Our top pick of the week: Astro Bot returns at Sony's State of Play

Sony's latest batch of PlayStation trailers, announcements, and game footage hit Thursday, and the big news was the return of Astro Bot — this time in a stand-alone game that seems less tied to a new piece of technology and more about giving Astro a chance to shine.

From new gameplay options to giant bosses to character cameos that will apparently play a larger role this time around, the trailer looks fantastic, though some fans were disappointed to see no mention of PSVR 2 support.

Elsewhere in the presentation, Sony gave an in-depth look at its colorful hero shooter Concord, a deeper preview of Capcom's Monster Hunter Wilds, news of a new Dynasty Warriors, a look at God of War Ragnarök coming to PC, a reveal of the PSVR 2 game Behemoth, and more. Check out our full rundown to catch up on all the updates.

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12 stories to read

The 2024 summer entertainment preview | Read this or you'll miss it!

Why Lucasfilm decided the High Republic is the future of Star Wars | Star Wars is afraid of its own future.

How WWE became the biggest summer blockbuster of the year | This summer, wrestling is about more than The Rock (though he's a part of it).

Thelma is a geri-action movie that doesn't miss a step | It's like The Beekeeper, if it starred your grandma.

The secrets to gaming gravity | How developers simulate falling and jumping for fun.

Destiny 2: The Final Shape's campaign finally makes good on Bungie's 'raid-lite' promise | The Final Shape's missions offer some genuinely engaging mechanics inside The Pale Heart.

This new wave of life sims should take inspiration from Minecraft and Fortnite | The rise of the player-driven narrative.

Polygon Court debates: Is there any hope in the ending of I Saw the TV Glow? | Two radically different reads on the end of Jane Schoenbrun's movie.

The most anticipated TV shows of summer 2024 | Turn up the AC and prep your watch list.

The most anticipated movies of summer 2024 | Kick back with a cold drink and mark your calendars.

The Expanse's James S.A. Corey returns with The Mercy of Gods — and you can read the first chapter | A new space opera.

Longlegs' director on what the horror movie's viral marketing campaign is hiding | 'You don't get Nicolas Cage in your picture unless you want what he's going to bring.'

5 things to watch

Furiosa in theaters | George Miller did 5 things to make Furiosa an essential prequel instead of a cash grab.

Wildcat in limited theaters | Ethan Hawke's Wildcat rescued Flannery O'Connor's brilliantly bleak work for me.

My Oni Girl on Netflix | Featuring a 9-minute-long Spirited Away homage.

Robot Dreams in New York theaters | Pablo Berger says he'd never made an animated movie, but when he read Sara Varon's comic, he knew he had to.

The Sympathizer on Max | The show's best dual identity trick was its last one.

5+ games to play

The Rogue Prince of Persia | A promising start with unfavorable odds. Available in Steam Early Access on Windows PC.

Life Eater | A time management horror game where you're the monster. Available on Windows PC.

Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord | The RPG that inspired Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Demon's Souls is now more playable than ever. Available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.

Deep Rock Galactic | There's never been a better time to delve into the sci-fi bullet hell shooter. Available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.

The best indie games of 2024 so far | All the best indie games you can play across all platforms.

Free game of the week

Xenosphere | A one-button platformer from Nifflas, the developer behind Knytt. "Drift, spin, dash, and golf your way in a journey through interstellar glyph space," reads the official description. Available on Windows PC.

The best of the rest

CHAT IS WACK: Mobile games should stop reminding me how annoying my phone is.
TIES THAT BIND: Gifts that might actually impress your dad this Father's Day.
ZERO TO HERO: My Favorite Anime: Mercedes Varnado's journey from Sailor Moon to My Hero Academia.
DATES OF FATE: Summer Game Fest 2024 and not-E3 2024 schedule.
SHARK HAS BARK: Moana 2 trailer gives us absolutely nothing — except a new whale shark friend.
STEVE ON THE TEEV: Netflix is making a Minecraft animated series.
JOY TOOK A TOY: Anya Taylor-Joy walked off the Furiosa set with her favorite prop — her prosthetic arm.
APP WAS CRAP: Disney's Star Wars hotel Galactic Starcruiser was torpedoed by bad app design.