Everything We Learned From the PlayStation 5 Future of Gaming Conference
Image via SonySony just finished the long-awaited reveal of games coming to the PlayStation 5 through its “Future of Gaming” Showcase, and the company showed off 25 games coming to the console, as well as the first look at the console itself.
Here are some of the coolest-looking games coming to PlayStation 5:
Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Release window: Holiday 2020
Developer: Insomniac Games
The presentation’s first big reveal was that Insomniac’s massively popular Spider-Man on PlayStation 4 was getting a sequel for PS5, starring Peter Parker’s mentee, Miles Morales. The trailer’s pretty short, so there’s still a lot of mystery surrounding the game, but given the level of care Insomniac put into the first game, there’s a lot to be excited for here.
Gran Turismo 7
Release window: TBA
Developer: Polyphony Digital Inc.
The first numbered Gran Turismo game since 2013 on the PS3, Gran Turismo 7 promises to be “the real driving simulator” (as opposed to all those fake ones?) thanks to the updated visuals, “3D Audio” which will apparently allow you to sense the position of other cars, and the DualSense controller’s haptic feedback making you feel like you’re actually on the road.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Release window: TBA
Developer: Insomniac Games
Similar to Gran Turismo, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart will be the first original entry in the series since 2013, although 2016’s Ratchet & Clank gave an imaginative retelling of the original title. The new game will feature portals to different dimensions, with smooth, nearly instantaneous transitions to each new location thanks to the PS5’s fast loading times.
Sackboy A Big Adventure
Release window: TBA
Developer: Sumo Digital
The iconic hero from the LittleBigPlanet series, Sackboy is embarking on his own adventure for PS5. The game seems to feature 2D sidescrolling segments alongside 3D action, with a colorful art style reminiscent of Yoshi’s Woolly World. Nintendo tends to specialize in modern platformers, but this game looks like it might offer some competition.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits
Release window: Holiday 2020
Developer: Ember Lab
A new property by a new development studio, Kena: Bridge of Spirits features adorable creatures and a lone heroine who uses her staff to attack her opponents. It’s a bit of an unknown quantity, but it looks promising.
Oddworld Soulstorm
Release window: TBA
Developer: Oddworld Inhabitants
The newest entry in the Oddworld series, Oddworld Soulstorm promises to carry the series forward through “visual and cinematic storytelling” that looks to carry on the dark, unsettling feeling present despite the series’ comical nature. The game still looks to play on a 2D plain, but with fully rendered cinematics that give a closer look into the characters’ actions and emotions.
Ghostwire: Tokyo
Release window: 2021
Developer: Tango Gameworks
The studio between The Evil Within series, Tango Gameworks unveiled the horror action-adventure game Ghostwire: Tokyo last year at Bethesda’s E3 conference. The game will be a timed console exclusive for PS5, where you battle various ghosts and apparitions throughout the streets of Tokyo.
Godfall
Release window: Holiday 2020
Developer: Counterplay Games
First revealed at The Game Awards in December 2019, Godfall was one of the first games to be revealed for the PS5. It’s back here for some more gameplay footage, showing the player character tearing up their opponents. The game is described as a “loot-slasher,” borrowing the concept of a loot-shooter in which players complete objectives for better weapons and armor, but with an emphasis on melee combat.
Hitman III
Release window: January 2021
Developer: IO Interactive
Hitman III will be the conclusion to the “World of Assassination” trilogy, featuring new locations and ways to take down your targets as the elusive Agent 47.
Demon’s Souls
Release window: TBA
Developers: JAPAN Studio and Bluepoint Games
Rumored to be in development earlier today, Bluepoint Games is developing its next remake after its success bringing Shadow of the Colossus to the PS4. The game went on to inspire FromSoftware’s Dark Souls trilogy and spawn a new genre of “Soulslike” games, requiring careful timing and brutal difficulty in dark and mysterious worlds.
Resident Evil Village
Release window: 2021
Developer: Capcom
The eighth main installment in the Resident Evil series, Resident Evil Village carries on its predecessor’s first-person perspective in its new setting, filled with unsettling dangers. The trailer also reintroduces series mainstay Chris Redfield, so at least you won’t be going through these terrors alone.
Pragmata
Release window: 2022
Developer: Capcom
One of the weirdest games shown off during the presentation, Pragmata looks like something out of the mind of the bizarre-yet-innovative Death Stranding’s Hideo Kojima, but no. The game is another project of Capcom’s and it’s pretty impossible to parse. A man in a futuristic astronaut suit looks around an empty Times Square, before finding a young girl and a projection of a cat. Everything starts to tumble around them until the man and girl find themselves on the moon. It’s weird, and it definitely looks like a game to keep an eye on.
Horizon Forbidden West
Sony saved one of its best announcements for last, as Guerilla’s hotly anticipated sequel finally has a trailer and name. Horizon Forbidden West continues Alloy’s story, as she travels underwater, through deserts and up mountains. Seeing how 2017’s Horizon Zero Dawn was widely praised for its beautiful environments and engaging story, it’s exciting to think about what Guerilla can do with the power of the PS5.
Release window: TBA
Developer: Guerilla Games
The PlayStation 5 itself
Sony had one surprise left for the presentation, being the design of the console itself. Similar to the Dualsense controller, the console features white, wavy borders with a black center, making it one of the most unique yet strangely elegant console designs yet. Although no price was discussed, there are two versions of the console: the standard PlayStation 5, and the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition, featuring no disc drive. It’s a radically different design from previous PlayStation iterations, but an appealing one.
The hardware reveal trailer also revealed some more peripherals for the console, including a charging station for the DualSense controller, an HD camera, the PULSE 3D Audio headset, and the Media Remote, which looks like a TV remote.
Even though we don’t have all the details yet, it’s still a staggering amount of information, with some exciting reveals for games coming to the platform. There were also a number of other games we didn’t touch on, such as Project Athia, Destruction Allstars, Bugsnax, NBA 2K21, Little Devil Inside, Solar Ash, Deathloop and more that are using the console’s additional capabilities to create stunning and varied worlds.
The PlayStation 5 launches holiday 2020.