Sony's First Year, First-Party PS5 Lineup Blows PS4's Away

@get2sammyb
Let's not forget that The Show 2021 will almost be certain.

EDIT: Nevermind...forgot that was going multiplat to keep MLB licensing.

The lineup is good for sure. That said I still expect Ratchet and Clank to potentially slip to early 2022.
Also God of War Ragnarok is not making 2021 at all. Three years of development for the game after the last one took five, add in the pandemic and I think Sony are just shouting nonsense again with that release date.
The list of games is great regardless (even if Destruction All-stars will cost £70...)

Still need Knack 3

@pip_muzz Well if they started right after God of War (2018), then they could release it on December 31st, 2021 and that would give them 4 months shy of 4 years! 😅

Is Demon's Souls actually a first-party game? Not trying to be snitty here, just confused; I'm pretty sure at least some of the Dark Souls games have been pretty widely multiplatfotm.

@get2sammyb I was originally dubious on the Horizon: Forbidden West date too, but the PS4 release seems to confirm that the game is probably further along development than Sony originally let on. I suspect Horizon will be the early 2021 headline title with Ratchet and Clank being the big release towards the end of the year.
I still think the pandemic will unfortunately yet understandably space the releases out a bit.
GT 7 looks locked on for 2021 too. The PS4 line up was the worst I can actively remember from Sony but this looks to be a solid year all round.

At least on the PS4 you could get a couple of games though. This time around, a single game requires a pound of flesh as collateral.

@pip_muzz I keep telling people turn around on development is much, much quicker this generation. Ratchet & Clank has been in full development since 2016 and GoW Ragnarok could easily have been dual tracked too. They have most of the assets already, like the Kratos model enemies etc. I think Sony's aim was to make studios more productive this generation, which makes the hike in game prices even more suspect in my opinion.

@SirAngry Normally I'd agree but since this is a PS5 title, then they're developing for a brand new console the same way they did for GoW 2018. Add in the current pandemic and it's just not going to happen. Also, with Horizon and Ratchet and Clank pencilled in for 2021 will they really rush God of War Ragnarok to release if it's not 100% polished....

I mean the PS5 first year is filled with games of a likely very quality, but it's almost exclusively sequels, which leaves and feeling kind of meh on upgrading sooner than later. Returnal is the only PS5 exclusive I'm jazzed about, due to Housemarque and the fact it's a new IP.

@pip_muzz disagree vehemently, the engine will literally port across, they'll use the high-res assets they down scaled from for the PS4 title as game assets, and won't need shadow maps etc. because they'll be real-time and ray traced. The project turn around this time has been really, really quick. Most first party studios will have been scaling their engines for years, actually we know from glass door job postings it started as early as 2015/16 for ICE. I'm pretty confident in my predictions, much like I was Demon's Souls been a launch game.

@Fath Not first party exactly, it depends how you look at it; it was made by FromSoft (third party), but it was made under the supervision of SCE Japan (first party, obviously) who also proposed the project in the first place. It was then published by Sony in Japan. It was published by Atlus and Bamco in NA and EU respectively because Sony didn't think us filthy gaijin would appreciate it. How wrong they were.

PS4's first year was pretty dry. I loved BF4, still my favorite Battlefield game. But it was basically all I played on it for like a year.

@SirAngry I'm really excited about this possibly being the case, but it makes me a little bitter about increased prices. Last gen's games obviously needed to charge more but didn't, hence the explosion in micro transactions. If what was previously a 4 year project is now a 2 year project, surely it's going to cost half as much to make and mean much better profit margins at the same price? Sounds like publisher greed to me, but I'm sure someone who knows more can explain it.

But those games look like they’re months apart. I’m not going to buy a system just to have it collect dust while I wait for new games.

Let's hope the PS5 games have legs, I still play driveclub and resogun to this day form day 1 they came out.

@Noob_Saibot I just only buy in sales or second hand. I have a backlog at all times and I’m not rewarding such blatant greediness. It’s not a coincidence this price hike directly coincides with a console that locks you into that ecosystem and removes second-hand sales.

@get2sammyb The extra £20 from FIFA and COD sales alone will make certain developers deal with the bad press, they’ve been dealing with it regardless. And people buy them regardless.

If all that hits that'll be a historic 1st year, geez!

@pip_muzz it is worth noting that the primary reason GoW 2018 took 5 years to develop was because they had to build everything from the ground up. New engine, camera system, combat system, everything was completely fresh. Going into this, they have everything like that built out already, so it's just a matter of building the game around all that pre-existing tech. I think there's a decent chance it gets delayed, but I don't feel it's as certain as you and many others think.

Definitely a better line-up, but I don't see any of them topping the fun I had with Killzone Shadowfall's multiplayer!

Thats a phenomenal first year no matter how you look at it, for me PS4 didn't really get going until 2015 and thats just third party wise, Sony's big hitters seemingly started with Uncharted 4 and then never really stopped. Looking at Xbox their first big game is still Halo Infinite which could launch after every game on this list

The more I'm thinking about it, the less certain I am that the next GOW is actually going to be called Ragnarok. Cause that would indicate it's the final game in the reboot series. And I can't see that happening. There's so much left unexplored, so much left to do. And we only got to fight Baldr in the first one. Either they do a complete 180 and we get to fight the whole Norse pantheon, or they will leave most of it untouched. Doesn't seem likely to me! Maybe it isn't called Ragnarok after all...

@theheadofabroom there isn't an excuse. I think there'll be less outsourcing too. Because what happens a lot of times is a studio will produce a high quality model and then you send it to a graphics farm for people to make lower quality models at multiple detail levels. There's not as much need for LoD this generation, specifically on PS5 with how it deals with geometry. I think it'll be quicker.

@Matroska So... it's complicated. Fair enough
Thanks for the explanation!

@theheadofabroom It might mean that, but then maybe it's 2 years instead of 4 because they use bigger teams or work longer hours, both of which will be more expensive.

@get2sammyb @nessisonett i mean this is why the digital only playstation 5 can be sold at a loss. Sony know they can charge what they want, and consumers have no other choice other than pay it or wait for a sale.

The physical edition makes much more sense. Few retailers will stick to the RRP. Shopto.net are already selling Miles Morales for 10 pounds off 🤷‍♂️ you make that 100 pounds back in no time at all.

On topic, i'll also be staggered if we dont see upgrade paths for at least Dreams, Last of Us 2 and Ghost of Tsushima. There is no way sucker punch are releasing the multiplayer mode for ghost in the autumn and there being no upgrade path.

Oh wow, how weak was that ps4 lineup lol
I got it day one with Killzone and Infamous but damn...It seemed like it was yesterday and now we are close to PS5!

@sajoey GoW camera system is worst I've seen so far. On one side totally chaotic in combat (more fighting with view than with enemies), on the other side nausea shaking camera in cinematic. Hardly finished that game because of constant "sway" that cannot be turned off in cinematics. Almost vomited a dozens of times... Last really bad camera I remember in Legacy of Cain Defiance.... and than GoW... 🤢

Other way. I see no "must have" title for ps5 right now. Not until FF16.

It's definitely a better line-up but that's not really saying much, the PS4's first year was very dry i thought, it's only really Knack that made me get it day one tbh (and no, that's not sarcasm, i actually really enjoyed it lol)

That rumour that Sony were hiding a revival of one of their IP's for launch must sadly be false now, Jak & Daxter was the one speculated, guess we'll have to wait a little longer for the duo to get their chance to shine again.

@Toadie Yes, the first year of PS4 was barren so of course any other line-up is going to look better. I played some ports on PS4 because I didn't have a PS3 or Xbox 360. I didn't play Knack but Knack II is decent.

@Octane yeah interesting point. Could just be a "winter is coming" deal. Though I guess I could see Ragnarok in 2nd game if they are stopping Ragnarok, and that becomes what angers the gods and causes them to hunt down Kratos and Atreus in the next game. Ragnarok could also be drawn out, starting at some point in 2 but going on into 3. In the first series, 3rd game picked up from the moment 2nd ended.

Though Id prefer a more drawn out story personally so Im hoping you are right. I think Ragnarok should be an epic ending after we have seen Atreus grow through the 2nd game and to the end if the 3rd.

Really hoping we get one more youngish Atreus game too. I hate when they flash straight to adulthood. The father son relationship is a major driving force for the story and there is more to tell about the relationship's early development. Would be a huge wast to miss it entirely.

I'm not really a person to get into the Console War, but £64-70 a game? That's madness. Right about now, I wish they had a Game Pass equivalent

@Octane just realized, along with Baldr we also fought Thor's.. nephews? They were something to Thor anyway. At first I only remembered Baldr too haha. Guess they dont leave much of an impression.

Thank you for writing this, people underwhelmed by PS5's launch are clearly living in some twisted dimension. There's no absolute system seller for me but I can clearly see this as one of the best console launch line-ups ever

God of war is the g.o.a.t.cant wait.they will have surprises games announcement no dout.ps5 will be?amazing.word up son

@KleebanKliban Yeah, Magni and Modi, but they are minor gods in the grand scheme of things. There are dozens of more prominent figures in the pantheon. And on top of that, there are giants, and dwarves we haven't seen yet. Characters like Hel, Surtr, Fenrir, Skoll & Hati. They could easily fill a bunch more games if they wanted to.

And yes ''winter is coming'' is actually a thing in Norse mythology, it's called the Fimbulwinter, and it's a three-year long winter that presets Ragnarok itself. There are a bunch of events that happen that lead up to Ragnarok, Fimbulwinter and the death of Baldr being two of them. So I initially thought this one would be GOW: Fimbulwinter (or something along those lines), and a third game would be called Ragnarok.

As for Atreus, I guess they'll stick closely to the age of the actor. That's another reason why they may be in a ''hurry'' to get them done, because that kid is going to be an adult by the time a potential third game would be done lol.

Also, Thor's hammer is going to be a weapon at some point, right? It has to be. Ice axe, fire chains, and thunder hammer. Makes too much sense; that's game logic 101.

TBF i wanted (and did) play more from the PS4 line up than the PS5 one.

Man I picked a bad year to try to buy a house. I’m gonna be a few $1,000 short after all these games and consoles lol

The PS4 lineup was great, the fun I had with those infamous games and Killzone is unmeasurable (even Knack in a smaller way).

All those great exclusives and then think about Cyberpunk and Valhalla being available for PS5 also. Mouth-watering

That's all very, very subjective.

Of the games listed, for PS5 there's only one which is an absolute must-buy for me, and that's Horizon.

Whereas from the PS4 list, I bought eight, and three of those were launch titles.

It’s not even close, the first year of the PS5 destroys the PS4’s. God of War, Spiderman, and Horizon were some of the best exclusives to come to PS4 for the entirety of the console since it’s been out, and PS5 owners get a new entry in all 3 of those in the first year alone?

We are talking about Game of the Year contenders in the very first year of the console, something that never could have been said for the PS4.

Add titles like Gran Turismo, Ratchet & Clank, Demon’s Souls, and new IP like Returnal and it’s really a stellar lineup for its first year on the market.

Sony are just continuing with their strategy of providing the best games.

and this is the prime reason why the price war between Sony and Microsoft makes absolutely no sense to me.
Why would I buy a console just because it may be cheaper if the library sucks?
Spending more on a PS5 over an XBox for the library Sony brings is an easy sell for me.
Amazing work Sony!!!
To bad I missed the pre-order train
I'll just have to sit on my money a bit longer, but when that day comes man I'll be holed up in my basement for quite some time.
NOoice!

GoW or HzD for GOTY next year??? man those will be mighty contenders... who will win? Nobody knows... Stay tuned!!!

Even though there is no concrete release date attached just yet, you forgot about Oddworld: Soulstorm that will be released in 2021 at the latest!

Needs more multiplayer first party titles. This is the area that Xbox curb stomps them on

You're asserting this having not played any PS5 games yet...
Interesting take.
Why not get in super early and write another one up for the PS6? You're welcome.

I still need some fighting and horror games. Im sure though that once it releases we'll see lots of cool indie games which im super excited about!

No chance God of War 2 comes out in 2021. We can dream, but no.

I don't like to pay full price for games either, especially not at these prices but this is indeed how Sony make enough money to invest in make more really high quality games. Having not got an xbox nor gamepass I wouldn't know if there's anything on there that gets anywhere near the quality of Sony studio's output but I'd imagine not as otherwise they'd be loosing even more money on it than they currently do.

I personally can't wait to see the sequels to Horizon and GoW and hopefully some new IPs as well and for that I'm willing to pay a little more but what would be nice to see would be some kind of loyalty discount for buying day one. Say for PS Plus or PS Now subscribers you could go ahead and buy Sonys first part output with a discount on them that made it worthwhile buying them digitally then it would give those services an extra string to their bow so to give people another reason to subscribe, and show that they aren't totally taking the piss with the prices. Even if it was just for pre-orders it would make me more likely to buy them sooner rather than wait for a sale.

@ankehuber my wallet ran away from me 🤣

@Octane damn you know a lot about it haha. Really cool Baldr death was part.. and yeah all that sounds awesome!! Also not sure if Hel was the big bird in helheim that flapped you to safety.. or was that someone else? They made it almost missable if you didnt look at the background. Id love to know why that bird helped with the escape.

@KleebanKliban I think Hel would be a more human-like character. There are several giant birds in Norse mythology that could be the bird in helheim, but nobody knows (yet). But very good point, I think that bird may show up at a later point. Same with the person that blew the horn when you were on your way to the Witch's house. I think they've set it all up for something bigger...

@pip_muzz The Game Director for GOW 2018 has said on interviews after GOW 2018 came out that he would like the sequel to take less time, the main reason 2018 took so long was because they had to re-invent the whole game from the ground up, things like engine, assets, mechanics etc etc where as a sequel will not take anywhere near as long since they now have all the base systems working and the engine was made to be scaleable to up to 8K if I recall correctly from the Raising Kratos Documentary Sony Published. 3yrs is plenty of time to make a sequel especially since the script for a sequel was more or less done before they even released GOW2018 and the assets created for GOW2018 will also be able to be used for the sequel. Most of this info is available in the Raising Kratos Documentary.

@Octane ohhh dont recall a horn on way to witch's. I will keep an ear out when I replay

@KleebanKliban When you carry Atreus back to the Witch's house. During the elevator ride in the caves near her house. It's not hard to miss!

@Octane Ah I may have just assumed it was magic haha.. dont remember.