Sony has a long history of fantastic exclusive games on its consoles, dating back all the way to the original PlayStation with games like Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy VII. That has continued for decades, and looking ahead to the rest of 2021 and beyond, there are a bunch of exciting exclusive or console-exclusive games coming to PS4 and PS5. A selection of the biggest upcoming PlayStation exclusives are also coming to PC--as are some of the biggest upcoming Xbox exclusives--but if you're a console player, Sony's systems will be the only way to enjoy them.
Babylon's Fall
Babylon's FallAn online action game from Platinum Games and Nier producer Yosuke Saito, Babylon's Fall isn't what we were expecting--the initial teasers didn't suggest it would be online--but the Medieval fantasy setting and flashy combat both look like they'll deliver. It's relatively new territory for Platinum, which is best known for single-player action games like Bayonetta and Nier: Automata, though it still seems to be playing to the studio's hack-and-slash strengths. Babylon's Fall will be available across PS4, PS5, and PC.
Final Fantasy VII Remake: Part 2
Image from Final Fantasy VII Remake IntergradeThe original Final Fantasy VII was a massive game, and rather than remake the entire thing at once, Square Enix opted to release Final Fantasy VII Remake in smaller chapters. The first of these was released for PS4 back in 2020, with a PS5 upgrade releasing this past June. It's unclear when the game's next chapter will be out, but given some of the revelations at the end of the first part--it appears there could be some major story differences compared to the original version--it's one of the most-anticipated upcoming PlayStation games. Given how far away it seems to be, it'll likely skip PS4 and be a PS5 exclusive.
Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker
Final Fantasy XIV: EndwalkerAn expansion rather than a full game--but an important one nonetheless--Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker is the upcoming chapter for one of the world's biggest MMORPGs, and one that has received even more favorable attention since some players and streamers began abandoning World of Warcraft. The expansion includes the new Sage and Reaper jobs, a new playable race, several new areas and dungeons, new raids, and a new PvP mode. It's another impressive-looking chapter in a game's story that began with a disastrous launch and subsequent rebirth, but the game's A Realm Reborn era has been going on for long enough that it's easy to forget the earlier trainwreck even existed.
Final Fantasy XVI
Final Fantasy XVIA return to a more medieval and fantasy-based setting after the modern Final Fantasy XV, the upcoming Final Fantasy XVI looks like it will lean heavily, and intentionally, into some of the tropes of the genre--its setting is described as "A Land Blessed in the Light of the Mothercrystals," for crying out loud. However, it builds on this with a complex world made of several different factions and characters, and with the power of the PS5, it looks to be one of the most stunning games released on the system. It will have an action-oriented combat system once again, and it appears Devil May Cry 5 designer Ryota Suzuki is serving as battle director on the project, which should give everyone confidence.
Forspoken
ForspokenA new console-exclusive action-adventure game from Square Enix, Forspoken sees protagonist Frey Holland transported from our world into a fantasy realm called Athia, where she's given the power to soar through the air and cast powerful spells. It looks like a cross between the movement in a game like Marvel's Spider-Man with a much more magical move-set, and given the fidelity of the trailers and the high-speed action we've seen thus far, it makes sense that the game will be only available on PS5 and PC. But Square Enix is certainly hoping for the game to be more than a tech demo for the system, as is the new internal studio Luminous Productions.
GhostWire: Tokyo
GhostWire: TokyoGhostWire: Tokyo is one of the most exciting upcoming games for PS5, as it's a completely new experience for studio Tango Gameworks. The company, now owned by Microsoft but honoring an earlier timed exclusivity agreement, developed both The Evil Within games previously, but GhostWire is not a survival-horror game. Instead, it's a paranormal action-adventure with spooky elements, played from a first-person perspective with a combat flow that resembles something like Dishonored. It remains to be seen if that combat can mesh with investigating supernatural occurrences, but Tango Gameworks has a knack for world-building and has already shown great improvement since the original The Evil Within launched.
God of War: Ragnarok
God of War: RagnarokThe 2018 soft-reboot for God of War, which continued the story but radically overhauled the gameplay, was one of the best PS4 games. Sony's Santa Monica Studio is certainly looking to match that quality with God of War: Ragnarok, a game that will wrap up the Norse storyline. We've only seen a glimpse of gameplay thus far, which will continue the brutal and more weighty attacks compared to the earlier games, and Kratos' son Atreus will play a major role once again. Will Kratos be able to defeat Thor, the god of thunder, or will the once-disgraced demi-god finally be destroyed? Well, probably not, but we won't know for sure until the game releases in 2022 on PS4 and PS5.
Gran Turismo 7
Gran Turismo 7The Gran Turismo series has, for the most part, stuck to what it has done best over the years: highly realistic racing on tracks. That's not changing with Gran Turismo 7, but it will be getting some big enhancements to help it feel like a modern racing simulator that can compete with the Forza series. A much more complex time and weather system will be detailed right down to the aerosol particles formed during storms, and you'll be able to tweak your cars right down to the tiniest of changes. The campaign mode also returns, as does Gran Turismo Sport's livery editor, and you'll be sent all over the world for a diverse selection of races.