A raft of upcoming releases were announced during PlayStation’s presentation at the 2017 Tokyo Game Show, including Left Alive, a futuristic shooter from a trio of veteran developers, and Neko Atsume, a virtual reality experience based on a popular app about caring for friendly neighbourhood cats.

Since iconic Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima left long-term publisher Konami in 2015, fans have been looking forward to discovering what’s next from the franchise director.

His next project, the enigmatic Death Stranding, sees him reunite with actor Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead) and film producer Guillermo del Toro (Pacific Rim) from cancelled horror project Silent Hills but, though it is a high-profile PlayStation 4 exclusive, the new title did not surface during Sony’s Sept 19 PlayStation media briefing at the 2017 Tokyo Game Show.

Instead, it was another Metal Gear Solid luminary whose name was dropped during the presentation: famed illustrator and art director Yoki Shinkawa, whose style has been associated with the series since its 1998 debut, and whose pen has been behind its cover art more often than not.

He’s in as character designer on Left Alive, a sci-fi shooter that can also boast Xenoblade Chronicles X mechanical designer Takayuki Yanase and Armored Core franchise producer Toshifumi Nabeshima.

Given the career histories of its leads, the teaser trailer’s closing shot of military transport helicopters hovering over a ravaged metropolis seems indicative of what’s to come.

By contrast, Neko Atsume offers the prospect of a welcoming backyard for adorable neighborhood fluffballs to play, eat, and sleep in.

The cat sim became something of a sensation when it released as a free-to-play Android and iOS game in 2014, enthusiastic fans supplying download and translation guides for those too eager to wait a year for the Japanese game’s English language edition.

Such was its popularity that a live-action film was even released in April 2017.

And while glossy action games have tended to be at the forefront of Sony’s push for more widespread adoption of its PlayStation VR kit – Gran Turismo Sport, Rez: Infinite, Farpoint – there’s plenty of room for more sedate, strangely enthralling fare.

Neko Atsume VR has been announced for a 2018 release in Japan.

Among other highlights from the TGS showcase, timeless PlayStation 2 classic Shadow Of The Colossus is moving closer to a 2018 PlayStation 4 re-release, as demonstrated by a new trailerMonster Hunter: World is destined for a Jan 26 launch on PS4 (as well as Xbox One) and the year 2000’s treasured Final Fantasy IX was announced for immediate launch on PS4 and the handheld PlayStation Vita. — AFP Relaxnews

PlayStation at TGS 2017: survival shooter Left Alive, cute kitty care Neko Atsume VR