With no E3 this year, normally taking place in June, Sony hosted their own digital event on June 11. The PlayStation Future of Gaming Show revealed the physical PlayStation 5 console (above), along with oodles of trailers and game announcements for upcoming PlayStation 5 games. We saw lots of robots, time-loops, and charming indie games, as well as some big reveals, like a sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn.
We’ve organized all the new games and trailers below.
Horizon Forbidden West
The big end of show reveal was a confirmed sequel to one of the PlayStation 4’s best games, Horizon Zero Dawn. The sequel is called Horizon Forbidden West, and continues Aloy’s journey across a futuristic earth filled with robotic creatures. The Forbidden West refers to the new setting for the sequel – North America, which includes aquatic ruins and new underwater exploration.
Release: TBA
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
The Miles Morales version of Spider-Man (from Marvel’s Ultimate universe) is becoming more popular thanks to the excellent Into the Spider-verse animated film. Miles also had an important role in the first PlayStation game by Insomniac Games, Marvel’s Spider-Man. According to a follow-up interview at The Telegraph (paywall), Miles Morales is an “expansion and an enhancement to the previous game.” It’s unclear whether this is a remaster with new content, or a stand-alone game.
Release: Holiday 2020
Project Athia
Project Athia doesn’t event have a proper title, yet we were treated to a trailer starring a woman jumping around a beautiful landscape filled with terrifying monsters. We don’t know much else about it, other than it’s being developed by Luminous Productions, published by Square Enix, and launching as a timed exclusive to PlayStation 5 (and PC).
Release: TBA
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
I didn’t think a Ratchet & Clank game would have one of the most impressive showings out of a 60+ minute lineup of games, but here we are. The combination of slick trailer, gorgeous art style, and actual gameplay made for a compelling preview of this dimensional hopping action-adventure sequel starring the veteran PlayStation duo.
Release: TBA
Hitman 3
Agent 47 returns in a much more narrative-driven adventure. Hitman 3 is the conclusion to the World of Assassination trilogy, and will still feature assassination missions with lots of freedom and flexibility. Hitman 3 is also launching for PlayStation 4.
Release: January 2021
Demon’s Souls
Large monsters? Gothic fantasy world? It’s gotta be a Souls game! Demon’s Souls is a remake of the original game that started the popular sub-genre of action-RPG. Players can choose between two modes: Better graphics, or better framerate. Can we not do both by now?
Release: TBA
Resident Evil Village
While watching the trailer for Resident Evil Village, a friend remarked that it looked like the next Resident Evil game. I cynically replied that not every horror game is Resident Evil. Then the title card appeared, and I feasted on crow. Resident Evil 8 takes place after 7, and stars protagonist Ethan Winters searching for his missing wife, and meeting series veteran Chris Redfield.
Release: 2021
Stray
Imagine this: a dystopian cyberpunk city filled with robots instead of humans. Oh, and you play as a seemingly normal cat. Annapurna Interactive has published some incredible, thought-provoking indie games over the last several years. We’re very excited to see how that translates into exploring a robot city as a cat.
Release: 2021
Returnal
In Edge of Tomorrow (also known as Live, Die, Repeat), Tom Cruise relives the same alien invasion attack over and over, always repeating after his death. In Returnal, an astronaut crash lands on a hostile alien planet. But every time she dies, she relives the same events. Returnal is developed by Finnish studio Housemarque, and represents a big step up from their usual arcade games.
Release: TBA
Destruction AllStars
Kids love Fortnite right? And Rocket League! Well do we have the game for you! Clearly ribbing on Fortnite’s zany, costumed aesthetic, Destruction AllStars features Rocket League multiplayer vehicular mayhem, but without a soccer ball. Instead the goal is to simply wreck your opponents, while looking as flamboyantly awesome as possible.
Release: TBA
Sackboy: A Big Adventure
Little Big Planet allowed players to craft their own platforming levels starring a cute little stuffy creature called Sackboy. Now Sackboy is getting his own spin-off adventure that looks more like a traditional 3D platformer, though with room for up to three of his friends in co-op multiplayer.
Release: TBA
Oddworld Soulstorm
The Oddworld series is as old as the PlayStation itself, spawning several sequels and spin-offs that take place on the Oddworld alien planet. Soulstorm is a remake of the second game, Oddworld: Abe’s Exoddus, originally released in 1998. The first game was remade in 2014 as Oddworld: New ‘n Tasty, so there’s no excuse not to catch up on this quirky platforming-puzzle series.
Release: TBA
Kena: Bridge of Spirits
Watching this trailer, there is no way you could guess this is made by a tiny indie studio. The founding brothers of Ember Labs have a background in animation, and it shows in the gorgeous art and world of Kena: Bridge of Spirits. Gameplay takes a lot of cues from The Legend of Zelda, as well as Pikmin with controlling the cute little critters.
Release: TBA
Goodbye Volcano High
Developed by Canadian indie studio KO-OP, Goodbye Volcano High is described as an end of era love story. It’s a narrative-focused adventure that takes place in a high school with a bunch of anthropomorphic dinosaur teenagers. A tale as old as time.
Release: 2021
GhostWire: Tokyo
GhostWire: Tokyo was originally announced last year during E3, but during the PlayStation 5 event we were treated to some actual gameplay footage. GhostWire is a first-person action-horror game from the developers of the Evil Within series. You play as a one-person Ghostbuster taking down evil spirits terrorizing the city.
Release: 2021
JETT: The Far Shore
I’ve watched the trailer for JETT: The Far Shore twice and I’m still not sure what kind of game it is. Thankfully the developer describes it as an open world sci-fi exploration game, tasked with scouting a new alien planet, which features an archipelago amidst a vast alien ocean.
Release: Holiday 2020
Godfall
Most of the videos shown during the PS5 event are fancy cinematic trailers. We already saw that for Godfall last year. This time we get pure gameplay, and the Destiny-like melee co-op action-RPG is looking mighty fine.
Release: Holiday 2020
NBA 2K21
Surprise! Sports games are coming to the PlayStation 5. I’m not sure at what point publishers realized that amazing graphics in a sports game = lots of sweat, but here we are. The sweatiest NBA 2K game yet!
Release: Fall 2020
Gran Turismo 7
Publishers love releasing racing games as early new console titles to show off graphical fidelity and framerates. Gran Turismo 7 certainly looks gorgeous, but many of the PS5’s new features aren’t readily apparent in the trailer, including haptic feedback controls and 3D audio.
Release: TBA
Solar Ash
From Heart Machine, the developers of the excellent Hyper Light Drifter, comes Solar Ash. Solar Ash takes place in a dream-like alien world as players race through violent storms, slay massive monsters, and meet mysterious characters.
Release: 2021
Deathloop
Deathloop is made by Arkane Studios, the makers of the fantastic Dishonored series, and features similar first-person shooting, stealth, and supernatural powers. Two rival assassins are locked in an endless, repeatable loop. Your goal is to take out eight primary targets before dying and having to start the day over again.
Release: Holiday 2020
Little Devil Inside
One of the quirkiest indie games shown at the event, Little Devil Inside is the result of a successful Kickstarter campaign back in 2015. It’s a survival adventure RPG that’s less about slaying monsters in dungeons and more about surviving harsh environments and managing your expedition team.
Release: TBA
Pragmata
Leave it to Capcom to give us a truly bizarre trailer starring an astronaut and a young girl with mysterious powers. There’s a holographic kitty, a post-apocalytpic city, a bunch of weird tech stuff, an exploding anti-gravity satellite, and being transported to the moon. Pragmata wins the Death Stranding award for weirdest trailer.
Release: 2022
Bugsnax
The makers of the very goofy physics-comedy game Octodad are making another very goofy game called Bugsnax. Snaktooth Island is home to an odd assortment of half-bug, half-food creatures. Eating these adorable creatures (you monster) apparently transforms your body into food-like appendages.
Release: Holiday 2020
Astro’s Playroom
Remember when game consoles came bundled with games at launch? PlayStation 5 will include Astro’s Playroom pre-loaded, allowing players to explore four worlds based on different areas of the console itself. A cute, interactive way to show off what the PS5 is capable of.
Release: Holiday 2020
