Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. Features

The 5 big PlayStation 5 games you should keep an eye on

Chris Morris
By

While the hardware launch of the PlayStation 5 is commanding the spotlight right now, the console will really start to get interesting next year.

Launch titles are often underwhelming affairs, since developers haven’t had a chance to get to know what a console can do, and don’t receive final specs on the system until just a few months before the games come out. But in the coming generation, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

Sony and its publishing partners are taking pains to ensure there’s a steady flow of titles for the PS5 in the months to come. Some have a little way to go before they’re ready, but others will be in your hands in the weeks and months to come.

Related

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales

Arguably the most anticipated of any of this year’s launch titles, this follow-up to Insomniac’s PS4 hit showcases the rise of a new generation of Spider-Man.

Miles Morales is already a fan favorite – and the game’s open world will take advantage of the PS5’s fast level loading, making New York feel more fluid. There was some initial confusion about whether this would be DLC to the original game or a stand-alone, but this is its own game — and Miles’ moves are different than Peter Parker’s, meaning this is more than a cosmetic change.

There’s also the addition of Spidey’s feline companion, who helps in battles and has taken the internet by storm. Visually, this will be the title to beat at the start of the next console generation. And Insomniac’s track record makes it the odds-on favorite to beat gameplay-wise as well.

(Release date: November 12, 2020)

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

No game demo, to date, has showcased what the PS5 is capable of doing better than Rift Apart. The second by second dimensional hopping showed just how fast the console was capable of loading new levels and opens up new worlds of potential.

Insomniac hasn’t explored this flagship franchise for four years, giving developers plenty of time to hone the experience.  The key to the game is the rift tether, which allows Ratchet to grab and open dimensional rifts, then jump through them to teleport, helping him reach different vantage points. Rift Apart will debut in the PS5’s launch window, but Sony has yet to provide a date.

(Release date: TBD)

Deathloop

DEATHLOOP – Official E3 World Premiere

From Arkane Studios, the creators of Dishonored and Prey, this timed console exclusive is a fusion of Groundhog Day and a first-person shooter. Trapped on an island stuck in a time loop, you’ll work to eliminate eight key targets in a single loop — but their henchmen, and a rival assassin, seek to stop you.

The game is a mix of single and multiplayer. You’ll largely play as Colt, who’s trying to end the loop, but another player can temporarily enter your story as Julianna, the rival assassin, to stop you. (though you can opt-out of this.) It’s a unique take on action games by a developer who has a long history of turning genres on their ear.

(Release date: Q2 2021)

Final Fantasy XVI

Get comfortable if this one’s on your wish list. The long-awaited next entry in the fabled RPG series was confirmed as a PS5 console exclusive in September, but producer Naoki Yoshida says we won’t hear anything else about it until sometime in 2021. Square Enix is playing things close to its chest right now, only saying that the trailer it showed was a blend of battles and cutscenes.

“I expect everyone to have fun speculating, as we have a lot in store — not only for Final Fantasy XVI, but for Final Fantasy XIV, too,” said Yoshida.

(Release date: Your guess is as good as anyone’s)

Horizon: Forbidden West

You’ll return to the land of mechanical dinosaurs and bows and arrows as Aloy explores a new land that contains even bigger and more menacing machines. The land is dying, though, and it’s up to her to once again save Earth from extinction, by restoring order and balance to the planet, while forging new alliances and solving new mysteries.

(Release date: TBD)

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Chris Morris has covered consumer technology and the video game industry since 1996, offering analysis of news and trends and…
PlayStation Backbone controller gets an Android version ahead of PlayStation Showcase
A person sits on a bench with Backbone One - PlayStation Edition for Android.

A new Android version of the Backbone One -- PlayStation Edition is now available. The mobile controller brings the aesthetic of Sony's DualSense to Android phones.

Backbone One -- PlayStation Edition, a mobile gaming controller that copies the aesthetics of the PS5's DualSense, was first revealed and released in July 2022. At the time, though, only an iOS-compatible version of the mobile gaming controller was available. Now, Android users can pick up a version of the PS Backbone One that works with their phones. As its appearance and functionality are almost identical to the iOS version in almost every way, it's no surprise that the Backbone One -- PlayStation Edition for Android also costs $99.

Read more
Final Fantasy XVI’s first 3 hours play like a high fantasy Last of Us
Joshua speaks to Clive in Final Fantasy XVI.

When I demoed Final Fantasy XVI back in February, I had some questions. The slice I played was very much focused on the upcoming PS5 release’s combat system. I was immediately impressed with how fast and furious it was, bringing a bit of Devil May Cry to the RPG series. That said, there was quite a bit I didn’t see. The story mission I played would only give me a brief introduction to its hero, Clive Rosfield, and the war-torn nation in which the game takes place. I was itching to know more.

I’d get all those lingering questions answered when I went hands-on with the first three hours of the game, which launches on June 22. Rather than letting me test out an arsenal of spells, I’d start with a much less capable Clive with only a few attacks to his name. I’d get to see his full tragic backstory play out through long cinematics with only a few smaller gameplay snippets between. I’d leave my demo session with far fewer question marks, a bit more intrigue, and a couple of lingering concerns that could be alleviated later in the adventure.

Read more
Humanity is the best PS5 (and PSVR2) game I’ve played so far
Humans jump over a gap in Humanity.

Over the past few years, I’ve found myself mourning the PlayStation brand I grew up with. When I was a kid, PlayStation was an eccentric platform home to the kind of oddball creative swings you now only ever see indie publishers take a chance on. In the PS5 era, though, Sony has doubled down on a cinematic action-adventure formula that feels less safe (though likely way more profitable) by comparison. It’s an understandable pivot, but it leaves me hungry for more diverse experiences on my PS5.

Thankfully, that desire has been satiated with Humanity, a game that’s already nabbing several impressive accolades from me. It’s the best reason to subscribe to PS Plus, the best game currently available on PlayStation VR2, and perhaps the best PS5 console-exclusive period (it’s also available on PC via Steam). The unique puzzler has all the markings of those left-field PlayStation classics I love … except for the fact it wasn’t developed or published by Sony at all.

Read more