SuperPhillip Central Best of 2020 Awards - Top Five Most Overlooked Games

SPC is no stranger to looking at those games that fall through the cracks, get ignored or even forgotten by the mainstream, the gaming community or a combination of both, or simply don't get as much due credit as perhaps they deserve. Every year as part of the SuperPhillip Central Best of Awards we take a look at just some of the overlooked games from the past year, and that tradition continues with the SuperPhillip Central Best of 2020 Awards as well. By no means is this a complete list of the excellent games that were overlooked this year, but maybe with this category, you'll gain some interest in some of these titles. Let's get to the countdown.

5) Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection (PS4, XB1, NSW, PC)

Releasing in late February for all major platforms of the time, Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection is a compilation title of six rather challenging and punishing Mega Man games: Mega Man Zero 1-4 and the Metroid-structured Mega Man ZX and its sequel Mega Man ZX Advent. Perhaps the level of challenge and the relative obscurity of several of the games put some potential buyers off from the game, but even still, this collection came and went without much buzz. The Mega Man Zero games are no strangers to being compiled into one collection as seen with the Nintendo DS package, but the addition of the ZX games and the added modes and museum make this particular collection one that shouldn't be--but was by many--missed.

4) Darksiders Genesis (PS4, XB1, NSW, PC)

Another February release that came and went was Darksiders Genesis. This entry in the series wasn't a Zelda-like similar to past entries, but more like a Diablo clone. It was a well done one, too, offering plenty of levels and dungeons to crawl through, utterly obliterating enemies, nabbing loot, discovering hidden treasures, solving puzzles, performing platforming, and battling big bosses in an isometric world. The interactions between War and newly playable Strife are endearing and quite hilarious at times as the unlikely duo hack, slash, and shoot through levels. Darksiders Genesis might not continue the story beat and tease of the very first Darksiders' ending (seriously, continue the story already), but it's a solid hack and slash action-RPG all the same worthy of a play.

3) Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 (PS5, XBS, PS4, XB1, NSW, PC)

Puyo Puyo is a relatively obscure puzzle game for the mainstream audience, but as we know, Tetris is hardly that. It's a household name pretty much. Combining the two worked well with the original Puyo Puyo Tetris, but the recently released sequel seems to have slipped through the cracks. The online player count for most platforms is decidedly on the low side, and there's very little discussion about the game in general, save for the occasional conversation out of the spotlight. Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 introduces new modes, such as a fresh take on the Adventure mode from the original game, with an overworld to complete missions on. There are also new Skill Battles to take on in addition to the tried and true modes and gameplay of the original Puyo Puyo Tetris. If you have any love at all for either Puyo Puyo or the much more common Tetris, then you owe it to yourself to give Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 a try.

2) Sackboy: A Big Adventure (PS5, PS4)

At the PlayStation 5 launch this past November, most of the attention went to a different 3D platformer--Astro's Playroom. By no means was this not well deserved, as by all accounts the game is genius design from the reviews and player feedback I've read, and the game was installed on every purchased PS5. Meanwhile, Sackboy's own adventure, a $50+ game, didn't receive anywhere near the same amount of spotlight or attention. As you've seen with the SuperPhillip Central Best of 2020 Awards already and as you'll see later in the show, my opinion of Sackboy: A Big Adventure is mighty strong and I hold it in very high esteem. Its cleverly designed levels, awesome co-op, and rather difficult challenge in the late and post-game makes for a totally terrific 3D platformer akin to Super Mario 3D World. If you're a fan of challenging 3D obstacle course-based platformers, then you're missing out if you've yet to play Sackboy: A Big Adventure.

1) Dreams (PS4)

Despite a lengthy development time, when Dreams finally launched earlier this year--this past February to be exact--it did not exactly receive a rousing, amazing welcome from PlayStation 4 owners. While seeing what creators of Dreams content are making is absolutely cool for many, this game creation suite of tools may have put plenty of potential players and would-be creators off due to the time commitment required to put into Dreams to make quality stuff. It doesn't help that Sony did not do much to market or advertise the game either. That's certainly a major shame, as Dreams is truly something special and much easier to get into than other similar software tools. Perhaps if instead of a $40 buy-in to be able to create and play content, a free-to-play formula would have worked better. Regardless, Dreams is very much worth giving a look and a chance on.

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We're not done today with the SuperPhillip Central Best of 2020 Awards. There's another award category to be had, so please look forward to that later tonight!

SuperPhillip Central Best of 2020 Awards - Top Five Platformers

A genre so nice and enjoyable that it annually gets its own awards category here as the SuperPhillip Central Best of 2020 Awards continue! It's the platformer, my personal favorite genre of game, so if there were any other type of game that deserved its own category, I just don't see it! Fortunately, despite 2020 being a gnarly year in general, it was a fantastic year for platformers, as evident by this upcoming countdown. The genre sees more and more releases, and plenty of them are terrific. Here's hoping the platformer renaissance continues into 2021! For now, let's take a look back at the year that was with the Top Five Platformers of 2020!

5) Shantae and the Seven Sirens (PS4, XB1, NSW, PC)

Initially released as an Apple Arcade exclusive last year, Shantae and the Seven Sirens arrived on consoles and PC this past spring, bringing back the half-genie hero and putting her on an adventure on an island to rescue the other captured half-genies in this wonderful Metroidvania game. The way that Shantae's transformation abilities were seamlessly integrated into the game rather than forcing players to enter a quick select menu to transform, meant for a snappier, faster-paced game. Whether she dashes across maps or climbs walls as a newt or burrows under sand like a drill, Shantae has the skills to take down whatever nefarious force is behind the half-genies' capture. Shantae and the Seven Sirens was a welcome return to the Metroidvania formula that Half-Genie Hero abandoned, and ultimately the full experience overall worked really, really well. Hence the game's placement at the start of this best platformers of 2020 countdown.

4) Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time (PS4, XB1)

Crash Bandicoot was back, and he was joined by a motley crew of playable characters, such as Coco, Tawna, Dingodile, and even Dr. Cortex himself in one time trip of an adventure. Crash and Coco never felt better than before with responsive platforming goodness, new moves via the mask abilities, and generally smart and clever level design that used myriad tricks and gimmicks to keep the game fresh. By no means is the experience perfect, as some of the Cortex sections offer a bit of imprecision, and levels--albeit extremely well made--tend to run overly long in the duration department. And forget about trying to complete the game with the top percentage--you'll go mad like a certain aforementioned scientists. Still, the quality of Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time can't be argued against, at least by yours truly, making it arrive at the four spot on this countdown of best platformers of 2020.

3) Super Mario 3D All-Stars (NSW)

As a collection itself, Super Mario 3D All-Stars offered higher resolution visuals and little else new, but as for the games themselves, these are some of the best 3D platformers on offer to date--and then, of course, there's Super Mario Sunshine. No, no. I kid, Sunshine fans. The game might have a multitude of issues, but it's still a greater platformer than so many of its rivals and contemporaries alike. Super Mario 64, meanwhile, is still a marvel to play, and as important to gaming as ever. Finally, Super Mario Galaxy remains a near-perfect 3D platformer for me, offering an abundance of creativity in its levels, concepts, and execution. Really, if this was a collection of new platformers, Super Mario 3D All-Stars would easily be at the top of this list, but considering this is a collection of remastered games, it'll have to do with number three on the countdown. Seeing its competition ahead, that's still high praise for an adequately assembled collection of masterful games.

2) Ori and the Will of the Wisps (XB1, NSW, PC)

Ori and the Blind Forest already amazed with its brilliance, whether that be in its gorgeous, breathtaking visuals or its precision platforming prowess. Ori and the Will of the Wisps took the foundation laid down by its predecessor and improved upon it in utterly remarkable fashion. Adding a slew of new mechanics alongside familiar old ones such as the ability to chain bash attacks to launch Ori off enemies and projectiles alike for greater height and distance, little spirit Ori never felt better to control. The world, too, put these abilities to great use, delivering challenging platforming gameplay alongside presenting a mysterious and whimsical series of areas to enjoy exploring. Ori and the Will of the Wisps didn't just make for a stronger outing than its predecessor, Ori and the Blind Forest; it made for a stunning and stellar platformer period.

1) Sackboy: A Big Adventure (PS5, PS4)

It almost seems like blasphemy, but I think I preferred Sumo Digital's Sackboy: A Big Adventure more than Nintendo EAD's own Super Mario 3D World. Perhaps my opinion will change come February when that game is re-released on the Switch, but Sackboy's latest outing offers so much greatness packed into its virtual stuffing. From the copious amounts of creative, clever, and interesting level designs--where I literally felt I couldn't stop playing because I wanted to see what the designers would present to me next in the game's levels--to Sackboy actually controlling well without the floaty-ness of past LittleBigPlanet games, Sackboy: A Big Adventure was a total delight for me to play. Certainly, Sackboy might not feel as tight to control as other games on this list, but his repertoire of moves and just playing as the yarned mascot felt fun to control regardless. Between this and the aforementioned stellar level design, and you have my pick for the top platformer of 2020. Well done, Sumo Digital.

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Later in the evening I invite you to join me as the SuperPhillip Central Best of 2020 Awards chugs along and enters remake and remaster territory with the Top Five Best Remakes/Remasters from the past year. The award show fun continues until the new year, so be there!

Review Round-Up - November 2020

SPC was thankful this past Thanksgiving for a cornucopia of entertaining games,
but taking the crown in November was none other than Sackboy: A Big Adventure!

The tail end of November always sees Thanksgiving occur in the United States, but for SuperPhillip Central, the site was feasting and stuffing itself full of game reviews all month long. Seven reviews were published to the site, and like I always enjoy doing, I'd like to recap for everybody what games were reviewed and what grades they received. It's Review Round-Up time, y'all!

Despite a spin-off in The Legend of Zelda series releasing on the Nintendo Switch last month, I actually didn't review several Zelda-style games because of that. It was merely coincidence. Regardless, two Zelda-likes with Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Realm and Beyond Oasis were reviewed to kick the month off. While one game was a mobile port and the other was a cult classic Genesis game, both received the same grade of B-. The Zelda kick continued with an actual Zelda game, albeit a spin-off with Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda (phew, I got winded typing that title out!). It moved to the groove and got an excellent A- for its efforts.

We moved from Zelda to Metroid-like with the gorgeous Ori and the Will of the Wisps, a former Xbox exclusive that wound up on the Nintendo Switch. It captivated this reviewer, and it earned its A- grade. Continuing with Xbox Game Studios, we took a look at Minecraft Dungeons: Hero Edition, which hack and slashed its way to a satisfactory C grade. 

Finally--together--we ran the gamut of review scores with the less-than-sensational Lunch A Palooza--although fitting for Thanksgiving--which got a poor D. However, SPC ended the month with a winner and our Game of the Month with Sackboy: A Big Adventure, which got a fantastic A grade.

It was a busy month of reviews at SuperPhillip Central, but something tells me December is going to be even busier! Closing out this edition of the Review Round-Up is a list of every game, attached grade, and review excerpt from this past month. Last but not least, a reminder to scope out the SPC Review Archive for every review ever published on SPC. We'll see you next year in 2021, Review Round-Up!

Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm (NSW) - B-

Despite its frame-rate issues and problems with combat and bosses, Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm delivers an enchanting adventure filled with clever puzzles, enjoyable exploration, and an astounding level of ambition when compared to its predecessor. This 15-20 hour Zelda-like was one that ultimately gave me more moments of joy and wonder than moments of anger and disappointment, making it a game that I would recommend with the caveat of knowing that it's a $30 game that isn't as polished as a $60 3D Zelda.

Beyond Oasis (GEN) - B-

As a Zelda-like mixed with some Secret of Mana goodness, Beyond Oasis does its job well enough to be worthy enough of being within earshot of the Zelda series. By no means is this Ancient-developed, Sega-published action-adventure one that surpasses something like A Link to the Past due to its unrefined, clumsy combat and extensive and unenjoyable backtracking, but Beyond Oasis does manage to bring enough to the table to make it a recommended game to play. From the gorgeous visuals to the clever use of Spirits for battles and puzzles, Beyond Oasis may not be timeless, but it is quite the epic adventure regardless.

Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda (NSW) - A-

Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda's retail release offers a lot of bang for one's Rupees. The procedurally generated overworld and dungeons mean you'll get a lot of replayability from the game, and the many modes mean you'll not be short in content to enjoy. As with games of the rogue-lite design, it can be rather deflating to have a good run go bad due to one or two wrong moves--especially in permadeath mode--but other than that small-ish issue, I can't see too much wrong with Nintendo and Brace Yourself Games' effort. 

Ori and the Will of the Wisps (NSW) - A-

Ori and the Will of the Wisps suffers from some small technical issues on the Nintendo Switch version, and my issues with the series' chase sequences continues with this sequel. However, building off the strong foundation of the original Ori, Moon Studios has managed to craft an even bigger, better, and bolder sequel with Ori and the Will of the Wisps, telling a touching tale while making a marvelous Metroidvania in the process. 

Minecraft Dungeons: Hero Edition (PS4, NSW, XB1, PC) - C

The argument about whether or not the gameplay loop of Minecraft Dungeons is satisfying enough to be worth that trouble is another story, however. By the end of my Adventure run--the second difficulty mode of the game--I was already having trouble wanting to continue playing the game. Seeing as how much grinding it would take to get good enough gear to even have a chance of getting anywhere close to surviving later levels particularly on the Apocalyptic difficulty didn't seem too enticing to me, personally. This notwithstanding, there is joy to be found in the simple gameplay and basic, blocky boundaries within Minecraft Dungeons' worlds, especially if you're able to play it with a group of friends, family members, or companions locally or online. There's certainly some fun here, but not enough for me to wholeheartedly recommend this otherwise inoffensively adorable dungeon crawler.

Lunch A Palooza (PS4, XB1, NSW, PC) - D-

Lunch A Palooza fails as a party game with any kind of strategy or more importantly, any semblance of fun. It's just too random, from its inconsistent physics to its yawn-inducing, indecipherable gameplay. It has nice ideas with some clever arena design, but other than that, I cannot recommend this game at all. You might as well take a burger patty out of the freezer as well as take out a banana and start smashing them into one another like they were action figures. At least that would show attacks that actually hit consistently and be less random than suffering through this game.

Sackboy: A Big Adventure (PS4) - A

While it's easy to see the Super Mario 3D World in the DNA of Sackboy: A Big Adventure, the game does without a doubt manage to weave its own path and craft its own identity. The abundance of well executed ideas in the level design, the sheer creativity on display, and the massively improved feel and control of Sackboy make Sackboy: A Big Adventure a seriously thrilling platformer to play. Throw in a sack-full of charm, and you have one of my favorite 3D platformers in a long time and one of the better games I've played this year. It's just a shame that online co-op was not ready for launch. 

The magnificent Metroidvania, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, played as great as it looked.
Needless to say, the game is a visual stunner, so you can probably guess how much of a joy it is to play!

Sackboy: A Big Adventure (PS4) Review

SPC leaps towards the Thanksgiving holiday weekend with a new review. Plenty of sites have covered the PlayStation 5 build of Sackboy: A Big Adventure well, but how about the PlayStation 4 version that launched on the same day? Have no fear, dear SPC reader--the next review on the site is just that. It's Sackboy: A Big Adventure for the PS4, and here is our review!

Super Sackboy 3D World

Ever since the series' debut on the PlayStation 3, LittleBigPlanet and its indomitable hero Sackboy have been prominent parts of the PlayStation brand. For the most part, each entry lived off of its "Play, Create, Share" mantra, allowing players to create their own levels with an extremely capable and customizable set of level creation tools. However, with the PlayStation 5 launch, this part of the LittleBigPlanet series has been removed in favor of a more focused platforming experience with Sackboy: A Big Adventure. Playing more like Super Mario 3D World than past LittleBigPlanet games, Sackboy's latest is also one of his best.

The citizens of Craftworld are enjoying themselves and happily gadding about when all of a sudden a monstrous creature known as Vex enters into the fold. Sucking up the townspeople with a massive vacuum, Vex enslaves the Sackpeople into working on his creation, the Topsy Turver, a device set to rip apart Craftworld from the seams. Escaping during the chaos, Sackboy finds himself needing to work up the courage to put a halt to Vex's plans, rescue his friends, and save both Craftworld and the Imagisphere before it's too late. What's present as story for Sackboy: A Big Adventure serves its role as an excuse to jump and run through the game's five main worlds, and the cutscenes featured throughout the game don't interrupt this fun too terribly much. It helps that each scene is entertaining and charming as all get out, too.

Quite the vexing villain, hmm? (I totally took the laziest pun opportunity there.)

That's a big part of Sackboy: A Big Adventure in general--it's entertaining and charming to an insanely high and enjoyable degree. Right away, I was amazed by how levels were crafted out of everyday objects similar to what I saw in Yoshi's Crafted World on the Nintendo Switch. Whether cardboard characters that pop out of the scenery to cheer you on as you run through levels or seeing toolboxes and sponges serving as platforms, the creativity on display with how levels are constructed is truly creative and clever.

From felt grass for the ground to wooden planks as platforms, Craftworld has never
been as crafty as it is in Sackboy: A Big Adventure.

That holds true with the level design as well. Sackboy: A Big Adventure constantly brings new obstacles, level themes and gimmicks into the mix. One level you'll be scrambling about, collecting keys strewn around the level to unlock a door while another you'll be riding along the river rapids, occasionally leaping off the boat to tackle some optional platforming challenges. The variety is high in Sackboy: A Big Adventure, and I never knew what I'd encounter next. I'd merrily play for hours on end because I was addicted to the thrill of seeing what level and trials awaited me next.

By far my favorite levels and the highlights which showcase the genius of the designers are the music levels that expertly layer popular music tracks like "Uptown Funk", "Jungle Boogie", and "Toxic", for starters, and syncs them well to the action on screen. It's similar in concept to Rayman Legends's music stages, though those were runner-style levels, as opposed to the more open ended exploratory levels seen in Sackboy: A Big Adventure. Needless to say, these levels seldom failed to bring a big ol' silly smile to my face.

The music levels, like this one, are a great highlight to an already fantastic game full of highs.

Levels themselves hold many challenges inside them outside of just getting from the start to the finish. There are of course plenty of collectibles to search for, such as Prize Bubbles that reward various interchangeable costume pieces for your Sackboy to wear. There are also Dreamer Orbs to track down, and these are used to unlock the way to the final level of each world. It's not too taxing of a challenge to possess enough Dreamer Orbs to make progress--you just need to do a minimum amount of exploring. When these levels are so fun to navigate and discover goodies in, it's difficult to not want to do so! 

Search high and low for those ever-elusive but fun-to-find Prize Bubbles.

There are also rewards for earning a requisite amount of points in a level. This is where your platforming prowess can truly shine. Scattered all around levels are Score Bubbles, and furthermore, there are special Score Bubbles that can temporarily double the amount of points you get as well as bubbles that appear for set amount of time before disappearing again. Collecting all of them before they vanish awards a point bonus. Early levels are breezy enough to make it so getting gold scores are child's play, but later levels where death comes easy (resulting in a sizable chunk of your point score being taken away) makes for a great challenge.

Speaking of challenge, Sackboy: A Big Adventure isn't going to test your platforming skills immediately from the word "go". Its beginning is a breezy and light affair that might give you the wrong impression about the full game. As you progress through the game, levels get harder, demand more precision platforming, more skill, and more patience to overcome. The aforementioned side challenges like achieving certain score thresholds, as well as acing levels by clearing them without dying once also adds rewards for more skillful play for more serious platforming fans to challenge themselves with. Furthermore, there are special Knitted Knight Trials that pit you against the clock in an obstacle course based on one specific gimmick, such as spikes, fire, or even lasers. Getting gold on all of these as well as tackling the ultimate trials this game has to offer is certainly no cakewalk!

Thankfully, Sackboy has never felt better to control than he does in this game. The floatiness that dominated the discussion about the platforming physics of the LittleBigPlanet series is nowhere to be found in Sackboy: A Big Adventure. Instead, there's tight, precise, and fluid platforming present and fully on display. Sackboy has plenty of moves in his fuzzy bag of tricks, such as a roll, which can be combined into a jump--almost Donkey Kong Country-style in execution. He can also get extra distance from his jumps with a Yoshi-like flutter. Not content to just bounce off enemies' heads this time around--though that method to dispatch many foes is here--Sackboy can also punch baddies, bringing the fight straight to them. Though, it can be difficult to properly gauge hit detection here. 

If you're looking for a floaty platformer, LittleBigPlanet is THAT way.
You'll get an exceptionally tight run and jump instead with Sackboy's latest.

Sackboy also gains several power-ups in various levels, such as a boomerang-like item that can carve a path through thorns, collect faraway goodies, and activate certain switches. There's also a grappling gun of sorts as well as power boots that bestow temporary hover capabilities, and the power to shoot foes with laser beams. The way these power-ups are introduced is in a safe setting, much like how Sackboy: A Big Adventure introduces all of its major gameplay mechanics and level gimmicks to players. Players generally have the freedom to safely fail their first time encountering a mechanic or gimmick, and then as the level progresses, that mechanic gets built upon to create increasingly more difficult scenarios. Very Super Mario 3D World esque in design and execution.

Whip out your Whirltool and send it spinning into faraway foes and objects alike.

If there's any true negative I can attribute to my slight disappointment with Sackboy: A Big Adventure, it's that online co-op is currently not available as of launch and as of this review. Instead, it's planned for the end of the year. This is a problem because while I was able to enjoy the game with a family member, there are many other players out there--particularly in a pandemic where they can't just ask someone to come over and play the game with in a local co-op setting--won't be able to experience the absolutely incredibly designed teamwork levels. As the name suggests, these levels demand total teamwork and cooperation to get through successfully. I can only imagine the [good kind of] chaos that will happen when four players attempt these levels as well as just playing the standard story levels in general.

Currently, the only co-op available in Sackboy: A Big Adventure is sadly the local variety.
(Though it is again important to note that an online update is coming by year's end.)

I was concerned that, like many cross-gen games in the past, Sackboy's outing would be a poor showing compared to its PlayStation 5 big brother. Fortunately, I'm happy to say that Sackboy: A Big Adventure on the PlayStation 4 runs remarkably well. It's a solid 60 frames per second, and while it lacks in the same level of environmental detail as the PS5 version, Sackboy on the PlayStation 4 still looks the part of a genuinely pretty 3D platformer. The music is an eclectic mix of licensed and original music, all fitting well within the crafted world of Sackboy's. What else can you say when you hear an instrumental waltz version of Madonna's "Material Girl" other than, "Wow! This is awesome!"?

What can he say? Sackboy likes to dress for the occasion.

While it's easy to see the Super Mario 3D World in the DNA of Sackboy: A Big Adventure, the game does without a doubt manage to weave its own path and craft its own identity. The abundance of well executed ideas in the level design, the sheer creativity on display, and the massively improved feel and control of Sackboy make Sackboy: A Big Adventure a seriously thrilling platformer to play. Throw in a sack-full of charm, and you have one of my favorite 3D platformers in a long time and one of the better games I've played this year. It's just a shame that online co-op was not ready for launch. 

[SPC Says: A]

Sackboy: A Big Adventure (PS5) Launch Trailer

The PlayStation 5 launches today in multiple territories. With it comes a slew of intriguing and equally amazing-looking launch titles. One such game is Sackboy: A Big Adventure, the colorful Super Mario 3D World-like platformer. The game also launches on the PlayStation 4 today as well, though this trailer is strictly footage of the PS5 version. 

Top Five Games Announced at the PlayStation 5 Reveal

This past Thursday saw the much-awaited, much-anticipated, long-hyped reveal of the PlayStation 5, and while we didn't get all of the info we desired like the price and release date (but then again, maybe it wasn't wise to expect either), we did get an onslaught of excellent-looking games, one after the other. It was a parade of PlayStation 5 games, so you can bet that it was insanely difficult for me to trim down and put together a list of my top five game reveals of the show.

After you've read my picks, I'd absolutely love to read your faves from the show. Also, with the PlayStation 5 now announced and revealed, what do you folks think about the hardware design?

5) Kena: Bridge of Spirits (Click here for the trailer)

My first pick for PlayStation 5 game reveals that excited me is also the sole brand-new IP on this list. That's not to say that there was a dearth of new IPs at the big PS5 reveal. There certainly was. It's more that I tend to gravitate to familiar faves. Kena: Bridge of Spirits comes from Ember Lab, and it looks like a magical mix between the adventurous spirit and real-time combat of The Legend of Zelda series and the delightful Pikmin series with its controllable creatures that you use to solve puzzles and help assist our heroine in combat. Kena looks absolutely stunning as a game, delivering jaw-dropping graphics. For those that won't be making the jump to the PlayStation 5 and becoming fast early adapters (much like myself, most likely), Kena: Bridge of Spirits will also be available on the PlayStation 4 and PC, with the latter being an Epic Games Store exclusive.

4) Sackboy: A Big Adventure (Click here for the trailer)

The charm was immediately apparent with this next game on my list. As some of the longtime readers of my writing and blog might be fully aware, I love the LittleBigPlanet series. There isn't a game in the series I haven't played--yes, even the iOS Run, Sackboy, Run game I played and even enjoyed. Now, the series makes a full jump to 3D with what many consider Sackboy's answer to Super Mario 3D World with Sackboy: A Big Adventure. The game looks like a yarn-full of fun with gorgeous obstacle courses filled with hazards of all shapes and sizes, myriad collectibles, and available for up to four players to run around and have a grand old time. As a huge fan of Super Mario 3D World and just 3D platformers in general, I'm pleased as can be that Sumo Digital and Sony are presenting PlayStation 5 owners with this magnificent-looking title!

3) Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales (Click here for the trailer)

There was some confusion surrounding the latest chapter in Insomniac Games' take on everyone's favorite webhead. Some didn't know if Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales was a mere DLC or a full-fledged game. Now, it seems that this first PS5-exclusive game revealed during the gigantic showcase last Thursday is more akin to something like Infamous: First Light or Uncharted: The Lost Legacy--that is to say it's an extended and expanded adventure that isn't quite the size of a full-fledged entry like Uncharted 4, but it's also not a small piece of DLC either. It's its own game, and I'm glad that Miles Morales gets even more time in the spotlight after the phenomenal Into the Spider-Verse film and his very limited playtime in the original Marvel's Spider-Man game. I eagerly await finding out more about this game, as it's currently due out this holiday season.

2) Horizon Forbidden West (Click here for the trailer)

The sequel to 2017's Horizon Zero Dawn sees the triumphant return of hero Aloy as she treks westward to a brand new land, teeming with terrific and ultra-impressive sights. The setting is a post-apocalyptic California, and between the harsh weather conditions and the deadly machines abound that both plague the area, Aloy is going to be in for the fight of her life. Thankfully, she looks more than prepared for anything and everything that comes her way. Horizon Zero Dawn was my favorite PlayStation game of 2017, coming behind Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild as my favorite game of that year in general. Thus, you can probably imagine my immense excitement seeing Aloy's grand return coming to the PlayStation 5!

1) Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Click here for the trailer)

Also well known to longtime readers of SuperPhillip Central and followers of mine on social media is my absolute love for Ratchet & Clank. It's without a doubt my favorite PlayStation franchise, and it tickles me pink that the latest entry, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, is a full-length, completely NEW adventure in the series. The gameplay shown was mind-blowing, showing seamless transitions between multiple expansive worlds without a loading screen in sight, something that wouldn't be overly possible on past PlayStations with that kind of graphical fidelity. All hail the SSD! The icing on top of this delectable cake of awesomeness was seeing the tried and true Ratchet & Clank running, gunning, and action-platforming gameplay goodness being front and center at the PS5 reveal. Between those bits of info and the reveal of a new, female lombax, there's a lot to be excited about for fans of PlayStation's wonderful duo's latest galactic adventure!