The much-awaited PlayStation digital event has finally concluded. We’ve seen a fair bit of games in the event – something which every fan looked forward to. If you missed the reveals, be sure to head to the official PlayStation Youtube channel to see them all. This article is focused on the highlights of the show for those lazy enough to not have watched the video.
Of course, we always recommend that you watch the entire event and then take a call of your own. There may be specifics you don’t want to miss – including a sneak peek of the new console itself.
Too many games, too little ‘actual’ gameplay
The PlayStation reveal event was hailed to be one of the best digital events, and let’s be honest – it delivered a pretty solid show. The event did exactly what events should do – reveal new stuff and leave people salivating for what’s next. We got to see 25 brand new games – which is definitely something to be excited about. However, when it came to actual gameplay, the event organizers decided to shy away a bit. The only exclusive of which actual gameplay clips were shown off was Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, and it was pretty decent (definitely worth watching the event for this gameplay alone, especially if you are a Ratchet and Clank fan). However, we didn’t get more than trailers for the other exclusives during the event. Showing off a bit of gameplay from each of the exclusives (particularly from Horizon Forbidden West – that would have been rad!) could have made the event reach heights no one could have imagined.
Exclusives, more quality than quantity
People expected to see quite some first-party exclusives and some gameplay, and the event managed to deliver – at least on the reveals of the exclusives. Spiderman: Miles Morales adds more to explore in the Spiderman universe with Miles Morales in the lead. But the best reveal was definitely that of Horizon Forbidden West – as everyone expected to see Aloy back for another game (we really grow attached to our favorite game characters, don’t we?). Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart was definitely another thing I am personally excited about (having seen the gameplay for myself). If your backlog isn’t crying loudly enough yet, Returnal is sure to make it weep – its very concept seemed awesome from the trailer itself (also nice to see first-party studios try some new stuff). The Demon’s Souls remake and Gran Turismo 7 are definitely exclusives to add to the list for their audiences, even though I can’t say I am particularly excited for them. All the trailers were of high quality, showcasing brief moments from the game that are to become cherished memories in the days to come.
From the digital event, it was clear that Sony’s focus was on quality, not quantity. I never thought I would say this, but I actually shared my frustration with the Youtube chat (who always seem to have a relevant opinion on everything). Some more time could have been spared for showcasing the AAA first-party exclusives in a bit more detailed manner. The total number of games showcased is sure to tingle your senses, however, even though we didn’t exactly get to see gameplay in each and every showcase.
A couple of remakes
I can’t say I’m that excited for remakes unless they add something new to the mix that makes me enjoy the game more than I did before. The event had two major remakes that one could lay their eyes on. Take-Two has jumped on the Grand Theft Auto 5 bandwagon again for earning more money – this time by enhancing the game and re-releasing it for the PlayStation 5. Grand Theft Auto 5 is truly becoming The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim for Take-Two, as they follow the exact same strategy of re-releasing the game on different platforms with minor changes to pull in more bucks (guess Shark Cards can never truly be enough, can they?) While the game isn’t technically a “remake” in the true sense of the term – it still was relevant enough to be the first reveal of the event, so I guess it qualifies.
Demon’s Souls‘ remake is slightly more interesting. There have been rumors that the remake is only a timed PlayStation 5 exclusive, and it will soon make its way to the PC alongside a remaster of Bloodborne. The rumor had suggested that both remakes are being made by Bluepoint Games, and that rumor did turn out to be true. It’s definitely fun to be a Soulsborne fan in this day, as you get to replay the bosses you already defeated – to only have them defeat you in harsh and more cruel ways than ever before.
Note that the digital event was strangely silent on the Silent Hill remake, which was teased by quite a few prominent industry insiders. I guess the Silent Hill remake reveal is scheduled for another more favorable day, probably because Sony already had too much on their plate at the moment.
Insomniac Games outdoing themselves
You probably saw this coming from a mile away. Yep, the makers of games like Sunset Overdrive and Spiderman have really outdone themselves this time. They were supposed to show only a new Ratchet and Clank game, with the new Spiderman game being scheduled for later. However, they threw aside all rumors to showcase not one, but two games – both trailers being action and jam-packed, enough to make you excited. Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart definitely seems like a technical marvel – Insomniac leveraging the transfer speeds of the PS5’s SSD to their advantage to get rid of loading screens. There is a rumor that the technology is being tested for a future Spiderverse game, which would definitely be awesome.
Seeing Miles Morales as Spiderman is definitely something most fans could not have expected. Yep, your friendly neighborhood Spiderman is back in web-slinging action! Considering the high quality of Spiderman, we can be sure that Spiderman: Miles Morales is worth getting excited about. There is some controversy about whether the game is a proper sequel or not, but I hardly think that matters as long we get to play as Spiderman and save the neighborhood. This time, the game should feature ray-traced puddles too, taking full advantage of the PS5 architecture.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHzuHo80U2M
Congratulations, Insomniac Games – well played, indeed.
A plethora of indies to be excited about
If you’re more excited about playing indie games, then there’s something for you too! A wide variety of indies from different genres were revealed during the event that’s sure to get you riled up. There’s a lot of freedom for trying out new concepts in indie games that can’t be seen in the development of AAA’s (or even AA’s for that matter).
Take off into the void by fast running through a surreal, vivid and unique world filled with monsters in Solar Ash. The game features quite a bit of slice, dice, and cut for fans of slash ’em ups. Kena: Bridge of Spirits features the protagonist Kena in a vivid world akin to a hybrid of Avatar and The Last Airbender. While described as a ‘Zelda clone’, the game has a fair bit of uniqueness as it utilizes the natural elements – some of which might be against you.
If that doesn’t float your boat, get into the world of Jett: The Far Shore. Set in a dystopian future where all hope for the human race seems lost – the game gives off a few creepy vibes that I can’t steer clear of, yet can’t get more out of the trailer. It’s not yet clear what genre it belongs to, though it seems to be a strategy game from the trailer. Goodbye Volcano High is yet another promising indie that is a satirical story of a high school for dinosaurs called Volcano High. A text-based RPG, the game’s hand-drawn graphics seem really cool, even more so if you have a thing for RPGs.
Abe is back with his dark humor in Oddworld: Soulstorm. The world still looks grim and intense, and the character models look even better than before thanks to the technological prowess of the PlayStation 5. Bugsnax is a weird game that seems to be about animals eating bugs who are styled as “foods”.
Stray takes place in a dystopian future where all humans have died off. It seems that robots have replaced humans in their roles, with cats being their faithful servants. Don’t worry, these cats are only holograms with backpacks strapped to their necks. It is yet unclear what genre this game belongs to, but it sure does look cool. Little Devil Inside is another promising indie with a wide variety of settings varying from freezing tundras to scorching savannas and industrial cities and so on. The game seems akin to a roguelike with stealthy exploration, direct combat, and even hunting creatures like dragons.
Annapurna Interactive as the indie gods
If Insomniac Games outshone other developers in the AAA department, Annapurna Interactive proved to the god of indie reveals during the event. They had not one, but two games to showcase, both looking extremely promising. Stray and Solar Ash were really something, especially if you’re more of an indie guy! Sadly neither trailer was conclusive about gameplay features except the setting (basically Annapurna being Annapurna), but that’s exactly where the fun lies – guessing what’s there to come.
Good job guys, you deserve a pat on the back.
A ton of AAA’s to be excited about
Quite a few AAA games got unveiled, and there’s quite some hype for them. Hitman 3 and Resident Evil Village are two games that I am definitely excited about. People expected another Hitman game, and IO Interactive has delivered – we have now got Hitman 3 to be hyped about! Square Enix is bringing the heat through Project Athia – the footage shown looks incredible, even though it is in early development. If you’re not done yet, we’ve finally got Resident Evil Village, also hailed as Resident Evil 8 (secretly revealed in the trailer, thanks to Capcom!) with some pretty dark vibes – that’s certainly the way I want my horror game to be. Deathloop, revealed during last year’s E3, takes stealth-action gameplay to the next level in the new trailer. Add Horizon: Wild West, Spiderman: Miles Morales and Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart to that, and your backlog is going to be crying pretty hard in the next two years, that’s for sure.
The twin consoles
PlayStation 5 comes in two main variants. One is digital-only, allowing you to play only titles that you have purchased online on the PS Store (or elsewhere), while the other has a slot for the optical drive which is used for reading physical discs. The physical version allows you to play both digital as well as physical titles. Let’s be honest – one of the main advantages of a PlayStation console is that you can plug and play from discs directly, and that’s exactly why the appeal of the physical version is more. Sadly, the digital version looks more symmetrical and slightly better than the physical version if you ask me.
Both versions stand vertically up as was already leaked before (likely to dissipate more heat, it does come with a kick-ass processor confined in a pretty small space after all). The design looks pretty awesome, akin to those of prebuilt PCs. Maybe this will prompt more people to switch – that is if you aren’t already happy with the plethora of first-party exclusives that you only get to play on a PlayStation.
We hope you liked our take on the PlayStation event. Do stay tuned for updates and more gaming content.