Sony unveils PlayStation 5 design and announces over a dozen games

Last night, Sony hosted the PS5 Show, revealing the design of its upcoming PlayStation 5 console. The Japanese giant also showcased the PS5's hardware capabilities by announcing a hefty lineup of games, both exclusive and third-party.

Right off the bat, Sony's new console design bears almost no resemblance to its predecessors. Notably, while the PlayStation 4 featured sharp, angular lines, the PlayStation 5 sports a much more streamlined, curvilinear aesthetic.

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Beyond the new design, the PlayStation 5 will also offer a Blu-ray-free Digital Edition. In theory, this should help slightly lower the console's price, though considering its powerful specs, the PlayStation 5 won't be cheap.

Check out the design of the disc-less version:

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The disc-less PlayStation 5 looks more cohesive and complete than the version with a drive. This is, of course, a matter of taste, but I get the strong impression that the console was initially designed without a disc drive, and only after some internal discussions and a difficult decision did Sony compromise. But that's just speculation. What about the games?

At the recent show, SONY announced an incredible number of new projects, and most impressively, almost all of them highlight the console's key feature: massive and rich game worlds.

While not all of the showcased projects delivered a "wow" factor, Sony, as always, captured gamers' attention:

As strange as it may sound, the game presentation kicked off with the announcement of Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online for PS5:

Yes, that's right. Grand Theft Auto V, originally released on PlayStation 3, then ported to PlayStation 4, will also get a PlayStation 5 version. Go figure.

But let's move on to the fresh projects.

Resident Evil Village

The PS5 Show announced the continuation of the iconic Resident Evil series, subtitled VILLAGE. Judging by the trailer below, the game is set in a mysterious village next to a giant ancient castle. This area is far from friendly to the protagonist, who will have to fight to survive against crazed villagers and monsters.

Godfall

Next up is the multiplayer project GODFALL. From the looks of it, this game aims to be something similar to Bungie's Destiny: a looter-slasher with an advanced combat system and 3-person co-op.

Kena: Bridge of Spirits

My first impression of the Kena: Bridge of Spirits promo trailer was this: SONY finally has its own "Legend." If you know what I mean, of course. The trailer is packed with stunning effects and cute creatures alongside monsters typical for this setting. Plus, the video footage clearly shows a pretty decent combat system, complete with parrying and attack deflections.

Currently, little is known about the game, but it will undoubtedly find its audience and, most likely, get a sequel in the future.

Returnal

For some reason, Returnal's trailer and atmosphere reminded me of Remedy's recent project, Control. At first glance, it looks mysterious, dark, and undoubtedly interesting.

Unfortunately, no further details about Returnal were provided.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

And what would a PlayStation presentation be without sequels to iconic exclusives? Behold: Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart! From the very first seconds of the trailer, it demonstrates just how powerful and advanced the PlayStation 5's hardware is. The console allows for instant traversal across diverse, rich, and detailed worlds, completely eliminating traditional loading screens!

But if you think PS Studio developers stopped there, the next game proves the console's potential extends to even more serious detail.

Project Athia

The Project Athia teaser showcases gigantic, open, detailed, and incredibly intricate landscapes of an unknown world.

Unfortunately, almost nothing is known about Project Athia right now, and we can only speculate how monstrous this project will ultimately turn out to be.

NBA 2K21

Sports fans weren't forgotten either! After watching the realistic trailer for the basketball simulator NBA 2K21, you'll want to hit the court and sink some hoops!

Gran Turismo 7

SONY also remembered racing simulator fans, announcing a new Gran Turismo installment:

Finally, at the end of the presentation, SONY revealed two games that had been the subject of persistent rumors for a month:

Demon's Souls

The remake of Hidetaka Miyazaki's iconic game, which pioneered an entire genre of "souls-like" projects, Demon's Souls, is returning!

The game is built on a new engine. Absolutely everything has been updated: models, effects, lighting, textures, and more.

The release date is unknown, but based on previous insider information, Demon's Souls Remake will most likely launch in early 2021.

A quick reminder of what this game is all about:

Released back in 2009, Demon's Souls is considered by fans of the "Souls" series (which also includes Bloodborne and Sekiro) to be one of the most challenging, intriguing, and undeservedly overlooked games.

Thus, after its remake's release, Demon's Souls will get a second chance and can win even more gamers' hearts.

Horizon Forbidden West

The final major announcement was the presentation of Horizon Forbidden West:

If these frames are indeed engine-driven and we can expect the same real-time visuals at launch, then Horizon Forbidden West will be one of the most beautiful, ambitious, and intricately designed games in the world upon its release.

Just look at how stunning it appears:

The rest of the trailers seemed less interesting to me personally, so I'll leave them without comment:

Solar Ash

JETT: The Far Shore

GhostWire: Tokyo

Oddworld Soulstorm

Sackboy a big adventure

Destruction AllStars

Stray

That concludes the PlayStation 5 console presentation and the announcement of its compatible games. While it wasn't exactly stunning, could it have been better, especially given the current situation and chosen format? Probably not. In my opinion, SONY did a commendable job, doing everything possible to ensure the presentation was high-quality and left a solely positive impression.

P.S.: Hey, SONY guys, where's my Bloodborne remaster?