E3 may have been cancelled this year, but that didn’t stop Sony from coming out with a loaded one-hour presentation dedicated to ‘The Future of Gaming’.
Throughout, we caught a glimpse of over 20 games being developed by first and third-party studios to release on the PlayStation 5 upon release, into 2021, and beyond. Sony capped the event off by answering the question on everyone’s mind: “What does the PlayStation 5 look like?”
PlayStation 5 + PlayStation 5 Digital Edition
Sony revealed not one but two PlayStation 5 SKUs during the presentation. The consoles have a design and colour pallet that compliments the already revealed DualSense controller.
The PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Digital Edition features a white shell, a contoured body, and a black finish in the middle. While the PlayStation 5 is primarily seen sitting vertically on a stand, the console can lay on its side.
Additionally, Sony announced a suite of new peripherals including an updated HD Camera, Pulse 3D Wireless Headset, Media Remote, and DualSense Charging Station.
The price of the PlayStation 5 and release date is still being kept under wraps.
Grand Theft Auto V (2021)
Sony’s presentation began by revealing that Grand Theft Auto V will be making its way to PS5. In an “expanded and enhanced” port, Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online will continue to grow.
Grand Theft Auto Online will be available as a standalone title for anyone purchasing the PS5 during the first three months of release. In addition, PS Plus members who play GTA Online on PS4 will receive $1 million in-game dollars each month until the PS5 release.
Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales (Holiday 2020)
Insomniac Games swung in with the announcement of Spider-Man: Miles Morales. As indicated by the name, the game appears to centre around Miles Morales. 2018’s Spider-Man ended with a post-credit sequence pointing to Miles taking the mantle of Spider-Man in some capacity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHzuHo80U2M
The trailer has shown us Miles’ iconic black and red suit, swinging around the city of New York. Where Peter Park will play into this game is still unclear but seeing the spotlight on Miles should excite many players.
Gran Turismo 7 (TBD)
Showcasing some of the technical feats the PS5 can achieve, Sony announced that Gran Turismo 7 will launch on the new console.
Polyphony Digital returns with its premier racing simulator series. The trailer quickly showcased a number of stunning car models. We also got to look at actual gameplay and the track selection menus.
Racket and Clank: Rift Apart (TBD)
Insomniac Games is keeping busy. They revealed a follow up to 2016’s reboot of Racket and Clank. The iconic duo is being thrown into a brand new, full-length interdimensional adventure.”
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart puts a heavy focus on the fluid gameplay of travelling through portals to new worlds and locales. The gameplay trailer was splashy and chaotic as Racket and Clank fight through waves of enemies with a number of colourful weapons and explosives. In classic Insomniac Games style, Ratchet is also seen swinging with a grappling hook and grinding across levels.
Project Athia (TBD)
Square Enix and Luminous Productions revealed its next project under the working title of Project Athia. Not much is known about the game.
The trailer showed a woman travelling through the wilderness, and encountering various monsters. This served as a teaser of the game. However, from a visual aspect, Project Athia looks impeccable.
Stray (2021)
Annapurna debuted a trailer for Stray. In what appears to be some sort of cyberpunk-inspired world, players will take on the role of a cat living amongst a community of robots.
The trailer didn’t get too deep into the plot. However, a Steam page for the game reads: “Lost, alone, and separated from family, a stray cat must untangle an ancient mystery to escape a long-forgotten cybercity and find the way home.”
Returnal (TBD)
Returnal is the latest game from Housemarque. This third-person shooter appears to be an ambitious step away from the likes of Resogun. Their new game appears to be less inspired by arcade titles and more aligned with a sci-fi Rogue-like.
Each time the player dies in Returnal, the main character is resurrected and changed in some way. Players must fight through a vicious alien world.
Sackboy: A Big Adventure (TBD)
We’ve been long overdue for a Sackboy appearance. Sumo Digital brings Sackboy back into the fold for his own “big adventure.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUwI6e-em3o
The game features the same loveable artwork seen in LittleBigPlanet but is more centred on platforming gameplay. The game also appears to be ripe with co-op shenanigans.
Destruction AllStars (TBD)
Destruction AllStars is a vehicular combat title from Pulse Games. It’s a competitive-focused game with a seemingly colourful cast of characters raining destruction from both inside and outside their cars.
Based on the footage, we’re getting some Rocket League meets Twisted Metal vibes.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits (TBD)
Kena: Bridge of Spirits could very well have been a Pixar movie. It checks off all the boxes including a visually stunning world, adorable tiny creatures, and a splash of colourful magic.
The team at Ember Lab has said Kena: Bridge of Spirts is a game about adventure and growth. We see a young girl in possession of a magical staff venturing a mysterious forest and coming across a number of creatures including trolls. After defeating her enemies, the woman gains an additional companion called the Rot.
Goodbye Volcano High (2021)
Montreal-based studio KO_OP brought their trailer for Goodbye Volcano High.
Not too many details were mentioned in the trailer. However, we can glean that it will include an emotional story featuring a cast of anthropomorphic characters.
Oddworld: Soulstorm (TBD)
Oddworld Inhabitants’s Lorne Lanning came on screen to introduce a new trailer for Oddworld: Soulstorm.
Announced last year, Oddworld: Soulstorm is a sequel to 2014’s Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty. We got to see small glimpses into the game, including a scene potentially setting up the series’ Abe opening his sewn-up mouth.
GhostWire: Tokyo (TBD)
GhostWire: Tokyo, the latest project from Tango Gameworks was given another trailer during Sony’s presentation.
It’s hard to pinpoint what exactly occurs during the trailer. Tango Gameworks is no stranger to experimenting with psychedelic-horror and GhostWire: Tokyo appears to up the ante. This is the same studio to give us The Evil Within after all.
Jett: The Far Shore (Holiday 2020)
The small team of creators behind mobile hit Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP has released a trailer for Jett: The Far Shore.
Details are sparse but it looks to take place in space with isometric designs aplenty.
Godfall (Holiday 2020)
Godfall from Counterplay Games and Gearbox Publishing released a new trailer showing off the first look at gameplay.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oal1EbvDxCk
It’s here Counterplay established the world of Aperion and the last Valorian Knight you play as. Weapons and enemies were also shown off during the brief trailer.
Solar Ash (2021)
Heart Machine, the studio behind Hyperlife Drifter is back with another colourful title. Solar Ash is the studio’s transition away from 2D to 3D.
Unfortunately aside from showing a character falling through a cosmic world, the trailer did not divulge any information of the game.
Hitman 3 (January 2021)
IO Interactive is ready to close out Agent 47’s “World of Assassination” trilogy in Hitman 3.
As you can expect, Hitman 3 will take players to new locations around the world. Dubai has been confirmed to be one of the many locations Agent 47 will be sent to infiltrate and assassinate a number of targets in over the top ways.
The PlayStation Blog has confirmed that progress from Hitman and Hitman 2 will carry over to Hitman 3. Players who own the previous games can play the entire trilogy straight from within Hitman 3.
Astro’s Playroom (TBD)
The Astro bots have become a bit of a PlayStation Mascot. As you can gander from the title, Astro’s Playroom is part sequel to Astro Bot: Rescue Mission and part follow up to The Playroom.
It appears the Astro bots are journeying on a new 3D platforming adventure sans PSVR. Based on the name, Astro’s Playroom may take some of the AR mechanics seen in The Playroom. Either way, it’s fantastic to see these adorable bots come back into the PlayStation fold. As noted on the PlayStation Blog, Astro’s Playroom comes pre-loaded on PS5.
Little Devil Inside (TBD)
Little Devil Inside is a quirky survival adventure RPG made by Neostream Interactive. After a successful Kickstarter campaign, Neostream began gaining quite a lot of attention based on the art direction of the game.
Little Devil Inside revolves around a college professor on the hunt for the paranormal. The game seems to be set on letting players explore at their leisure and take in the world around them.
Bugsnax (Holiday 2020)
The launch of PlayStation 4 brought us the unforgettable Octodad. Now, the same zany studio is back with BugSnax.
Bugsnax is equal parts strange and unbelievably enchanting. Set on an island known as Snaktooth, many creatures live amongst one another. The real spin is that many are bug-food hybrids. Based on the trailer, you’ll be accompanied by a Walrus character to discover the many creatures roaming Snaktooth.
Demon’s Souls (TBD)
At long last, Bluepoint Games’ new title has been revealed to be a Demon’s Souls remake.
Demon’s Souls released before the whole ‘Soulsborne’ craze picked up steam. Seeing as though the game has been completely rebuilt, it will be interesting to see how Bluepoint modernizes the game beyond its graphics and aesthetics. Soulsborne games have come a long way since 2009.
Deathloop (TBD)
Bethesda and Arkane Studios offered a new stylish trailer for Deathloop. If you’re still unsure what the gameplay loop includes, the tagline “If at first you don’t succeed, die again” should give you a pretty good clue.
Deathloop centres around Kolt who is stuck in a time loop, repeating the same day over and over. His only salvation is tracking down and assassinating a list of targets before the day ends, freeing him from the loop.
Resident Evil Village (2021)
Capcom is back with yet another Resident Evil game. This time, it won’t be a remake of one of the beloved games from previous years. Resident Evil Village (or 8 if you will) is a direct sequel to 2017’s Resident Evil 7.
It seems as though we’ll once again be in the shoes of protagonist Ethan Winters but will be far away from the bayou. Resident Evil Village appears to take place in the snowy mountain where decrepit cabins are the norm. Resident Evil Village also sees the return of franchise icon Chris Redfield, but not as we all remember him. His actions don’t exactly leave us feeling confident he’s on our side.
Pragmata (2022)
Capcom came with a double-whammy and showed off Pragmata. This is one of those titles shown that won’t be available to play until a few years after the console’s launch.
That said, Pragmata shows a character in a spacesuit exploring a cityscape. He shoots some sort of device, scanning the area. It’s not before long that a young girl appears and interacts with the spaceman before a space station falls from the sky. The trailer ends with both characters on the moon. It’s an intriguing set up to say the least.
Horizon Forbidden West (TBD)
Finally, wrapping up the gameplay trailers and previews shown is Guerilla Games’ long-awaited sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn.
Horizon Forbidden West see Aloy continuing her journey to discover the origins of what lead up to the collapse of civilization. This time, she heads west and encounters new robotic creatures and tribes. Aloy is also seen to be able to swim. The west is a lush backdrop for the game, giving Horizon Forbidden West a rich atmosphere and colour spectrum.
