While we got some truly exciting indie news in PlayStation’s latest presentation, I had one major question bouncing around in my head afterward. What even is indie? More than once during the State of Play, I was poised to share the good indie word when I realized the title in question wasn’t, strictly speaking, independent. Or was it? Here is a look at the games featured in the show with the potential to spark a well-trod debate in our community.
Kena: Scars Of Kosmora
My emotions gave me whiplash when the trailer for a Kena sequel opened the show. The original winning Best Independent Game and Best Debut Indie Game at The Game Awards in 2021 was a good indication the team might continue the adventure. So, really, the surprise came when Ember Lab seemed to be much more professionally connected to PlayStation this time around. My first thought, that the publisher had acquired the team, was dispelled when the studio’s founder very carefully dropped the wording “our partnership with PlayStation Studios…” This seems to indicate the team remains independent, but with Sony backing it, does the game retain the label?
Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse
My knee-jerk reaction to seeing Dead Cells teams Motion Twin and Evil Empire working on a 2D Castlevania was unbridled excitement. The Dead Cells crossover with the much-loved vampire IP in 2023 was exactly what I wanted, and I’d welcome more of that. But is it indie with that Konami Digital Entertainment presents screen? This moment echoed my sentiments from the Triple-I showcase headlined by The Rogue Prince of Persia, a title that split many opinions on its label.
God of War Sons of Sparta
“Developed by Mega Cat Studios in partnership with Santa Monica Studio,” reads the PlayStation’s official description of the last title on this list. There’s that curious word again: partnership. Mega Cat Studios lies on both sides of the indie developer and publisher line. Its 2024 take on Five Nights At Freddy’s, Into the Pit, was well received, and seeing the name attached to a God of War project raised my eyebrows. The 2D pixel look may feed into indie aesthetics, but with Sony firmly involved in its creation, it would be tough to argue God of War Sons of Sparta is an indie game.
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