Video Games

In another life, this week would have been E3 2020 at the Los Angeles Convention Centre. The glitz, the hubbub — all of it would be laid out to reveal what to expect from the hotly anticipated fall releases of the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5. Xbox gave us a nibble of third-party games in its previous showcase, y’know, as a treat. Unfortunately, the vast majority of what Xbox put on display was rated M.

But Sony gave us the whole (mostly kid-friendly) meal.

The console’s design, mostly shown standing upright but it will be able to lay flat, while being subject to some rather hilarious memes, is sleek and beautiful in white, black, and blue, reminiscent of Mass Effect’s aesthetic. The new DualShock controller will match. The PlayStation 5’s additional peripherals (not seeing a PlayStation VR headset yet) will also be in white, including controller chargers, a 3D audio headset to take advantage of the PS5’s built-in 3D audio, and a new PlayStation camera.

Sony revealed that there will be two PlayStation 5’s available at launch, one with disc-drive and one without. Microsoft has yet to confirm whether or not an all-digital edition (much like the Xbox One S All Digital) will be available at launch, meaning that Sony’s ahead of the game there. 

Sadly, there is no word on pricing for either flavor of the PS5, meaning that we can’t even pre-order the darn thing just yet. 

But! It wasn’t just a day for the console’s form factor or how much it may cost at launch. It was also a day about games.

In case you didn’t catch the stream, here’s what we can anticipate for kid-friendly and teen games on PlayStation 5. 

For Teens

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales

We’re finally seeing Miles Morales firmly taking the reins in the follow-up to 2018’s Marvel’s Spider-Man. Insomniac’s interpretation of Spidey brought in some serious accolades (and certainly stoked our infinite hype train). Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales will be coming out this holiday season, although we don’t know if it will be considered a launch title or will be released shortly thereafter. 

Miles Morales, the Spider-Man from Earth-1610 in the Marvel Comic Universe, is primed to take over for Peter Parker in the video game space, especially after his exceptional appearance in the much beloved animated film, Into the Spiderverse. We’re looking forward to taking to New York City with Miles’ new powerset at our fingertips.

Note: Sony has clarified that Miles’ new game is a stand alone expansion similar in scope to Uncharted: Lost Legacy.

Horizon: Forbidden West

Believe it or not, Horizon Zero Dawn, released in 2017 on PlayStation 4, is rated T. Yes, Aloy’s treacherous journey through the beautiful tech-infested wilderness, is a T-rated game. Sony revealed today that Aloy’s next adventure, Horizon: Forbidden West, will be coming to PlayStation 5. Aloy will be facing even more arduous challenges in unforgiving terrain. There’s currently no release date for Forbidden West, but if you haven’t had a chance to play Zero Dawn, now is the time. The first game, Horizon Zero Dawn, will be coming to Steam sometime this summer and is currently available on PlayStation 4. 

Gran Turismo 7

Gran Turismo has long been a PlayStation staple — much longer than Forza has been the racing game for Xbox. But there hasn’t been a numbered Gran Turismo game since Gran Turismo 6 on the PlayStation 3. (We got Gran Turismo Sport on PlayStation 4.) Gran Turismo 7 appears to be an homage to the most beloved, in this writer’s opinion anyway, entry in the series: Gran Turismo 3, which came out for the PlayStation 2. 

Gran Turismo 7 is, much like its predecessors, breathtaking. It’s certainly putting the ray-tracing capabilities of the PlayStation 5 through its paces. As of the June showcase, there is no release date available for Gran Turismo 7. 

Goodbye Volcano High

Who doesn’t love a coming-of-age story about anthropomorphic dinosaurs? Goodbye Volcano High, a game from Ko_op Mode, is a “cinematic narrative game” and, of course, a love story. And no teen love story is complete without a great soundtrack, which Goodbye Volcano High will have. The game will be available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Steam in 2021. Want more? Check out their website. 

Destruction Allstars

Vehicular mayhem sans visceral violence means that Destruction Allstars, from Lucid Games, is likely going to be a T-rated game, even if it’s on the more mature end of the T-range. (We’re looking at you, Final Fantasy VII Remake). With a future-tech Mad Max vibe and Burnout levels of carnage, Destruction Allstars is definitely going on our wishlist as a must-play high-intensity romp. 

For Kids

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

We knew that the PlayStation 5 would have to bring us some Ratchet & Clank, but we weren’t sure if it would be a launch title or if we would be getting it somewhere down the line. Well, Insomniac’s beloved anthropomorphic-robot buddy action-adventure platformer doesn’t have a release date yet, but the next installment in the series, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, does look beautiful. 

Rift Apart follows in the narrative footsteps of 2016’s Ratchet & Clank, so if you were a little lost on what’s going on with the story, you can pick that game up today on PlayStation 4. 

Sackboy: A Big Adventure

Sackboy is back! Who knew that we would miss the little guy so much? We’ve been hanging out in Sackboy’s world since 2008’s debut title, LittleBigPlanet, for the PlayStation 3. But this next adventure looks a little different than any of the previous installments in the series — it’s a full 3D platformer now! (Remember that LBP is a mostly 2D side-scrolling platformer.) 

Sackboy: A Big Adventure will still allow you to play with up to three of our friends (or family), but we don’t know much more than that at the moment. There is no release date announced as of the conference.

Kena: Bridge of Spirits

There is something so wholesome and welcoming about a lush green forest, magic, and furry puffball friends to keep safe. Kena: Bridge of Spirits is exactly the kind of game that we love to see geared towards kids, too. Kena is a story-driven action-adventure game. According to the developers, Ember Labs, the main protagonist (Kena) needs to “find and grow a team of tiny spirit companions called the Rot, enhancing their abilities and creating new ways to manipulate the environment.”

It’s a breathtaking game that will definitely tug on our collective heartstrings. No release date is available, but we’re crossing our fingers for 2021.

Astro’s Playroom

There is almost nothing we can say about this game, other than Astro’s Playroom is building on the utter adorableness of Astro Bot Rescue Mission, a PlayStation VR game that came out in 2018. Astro’s Playroom trailer is light on gameplay and what the game is actually about, but it definitely got us excited about the return of Astro Bot! 

Bugsnax

This is probably one of the weirdest games included in the PlayStation 5 stream, but don’t let that deter you. Bugsnax, from the studio that made Octodad, is achingly cute… albeit odd. Who knew that half-snack, half-animal creatures could cause one woman to squeak in sheer delight? Well, not this writer. Not until after the trailer, anyway. 

According to Sony’s blog, Bugsnax is all about investigating the “mysterious Snacktooth Island, home of the legendary half-bug, half-snack creatures.” Bugsnax will be available this holiday season, but it’s unclear as to whether or not it will be a launch title or just within the launch window.

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What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

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