Sony has treated us to a further preview of all that the new PlayStation 5 has to offer. The biggest looming questions were answered around its price, which predictably have been matched with Microsoft’s Xbox’s Series X – both retailing at £449.00 in the UK. A unique approach that both Sony and Microsoft are taking is the release of a ‘Digital Edition’ of their consoles, with Sony’s coming in at £359.00 – although Microsoft will be going way cheaper with its version at £249 (no doubt to try and get a leg up in the never-ending console wars).
One of the more eyebrow-raising moments to come out following this preview was the news that some of the launch titles will be priced at a hefty £70.00. However, this will be somewhat offset by the announcement of the PlayStation Plus collection. Though it’s much like the PS Plus subscription, this new iteration will be uploaded with a stellar ready-to-play line up of PS4 classics (as opposed to only getting two or three handpicked titles a month), featuring classics such as God Of War, Uncharted 4, The Last of Us: Remastered, Infamous and Batman: Arkham Knight, with many more to come.
Sadly, we weren’t treated to some of the highly rumoured previews such as a new Silent Hill or an Uncharted sequel (Naughty Dog are probably still trying to work out how Nathan Drake can go about his usual treasure hunting exploits on a Zimmer frame). But fear not, we’ve still gone ahead and handpicked some of the best genre showings from Sony’s high-profile showcase. And in case you missed it, you can check out our PlayStation launch event breakdown from June.
Final Fantasy XVI
Following on from the extended success of 2010’s online Final Fantasy, FFXIV – A Realm Reborn, Square Enix, has steered its efforts in a similarly medieval set direction for its 16th instalment of the franchise.
Although we’re sure many fans will be happy that the series falling back on a more magical and less high tech-focussed approach, we’ll still be waiting anxiously for the announcement of the FFVII Remake – Part 2, although based on the first instalment’s development history we won’t be holding our breaths on that one!
Spiderman: Miles Morales
Arguably one the best announcements from June’s PS5 launch event was the reveal of a sequel to Insomniac Games’ Spiderman. Not only is it one of the best games that the PlayStation 4 has to offer, but potentially of any comic book adaption in a gaming format (sorry Bats!).
If there were any fears that this follow-up might suffer from the same issues as the Batman: Arkham series in terms of repetition, those reservations should be well and truly be put to bed judging on this high-octane game play trailer; revealing an electrifying new range of moves and abilities from Miles, who’ll be taking over the Spidey mantle for this iteration. With great power, comes a great responsibility to not mess up this sequel… although it’s safe to assume they’ve got this one in the bag.
Hogwarts Legacy
This preview will no doubt have Harry Potter fans rejoicing with the chance to revisit Hogwarts in this open world set RPG. Taking place in the 1800s, you’ll take control of a young Wizard and “embark on a journey through familiar and new locations as you explore and discover fantastic beasts, customise your character and craft potions, master spell casting, upgrade talents, and become the wizard you want to be.”
All sounds relatively promising, and with it seemingly having nothing to do with the Fantastic Beasts series, all the better.
Deathloop
One of the most exciting titles coming to PS5 is Deathloop, a Live Die Repeat inspired first person shooter. Here you take control of assassin, Colt, after he mysteriously wakes up on the island beach of Blackreef and finds himself (you guessed it) stuck in an endless timeloop.
His only means of escape are to take out eight targets on the island, but if he can’t do so in the loop’s time limit, it resets itself. Adding an extra layer to proceedings, you can also take the role in multiplayer mode as Julianna, who serves as a protector of the loop and has her sights set on stopping Colt. Hopefully this one lives up to its frantic and fascinating premise.
God of War: Ragnarök
“Ragnarök is coming!” Hell yes it is! Sony saves its best for last with the reveal of a follow up to the critically acclaimed God of War. Details are scarce at this stage on the return to this Nordic-based action-adventure, with no game footage revealed just yet. Nevertheless, what we can assume to expect is Kratos wielding his axe once again and smashing through anything that crosses his path, whilst Atreus (Boy!) will most likely continue to get bollocked by his dad the entire time. Nothing like a bit of good old-fashioned father/son bonding!
PlayStation 5 will be released worldwide on 19 November 2020.
