How Does 2025 Look So Far for PS5 in Terms of First-Party Games?

2024 stood out as an exceptional year for the PlayStation 5, with several timeless classics significantly enhancing its collection of platform and console exclusives: The anticipated “Final Fantasy VII Rebirth” made its debut on Sony’s current-generation console, continuing Cloud Strife and his companions’ journey beyond Midgar. Contrary to unsubstantiated rumors suggesting underwhelming sales, the game’s status as one of the greatest “Final Fantasy” titles ever produced remains undiminished.

“Stellar Blade,” although having a few rough edges, offers an action-packed sci-fi journey that draws inspiration from the swordplay in “Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.” It reimagines and refines these elements with panache and accessibility, making it one of the most captivating new IPs to surface in recent times. Our Game of the Year, “Silent Hill 2 Remake,” successfully maintains the original’s overwhelmingly oppressive ambiance, music, and sound design to deliver an experience that upholds the legendary original’s legacy. Last but not least, there’s “Astro Bot,” the latest adventure starring our lovable robot mascot. This game packs a multitude of innovative ideas into its gameplay and has garnered several prestigious awards in the industry.

Although PlayStation 5 boasts an increasing number of unique platform and console games (we refer to console exclusives because some of these titles also appear on PC), it seems that the console is not quite meeting our expectations in terms of performance. This could be due to the extended time it took for the console to reach this stage, as a result of the ongoing impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the industry. However, with more games being added to its library, the upcoming release of the PS5 Pro, and the reported high sales figures for PlayStation Portal, Sony’s current generation is still falling short of the impressive heights reached by the PlayStation 4 during its generation. Yet, it was the exclusive games of the prior generation that made Sony shine. With the confirmed and rumored exclusives slated for release in 2025, PlayStation 5 may finally reach its peak.

Among the games scheduled for 2025 release, “Ghost of Yōtei,” the successor to “Ghost of Tsushima” from Sucker Punch, introduces a new protagonist named Atsu in a Japan that remains feudal, some 300 years after the events of its predecessor. With Sony’s upcoming PS5 exclusives, this game is almost certain to be a hit. “Death Stranding 2” is expected for release this year and stars Sam Porter Bridges, who has grown older and grey, as he confronts an even more powerful phantasmagoric threat. Expect plenty of Kojima cinematics in this sequel.

Less well-known are the PS5 and PSVR2 exclusives “The Midnight Walk” from MoonHood Studios. In this game, you’ll take control of the recently exhumed Burnt One to navigate a dangerous highway filled with terrifying creatures. Since there’s a Steam page for it, expect this game to also be available on PC.

Lastly, “Ballad of Antara,” developed by Tipswork Studio, is an action RPG where players control a group of characters, known as Emissaries by the studio, to explore two cosmic worlds.

Among the potential PS5 exclusives yet to be officially confirmed for release this year (or later), standout titles include Bungie’s reimagined sci-fi extraction shooter, Marathon, the swift-moving hack-and-slash RPG, Phantom Blade Zero, Insomniac Games’ new superhero title based on Wolverine, and Fairgame$, a multiplayer game where you perform Robin Hood-like heists to rob the wealthy and aid the needy.

Additionally, we offer “Journey with Hoverboards”, a title known as “Sword of the Sea”, a Wuxia open-world game called “Where Winds Meet“, and the highly anticipated game that’s yet to be confirmed for release before 2025 – Intergalactic.

Naughty Dog’s new IP, “Intergalactic,” is an upcoming project that they are developing themselves. It’s worth noting that there are other first-party studios at Sony who also have unannounced projects in the pipeline. Additionally, it’s been announced that the games from Bluepoint and Sony Bend have been cancelled, so we should not anticipate anything from them this year.

As a gaming enthusiast, I’ve been eagerly waiting for news from Santa Monica Studio since they hinted at their first new IP in around twenty years last August. However, it’s important to note that this ‘tease’ doesn’t necessarily mean something completely fresh is on the horizon. There have been rumors about a possible reboot of their futuristic racer, Kinetica, but I find that rather doubtful.

With God of War being such an iconic franchise for them, it’s almost guaranteed that we’ll see another installment at some point. Interestingly enough, Santa Monica Studio is also secretively working on a narrative combat game alongside this new IP. If this upcoming project turns out to be the next God of War, signs definitely point towards a PlayStation 6 release, which unfortunately means it won’t be happening this year.

I can only hope that 2025 brings more details about what Santa Monica Studio has been developing. As one of Sony’s most respected developers, any new title in 2025 could make the already promising year for PS5 the biggest yet!

I’d like to apologize for the amount of uncertainty in this article. Beyond the titles that have already been confirmed, we don’t yet know what other releases are planned for this year. Instead of merely spreading speculation and concluding here, let’s maintain a positive outlook.

In contrast to past years, Sony has shown a tendency to reveal release dates that aren’t too distant. For example, the release date for Astro Bot was announced, and surprisingly, it arrived just a few months later. If Sony announces any release dates for their upcoming games before the end of summer, it’s likely we’ll be playing them before 2025 comes to an end.

Looking at the games scheduled for release and those currently being developed by our most renowned studios, it’s quite plausible that 2025 will outshine the impressive year we had in 2024. It might even be remembered as the PlayStation 5’s peak year for exclusives, potentially surpassing all other years in terms of its impact during the console’s lifetime.

Please take note that the opinions shared within this article belong solely to the writer, and they may not align with or be endorsed by GamingBolt as a collective entity.

2025-02-11 22:41

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