PS5 launch games aren’t making headlines for a reason. The PS5 isn’t getting as many games at launch as many people expect. Most PS5 games people are expecting, like Horizon: Forbidden West and God of War: Ragnarok, won’t be available until 2021 and beyond. But, even if that’s true, that isn’t to say that the PS5 launch games are no good.
The PS5 might have fewer titles than the Xbox Series X and Series S at launch, but it’s got a couple of exclusives well worth playing, and then some.
Below are the PS5 launch games you’ll have a chance to play right from the get-go on November 12.
PlayStation 5 Exclusive Titles
Demon’s Souls
Dark Souls might carry more weight with mainstream gaming audiences, but its predecessor, Demon’s Souls, was what started it all.
Demon’s Souls was released by From Software way back in 2009. It was their first attempt to introduce a hardcore title into the then-modern gaming audience. Judging by its cult-following, and how it’s all but been forgotten by most gamers, it’s safe to say that they failed. But, it really wasn’t for the lack of effort.
Let’s just call it a “wrong place, wrong time” kind of thing.
With that said, now that From Software has gone on to become one of the titans in the gaming industry, thanks to the success of the games that came from Demon’s Souls, the company is ready to give their prototype another shot.
The new Demon’s Souls was remade exclusively for the PlayStation 5. This means that the game will be everyone’s first chance to taste some old-school hardcore gameplay in next-gen graphics.
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Sony’s not exactly new to releasing stand-alone expansions that feel more like a full spinoff. They’ve had a lot of success with it before.
A good example is Naughty Dog’s Uncharted: Lost Legacy.
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales promises to be the next-gen version of that.
Available on both the PlayStation 4 and the PlayStation 5, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales for the latter will include a remastered version of the 2018 game complete with the three Spider-Man: The City That Never Sleeps packs.
The game follows the exploits of Peter Parker’s protege, Miles Morales, as he puts his powers to good use to take on the Tinkerer and his cyber-looking goons.
Sackboy: A Big Adventure
LittleBigPlanet was a great series, but it’s obvious that the puzzle-platformer was starting to get stale by the time it hit the third game. This is why a more traditional 3D platformer take is more than welcome.
That’s exactly what Sackboy: A Big Adventure is promising.
Taking the hero from the LittleBigPlanet franchise, the guys over the Sumo Digital (LittleBigPlanet 3 and Forza Horizon 2), will look to recapture the charm that made LittleBigPlanet so popular and introduce platforming into next-gen consoles.
Destruction All-Stars
So much for Twisted Metal releasing on the PlayStation 5. It’s probably never going to happen following the lack of success that the last Twisted Metal title, the 2012 reboot for the PlayStation 3.
If it’s any consolation, the PS5 is going to get Destruction All-Stars.
It’s not exactly Twisted Metal. It’s more cartooney and child-friendly. However, this exclusive promises to make vehicular mayhem a part of the PlayStation family again, as it puts players in charge of destroying each other using their cars, their in-game characters, and whatever else they can find inside the game’s huge arenas.
Astro’s Playroom
Astro’s Playroom is a freebie. It’ll come with your PlayStation 5 upon purchase. This means that you can’t really expect much from it. Except, this glorified tech demo may actually be better than some games that will eventually release for the PS5.
A follow-up to Astro Bot Rescue Mission, the game will help showcase everything that the PS5 can. This includes the graphics, as well as the improvements that come with the shift to the DualSense controller.
If nothing else, this should keep you occupied for when you get bored with the more mainstream titles.
Third-Party Titles
Fortnite
Fortnite is one of the biggest games in the world. It’s arguably the reason why the battle royale genre is as big as it is. True, it’s not the first, but it’s way ahead of its competition. As such, it’s only natural that Epic Games will make it available for next-gen consoles at launch. Even better, Epic Games promises Fortnite to look even better next year as they switch engines to the more powerful Unreal Engine 5.
At launch, Fortnite won’t look any different, except maybe for support for higher frame rates.
Still, with the promise of Unreal Engine 5 waiting within a year, Fortnite is only going to get bigger.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
Ubisoft isn’t done with Millenium-old settings just yet.
After taking a trip to Egypt to discover the origins of the Assassin’s Brotherhood in Assassin’s Creed Origins and taking a detour to Greece in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, the franchise will now take gamers to the Dark Ages with Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will have players taking on the role of the Viking known as Eivor.
Weirdly enough, the game will feature two protagonists with the same name. Also, both are canon, which leaves us just as puzzled as you are.
In-game, players will lead their clan as they expand into England and Europe as they fight against multiple Anglo-Saxon kingdoms to find a new home.
NBA 2K21
There are many sports titles that will come to the PS5 once it releases. However, none are arguably better than NBA 2K21.
NBA 2K21 is already out for current-gen consoles and the PC. However, once the PS5 launches, it’ll also be available for the next-gen console too.
Naturally, this will come with many improvements. The main of which is a huge jump in graphics.
Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition
Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition is one of the more surprising additions to the list of launch games available on the PS5.
An upgraded version of the 2019 action title, Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition adds a bunch of next-gen friendly improvements to one of Capcom’s latest titles. This includes, among many others, ray tracing support, which will take advantage of the PS5’s horsepower. In addition to this, Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition will be playable up to 120 frames-per-second as well, and will let you play as Virgil, upping the game’s roster of playable characters from 3 to 4.
Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition is a digital-only release for the PlayStation 5.
Borderlands 3
Gearbox’s looter-shooter Borderlands 3 will also make its way to the PlayStation 5 at launch.
The most notable change between the PS4 version and the PS5 version of Borderlands 3 is 4K resolution and 60fps.
This might not seem like much. However, keep in mind, the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X couldn’t really do it. In fact, according to many industry experts, both consoles could only support 3200 x 1800 at 30 fps for Borderlands 3. This means that a true 4K resolution campaign at 60 frames-per-second will be a huge difference on the PS5.
The PS5 version will also have local split-screen co-op gameplay, an all-new game mode, as well as additional skill trees.
The best part? If you already own the game on the PS4, you’ll get to play it on the PS5 for free.
Destiny 2: Beyond Light
Technically, this isn’t a new release. Destiny 2: Beyond Light is the latest expansion for Bungie’s big franchise. However, we felt it necessary to include it since it’s one of the biggest PS4 games anyway. Not to mention, it’ll come free for PS5 owners who already own it on the PS4 come launch date.
Unfortunately, Destiny 2: Beyond Light won’t really be optimized for next-gen gameplay until December 8, where it will come with support for 4K resolution at 60fps and an all-new slider for better field of view.
At launch, expect Destiny 2: Beyond Light to load faster on the PS5 than on the PS4.
Bugsnax
Bugsnax is the latest game from the developers of Octodad: Dadliest Catch.
What this means is that the game is definitely going to be strange, weird, quirky, and whatever synonym you can think of to describe a different game.
Just in case that wasn’t enough, let’s just say that the game features an investigative creature who’s out exploring a mysterious island full of edible hybrid insect creatures.
Yes. You’re free to read that again.
Honorable Mentions
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
A “launch period” release for the PS5, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart will arrive just days after the release of the PlayStation 5.
The game will mark the return of PlayStation’s longtime mascots and will be the tenth game of the long-running franchise following 2016’s Ratchet and Clank re-imagining of the first game of the series.
Watch Dogs: Legion
Watch Dogs: Legion is both the same and different from its predecessors at the same time. It’s similar in that it gives you a huge playground of a city to play in. This time around, you get to hack your way around a futuristic post-Brexit London that looks a far cry from what it was prior. Meanwhile, it’s different in that, even though you’re joining up with DedSec once again, you’re not just going to play a single protagonist in the game.
According to Ubisoft, any NPC character in Watch Dogs: Legion is a potential protagonist, each with its own set of traits and skills that you can recruit to help bolster your forces.
Notable NPC characters include the first game’s protagonist, Aiden Pearce.
Cyberpunk 2077
CD Projekt Red’s next big franchise exchanges swords, magic, and a fantasy setting for a sci-fi filled adventure set in a futuristic open world.
In Cyberpunk 2077, gamers will get a chance to drive around Night City using a variety of vehicles and explore any and all of the dense city’s surrounding areas. In doing so, you’ll also be able to hack and shoot your way through everything and everyone else, or maybe even negotiate to live to see another day.
With a storyline highlighted by the appearance of Keanu Reeves, who plays the role of Johnny Silverhand, and CD Projekt Red riding the high from the success that was The Witcher 3, this next-gen title is set to be one of the biggest of the decade.
Call of Duty: Black Ops – Cold War
Call of Duty: Black Ops – Cold War takes gamers right back to the 1980s with a campaign that follows Russel Adler as well as familiar faces in Frank Woods, Alex Mason, and Jason Hudson, as they try to track down Perseus, a Soviet spy alleged to have already infiltrated the United States with the goal of tilting the balance of power to favor the Soviet Union.
In addition to the single-player campaign, Call of Duty: Black Ops – Cold War will see a more intense focus on its multiplayer.
With maps now spanning the entire globe, the multiplayer will bring back the feels of the old Black Ops gameplay that has been sorely missing in recent years. However, many of the game’s features and gameplay will be updated to modern standards, with improvements coming from 2019’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.
Conclusion
If you feel like the list of PS5 launch games is running a bit thin, you’re not alone.
Many folks are not happy that Sony didn’t have more games lined up for their next-gen console at launch. However, the PS5 remains a pretty sweet deal, as we’ve already broken down for you, for a lot of reasons.
For one, PlayStation Plus subscribers will have access to more than a dozen games that are part of the PlayStation Hits series.
It’s also worth mentioning that Sony expects 99% of PS4 games to be compatible with the PS5 at launch. This means that you’ll still be able to find a use for all of your PS4 games on the PS5. It’s just that, unless it’s been remade or remastered for the PS5, it won’t be able to take advantage of many of the improvements that comes with the next-gen consoles.
Naturally, with the PS5 Digital Edition lacking a disc drive, you won’t be able to use your PS4 game discs on the more affordable PS5 console.
With that being said, things are only expected to get better for the PlayStation 5.
We’ve already mentioned the likes of God of War: Ragnarok and Horizon: Forbidden West at the onset of the article. Other exclusives expected to hit the PS5 include Gran Turismo 7, Deathloop, Ghostwire: Tokyo, Oddworld: Soulstorm, and Project Athia.
Considering that the PS4’s launch game list was not as expansive as it eventually became, expect the PS5 to see more exclusives in the coming years.
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