5 intriguing games for the upcoming PlayStation 5 console

Despite the unusual name, this should be considered “Resident Evil VIII” and it follows Ethan, the protagonist of the previous entry. He’s investigating a village near a snow-capped locale a few years after the events of “Resident Evil VII.”

What moved this game to the top of the list are the visuals. They jump out at you in terms of the realistic faces and the atmosphere. The title looks like it will show off the next-generation graphics of the PlayStation 5, which will likely including ray tracing to boost realism in the game, increase the immersion and make the experience altogether more terrifying.

This is “Horizon Zero Dawn 2” with a somewhat different name, and it again follows Aloy. The postapocalyptic hero is back and this time she makes her way to North America. She’ll face off against Sylens who now has control of HADES, the original’s main villain. The trailer showed off new robot designs and fresh areas for Aloy to explore, most notably the underwater elements.

This title is notable because it appears to be the only one on the list coming out this year and it stars one of the few Latino heroes in gaming. Morales was introduced in 2018’s “Spider-Man” as a teenager just learning his powers, but in this sequel, it appears he’ll be setting out on his own.

This webslinger created in 2011 has a different set of powers than Peter Parker and it looks like that will manifest itself in the upcoming game. I’m just hoping that this “Spider-Man” keeps the traversal that made the previous one so good while improving the mission design. Because Miles Morales has a camouflage power, I expect a more stealthy approach to battling bad guys.

Bluepoint Games has a good history of doing remakes, updating the superb “Shadow of the Colossus” and releasing “Gravity Rush Remastered.” (That’s a cult favorite worth playing on the PS4.) I have no doubt that the Austin, Texas-based studio will have the same success here, with the updated “Demon Souls.” I just hope that some of the mechanics are updated and the game is somewhat easier to play.

I’ll also warn players to keep an eye on a certain NPC in the Nexus, aka the home base. It will save you a lot of grief later on.

“Deathloop” looked intriguing with its 1960s “No One Lives Forever” vibe and “Gran Turismo 7” will certainly turn heads with its realism, but this indie title captured my attention because of its distinct look and humor. It’s described as an action RPG with survival elements but the trailer appears to show influences of “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” The combination of style and compelling substance has this game high on my list.

The developer, Neostream, has been working on this title for a while. It was a Kickstarter project scheduled to be released in 2016. Now it’s a timed exclusive for the PS5 that will also come to the PS4.