Update: According to Bloomberg News reporter Jason Schreier, Spider-Man: Miles Morales is not an expansion or a sequel. It is a brand-new, standalone game.
Up until today, the only known facts about Sony’s next-gen console was it was unsurprisingly called “PlayStation 5”, had a white and black two-toned controller, and would surely put a dent in your bank account. While it still remains to be seen how big that dent will be, Sony’s PlayStation 5 reveal event answered a whole lot of questions and, well, the hype train is officially in the station.
Sony kicked this off with a giant troll by displaying the Rockstar logo on a black screen. Everyone who had “but what IF GTA VI gets revealed?!” as a prediction were beginning to get tears in their eyes, when the rug was pulled underneath in the form of GTA V…again. Sony understands that Rockstar’s crown jewel is one of the most-sold games in the history of video games, so not bringing it over to the PS5 would’ve been a poor business decision. Currently, it’s unknown if PS4 owners of GTA V will be able to upgrade to the next-gen console for free, but Sony will also offer a standalone GTA Online version as well. Also, it’s pretty cool to say if you’ve played GTA V across three console generations.
Many hoped Sony would tease the expected sequels of at least two of its holy trinity: God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Spider-Man.
And they were right.
Insomniac unveiled the latest adventure in what’s becoming a huge Spider-Man video game universe starring Miles Morales. Given what’s happening throughout the country with the Black Lives Matter protests, and of course Sony delaying the PS5 event because of the tragic murder of George Floyd, seeing Insomniac put Miles on center stage left me speechless. While the teaser didn’t reveal a whole lot, it did declare the biggest news of all: Spider-Man: Miles Morales will launch Holiday 2020. That’s a huge power play by Sony to not only have a Spider-Man sequel be a launch title for the PS5, but the decision to focus on Miles is amazing. Here’s hoping to the idea of an eventual Into the Spider-Verse-adopted game universe.
Sony’s near-perfect showcase ended with another amazing look at a highly-anticipated sequel: Horizon Forbidden Forest. The trailer for Guerrilla’s game shows Aloy embarking across many different landscapes and environments, including possibly exploring underwater. In addition to new areas to explore, Aloy will encounter new robotic enemies. If you weren’t envisioning taking down those elephants or the giant turtle you’re lying to yourself. No release window was given for Horizon Forbidden Forest.
Obviously, those were the two massive heavy hitters for Sony, and it was great on their part to begin and end the reveal with them. But the middle of the reveal was also full of some very interesting titles that definitely caught my attention:
- Project Athia: Developed by Square Enix, Project Athia looks like a hidden Final Fantasy title with an unknown release date. Rogue One‘s Gary Whitta announced he led the writing team in creating this beautifully, mysterious fantasy world.
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits: The winner of best looking game not named Horizon Forbidden Forest goes to Kena: Bridge of Spirits. From Ember Lab, Kena: Bridge of Spirits‘s graphics are absolutely stunning, and resemble a modern Disney film. Sign me up.
- Deathloop: Bethesda first teased Deathloop at E3 2019, so this was our first extended look at their next title. The concept is simple: you’re stuck in a time loop on an island being hunted and you have to eventually break from the loop. The mechanics and various ways to kill people look completely bonkers with a wide range of weaponry and abilities. Also, having two Black characters headlining the game is pretty awesome, too.
- Demon Souls: Admittedly, I had no idea Demon Souls was a remake, so I have nothing to compare it too. With that being said, what a reveal: flying demons, sword-wielding skeletons, fiery-flying demons, and giant dragon-headed demon. Literally, what more can you ask for?
- Resident Evil VIII: Village: Capcom is back, and not with just killing zombies, but a whole slew of supernatural creatures. Village puts you up against werewolves, possibly witches, and what appeared to be a black goat which resembles Lucifer. Notable franchise regular Chris Redfield also appeared at the end of the trailer with a release window of 2021.
- Pragmata: A whole lot happened in this trailer that, quite frankly, doesn’t make sense, but screw it. We got Norman Reedus from Death Stranding (not really, but absolutely looks like it), a hologram of a see-through cat, a homeless A.I. girl, and then, wait for it, a satellite crashes through a hologram of the sky. Fake-Reedus and the A.I. girl go Plus Ultra and fly up like Eri and Deku from My Hero Academia, and eventually land on the moon. Being developed by Capcom, Pragmata has a release window of 2022, so it’s an understatement to say it’ll be interesting to see what exactly Pragmata turns out to be.
- Stray: A cat with a tiny backpack coming in 2021. I’m satisfied.
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart: Sony’s lovable duo are back for their next adventure, and instead of asking “where” they are, we’ll be asking “when”. The trailer shows Ratchet and Clank falling through portals of time with Clank advising Ratchet they need to get back to the ship before it’s too late. Finally, Clank is dropped into a futuristic, robotic city without Ratchet. Instead, a female similar to Ratchet drops in right after Clank asking “Who?” Ratchet & Clank: Rifts Apart currently has an unknown release date.
Sony displayed many more games during the showcase that weren’t highlighted above, but the curtain was also pulled back on the console itself. Typically a black console (other than special editions), the PS5 will be a two-toned console with the majority of it being white. The controller hinted that the console would resemble a white and black toned design. Unlike Microsoft, Sony took a creative stab at the console design and made it unique enough that it’s receiving comparisons to WiFi routers, hotels from Dubai, and overstuffed, lop-sided sandwiches if laid on its side. At the end of the day, the design of the console should be the least of our worries, what matters are the games being played on it.
In addition to finally showing off the console, Sony also surprised with the reveal of a Digital-only edition to be released along side the normal Standard edition. Sony (smartly) did not reveal a price point or hard release date for the PlayStation 5, most likely waiting for Microsoft to make the first move on that front. Having the Digital-only edition opens up a few different ways Sony can price the next-gen console. Ultimately, Sony’s PS5 reveal hit many of the high expectations bestowed upon it and certainly got the hype train rolling. Sony has an impressive lineup of launch titles and seems poised for a massive 2021.
It’s an exciting time to be a PlayStation fan.
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