Image via Sony
The PlayStation 5 launch suffered from a scarcity of consoles and a lack of PS5 exclusives. We gave the console a glowing review in November 2020, where among other things, we referred to the PS5 as “the future of gaming.” But no matter the raw potential, that potential needs to be put into action. Everyone who wants a PS5 should be able to get one. And until the developers step fully into the next generation and stop the cross-platform titles, they will be held back by the constraints of the former.
It’s why the livestream PlayStation Showcase on September 9 generated so much excitement. The supply chain still needs work; Sony doesn’t expect to have that sorted until 2022. But the trailers we got made it clear: the PS4 is on its way out, and the PS5 current-gen exclusives are on their way in.
Here are the major highlights from the PlayStation Showcase on September 9.
Marvel's Wolverine
System(s): PlayStation 5
Release: N/A
Insomniac, the developers behind Marvel’s Spider-Man and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, is tackling another Marvel superhero; this time, it’s Wolverine. The teaser trailer shows the aftermath of a bloody bar fight, and it ends with Wolverine unsheathing his adamantium claws, ready to kill the last man attacking him from behind.
Between their Spider-Man titles and the more recent Ratchet & Clank: A Rift Apart, Insomniac has a knack for creating escapist, immersive wish fulfillments, where your super-powered character feels like an extension of yourself. Logan’s healing factor, claw attacks, and berserker rage seem tailor-made for a video game adaptation.
The graphics look absolutely stunning. Based on the trailer, Wolverine will take place in a dusty, neo-Western environment. It’ll be exciting to see how Insomniac defines this space, and if the studio can make the environment a character unto itself.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2
System(s): PlayStation 5
Release: 2023
This reveal was more expected than the others, but thanks to its end twist, it was equally exciting. Insomniac is developing Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. There’s every reason to be psyched because a huge chunk of this game is a known quantity.
We played the other two games, and we know the developers captured the freewheeling joy that comes with web-slinging across Manhattan. We know the fighting is fun and works with both stealth and direct style approaches. We know the story is worthy; the first two games’ writing made us care about these characters, and we want to see what they’ll do next.
All that’s missing is a good villain; based on the end of the first game, we thought that the main sequel villain would be Norman Osborn / Green Goblin. And he might still be the villain. But now we know that at the very least, we’re getting Venom. Maybe finally, someone can do this face-off justice.
GTA V: Enhanced Edition
System(s): PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Release: March 2022
Rockstar Games announced that the enhanced edition of GTA V for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S will no longer be released in November. Instead, the studio pushed it to March of next year.
With seamless character switching, improved mechanics and improved graphics, the latest port of GTA V will no doubt make a lot of money, especially with the addition of GTA Online to the current-gen consoles. There’s still no word on GTA VI, or official confirmation that it’s in the works.
God of War: Ragnarök
System(s): PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
Release: 2022
The Greek saga of Kratos got a little tiresome near the end, a result of overexposure and a thin characterization of Kratos; had no emotion or depth aside from endless, destructive rage. But then, God of War (2018) reimagined Kratos as an older, more reflective, uncomfortable father, who traded in his blades for an axe and took down trolls instead of his aunts and uncles.
The upcoming God of War: Ragnarök will conclude the Norse saga, and will cast Thor, the God of Thunder, as Kratos’ enemy. Most importantly, the father-son relationship, which drove the previous game and gave it gravitas, is again the star.
“More of the same” is perfectly fine if you’re working off the template that Ragnarok is.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic—Remake
System(s): PlayStation 5
Release: N/A
It’s early in its development, but Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic—regarded by many as the finest Star Wars games ever made—is being remade. “Remade” is the key word here—it’s not the old game with a new coat of paint on it. It’s a re-imagining, hopefully with everything we loved and remembered from the original game, plus a more expansive experience, with modernized controls to boot.
Set 4,000 years before the events of the movies, Knights of the Old Republic introduced Star Wars fans to Darth Revan, one of the Expanded Universe’s most complex, important characters.
Other news
There were other major announcements as well. Gran Turismo 7 is coming to PS4 and PS5 on March 4. Uncharted: A Thief’s End and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy are being remastered and packaged together as the Legacy of Thieves Collection, and will be arriving on PS5 and PC in early 2022. And we were impressed by the dystopian action RPG Project Eve, which included footage of the main character battling monsters in a moody, abandoned subway.