Another Gamescom has come and gone and still no mention of From Software’s ill-fated Elden Ring. Sigh. For those of us who love the Souls series and George R.R. Martin’s deconstructive fantasy style, we must wait a little longer for news tidbits. However, if you’re simply a fan of great games, you’ll have enjoyed an embarrassment of riches at Gamescom 2020. The PlayStation 5 is shaping up to be the home of the best gaming experiences of the next generation, so without further ado, let’s take a look at the best PS5 games announced during Gamescom.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Finally, we got a look at some proper Rift Apart gameplay footage during Gamescom, and it looks truly excellent. Insomniac is bringing its signature over-the-top shooter style to bear on Rift Apart, which looks like it’s going to be yet another excellent entry into a venerable series. The new Rift system – which allows you to rocket across the screen and shows off the PS5’s graphical capabilities into the bargain – won’t come with any loading screens, which is pretty astonishing. What’s more, it’ll launch during the PS5’s launch window! Yay!
Dragon Age 4
There are very few gaming studios that could show off less than ten seconds of gameplay footage and announce a title with a behind-the-scenes mini-documentary, but that’s exactly what BioWare did with Dragon Age 4. Although we don’t know too much about the actual game yet, what we have seen has us massively hyped that BioWare can overcome the mistakes of Mass Effect Andromeda and deliver another truly superlative experience.
Call of Duty: Black Ops – Cold War
Well, it’s official: we’re headed back to the long-running Black Ops sub-series for Treyarch’s next Call of Duty instalment. During the Gamescom reveal, we got to see a rather intriguing scene involving President Ronald Reagan, who will presumably figure heavily in the game’s campaign. We don’t know too much about this one yet; the multiplayer mode will be revealed in full on September 9th, so we’ll know more about how it plays then.
Unknown 9: Awakening
Despite a less-than-inspiring subtitle, Unknown 9: Awakening has the potential to be very interesting indeed. You play as Haroona, a young girl who can “manipulate the unseen” and access a hidden dimension called The Fold. You must discover the truth behind your mysterious abilities and navigate The Fold to unlock its mysteries. It’s being described as a “narrative-driven action game”, which likely means we don’t need to expect too much gameplay innovation but a well-crafted story instead.
Little Nightmares II
Did you play the original Little Nightmares? If not, we heartily recommend you give it a try. It’s a horror-themed puzzle-platformer featuring plenty of spooky moments and some truly excellent presentation. The sequel amps things up a notch but keeps the gameplay and general feel the same; you’ll be able to play this one alongside a friend, but otherwise, it’ll offer more of what Little Nightmares gave. We’re excited to check this one out on PS5.
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
Lego games are renowned for sticking to a formula, so it’s surprising that The Skywalker Saga seems to have decided to shake things up a tad. While it will still offer the same stud-collecting-and-light-puzzling gameplay loop of the Lego franchise, it’s also got a massive open world with lots of visitable planets and a revamped combat system to boot. If you’ve been waiting for Lego to change its stripes, The Skywalker Saga’s spring 2021 PS5 release should be one to watch.
Scarlet Nexus
Anime fans, rejoice: your sequel (except not really) to anime-inspired Dark Souls-esque action-adventure game Code Vein is here. Scarlet Nexus is a pretty inscrutable game; it’s coming to PS5 at some point, although we don’t quite know when yet. If you love anime action and over-the-top storytelling, though, we’re pretty sure Scarlet Nexus will deliver, and the Gamescom trailer looked absolutely gorgeous. Don’t worry if you’re not stretching to a PS5 just yet; there will be a PS4 version too.
Quantum Error
Described by developer Teamkill Media as a “cosmic horror FPS”, Quantum Error looks like it will cater to fans of dormant franchises like Condemned and cult horror classics like Extermination. The Gamescom trailer was very intriguing indeed, and while the game looks a touch rough around the edges, that’s no reason not to believe Teamkill will pull it together for the PS5 release. As huge horror fans, we have our many eldritch eyes firmly fixed on Quantum Error.
DiRT 5
We really, really like the look of Codemasters’ upcoming DiRT 5. At Gamescom, we got to take a look at the new Playgrounds feature, which will bring customisation to DiRT at an unprecedented level. You’ll be able to build your own…well…everything; from courses to custom races and events, the world of DiRT 5 will quite literally be your playground. The PlayStation 5 version will support cross-play with PS4, too, so if any of your buddies don’t have a PS5 yet, it won’t be a problem.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time
This is a little bit of wishful thinking on our part, but we really, really hope that Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time makes its way to the PlayStation 5. The Gamescom gameplay presentation we saw showed off some of the upcoming game, with a focus on the “Flashback Tape” levels, throwbacks that harken back to the original three Crash Bandicoot games and mirror their punishing difficulty. Please, please, can we have a version of this for PS5?
