It goes without saying that Sony's latest home console effort has been a smashing success, with the PlayStation 5 continuing to sell out ever since its launch last November. Of course, any console is only as good as its library of games, and while it's still early on in its lifecycle, the drought of new content is beginning to be felt. At launch, the PS5 was graced with several noteworthy titles, with the most prolific of the bunch being Bluepoint's stunning Demon's Souls remake, which set the bar for what to expect from next-gen visuals.
While Demon's Souls is undoubtedly fantastic and other third party titles have helped fill the void, PlayStation enthusiasts have been patiently waiting for the first party content that Sony has become synonymous with. Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Sackboy: A Big Adventure were other great launch titles, but were also available on the PS4, so it has been nearly half a year since the last proper PS5 exclusive. Fans waiting will have patience rewarded very soon however, as not one, but two major games will be landing on the PlayStation 5 over the next couple of months.
Returnal
First up is Returnal, which creeps its way on the PS5 just before the end of the month on April 30. Although Returnal was delayed from its initial March release date, the game looks to have made good use of this extra time to add even further polish to what currently looks like one of the most interesting games on the system so far. The comparisons and inspirations to Ridley Scott's Alien film franchise are undoubtedly apparent, lending the game an excellent sci-fi/horror atmosphere to compliment its fast paced rogue-like action.
Trailers for Returnal seem to tease a narrative where everything isn't as it seems, something which players are sure to realize when it becomes available in a few days from the writing of this article. While the blistering gunplay, dazzling graphics and Metroid style exploration are sure to keep players engaged, the most important aspect of this game is that it's a new IP. In any console lifespan, it is crucial to compliment the existing legacy franchises with fresh, new experiences to maintain a sense of variety within the library of games available. With the PS5 only a few months old at this point, Returnal launching so early on is a great start in this regard and a promising sign of things to come.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
With nearly two decades having passed since the first Ratchet and Clank game graced the PS2, Insomniac's colorful platforming series has become a mainstay in the PlayStation family for years. This looks to continue with Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, the latest installment in the franchise that looks to make a big statement for the technical capabilities of the PS5. The core "gimmick" of the title itself, in which Ratchet is able to seamlessly leap across worlds via rifts, is essentially Sony flexing the console's blazing fast SSD load times.
With yet another Lombax named Rivet being added to the cast of protagonists, coupled with the dimension hopping plot, this newest Ratchet and Clank game looks to be the biggest and most ambitious yet for the franchise. Much like Demon's Souls before it, this title is going to set the expectations for what fans can expect visually from PS5 games, and this is just the beginning. Insomniac has certainly lived up to its name, as the studio, proving its pedigree time and again, though not only this latest Ratchet and Clank game but also undoubtedly being hard at work on the rumored sequel to Marvel's Spider-Man.
Returnal is available on April 30, while Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart releases on June 11, both exclusively for PlayStation 5.