by Tuesday PopeToday gamers around the world waited eagerly on the latest news of the PlayStation 5. It’s been seven long years since the last consoles released and gamers are chomping at the bit for what the future has in store. With the livestream, airing around the same time as E3 normally has its show, we got into the meat of what to expect. The livestream left me hungry for more, but before we go back to impatiently pacing, let’s talk about what was revealed today.
After a long wait and a fancy intro of the shaped buttons, we are treated to a very nostalgic logo and intro with the dates of each major PlayStation console release which brings us to a sizzle reel of PlayStation 4 hits. Then we’re treated to a trailer of GTAV. Not the best intro, but GTAV enhanced for the next generation isn’t the most surprising and hell, I’ll end up buying it again. If you already have GTAV on PS4, you’ll get a million free in GTA cash each month until the PS5 release. Not a bad deal. Now the presentation can truly begin.
There’s a note that each trailer from here out is captured either in the PlayStation 5 engine or in the devkit. Our first look into the PS5 is Spider-Man Miles Morales. I absolutely love into the spiderverse, so I cannot wait to see what the game verse will hold, especially after Sony’s last Spider-Man hit. The trailer is extremely brief, showing just a few flashy scenes of action, but the colors are vibrant, the music fitting, and the action looks stellar in engine. I’m also just happy in general Miles Morales is getting more attention since he’s my favorite character that’s carried the Spider-Man mantle! Insomniac’s latest title will be out this holiday season.
It’s not a new PlayStation console without Gran Turismo. I wonder what sort of race set up will release alongside the title. While not a fan of racing games, I know this title will be a seller for many fans. After a trailer showing off the crisp graphics, we’re treated to a small show of the hub (GT Town, possibly nostalgic for GT4 players) before jumping into a race and actual gameplay. It looks absolutely impressive. No release date has yet been given at time of writing, but you can expect it soon after launch.
Next up is Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart. An impressive show of another insomniac game and a classic since the PS2 days. This game’s gimmick is dimensional jumping from planet to planet, dimension to dimension. It looks really fun from what they’ve shown. Definitely better than the last entry, although I can’t help but lament the loss of the innuendo title. We also get gameplay. The rift jumping doesn’t look quite as impressive, but I’m sure that’ll be spiffed up once the game releases. It looks fun and snappy. Throughout the conference, Sony shows off its particle effect engine and its at full display at Ratchet shoots a horde of enemies.
Next is a game I’m extremely excited for even with such little information. Call my a Square fan girl. Project Athia (working title) features a female main character who can use magic. She’s shown sprouting vines to kill an enemy. A lot of the monsters seem to be on fire and the trailer, as all of them do really, looks absolutely beautiful. This will be a PS5 exclusive! No release date set as of writing.
Next is what I assume is an indie darling. Stray features a world where humans are all dead (we can assume from a graffiti that blatantly states RIP humans). Robots are now running the show much in the same way humans did. A cat weaves its way through the city and then meows. Please let there be a button to meow and purr. You can live your dream of being a cat in 2021. It looks intriguing and as you may know, I’m a sucker for indie darlings and indie games in general.
Next is a quick run down of the PS5’s specs and a segment toting its controller (haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, usb c, built in mic and headphone jack, and motion controls) and 3D sound technology. For people who went to Disney World in the late 90s, early 2000s, you may remember a Drew Carey stage show in formerly MGM studios, currently Hollywood Studios. There the studio lights went out and you sat in darkness, experiencing the adventure completely through 3D sound. It’s a weird aside, but all I can think of when I hear about their 3D sound and how impressive it is. That show was a delight and I’m really excited to experience it. It’s unfortunately not something everyone will be able to experience due to the nature of how 3D sound works, just a warning.
Next up we are greeted by the dulcet tones of Mary Elizabeth McGlynn (I assume, or someone who sounds just like her). The trailer shows off what looks to be a psychological science fiction horror. The main female protagonist is stuck in a loop and her memories are warping. While the game looks amazing, the title is really dumb. Returnal doesn’t yet have a release date, but I can’t wait to pick this one up. Psychological horror is a genre that needs more entries.
The next trailer is for Sackboy A Big Adventure. It’s your standard little big planet fare. It appears to get rid of the extra characters in favor of the tight platforming of just sackboy. As usual you can customize your character. Now to find out if level creation will return. No release date as of writing.
Destruction All Stars appears to be an attempt to capitalize on the young gaming audience that’s been captured by rocket league and battle royale. I don’t have anything much to say. It’s not for me. It looks like it’ll either be a fun combination of the aforementioned or a complete forgettable flop. No release date as of writing.
Indie darling time. Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a beautiful version of Pikmin. I’m joking, but the gameplay seems to feature saving the land by using fluffy black spirits to do tasks for you in great numbers. And then we have life is strange meets night in the woods but with anime dinosaurs. This looks like a melodramatic high school story complete with typical indie music. I’m really curious to see what Goodbye Volcano High will be like. It doesn’t look good to me but I doubt I’m the target market. These games will release in 2021.
I admittedly shouted at the TV to see “Oddworld Inhabitants Presents.” I am such a huge fan of the OddWorld Series. This time it appears we’re back with Abe and the Mudokens. The game looks intense and beautiful and creepy just as it should. It was surprising to see Abe finally removing the stitches from his mouth and it seems the story will be grander in scale in “Oddworld Soulstorm”. Currently shown off was saving Mudoken slaves aboard one of the Glukkon trains. While it seems they abandoned their original vision of five games about different races in the oddworld world, I really don’t mind because I’m just happy for more. No release date as of writing.
I’m always down for the creepy ghost stories of Japan. Next up is a game set in Tokyo and featuring fighting lots of different ghosts. Gameplay appears to channel Yu Yu Hakusho with spirit finger guns and other attacks as well as rapid hand movements to charge attacks. I’m in. I love horror and GhostWire Tokyo looks to be a treat. Set for release in 2021.
Jett The Far Shore is a game I have nothing to say about because I have no idea what I just watched. It appears to be a game where you control a ship and explore planets, possibly for the future of your people? I don’t really know, but the trailer gives me 2021 A Space Oddysey vibes. It comes out Holiday 2020.
Gearbox’s Godfall is up next and I’m assuming this will be big as this is the borderlands guys. There’s a sci-fi knight aesthetic as you battle through hordes of enemies and face bosses. Not much was shown except for a lot of fun action and combat. This is sure to be a hit when it releases holiday 2020.
Next I was surprised to find a title from the creators of Hyperlight Drifter which is an amazing game. The colors are bright and give off a vapor wave aesthetic. Little gameplay is shown, but fast skating skill-based platforming in a 3D environment will be the basis of what is sure to be a frustrating, rewarding, and surreal experience in Solar Ash. Releases in 2021.
Hitman 3 is next up and this is a series I haven’t had much experience with. It looks stunning and releases January 2021 so there’s not long of a wait for the completion of the world assasination trilogy. Agent 47 is at the height of his career and travels to Dubai where he’ll face the biggest challenge of his career. Following is a gameplay trailer with no conceivable gameplay. The game is sure to be a hit and possibly even a game of the year contender despite my jab.
After a brief preview of the start up screen, we’re treated to Astro’s Playroom. It’s cute. That’s really all there is to say. No release date. What I do have more to say about is Little Devil Inside. This game has a charming aesthetic and switches between a male adventurer fighting for his life and an old proper looking man in a city living his mundane life of comfort. There is plenty of intrigue and strange creatures in what looks to be an open world. I’ll absolutely be picking up this title, whenever it releases.
NBA 2k21 is a necessary part of a console release. The series is insanely popular and always sells a ton of VC. It’ll be releasing later this year and will be a launch title as well as a system seller for many. The graphics look good. I’m not a basketball game fan and have no experience beyond story mode in 2k16, so I can’t really say much about it. Enjoy it Fall 2020.
From the creators of Octodad is Bugsnax. Viva Piñata this ain’t. You appear to control a muppet-like character in a world of food that looks and behaves like bugs. When you consume them, it changes the appearance of your character. It’s charming, the vibrant colors make the graphics pop, and the food bugs themselves are adorable. I’m sure it’ll be fun. It releases Holiday 2020.
Next an adorably excited Japanese man introduces us to what appears to be not only a beautiful remaster but expansion or new entry in the Demon’s Souls series. It looks amazing and while not much was shown, the monsters already are making me physically feel the frustrations of fighting them. I’m prepared to die again and again when this game releases sometime in the near future.
Bethesda made an appearance with Death Loop. An aesthetically beautiful game where you play as one (both are playable) of a pair of rival assassins that, while they always die, can rewind time to avoid their deaths. This first person shooter features fighting a host of mannequin enemies. Will you break the loop? No release date at time of writing.
I had a sneaking suspicion what the next game was while watching the trailer of the next reveal. It opens with an old legend, as the best horror games do, and a gun happy old man telling you about the zombies in the woods before one grabs you and pulls you down. The game switches between different time periods and looks amazing. It’s a first person horror game with a familiar aesthetic. Village appears on screen and then the VIII are highlighted. That’s right, this is Resident Evil VIII baby. No sooner than we glimpse the title (and stop shouting excitedly in my case) we are treated to a familiar face. Chris Redfield apologizing to the protagonist Ethan as he shoots what appears to be his wife in front of him. I cannot wait to play this game in 2021. 3D sound on this one will be terrifying.
Next is another weird title, Pragmata. You’re a man in a suit, there’s a girl with badly rendered hair, there’s a holographic cat projected over its own skeleton which can be seen through the hologram, the particle effects are on full display, and you go from the streets of a major city to the moon. The game looks so good that the girl’s PS3 hair is really distracting. One of the weirder/cooler things shown was a green vine ball that protects the player character from being smashed into by a satellite. This one won’t be out until 2022 so I imagine the hair will be PS5 quality by then. I’m very curious to see just what this will be about.
We were nearing the end of the hour so I was wondering just what the big reveal of the livestream would be. And I soon got my answer. Horizon II Forbidden West is the much anticipated sequel to the best selling new IP Horizon Zero Dawn. The second Aloy’s red hair came on screen, this trailer had my full attention. While I wasn’t the biggest fan of the first title, I loved the aesthetic and was excited to see where this IP would go. The trailer is absolutely beautiful. This game will follow Aloy as she explores a distant future version of America, overgrown with the ruins of the past society, our society, littering the landscape. As before, there will be plenty of robotic beasties roaming the land. There appears to be a mysterious new threat to her quest as the trailer focuses on these mysterious red plants that are harming organic life. Also there appears to be swimming and ocean exploration this time around with the help of a breathing device. What mysteries will we uncover in this varied landscape? We’ll find out at some undetermined date in the future!
Now we’ve pretty much reached the end of the presentation and we’re finally shown what the system looks like. In one word: sexy. The sleek design comes in two versions, one with the ability to play discs and one completely digital. There will also be a controller charging stand and the Pulse 3D, enhanced for 3D sound, headset available at launch as well as ah HD camera for the system and a media remote. No price was given during the presentation, but there is a rumor someone reserved a 2TB PS5, no model given, for 599 pounds which translates to over 600 in USD.
With price there’s a lot to consider. A selling point of the original PS4 was that you could swap the hard drives without voiding the warranty. Considering digital game file sizes are only getting bigger, will that be a feature here? How much will external hard drives be, almost a necessity for the digital only version, and will there be a variety of hard drive sizes or will 2TB be the standard? And will FFXIV be ported over (I know, I’m asking the important question here)? There’s still so many questions with no answers. My thought is that they’re waiting for the pricing reveal. During E3 2013, PS4 lowered the price of their system by $100 USD to combat the Xbox one’s hefty $500 price tag. Will they do something similar here?
Whatever the answer, my wallet is already crying in the corner as I wait for the first preorder opportunity. Will you be preordering/purchasing the PS5? What title has you most excited? Be sure to let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for all your gaming news and nostalgic reviews right here.
