Upcoming PS5 Games 2021: All of the best titles coming our way this year

2021 is here, and marks the first full year of PS5 being a major part of our gaming lives. While the new generation of consoles often starts off slow, Sony already has a selection of massive exclusives in the works set to break cover in the coming months. 

The third party offerings are poised to be equally as strong this year, with indie darlings aplenty completing a library of titles we can’t wait to dig into. Console gaming has never been as diverse as it is now, and backward compatibility means you can bring existing experiences with you. 

Trusted Reviews has compiled all of the best upcoming PS5 games we’re looking forward to, whether they be giant blockbusters or smaller efforts that deserve an extra light or two shun upon them.

Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart

Developer: Insomniac Games

Release Date: June 11, 2021

Coming exclusively to PS5, Insomniac Games’ Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is a charming platformer poised to take full advantage of the new console. Reality is being ripped apart, and players can make use of a gadget that allows them to shift seamlessly between different realms in real time. The console’s super-fast SSD makes such a feat possible. 

From all of the gameplay we’ve seen, it seems like classic Ratchet and Clank with a few welcome twists, and it also looks absolutely gorgeous. We can’t wait to play it, and also to uncover what this mysterious female Lombax is all about. She’s adorable and we are only a tiny bit obsessed. 

Horizon 2: Forbidden West

Developer: Guerrilla Games 

Release Date: TBA 2021 

Horizon Zero Dawn made Aloy into an instantly iconic heroine, cementing her as a PlayStation mascot for generations to come. In a move that has surprised absolutely nobody, a sequel is in the works for the critically acclaimed open-world adventure.

Forbidden West will take players to a post-apocalyptic vision of San Francisco as they seek to uncover more about Aloy’s past and the strange menace that threatens humanity. While the original game was undoubtedly stunning, it was held back by its fairly predictable approach to its world and gameplay. With a few tweaks, this new game could be something very special indeed. 

Final Fantasy 16

Developer: Square Enix 

Release Date: TBA 2021 

Square Enix is taking Final Fantasy back to its roots for the 16th instalment, depicting a classic fantasy setting that also takes some clear inspiration from The Witcher 3 and Game of Thrones. It looks excellent, and teases a tragic tale of family, monsters and a strange crystal that threatens the fate of all those close to it. 

Featuring a number of new characters and a compelling real-time combat system, it seems that Final Fantasy 16 will expand upon previous entries while also addressing many of their flaws. Naoki Yoshida, who is widely renowned as the saviour of FF14, is on hand as a producer, meaning that this new entry has all the ingredients to be excellent. 

Far Cry 6

Developer: Ubisoft

Release Date: TBA 2021 

Ubisoft is back with another entry in its first-person shooter franchise, and hopefully this new adventure to the fictional Caribbean island of Yara will bring with it some welcome changes to the stale formula. Far Cry 5 was enjoyable, but relied on a formula that hasn’t changed much in the past decade. 

With this new outing, Ubisoft has an opportunity to break new ground. Starring Giancarlo Esposito of The Mandalorian and Breaking Bad fame as its main villain, we can once again expect to contend with a larger than life threat simply begging to be taken down. Expect plenty of silly weapons, gorgeous locales and more when Far Cry 6 lands later in the year. 

Resident Evil Village

Developer: Capcom

Release Date: May 7, 2021 

Capcom’s new vision for the Resident Evil franchise will venture further with the arrival of Resident Evil Village. Taking place after the events of Resi 7, players will once again step into the shoes of Ethan Winters as he finds himself venturing to a remote village in search of very important answers. Unfortunately, it’s filled with all sorts of nasty business. 

Iconic characters such as Chris Redfield will return, and it seems he’s up to something strange if the trailer is any indication. Monsters such as classic zombies, werewolves and dangerous members of the occult are just some of the threats Ethan must contend with in this pulse-pounding survival horror outing. A lot of information has leaked online, so if you want to go in blind be very careful. 

God of War 2

Developer: Sony Santa Monica 

Release Date: TBA 

Sony Santa Monica’s God of War reboot was an absolute triumph, bringing Kratos and his angry, deicidal ways into the modern era with astonishing results. His journey across the Norse world with his son Atreus was touching, poignant and beautifully ambitious when compared to anything the series had done before. We loved it, and can’t wait for the sequel. 

Little is known about this far thus far, beyond the fact that Kratos will inevitably be going up against Thor in the midst of Ragnarok. Chances are it still  a couple of years away from release, but it will definitely be worth the wait. The original now has PS5 support with improved performance and resolution, meaning there’s no better time to play it. 

Gran Turismo 7

Developer: Polyphony Digital 

Release Date: 2022

It wouldn’t be a PlayStation console without Gran Turismo, and PS5 will be no different. The seventh installment will mark the return of beloved modes such as GT Simulation, while also adopting a similar interface to that of Gran Turismo 4. So, it seems Polyphony Digital wants to return to the PS2 glory days of its racing sim franchise, and we can’t blame them. Having lurked in the shadows of Forza Motorsport for years now, Gran Turismo 7 could be set for the comeback we’ve been waiting for. 

Returnal

Developer: Housemarque

Release Date: April 30, 2020

Returnal is the latest game from the creators of arcade classics such as Resogun and Dead Nation, and is also poised to be their most ambitious outing yet. Coming exclusively to PS4, Returnal will follow Selene, an astronaut who finds herself stranded on an alien planet which also happens to be locked in a timeline – which are two things you definitely don’t want happening at the same time.

Played from the third-person perspective, Returnal is a third-person shooter with roguelite elements, meaning each timeloop will have you trying to make it through the same selection of areas with different weapons, abilities and enemies. While the arcade shooter action will no doubt be excellent, we’re also excited to see how Returnal explores the elements of psychological horror that are blatantly obvious through everything we’ve seen of it so far.

Project Athia

Developer: Square Enix

Release Date: 2022

Project Athia is a new IP from Square Enix and some of the creators behind the iconic Final Fantasy franchise. Beyond a single trailer, we know little about it beyond the fact it will be coming exclusively to PS5 and take place in a sprawling fantasy world filled with magical locations and evil monsters.

Mass Effect: Legendary Edition

Developer: Bioware

Release Date: May 14, 2021

Bioware is bringing the original Mass Effect trilogy to modern platforms with the Legendary Edition, a bundle of games which will undoubtedly be the definitive way to experience Commander Shepard’s journey going forward.

Each game has been enhanced with improved visuals, better performance and a number of quality of life changes which will make them far more accessible for new players. All downloadable content is included too, so expect to lose hundreds of hours to this.

Balan Wonderworld

Developer: Balan Company

Release Date: March 26, 2021

Having originally created classic franchises such as Sonic The Hedgehog and Nights, Yuji Naka is embarking on a new adventure with Balan Wonderworld. This unusual new platformer feels like classic SEGA with its obscene amounts of charm and creative approach to platforming.

There’s a playable demo available on the PlayStation Store right now, and it offers a decent glimpse into the world of Balan Wonderworld. We’ll be blunt, it’s rough around the edges, but hopefully the full release still has a few surprises up its sleeve.

Oddworld Soulstorm

Developer: Oddworld Inhabitants

Release Date: April 6, 2021

Oddworld Inhabitants is returning to the character that helped define their space in the gaming landscape: Abe. The shy yet sociable Mudokon has saved thousands of his fellow species from certain doom over the years, and now he must once again rise to the challenge and confront even greater evils.

This morbid adventure will be a mixture of social communication, platforming, combat and puzzle solving as you explore a variety of daunting environments. From what we’ve seen thus far, it is infinitely more ambitious than what came before it, and we can’t wait to see Oddworld thrust back into the limelight.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade

Developer: Square Enix

Release Date: June 10, 2021

To the surprise of nobody, Square Enix is bringing Final Fantasy 7 Remake to PS5 with Intergrade. It will be a free upgrade for existing players with enhanced visuals, higher resolution and greater performance. A number of quality-of-life improvements have also been introduced such as a Photo Mode and improved loading times thanks to the console’s SSD.

However, visuals and framerate aren’t the only big new addition. Yuffie Kisaragi will be receiving her own story expansion with two new playable characters and a bunch of other new content. This isn’t free, and will need to be purchased, but it seems to be a substantial expansion to an already fantastic JRPG, and we can’t wait to see where Square Enix takes it.

What upcoming PS5 games are you excited for? Be sure to let us know on Facebook and Twitter @trustedreviews.