PlayStation Games To Play In 2021 And Beyond
Here are the biggest games you can look forward to playing on your PS4 and PS5 in 2021 and beyond.
2020 was a big year for PlayStation due to a new console launch, And the next year could be even bigger. As third-party developers and Sony's first-party studios are making the most out of the new generation, many PS5 games are on the way. That includes next-gen exclusives that are only appearing on PS5, along with cross-generation games for PS4 players who haven't quite updated yet.
And the games themselves are various and comes from different categories. From action to racing to RPG and kid-friendly platformers, you can find something for almost any taste. We've picked a few of the biggest games coming to PlayStation platforms over the next year below.
If you'd like to see what the biggest PC Games To Play In 2021 And Beyond.
Back 4 Blood
Back 4 Blood is a spiritual successor to the cult-favorite Left 4 Dead series. Developed by Turtle Rock Studios and the developer responsible for creating Left 4 Dead now this new game will feature the classic cooperative zombie shooting that fans love about Valve's long-dormant series. Aside from the return of the series' familiar formula, a major innovation introduced in Back 4 Blood is the addition of a card mechanic. When you start a level, you must build up a deck of cards that modify their character's traits as they progress and mow down undead hordes. Back 4 Blood is scheduled to arrive for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC on June 22.
Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 will be attracting lots of attention in 2021. That's partly because the massive action-RPG from the makers of The Witcher video game series released so late in the year, but also because the anticipated free next-gen update is slated to come in 2021. CD Projekt Red hasn't detailed a date for the update, but we can expect some significant enhancements on PS5 when it's ready.
Deathloop
Arkane Studios has an impressive history with the likes of Dishonored and Prey, and it looks to be taking many of those concepts into something brand new with Deathloop. It's a first-person action/shooter game with a slick art style, wild abilities to seek and assassinate targets, and a mind-bending concept of being stuck in time loops. Deathloop is set to launch on PS5 and PC in May.
Destruction All-Stars
In an age of high-fidelity racers, Destruction All-Stars recalls a simpler time of derby-style mayhem. The car combat game has you bash your steel against opponents, and when your rig gets too banged up to run, you'll get out and keep battling on foot. It's coming in February and will be included with PlayStation Plus.
Dying Light 2
Dying Light 2 after a few delays that pushed it out of its 2020 release window, here we are again. While it's still intended to bring that first-person action and parkour experience from the previous game, Dying Light 2 is also said to have a bigger narrative focus that will dynamically impact the state of the game's world and cast of supporting characters therin.
Elden Ring
Elden Ring is the newest game from Dark Souls developer From Software. It's being made in collaboration with George R.R. Martin, who is serving as a consultant for the project. The debut trailer offered little on what the game is about, but we do know that--like Dark Souls--it's a dark fantasy game. It's also worth noting that it's an open-world action-RPG, which seems to be a bold step in a new direction for From Software. While the game isn't set for this year, we're hoping that we'll at least get to hear more about it in the coming months. Currently, it's slated to launch on PS4 and Xbox One.
Far Cry 6
Ubisoft's marquee open-world FPS series is going to the fictional island of Yara, which closely resembles Cuba during a revolutionary part of its history. Far Cry 6 is said to emphasize guerilla warfare as you try to overthrow a tyrannical government led by main villain Anton Castillo (played by actor Giancarlo Esposito). After a delay, it's now set to launch on all major platforms sometime in mid-2021.
Final Fantasy XIV's Next Expansion
Square Enix's top-tier MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV keeps getting better and better with each expansion and update. And the team behind FFXIV has been on schedule for one expansion every two years. December's 5.4 update sows the seeds for what's next in the story, too. With a special event scheduled for February 2021, it's likely that the new expansion will be revealed then, and if the past is any indication, it could launch by the end of 2021.
Ghostwire: Tokyo
Ghostwire: Tokyo is a bit different from what we've come to expect from developer Shinji Mikami and Tango Gameworks. After two entries in The Evil Within, it seems the studio is still going for a supernatural concept, but now in a first-person game with a more stylized action focus. Spirits haunt Tokyo and you'll have to fight them with what's described as "karate meets magic."
God of War: Ragnarok
After the monster of a cliffhanger left at the end of the 2018 God of War, it seemed apparent that Sony would be developing a follow-up. That was confirmed with a short teaser promising "Ragnarok is Coming," but it featured very little detail aside from that. In fact, it's not even officially called God of War: Ragnarok, as Sony calls it: "New God of War title." To be sure, that's a working title, but time will tell what this next God of War game will be named and look like when it arrives sometime in 2021 for PS5.
Gotham Knights
Who's going to protect Gotham City without Batman around? Batgirl, Nightwing, Red Hood, and Robin, of course. And in an open-world action RPG called Gotham Knights, no less. The game can be played solo or in two-player co-op with what's said to be a seamless drop-in-and-out system. The story will be separate from the existing Batman: Arkham series, though. Gotham Knights' main story will be about the rise of the Bat family following Batman's apparent death, and their conflict with the Gotham City's rogues' gallery, which includes the infamous Court of Owls.
Gran Turismo 7
Gran Turismo is the gold standard in car worship and always uses the advent of a new generation to showcase just how hard it can push the hardware to render ultra-realistic cars and environments. That certainly seems to be the case for Gran Turismo 7, which Polyphony says is targeting 4K resolution and 60FPS on PS5. Currently, there's no confirmed release date for the upcoming driving-simulator.
Guilty Gear Strive
Guilty Gear never ceases to impress from a visual and art direction standpoint, especially with its stunning take on 2D anime-inspired art pressed against 3D environments and camera cuts in Guilty Gear Xrd. Somehow, Guilty Gear Strive pushes it forward with refined art, stages, and transitions. But it's also a return for the rad fighting game series with new and familiar characters. We've had hands-on time with it in preview form and it's the fighting game you'll want to look out for in 2021.
Hitman 3
Soon, we'll be back in the world of assassination for the third entry in the Hitman reboot series. The two previous entries set a new standard for the franchise by focusing on the stealth-action and spying within expertly designed sandbox levels. Hitman 3 is said to be darker and more serious in tone this time around. There will also be PSVR compatibility, which is wild to think about for a Hitman game. For PC specifically, IO has outlined how it's optimizing for the platform.
Hogwarts Legacy
Hogwarts Legacy is the much-anticipated action RPG set in the Harry Potter universe, but in this adventure in the Wizarding World, we don't need Harry. The story takes place in the late 1800s, but all the things you know and love about the franchise are still here: spells, potions, magical beasts, and the house rivalries of Hogwarts. J.K. Rowling isn't directly involved in the project--take that for what you will.
Horizon: Forbidden West
Horizon: Zero Dawn was a major new franchise for Sony, so its sequel couldn't be far behind. The heroic Aloy once again explores a vast wasteland of mechanized monsters in her search for answers, and the screenshots shown so far using the PS5 version look beautiful. Horizon: Forbidden West is set to release sometime in 2021 for PS5 and PS4.
Jett: The Far Shore
A space exploration game from the Superbrothers team has you travel across strange new worlds as you seek a new home. As a scout deployed to an ocean planet, you'll need to adapt to the open world and get to know your traveling companions to survive and learn new challenges. Jett: The Far Shore doesn't have a confirmed release date yet in 2021 but is expected to release on PS4, PS5, and PC.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits
Kena: Bridge of Spirits looks to be a whimsical action-adventure game starring a young girl who can guide spirits and use magical abilities in a world influenced by East and Southeast Asian locations. You might get the impression of Pixar-esque art style in Kena, and its a credit to indie developer Ember Lab and a Vietnamese art studio called Sparx. It was revealed during a PS5 showcase.
Little Nightmares 2
This sequel to the horror puzzle-platformer Little Nightmares picks up right where the story left off, but now with two characters in the mix: the returning main protagonist Six and newcomer Mono, a boy with a paper bag for a head. However, Six will be an AI-controlled character who guides Mono along the way. You can read more in our hands-on Little Nightmares II preview.
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
The Lego Star Wars games always seem to hit a nice spot of lighthearted fun while retelling the events of the Star Wars universe. However, The Skywalker Saga will capture the events from all nine mainline movies, which seems wildly ambitious, especially because this isn't a remaster of the previous Lego Star Wars games that covered Episodes I through VI. It's set to launch in Spring 2021 on all major platforms.
New Mass Effect
That's right; a new Mass Effect is coming. Announced at The Game Awards 2020, the upcoming entry in the fan-favorite series still seems to be early in development, with Bioware at the helm. With only a teaser to go by, very little is known about the game. Many speculate that it may more directly tie into the original trilogy than continue from where Mass Effect: Andromeda left off. No release date has been confirmed, but if it's anything like the Dragon Age game in development, then it's likely still a while out.
Oddworld: Soulstorm
Oddworld: Soulstorm marks a return for the long-running series and sticks to its roots as a 2D side-scrolling puzzle platformer. But it has a modern-day look thanks to detailed 3D environments as a backdrop to main character Abe's new adventure. It's set for release sometime in 2021 for PC, PlayStation 4|5, and Switch.
Project Athia
Little is known about Project Athia, but it is a brand-new action-adventure IP out of Square Enix. Judging from its reveal trailer, the main character seems to be in a foreign fantasy world that features vast mountain ranges in the sky and a broken world below. She has traversal and supernatural abilities to fight monsters, and a dragon shows up. Wild.
Psychonauts 2
It feels like Psychonauts 2 has been talked about for a very long time, given its announcement in 2015 and crowdfunding run in 2016. But after a number of delays, 2021 is likely the year we'll see it release. We saw it in action during E3 2019 with a live gameplay demo that showed off Raz's new story and combat abilities, and the types of puzzles and trippy environments we'll navigate.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
The Ratchet & Clank franchise has been a PlayStation mainstay for years, and the next one, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, looks to be a showpiece for the PS5. The trailers and gameplay demos have shown Ratchet seamlessly jumping between dimensions, a neat, practical application of the fast-loading power of the PS5 SSD. Of course, we can also expect all the usual platforming-shooter action with a variety of wild weapons. This one is set to release on PS5 sometime in 2021.
Resident Evil Village
Resident Evil Village is picking up where Resident Evil 7 left off, not just in terms of narrative, but also in gameplay concept. The franchise's shift to first-person survival horror and action was met with critical acclaim, and with two solid remakes since then, it's exciting to see Capcom build on what Resident Evil 7 started.
Returnal
A mind-bending sci-fi thriller, Returnal is a departure for Housemarque, a studio known more for games like Super Stardust. You're Selene, a pilot stranded on an alien planet. The plot involves a time loop revival to explain its roguelike elements as you explore the strange world. The game is a PS5-exclusive and is scheduled to release sometime in 2021.
Scarlet Nexus
Scarlet Nexus is an upcoming action-RPG from a team at Bandai Namco Studios led by developers who have worked on the Tales of series. It puts you in the role of Yuito Sumeragi, a psycho-kinetic trainee hoping to become an elite warrior. Inspired by one such elite who saved him as a child, he gets caught up in a mystery in the futuristic city of New Himuka. The gameplay looks heavily inspired by the likes of Devil May Cry or numerous Platinum Games titles, with fast and frantic action. Your psycho-kinetic powers allow you to lift enemies, fling them around combat arenas, and more. Scarlet Nexus is scheduled to release for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and PC sometime in 2021.
Stray
The cyberpunk aesthetic is a popular one these days, but in Stray, you're not a technomancer or bounty hunter. You're a cat. The PS5-exclusive third-person adventure game has you navigating the seedy neon side of a cyberpunk future as you unravel a mystery and look awfully cute in the process.
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum
Listen, I'm not sure who wanted a Lord of the Rings game starring Gollum, but we'll give it a chance, of course. If you check the Steam page, the release date is marked as "Lurking until the time is right." We respect that.
Unknown 9: Awakening
Unknown 9: Awakening was revealed at Gamescom 2020 with a trailer that showed kids in what looked to be a South Asian setting and a girl being bullied, before she uses her time-stopping powers to fend off others. And that seems to be just one piece of a larger supernatural story, as there are other characters shown before the trailer concluded. It's coming to PC and new-gen consoles but no release date has been set.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 is such a fascinating concept considering the cult status of the original games from 2000 and 2004. It's a first-person RPG set in the same World of Darkness universe as its tabletop RPG source material, but in a modern-day Seattle, and it looks to build on what the Bloodlines did in 2004.