2021 seems to be making an attempt at redeeming itself through the PlayStation Showcase…it might be working.
So PlayStation really made sure to lift our spirits as the year starts to draw near an end by revealing some truly marvellous titles to be released in the relatively near (and not so near) future. PlayStation Showcase 2021 did not disappoint with the 18 title reveals, some of which we already expected and others came as a pleasant surprise.
Let’s get to it then…
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake
The showcase got off to an absolutely brilliant start with the reveal of Star Wars classic “Knights of the Old Republic”. Originally developed by Aspyr and BioWare and released in 2003, the new development team consists of Lucasfilm Games and Aspyr themselves, and the game isn’t just being modded up, but completely rebuilt from the ground up.
We also got the treat of having Jennifer Hale do the voice-over for the trailer; Hale being the voice for Bastila Shan from the original 2003 game.
The developers are sticking true to the original game as much as they can while putting their all into making the remake well worth it. Whether there will be additional add-ins, different gameplay mechanics, or anything else, we aren’t quite sure of just yet. Not much has been revealed as it’s still in early development, which inevitably means that we don’t have a set release date yet either; but we’re expecting it to likely be mid-to-late 2023 at the earliest.
Platforms: PS5 at launch, PC soon to follow
Project Eve
This SHIFT-UP Studios title was next up and it looks positively insane. Think technoey-Korean-Bayonetta. It looks to be a fast-paced hack-and-slash with stunning graphics and loads of manoeuvrability.
It will also take advantage of the PS5’s grand features such as the Haptic Feedback (basically the VR of feeling/sensations) of the DualSense controller where you’ll be able to feel it on your own flesh as you slice your blades through an enemy. It’s good to note that the sensations will vary from weapon to weapon and any other actions played out.
A release date is not yet known but judging by the Showcase trailer that includes a fair amount of gameplay, we can for now comfortably say that it can be expected around late 2022 to early 2023.
Platforms: PS5 exclusive (for now, possible release for other platforms, however, the game is being developed with special emphasis on the PS5 features)
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands
If you take fantasy comic book art, mash it up with baby metal and throw in some chaotic carnage, you’ll concoct Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands. Tiny Tina appeared in Borderlands 2, Borderlands 3, Commander Lilith & the Fight for Sanctuary, and a couple of other Borderlands DLCs where she became enough of a hit to eventually get her own game. It is set to release on the 25th of March 2022.
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X & Series S, and PC.
Forspoken
This game looks absolutely glorious. The combat, which seems to primarily consist of spells, looks seamlessly fluid, the graphics look to be gorgeous and the story, however minimal we might know about it at the moment, seems like it is going to be gripping. Forspoken just has a different feel to it, something clean, something refreshing. With Luminous Productions being the developers and Square Enix being the publishers, we’re sure to be in for a real treat with this early 2022 release.
Platforms: PS5 and PC (being designed specifically for PS5 so no other platform release likely)
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Extraction
Originally set to be released in September 2021, the game got delayed but has been set to launch in January 2022. We got to glimpse some of the parasitic-type alien lifeforms known as Archaeans and honestly, I don’t see this as a bad thing to add in as Rainbow Six is a right well good game and it hasn’t let us down yet. It is a blast of a multiplayer FPS and this will surely add to the fun.
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X & Series S, PC.
Alan Wake
Alan Wake Remastered has been the talk of the town since it first leaked that there will be a remaster. This psychological-survival-horror will be coming out on the 5th of October 2021 and will include the two expansions. Initially released in 2010, this game has everything from the atmosphere to the pacing to create some great immersion for this upcoming remaster.
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X & Series S, and PC.
GTA V & GTA V Online
With all the hype around another remaster for GTA V, the date was set at 21st of November 2021 but has recently been delayed until March 2022. However, this is Rockstar after all and they only ever give us the best that they have to offer so surely we can grant them a little patience?
This will be a much-enhanced version of both GTA v and GTA V Online and hopefully have a bit of extra content for the new-gen versions? There is already a nice little something that Rockstar has thrown in for PlayStation Plus members in the meantime until the 2022 launch.
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X, and Series X.
Ghostwire Tokyo
With the expected release date being sometime in early 2022 we can finally get some peace after the initial reveal from E3 2019. The game will also be making major use of the PS5 DualSense Haptic Feedback which will make this game feel a whole lot more immersive with its energy-based powers and attacks.
It’s also going to be a PS5 exclusive for the first year after release (possibly available for PC during this time) but Xbox users will have to wait it out until early 2023.
Platforms: PS5 exclusive for 12 months (PC included at launch), Xbox availability a year after launch.
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
It was bound to happen eventually. The much-loved quirks of Guardians of the Galaxy have paid off and it finally has its own game. There’s just a charm to this film series and now we can delve into it ourselves in the near future, with the release being right around the corner on the 26th of October 2021.
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X & Series S, Nintendo Switch, PC.
Vampire the Masquerade: Blood Hunt
What’s better than being able to play as a bloodsucking vampire where you literally have to sip the succulently sweet, warm, fresh blood of a victim while simultaneously wielding guns and kitanas rid yourself of those who displease you? Blood Hunt lets us live out the vampiric dream with various vampire classes to choose from and is also aiming to make full use of the DualSense controller features.
This time around the hunter is the hunted in the streets of Prague. There’s no dead-set release date yet other than to expect it out for PS5 before the end of 2021, Xbox players however will need to anxiously wait to find out if they’ll be getting the title at all, while PC players can already download the free-to-play early-access version of Blood Hunt.
Platforms: PS5, PC, Xbox awaiting any news on this.
Deathloop
Deathloop is literally right around the corner with its release coming up on the 14th of September 2021. Deathloop is pretty much just that, a loop of time that was designed for the amusement of others, literally. Although this is an Arkane title, with Arkane never selling us short on anything but excellent, many are sceptical about the gameplay, style, and mechanics of this one. Well, it’s not long now until we’ll be able to find out for ourselves.
Platforms: PS5 and PC.
Kid A Mnesia Exhibition
Can we expect to be somewhat playing Amnesia as an actual kid? Or have a kid be the haunting nightmare of Amnesia? What more will come of this intriguing teaser? Well if anything, the bone we’ve been thrown is merely a taste of the “upside-down digital/analogue universe created from original artwork and recordings to commemorate 21 years of Radiohead’s Kid A and Amnesiac.”
Platforms: PC
Tchia
Could we say that this has a slight Legend of Zelda type of inspiration? I’m not sure. What we can say is that it will definitely be a light-hearted break away from the majority of other games and allow us to take a step back and relax amidst the havoc of this world. It is set to release sometime in 2022.
Platforms: PS4, PS5 and PC.
Uncharted Legacy of Thieves
Uncharted is by far one of the biggest and most enjoyed series out there. This is basically the male Lara Croft (I’ll be honest and say I’m a little biased, I quite favour Croft since I’ve played pretty much every Tomb Raider right from the original 1996 release as soon as I was able to hold a control) Legacy of Thieves is a remaster of both A Thief’s End and The Lost Legacy and is set to release in early 2022.
Platforms: PS5 and PC (a short while after initial release)
Marvel’s Wolverine
This was another one of the bigger surprises that Insomniac Games loaded off on us. There really isn’t much known about this title just yet as it is still in very early development and there isn’t even a release date window as yet but we can be certain that we’ll be waiting until early 2024 at the earliest most likely.
We do however glimpse a possible little easter egg for the game in the trailer. If you look carefully to the right of Wolverine’s back as he sits at the bar, you will see an old number plate reading “HLK 181”. If this doesn’t ring a bell for you, there is a Marvel comic, issue 181 of The Incredible Hulk. Could this be a hint at us coming face to face with the infamous Hulk in this upcoming title?
Platforms: PS5 exclusive.
Gran Turismo 7
Could we really expect any less of Polyphony Digital than to give us one of the all-time best racing simulators? I remember playing the very first GT on my PS1 and back then that was the absolute top-notch graphics and realistic racing experience that you could have.
Now they’re back for the new-gen console and they are coming back with a vengeance. The graphics are immaculate and they fully intend to make good use of the PS5 DualSense features. This certainly is a sight for sore eyes, set to be launching on the 4th of March 2022.
Platforms: PS4 and PS5.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Insomniac Games really brought their game to the PlayStation Showcase 2021, revealing game after game. In 2020 Spider-Man: Miles Morales was released and it was an absolute hit. Now they’re following up with Spider-Man 2 set to release in 2023 with a sneaky glimpse of the fan-favourite, Venom.
Platforms: PS5.
God of War: Ragnarok
Honestly, God of War has always been a decent game but never among my favourites; Ragnarok, however, might just take it up a couple of notches. GoW Ragnarok looks stunning, beautiful, just wonderful, and the storyline to it, spectacular. This is supposedly the last installment to the Norse era of the series and is set loosely to be released sometime during 2022. Not only are they going to be cramming in a whole bunch of Norse gods, goddesses and other deities & creatures, Santa Monica Studios will be putting a more realistic twist onto said characters such as Thor.
Platforms: PS4 and PS5.
PlayStation Showcase 2021
So that concludes the line-up. Honestly, there’s one or two that I’m not really phased about but the majority are really piquing my interest. I can comfortably say that personally, my most anticipated titles from this list are GoW Ragnarok, Forspoken, Project Eve, Alan Wake, GT7, and Old Republic.