect on Sony's 2023 and the excitement around third-party and multi-platform releases. The hosts also talk about PlayStation Productions' push into movies and TV and the lack of support for PlayStation VR2. Other topics include glitches in video games, drumsticks ice cream, and PlayStation 5 updates.

The Last of Us Online is not happening, reflecting on the challenges of big multiplayer games. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 gets updates. The gang plays Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and feels it's either too safe or lacks creativity.

Tons of incredible games on PlayStation in 2023, including Resident Evil 4 Remake, Star Wars Jedi Survivor, Street Fighter 6, Final Fantasy XVI, Baldur’s Gate 3, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and Alan Wake 2. Also, the official cancellation of E3 and the rise of online presentations. The significance of audio and storytelling in podcasts and the importance of merchandise sales with Shopify. Discussion on the Remedyverse, Baldur's Gate 3 as a winner, PlayStation Game of the Year, and the God of War Valhalla update. Analysis of the Playstation accessibility controller and discussions on SEO, social media, and favorite games.

The podcast discusses the monumental excitement around the reveal trailer for GTA 6, which garnered more views in 24 hours than GTA 5 did in twelve years. They compare the hype for Elder Scrolls 6 and GTA 6 and speculate on the impact of these games on the gaming industry. They also discuss the possibility of a GTA TV show or movie and share excitement about the 'No Return' rogue-like mode in The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered on PS5.

"The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered" with exciting upgrades, including "No Return" mode and free play guitar. Tony Todd's statements about Spider-Man 2 spark curiosity. The highlight is the "Beyondcés" awards, celebrating game details and absurdity of 2023's games like Baldur's Gate 3, Street Fighter 6, and Mortal Kombat 1. The hosts discuss challenging enemies, battery history, clothing in games, and listener participation. A fun-filled episode!