Top 10 PlayStation 5 Games
PlayStation 5 has been out a while now, and today I want to look at some of the best games you can get for the system. This is going to be a living list, with new entries coming in overtime, and older ones falling off. I also want to hear from you on your top games for the PS5, so let me know via Twitter, YouTube comments, or Patreon.
Kena Bridge Of Spirits
At the heart of the game Kena: Bridge of Spirits is an action-adventure game, there are puzzles and boss battles. At times it does feel like a throwback to a PlayStation 3 era style game, given its not really open-world, it’s more a series of set pieces and corridors through the levels, however, there’s a high level of polish here, and I think it’s good enough to check out.
Complimenting the combat are the other parts of the gameplay loop, namely exploring, platforming and puzzle-solving. This is one of the more delightful elements of Kena: Bridge of Spirits. The platforming feels pretty good, exploration is satisfying, especially in a world as beautiful as this one. The puzzles aren’t too tricky, they tend to be environmental puzzles where you are locked off from proceeding. You may have to engage with the Rot to move something so you can climb to a new area, or press down a switch of some kind. If you’ve played a game like Zelda then you’ll be very comfortable with the puzzles in Kena: Bridge of Spirits. The puzzles are good fun, and there are plenty of secrets to find too, hidden away in the little hidey-hole, s keep your eyes peeled when you are exploring.
Solar Ash
Solar Ash is all about how you traverse across the environment, elegantly skating across the clouds, leaping, and jumping as you go. Paired with the fantastic movement mechanics are puzzle sequences and huge boss fights, which remind me of Shadow of the Colossus. Solar Ash from the same development team that brought us Hyper Light Drifter, and while the game doesn’t quite live up to the hype of Heart Machine’s previous titles, it’s a grower that you’ll enjoy the more you play.
The world is vivid in color. Pinks, purples, and deep reds scatter the landscape as you glide across it. However, there’s something not quite right with the world, as it’s covered in corruption. Rei, the main protagonist in the game and the being you control throughout, has to rid the world of the corruption and find clues pointing to where the other Void Runners have gone. Partnering with the corruption are huge Anomalies, giant beasts roaming the broken lands and we have to save the day.
Solar Ash is a mixed bag of a game. On one hand, you have a great feeling, fluid movement, and exciting boss battles. On the other hand, there’s the dense lore, and sometimes frustrating movement quirks, which can lead to an early death if you are not pinpointed in your execution. Overall I’m more positive about the game than negative, plus I am happy to see Heart Machine put out another game after the wonderful Hyper Light Drifter. It feels like a trend we’re about to see a lot of with Solar Ash, then we have Forspoken coming next year followed by the new Sonic game. If the new Sonic game feels as good as Solar Ash, then I think there’s going to be a lot of happy gamers.
Sifu
Sifu is a new stylish, kung fu action game from SloClap. This one reminds me of my Double Dragon days, but instead of a side-scroller this is in full 3D and has all the bells and whistles of a next-generation game. It’s also pretty tough and had deep fighting mechanics.
Sifu is fairly straightforward in terms of backstory for the game. Unfortunately, the story doesn’t match the combat. The game opens up in a brilliant way, the bad guys kill your family and it’s a very effective opening, it really makes you sit up and pay attention. However, from there it’s a fairly standard revenge story. There are plenty of callbacks to Kung Fu movies, which I appreciated, but the story isn’t the main event in Sifu, that’s reserved for the combat.
Sifu is a great game that is going to punish, frustrate and delight in equal measures. I’d say if you are a fan of the fighting game genre or a fan of Kung Fu movies, then this is the game for you. If you don’t have much patience, or you want to casually play Sifu, then it may not be the game you are looking for, as making meaningful progress in the game takes time, practice, and mastery. For me, this is one of the best games I have played in 2022 so far, and I’m looking forward to going back in and finding all the secrets.
Ghost Of Tsushima Director’s Cut
Ghost Of Tsushima came along towards the end of the lifecycle of the PlayStation 4 and demonstrated beautiful graphics, excellent combat and was one of the best open-world adventures of last generation consoles. Sucker Punch has gone away and provided not only an expansion in terms of content on Ike Island but also a PS5 suite of upgrades, bringing it up to standard with other current-gen games including 60fps, haptic feedback, and enhanced audio. This makes Ghost of Tsushima Directors Cut the definitive way to play Ghost Of Tsushima. If you don’t have a PS5, not to worry because the expansion is available on PS4 too, just without the quality of life PS5 upgrades.
Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut is THE way to play Ghost of Tsushima. The new story content is great, albeit a little short. The new Legends mode is going to bring a bunch more replayability to the game and the PlayStation 5 upgrades make a beautiful game even more stunning than it was before. Sucker Punch has set the bar very high with Ghost of Tsushima. First, you should definitely play this, plus the expansion, then it’s going to be exciting to see what Sucker Punch do next. If you have a PlayStation 5 this is a must-play.
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade
Final Fantasy VII is an RPG that was originally released in 1997 for the PlayStation. The game focused on Cloud Strife, a mercenary who joins forces with eco-terrorist group Avalanche to stop a huge corporation from stealing the lifeblood of the planet to use for energy sources. Cloud and crew are after Sephiroth, a superhuman determined to harness the power for his own means and become a demigod. Initially, on the outskirts, Cloud gets closer to the members of his newfound friends throughout the adventure, in particular Aerith, who holds the secret to saving the world.
The gameplay has been updated from the original version. Originally it was a traditional turn-based RPG. The remake is a combination of classic and modern, with action-adventure style hack-and-slash combat combined with turn-based mechanics. You have regular attacks and heavy attacks and can combine these with spells and items like potions and revive abilities. The combination of both styles felt refreshing, although it did feel a little button-mashy at times.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Swinging around the city feels fantastic as it always has. Swinging from skyscraper to skyscraper, running up the face of the building, and leaping off mile-high buildings has never felt more fun. This is quite literal too with the haptic feedback and the graphical improvements. Miles adds his own personality to the traversal feeling slightly awkward and squirming all over the place, making him feel not quite as fluid as Peter, but unique to Miles himself. There’s an element to Miles and the way he moves suggesting he should be wearing some kind of L plates… and in his own way he’s very charming.
Gameplay and action-wise this is very high up there on the charts, however, the story does run out of steam a little bit perhaps demonstrating it’s more on an expansion rather than a fully-fledged sequel. No doubt Insomniac will be back with a bigger, better, more impressive Spider-Man sequel in the not-too-distant future.
Spider-Man: Mile Morales is a great expansion to 2018’s Spider-man, more than living up to the high expectations that the game set for itself, and in many ways, it succeeds. The combat is as enjoyable as every other, the traversal and movement are as fluid and fun as you’d expect. Given it’s 2020 and I imagine it’s been tough to make a game like this working from home, I can help but get excited for what Insomniac may have in store for us next, now knowing the capabilities of the PS5 and the talent they have in their studios. All-in-all it’s a great PS5 game that respects your time and doesn’t outstay its welcome.
Astro’s Playroom
Sony’s history is plastered all over Astro’s Playroom and feels like a massive celebration of the last 25 years of Sony’s achievements since the original PlayStation. Astro plays with a PS Vita if you leave him be for a few minutes, and the world’s themselves are styled on PlayStation generations. There’s a bunch of PlayStation collectibles to be found in each world, so if you’ve grown up through the PlayStation generations then there’s plenty here for you. If you’re a younger player and this is your first experience, then you’ll likely be dazzled by the graphics and the new controller, but there’s plenty in here for older audiences too.
Astro’s Playroom is a great showcase for the PlayStation 5. It’s one of the best-bundled games that comes with a system I have ever seen and it’s a heartwarming, fun introduction to your brand new console generation. This one may have flown under the radar when other big-hitters like Demon Souls and Spiderman: Miles Morales may have been stealing the headlines, but this one is worth your time and attention. You’ll come for the DualSense demo, but Astro will more than likely charm you into staying to hang out with him and his friends.
Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart
Rift Apart is simply a stunning game, there’s no question. Since the game was revealed in the summer of 2021, it’s demonstrated the power of the PlayStation 5 very well, feeling like you are playing a Pixar movie. This is a demo of what video games could be and it lives up to the promise of what the next generation can deliver. Spiderman Miles Morales looked great, but this is a whole different kettle of fish and specifically made for the PS5.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart looks like it could have come from the future to demonstrate what the current-gen consoles could do in a few years’ time, and it’s great to see games embracing the capabilities and showing off. This is a game that struts with confidence and checking out videos and streams doesn’t really do the visuals justice. It’s not just a good-looking game, the story is well-formed and flows with ease, the fluidity of the movement and action is hands down some of the best you’ll play and the sheen of quality shines through with every level and encounter. If you have a PS5, this is a must-buy title.
Demon Souls
Demon Souls is where it’s where it all began for FromSoftware, but this time it’s back rebuilt with incredible detail and fidelity by Bluepoint Games taking full advantage of the PS5 capabilities. Demon Souls may look pretty, and if you have the right set up it looks absolutely incredible at 60fps, but it’s as punishing as ever testing your patience and skill to the max.
The gameplay of Demon Souls is as tricky as ever. It’s full-on combat where you attack and defend with a sword and shield where the aim of the game is to master timing and enemy patterns. One false move and you likely going to be toast, and it’s the repetition and mastery that ultimately is the most satisfying thing with Souls-like games. Somehow it feels even more intense on the PS5. The fidelity of the enemies, the feeling in your hands with the feedback of the DualSense controller, the fantastic audio design bring the brutal and harsh world straight into your senses. You’ll feel every clash of a sword and smash of a shield in brand new ways you haven’t experienced before.
Demon Souls is a great game, an even better remake, and the perfect demonstration of what next-generation consoles can do. It’s tough as nails, but there are also great moments of discovery here too packed full of secrets. Unless you’re an expert in Souls games then it’s not likely one you’ll beat in one sitting, but it’s something you can come back to time and time again to face off against the tough bosses and brutal environment. If you have a PS5 then this is a must-buy title.
Returnal
Returnal is a rogue-lite by design, as when you die you are sent back to the very start of the game and then the world reconfigures itself in front of you. You’ll get to keep a few select items when you die, but on the main, you lose everything and start from scratch. It’s not for the faint-hearted that’s for sure. As well as the rogue-lite elements, it’s also a Metroidvania where you have to explore a map and find power-ups after defeating bosses to help you get to new areas of the map. There’s a little more than a dash of Metroid in here, as well as the genre description with a female protagonist inside a spacesuit wielding an array of weapons. It’s almost what you would have got if From Software got their hands on a Nintendo IP, which is meant as a massive compliment to Housemarque.
Returnal is an endurance test of a video game. In the early hours, you are in discovery mode, learning about the planet, the monsters, the attack patterns, and staring in wonder at most things in the game. As time goes on the game becomes more and more punishing and it’ll take a particular type of player to want to jump back in time and time again. If you like this style of game, or if any of the above sounds like it’s for you then I would fully recommend Returnal. It’s truly a next-generation game and shows off the wide array that the PS5 can do. I like that Sony is investing in this type of game – it’s tough, it’s different and it’ll make you laugh with delight and cry with loss. I don’t know if I am that type of player to want to jump back in time and time again, but I’m impressed with what Housemarque has produced and if you have access to a PlayStation 5 then I’d recommend checking it out.
Let me know in the comments what you think of the list, and if I have missed anything, share your thoughts.