Tokyo Games Show 2019: FF7 Remake, Cyberpunk 2077, Yakuza 7 and more

Tokyo Games Show is one of the biggest gaming shows in the world, putting Japan in the spotlight as hundreds of developers, publishers and passionate players come together and celebrate the medium. Much like E3 and Gamescom, it’s a hotbed for new announcements, reveals and trailers for plenty of upcoming titles. 

This year was no different, and is arguably one of the biggest shows in a long while, with developers both Japanese and the West flaunting their projects like there’s no tomorrow. We received all-new details on the Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Death Stranding, Cyberpunk 2077 and more across the show, which itself is still on-going in Japan’s capital. 

Trusted Reviews has compiled some of the biggest and best announcements from Tokyo Games Show 2019 whether it’s new trailers, gameplay details or Keanu Reeves strutting his stuff on a futuristic motorcycle. You know, all the important stuff. 

Cyberpunk 2077 and Keanu Reeves make a huge splash in Tokyo

CD Projekt Red’s long-awaited RPG is drawing closer and closer, with only a handful of months remaining until its eventual release. As we discovered at E3 2019, Keanu Reeves will have a starring role in the game as Johnny Silverhands. He’ll act as an ethereal hologram of sorts, watching your every move and adding to story events as they unfold. 

It’s unclear if he’ll have an impact on gameplay, some of which was shown in Japan for the very first time at the Tokyo Games Show this week. While nothing new was revealed in terms of new locations, mechanics and story details – we did receive a behind-the-scenes featurette on how the E3 2019 trailer was put together. You can check it out for yourself here, or watch in awe as Keanu Reeve poses on a motorcycle below. God bless him. 

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Don't drop below 50mph!#Cyberpunk2077 #TGS2019 pic.twitter.com/s8zfijnTSD

— Cyberpunk 2077 (@CyberpunkGame) September 11, 2019

Final Fantasy 7 Remake trailer reveals The Turks, new scenarios and so much more

When this trailer dropped out of nowhere I had to tell the entire office to silence themselves as me and a few others gathered round a laptop to watch this slice of beauty unfold. Coming in just short of three minutes, the latest trailer for Final Fantasy 7 Remake reveals tonnes of new information on the beloved reimagining, including a few reveals we weren’t quite expecting.

The Turks, an infamous band of mercenaries working for Shinra Corporation, were unveiled with their new looks, voices and changed appearances when compared to the original. We also saw the reveal of Don Corneo and confirmation of the infamous crossdressing scene. However, it seems more progressive than the crass and sleezy 1997 classic. If anything, Tifa and Aerith are coaxing Cloud to show off his feminine side.

Major events such as the Sector collapse, Cloud’s first encounter with Aerith and many others are shown in remake-o-vision for the very first time, and all of them look positively gorgeous. There’s also hints that this is far more than a simple remake, with moments in the trailer featuring both locations and scenarios not featured in the original.

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One such moment is a motorcycle chase with many members of Avalanche, and partway through the gang is being pursued by what seems to be a member of S.O.L.D.I.E.R we’ve never seen before. We predict that some elements of Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core are being tied into the remake, and bringing both of these stories together for the first time would definitely make sense.

Summons such as Ifrit and Shiva, exercise minigames and expanded sections of the original are all confirmed, and if you think the teasing wasn’t enough, none other than Mark Hamill will seemingly be portraying Don Corneo. His sleezy, manipulative identity works perfectly when combined with Hamill’s voice, although despite how much it sounds like him, nothing’s been confirmed just yet.

Death Stranding feels like a mixture of Metal Gear and Breath of the Wild

After Gamescom 2019, fans and press alike were still confused about what exactly Death Stranding is beyond one of Kojima’s deepest, darkest fantasies. It seems the developer realised this, and decided to bring an explosive amount of new information to this week’s trade show. This came in the form of a 50-minute gameplay demo which provided a narrated, uninterurpted look at Norman Reedus and the Funky Fetus. We finally saw what the world of Death Stranding is all about, both in terms of the setting itself and moment-to-moment gameplay.

Having poured over the footage myself, it strikes me as a wonderful mixture of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Metal Gear Solid. I know that sounds silly, but hear me out. Hideo Kojima has taken the multi-faceted approach that MGS used to such great effect and hurled it into a world where anything can happen. The gameplay demo is a single excursion across a post-apocalyptic vision of America, following the player as they infiltrate bases, bathe in hot springs and contend with ghastly monsters.

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Every situation can be approached in a variety of different ways depending on your mood and equipment, with things being shaken up at a moment’s notice depending on the smallest of circumstances. Death Stranding also incorporates a surprising number of multiplayer elements. You can tag places of interest in the world or warn players yet to venture to a certain area of potential dangers. It’s really something, and we can’t wait to play it.

A briefing video was also released at Tokyo Games Show which essentially acts as an introduction to the world of Death Stranding. The core mission, nature of the world and a few key characters are brought into the fray to make newcomers feel a little less daunted by this fever dream of a gaming experience. I’ve put together a list of seven things I learned from the TGS demo, if you’re after more in-depth analysis.

Project Resistance is a Resident Evil spin-off we weren’t expecting

Following the massive success of Resident Evil 2 earlier this year, it’s no surprise that Capcom is back to milking the survival horror franchise for all its worth. So long as it results in excellent games, we aren’t ones to complain, but it remains to be seen if Project Resistance will be of the same pedigree we’ve come to expect. It is a five player multiplayer experience where four play the roles of survivors trying to desperately to stay alive in the confines of Raccoon City. The other is a ‘Mastermind’ capable of planting traps, enemies and changing the nature of play with the touch of a button.

Project Resistance will run in the RE Engine and utilise many of the same environments and enemies from 2019’s Resident Evil 2 remake, but hopefully it is more than a multiplayer rehash and introduces a bunch of intriguing new ideas. A bunch of gameplay has been released which teases a tense co-operative experience similar to Dead by Daylight or Friday the 13th. Fear comes from the constantly changing circumstances of the horrors around you, forcing teamwork out from the most unlikely of places. Once we’ve tried it out for ourselves, we’ll be sure to deliver some hands-on impresisons.

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Yakuza 7: Like a Dragon turns the franchise into an RPG

The long-running story of Kazuma Kiryu culminated in Yakuza 6, so all bets were off when Yakuza 7 was teased by Sega several months ago. Now, we finally have an idea of what ‘Like a Dragon’ will bring to the Yakuza franchise. Turns out, it’s turning the series on its head in the best way possible.  Known for years as a fast-paced, violent brawler with arcade stylings all over the shop, now Yakuza is being transformed into a turn-based RPG with a new setting, new lead character and a new vision of what this franchise could be.

Coming our way in 2020 following the Japanese release, we’re incredibly interested to see what Ryu Ga Gotuku have up their sleeves with this entry. Taking place in the Japanese city of Yokohama, you play as Kasuga Ichiban, a former member of the Yakuza released from prison after 18 years following a crime he didn’t commit. From here, he will delve into the underworld once again to solve an ever-developing mystery. If it’s anything like other games, you can expect plenty of double-crossing, epic encounters and a hugely charming world to explore.

What’s been your favourite announcement from Tokyo Games Show 2019? Let us know on Facebook and Twitter @TrustedReviews. We’ll be adding to this article as more games are announced and shown off, so keep an eye on it going forward!