Sony’s PlayStation 5 isn’t even a year old yet, but that’s not stopping the company from ensuring you’ll have plenty of games to get excited about—assuming you’ve been able to get your hands on a console. Despite a strong showing in 2021, Sony announced a handful of new titles in their PlayStation Showcase event on Thursday, bringing with it a handful of legitimately shocking reveals. To make it easy for you, we’ve recapped the seven biggest announcements that are sure to have gamers hyped for what’s next.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake
Without a doubt, the greatest Star Wars video game is Knights of the Old Republic. The RPG game, which put you in the shoes of being a Jedi or Sith depending upon your choices—initially debuted on Xbox and PC in 2003 but never made it to a Sony console—until now. The development team at Aspyr Media promised this isn’t just a simple remaster but a full-on remake that will take advantage of modern-day graphics to bolster the game’s beloved story. Per a release on the Sony blog, the game will be a PlayStation 5 console exclusive at launch, which is quite an arrow for Sony to have in their quiver.
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and Lost Legacy Remaster
On the remaster side, the latter two installments in the highly popular Uncharted series will receive a revised update on the PlayStation 5 and PC. Entitled Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection, the titles will release in “early 2022.” If Sony is smart, they’ll look to have some nice corporate synergy and drop the collection in time for the Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg-led game-to-movie adaptation, scheduled for release on February 18, 2022.
Grand Theft Auto 5 Remaster
The PS5 upgrade of the Grand Theft Auto 5 won’t release until March of 2022. Still, it will bring with it a host of next-generation upgrades, including “visual upgrades and performance enhancements,” according to Rockstar Games. Additionally, a standalone version of the popular GTA Online will debut alongside the game and will be free for three months for PlayStation gamers.
Wolverine
Everyone’s favorite X-Man is getting a solo title for you to rip, tear, and fight like the beloved character. The trailer for the game didn’t reveal much, but considering the title is being developed by Insomniac Games—the same minds behind the critically-acclaimed Spider-Man game—you can count on Wolverine featuring a fantastic story and satisfyingly robust combat. The idea for Wolverine came up during Spider-Man’s development, as the team at Insomniac felt there was some overlap between the two characters: “Both heroes feel deeply compelled to defend people who are less able to do so,” Ryan Schneider told the PlayStation blog. The only other hint the trailer gave was that Logan was drinking at The Princess Bar, a favorite of the character’s and one that just so happened to make an appearance in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier earlier this year. Unfortunately, no release window for Wolverine was provided.
Spider-Man 2
Speaking of Insomniac and Spider-Man, the sequel to the smash-hit will arrive at some point in 2023 and will feature both Peter Parker and Miles Morales teaming up to face off against Venom. Per the PlayStation blog, Candyman actor Tony Todd will voice the symbiote. The game will offer even more fun and rewarding combat as you (presumably) switch between Miles and Peter.
Gran Turismo 7
After a staggering nine-year hiatus, the seventh installment in the racing simulator series Gran Turismo will hit PlayStation 4 and 5 on March 4, 2022. The game was intended for a 2021 drop but was delayed due to pandemic-related production problems. The PlayStation 5 version features incredibly detailed visuals and an open-world setting for gamers to explore.
God of War: Ragnarok
For our money, the official first look at God of War: Ragnarok was the biggest highlight. The follow-up to the 2018 reinvention of PlayStation classic closed out the show with a pretty extensive look at the game’s stunning visuals and engrossing plot. The story returns focus to Kratos and his son, Atreus, as they prepare for the end of the world in the form of Ragnarok. In their quest to stop it, the father and son duo will enlist the help of Tyr, the Norse God of War. The appearance of Thor was also teased and was described as a “man-child” who is “off-kilter,” according to director Eric Williams. Thor will be voiced by Ryan Hurst, aka Opie from Sons of Anarchy. Of course, it wouldn’t be the end of days without the All-Father, so we’ll also see Odin, played by The West Wing’s Richard Schiff.
The trailer states that this installment will be the end of the Norse saga. While the revelations from 2018’s God of War are better left a secret for those who haven’t yet to play it, we can say there will be considerable amounts of tension between Kratos and Atreus as the two work to prevent Ragnarok. Considering the emotional impact of the first game, I anticipate nothing sort of a heartbreaking epic.