Gaming fans across the globe had been waiting with baited breath for Sony’s PS5 reveal event. Finally, after numerous rumoured delays and then a weeks delay that we do know about due to current events – it happened! The show was pre-taped and filmed in a really professional way, which was a welcome change during the pandemic. We were treated to some great content, so let’s break it down.
Coming out of the event one of my main takes was how well paced the show was. Blockbuster AAA games all over the place with smaller titles sprinkled in-between. Each game was given time as well, instead of the smaller games being glossed over. There was the odd game that just didn’t appeal to me, but very rarely was it not followed up by something that pulled me back in.
The show started with the Rockstar logo, at which point I think everyone – myself included – began freaking out thinking we were getting a first look at GTA 6, Bully 2, LA Noire 2 or even long lost exclusive The Agent. But alas, it was just GTA V. The game that cannot and will not go away.
Initially I was really disappointed, but to be fair GTA Online is still absolutely huge, so confirmation that it is coming to PS5 and that the online portion will be free to all PS+ subscribers was pretty cool. Also, even to someone who only dabbled with the online, $1,000,000 in game per month until the PS5 launches is a pretty sweet deal. The other reason it was good to start with this is because it got the one ported game they wanted to show out of the way, followed by a splash screen showing that the rest of the conference would be focusing on PlayStation 5 games.
The first big hitter was Spider-Man Miles Morales which looked great. There was a lot of confusion about what the game actually was. DLC? A Re-skin? A full game? Well the next day Sony finally clarified that it would be a standalone game, likely shorter than the original game. Think of it like Infamous First Light, which was released as a separate product back in 2014.
Personally I think this is a great move. Spoilers, but the scene was set for Miles Morales at the end of the 2018 game and with the success of Into The Spider-Verse it’s a great time to begin to tell his story. This also leaves you with Spider-Man 2 in the coming years to continue with the ground work that has been laid for Peter Parker.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart was heaped with praise immediately after it’s impressive showing, but quickly disappeared off the radar with other games hogging the conversation. There is no question that the game is going to be excellent though. The 2016 re-imagining exceeded even the most lofty expectations and so that same addictive gameplay and the near instant jumping between worlds all wrapped up in a game that looks straight out a Pixar film – it’s a can’t miss!
Another conference highlight was the now launch exclusive Deathloop by Arkane Studios. This was first revealed at E3 last year looks to be a natural evolution of the Dishonored gameplay. From the small amount we have seen so far it looks frantic and fast paced but I am hoping it has retained some of the stealth approach as well. It’s set to come out holiday 2020 and could be one of the first real gems on the next generation.
Ghostwire: Tokyo had always been a game I was interested in. Especially with Shinji Mikami and Tango Gameworks behind it. However while I still think it will be a great game, the confirmation that it will be played from a first person perspective was a bit of a downer. It also did appear to be a more action focused game which has tempered my hype a little. I will be watching future gameplay videos closely to get a better idea of what we can expect. This game was also confirmed to launch exclusively on PlayStation 5.
My favourite reveal of the whole show was left for last though. I had fully expected Guerrilla Games to show a Horizon 2 teaser, but what we got with Forbidden West exceeded all my expectations. The game looks incredible and appears to build on all the great combat, exploration and story beats from the original. It was a little disappointing that we didn’t get a release window, although through interviews we now know they aim to hit 2021. The advantages of letting a reveal simmer for a few days before releasing your write up eh?
The best part of this PS5 reveal for me was that it pretty much had something for everyone. In the above paragraphs I just laid out a few of the cool games coming to PlayStation hardware in the next two years. When you factor in the likes of Demons Souls, Resident Evil Village, Godfall, Pragmata, Little Devil Inside, Gran Turismo 7, Sackboy: A Big Adventure and then the continuation of one of my favourite gaming series in Hitman 3, it’s really difficult to say this was anything other than a home run for Sony.
We even have PSVR mascot Astro Bot returning in Astro’s Playroom which will be bundled with all PS5 consoles and used to show off all the new features of the dual sense controller. When you take all these games into consideration alongside third party titles like FIFA, Madden, NBA 2K, Watch Dogs, Assassin’s Creed, Call of Duty and countless others this is set to be a really strong console lineup.
Sony ended the show with a first look at the PlayStation 5 console, which while being a bit divisive has been received mostly positive. It’s a large departure from previous generations as it retains the two tone design. As you can tell by the comparison below it’s also absolutely massive. This instantly reminded me of the original PS3, which felt gigantic in contrast to the PS2 slim.
Overall I thought Sony delivered in a huge way with the PS5 reveal and I think they have laid down a huge marker for the next generation of console gaming. Up next is Microsoft in July and I really think they are going to pull out some big guns as well. Competition breeds success and anyone with a real love for gaming should be rooting for all companies to do well.
-VDZE ✌️