What Could We Realistically See At Today’s PS5 Event?
The lead up to PlayStation 5 has no doubt been filled with questions. The rollout has been relatively slow compared to how fans had expected it to be. However, with the complications of Covid-19 and PlayStation having to reshuffle release dates for their upcoming dates, it has no doubt wreaked havoc on their reveal plans. Now in less than a handful of hours, we will finally get our first real in-depth look at upcoming PS5 games and maybe even the console.
The Facts
The event is set to be on June 11th at 4 PM EST and will run for around an hour. It is supposed to highlight upcoming PS5 games from both first-party studios and third-party studios. I am going to do my absolute best to give some insight into what I believe we could see at the PS5 event. I preface this with the fact, I have no “insider” knowledge at this time about what could be at this showcase event. This is just my personal interpretation of what I think could be shown given the information we have in front of us.
Call of Duty 2020
This one seems like a slam dunk in all honesty. There is no doubt that PlayStation still has the marketing deal for the Call of Duty games. This was proven by the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Remastered on PlayStation 4 one month prior to Xbox One and PC. With all of this being said, it means we will likely get our first look at the rumored Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. After the amazing success in terms of financials and fan feedback, the amount of excitement for the next Call of Duty is at an all-time high.
Horizon Zero Dawn 2
Horizon Zero Dawn has been one of the most successful new IPs of this generation for PlayStation. Guerilla Games open-world action game was an instant fan favorite. Between the story and epic scale of machines, you fight. Added on with one of the most beautiful worlds we have seen on the PlayStation 4. Back when the game released in 2017, in all honestly it was hard to believe that the game was playable on console. It was truly one of the most impressive mid-generation games for the PS4.
While I honestly believe that Horizon Zero Dawn 2 will be shown at this event. I am torn on when the game will actually be released. Many fans have been clamoring that we could see the sequel as a PS5 launch game. I doubt this due to the fact that Horizon Zero Dawn was released in 2017, which means it would be a quick 3 year turn around for Guerilla Games. There are certain circumstances where this could happen. However, Guerilla Games had a massive part in helping Kojima Productions get Death Stranding out the door in 2019. With the knowledge of the team being split into two groups while another group was working on a different project. Realistically I believe that Horizon Zero Dawn 2 will be revealed at this event with a tentative window of 2021.
Demon Souls
The Demon Souls remake by Bluepoint Games may be one of the worst kept secrets in the gaming industry. Many industry writers and content creators have spoken openly about the upcoming Demon Souls remake which we have seen rumors popping up as early as the end of 2018. These rumors really began to heat up during 2019 to the point people began questioning why the game had not been revealed.
From what we have heard from reliable sources is that the Demon Souls remake will be one of the big PS5 launch lineup games. From all these rumblings we have heard for so long, it’s hard to believe that this won’t turn out to be real. Personally, I still have a sliver of hope that they are secretly working on a Metal Gear remake. But, for fans of 2009 cult classic Demon Souls, it seems very likely that it will be apart of the PS5 launch lineup.
Resident Evil 8
Capcom just doesn’t seem to miss anymore. Ever since the launch of Resident Evil VII back in 2017, the franchise has gotten a breath of fresh air. Resident Evil VII was a massive success for the company and began the trend upwards for the company. While Resident Evil 2 and 3 remakes brought old fans together while creating a host of new fans of the series. The time for a brand new Resident Evil could not be any better.
Rumors have been circulating around Resident Evil 8 that it will feature a new direction for the series. Rumored to be given the subtitle of “Village”, Resident Evil 8 is supposedly going to feature a heavy focus on the occult and a new direction in enemy design. To debut, the game on PS5 would be huge for fans of PlayStation and the long-running horror franchise.
I certainly believe we will see this game at the event, especially since the week of the original event there was a massive Resident Evil sale on PlayStation and Xbox. This was pointed out by knowledgeable sales analyst Benji-Sales on Twitter. It would also seem to be a weird coincidence on the day PlayStation was set to do a big reveal, the previous games would go on a massive sale.
Silent Hills Rumor Coming To Fruition?
For several months there have been endless rumblings that Silent Hills could be making a return. The canceling of the Kojima led P.T was when he and Konami went their separate ways. It left a gap in many fan’s hearts at the possibility of what could have been. Since then the rumor mill around this IP has been endless and absolutely ridiculous at times.
From ludicrous rumors such as Sony or Xbox purchasing all of Konami’s IPs, to more grounded rumors that Sony Japan is working on bringing Silent Hills to a modern audience. Konami has publically denied the rumors of Silent Hill making a return. An insider Dusk Golem, who has an incredible track record of knowledge in regards to horror games, is adamant that Silent Hills will return as a PS5 exclusive. Only time will tell if these rumors come to fruition, but personally, I am not holding my breath at this moment. Due only to the fact that Konami publically denied the rumors.
New Ratchet and Clank Game
The acquisition of Insomniac Games was one of the biggest surprise announcements via social media in gaming ever. Dropped during a Gamescom conference PlayStation stole the show with the acquisition of a developer that they had over a decade of history with. Insomniac Games is a massive studio, with multiple projects on the go from VR related projects to the sequel to the smash-hit Marvel’s Spider-Man.
With the sheer size of Insomniac Games close to 500 employees across two studios, the amount of projects the studio could be working on is endless. The reason I feel we will see a new Ratchet and Clank game is for two main reasons. Chiefly, the game would not be a massive undertaking in terms of resources. Secondly, it would provide a longstanding PlayStation mascot as part of the lineup for PS5’s launch. Launching a brand new console with a long time associated character seems like a no-brainer. It also allows PlayStation to appeal to a younger demographic that has had their hearts stolen by the Nintendo Switch.
Housemarquee New Game
Resogun was an early gem of the PlayStation 4 generation and was no doubt one of Housemarque’s most revered games. Housemarque has been rather quiet recently and after announcing that they were focusing on upsizing the studio and focusing on AAA development. The studio has been silent. With their long-running relationship with PlayStation could a partnership have been formed? There is no doubt that PlayStation has been reaching out to a wider variety of developers since Shuhei Yoshida took on his new role. Yoshida heads a new initiative focused on partnering with independent developers. Housemarque would no doubt fit these criteria and would make a smart and strategic partner for PlayStation.
Housemarque’s last game on PS4 was Nex Machina back in 2017. With Stormdivers their PC battle royale game being put on hiatus in early 2020. It seems like the studio is focusing on something different. With all of this information in front of us, it seems like the studio could no doubt have a concept, gameplay or cinematic to show depending on how their resources were divided during the development of Stormdivers. Only time will tell.
Gran-Turismo
Despite its rough start out the gate, Polyphony has done amazing work with Gran Turismo Sport which released back in 2017. Gran Turismo has long been the king of simulation racing on consoles. While Forza Motorsport over the past few years has certainly challenged for the crown, the sheer mindshare that the Gran Turismo name has on the racing community is massive. The level of real-world detail that Gran Turismo Sport has is astounding. What could they do with the power of PS5? Jaw-dropping.
I am personally torn on when Gran Turismo could release a new title. A launch game seems almost perfect as Xbox will most likely be launching a new Forza Motorsport. A head to head battle between Forza and Gran Turismo would be interesting to watch. I just don’t know how realistic it is to expect Polyphony to develop and release another game in the series in just under three years. Whether its a launch title or not. I do believe we will see a new Gran Turismo at the PS5 event today.
The Physical Box?
image via @Alcoholikaust
Many people, myself included have speculated on whether or not we will finally see the PS5. I remain perfectly 50/50 on whether we see the final box or not. On one hand, PS5 is no doubt beginning manufacturing in China as it leads up to its holiday 2020 launch. This means the risks are very high at PlayStation that someone will leak the finished product somewhere in the supply chain.
Personally, I believe that we will see the PS5 even if its a brief glimpse. It will be posted in an official blog post going over the details of the systems and the features that will be showcased during the event. It seems so odd that PlayStation has been so secretive with the design of the console. When its competition revealed their form factor last year. It makes you wonder what could be so special about the design of the console.
Summary
Regardless of what happens or doesn’t happen from this list, its exciting after all the waiting. The anticipation that fans will be able to see PS5 games and maybe even the physical console. While expectations are through the roof no doubt, I personally am just excited to see how this next generation is going to shape up at launch. With less than six months till launch, it seems like PlayStation still has a ton to talk about. The next few months will be very exciting.
