Sony Senior Vice President Naomi Matsuoka recently stated the PlayStation 5 is approaching “the latter stage of its life cycle.” That may sound surprising, but it’s easy to forget the ninth console generation is in its fourth year, and a new console generation kicks off every seven or so years.
With the PS5 at its mid-point, now is the perfect time to reflect on all the great and innovative games we’ve been able to play on Sony’s best platform yet. We’ll focus mostly on first-party PlayStation 5 games, but some entries started as Sony exclusives before going multiplatform or launched on the PS5 side-by-side with a PC release. Let’s get to it.
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Following up on 2018’s game of the year contender, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales was both a fantastic spin-off/sequel and launch title for the PlayStation 5. The differences between the PS4 and PS5 versions are very noticeable, as the PS5 version takes full advantage of the upgraded power of the PS5 and the wonderful features of the DualSense, like the trigger strain when web swinging. The game itself tells an emotional story that instantly ingratiates the player to new Spider-Man Miles, setting up an even greater sequel.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Spider-Man 2 took Insomniac’s series even further, letting players control both Peter Parker and Miles in a follow-up that takes everything the first two games did well and doing them even better: with more power, more emotion, and, of course, more responsibility. New Symbiote powers make Peter’s descent to the dark side fun as hell, and the web wings enhance traversal around NYC, rendering the (utterly impressive) fast traversal system moot. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 might be the PS5’s best exclusive yet, making the wait for the third entry all the more unbearable.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Insomniac Games hasn’t just been knee-deep in Marvel superheroes – the multi-faceted studio also released the ninth mainline Ratchet & Clank title in 2021. Rift Apart is a technical marvel as Ratchet can jump between dimensions during kinetic gameplay, meaning a whole new world loads around him in no time at all. Rift Apart is as fun as it is impressive, and, while it may not be the cash cow Marvel’s Spider-Man is, it’s a wonderful showcase of the power of Sony’s hardware and more than deserving of a sequel.
Helldivers 2
Looking at more recent releases, 2024 is already off to a great start for the PlayStation 5 with Helldivers 2. The Starship Troopers-like third-person shooter has taken the gaming world by storm in the two months it’s been out, and the servers struggled mightily at the beginning with the demand of so many players wanting to mow down some bug-like aliens with their buds. We’ll see how much staying power Helldivers 2 has, but it’s no doubt a tremendous accomplishment for developer Arrowhead, especially as it is succeeding as a live service game when so many others, like one very notable title this year, crashed and burned.
Horizon Forbidden West
The Horizon series seems to have the worst luck. Horizon Zero Dawn was quickly overshadowed by the release of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild while its sequel, Horizon Forbidden West, enjoyed one week in the spotlight before Elden Ring stole all its thunder. Regardless, Forbidden West is undoubtedly one of the PS5’s best games so far as it built upon what made the first so special while adding new features like underwater exploration, enhanced spear attacks, and a new map to explore. If you haven’t journeyed to the robot dinosaur-filled world of Horizon yet, what’re ya waiting for?
God of War Ragnarök
When talking about impressive PlayStation 5 sequels, you can’t not mention one of 2022’s best games: God of War Ragnarök. It closes out Santa Monica’s God of War reboot duology beautifully, weaving together a wonderful story about fate and family; destruction and rebirth. When people talk about games being cinematic, they’re talking about the impressive cinematography and scripting of games like God of War Ragnarök that put some films to shame. And that’s not even mentioning the gameplay, which adds another new weapon to Kratos’ arsenal – and a new playable God.
Astro’s Playroom
Who woulda thunk a free tech demo would be an essential PlayStation 5 release? Astro’s Playroom launched pre-installed on the PlayStation 5 and works as a showcase for the capabilities of the DualSense controller, one of this generation’s defining advancements. Astro’s Playroom also acts as a tour down memory lane as it includes “artifacts” of past PlayStation technology and cameos of PlayStation mascots, like Kratos and Atreus.
Returnal
Returnal has to be one of the more underappreciated gems of the PS5 era. Its combat is helter skelter fun with frightening alien creatures primed to strike in every chamber. Its gorgeous graphics, stupendous sound design, and visceral use of the DualSense’s haptics pair together to create a gaming experience that engages with all the player’s senses. Returnal was one of the first PS5 exclusives I played when I got my console, and it remains one of the best.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
The second entry in the Final Fantasy VII Remake Saga may only be about a month old, but it’s already being reviewed as one of the best games on the PlayStation 5 as it currently holds a 92 score on Metacritic. It follows Cloud, Tifa, and Barret after their departure from Midgar and continues retelling and innovating on 1997’s Final Fantasy VII. The open world adventure will certainly tide fans over until the final entry in the Remake Saga launches (hopefully sooner rather than later!).
Demon’s Souls Remake
FFVII Rebirth wasn’t the first great remake on the PS5, however; Demon’s Souls launched alongside the console and did a masterful job of showing off the graphical improvements from the PS4 era to the PS5 generation. Bluepoint Games rebuilt FromSoftware’s inaugural soulslike from the ground up, imbuing it with improved resolution, upgrading the framerate to 60 FPS, and incorporating some quality of life changes. For everyone who recently fell in love with the soulslike genre through Elden Ring or another soulslike, going back to where it all began is a must – and a helluva good time.
Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves
Naughty Dog has been quite active this generation, though its focus has been on updating and reselling its games of yesteryear to take full advantage of new hardware. Case in point: Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves. It remasters Nathan Drake’s final adventure as well as the wonderful Chloe Frazer-starring Lost Legacy expansion. Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves looks and play amazing on the PlayStation 5, and is well worth picking up even if you already played Drake’s final tale when it was a flagship release for the PS4.
The Last of Us Part I
The Last of Us Part 1 remakes one of the best games of all time. The original TLOU released at the tail end of the PlayStation 3 generation, so the remake gives the game a graphical overhaul and brings it more in line with the visual style of its sequel while revising its gameplay somewhat, having been built in Part II’s engine. The Last of Us Part II Remastered also launched recently, offering enhanced visuals, cut levels, and a roguelite mode. Now, if only Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us multiplayer game didn’t end up on the top of the canceled live services games graveyard.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits
Kena: Bridge of Spirit was like a throwback to the GameCube/PS2 generation in all the best ways. Its gameplay mostly consisted of platforming, environmental puzzle solving, and combat with Kena’s staff and bow. The real star of Kena was the Rot, adorable spirits who would aid Kena in combat and exploration. They can be equipped with tiny hats, amplifying their cuteness factor tenfold. Sure, the game was simple and didn’t innovate on the adventure platformer genre, but it excelled at what it set out to do and was an adorably fun ride.
Stray
Stray was a PlayStation and PC exclusive for over a year before hitting Xbox platforms (sorry, Nintendo, no cute cat game for you – at least not yet!). It took the gaming world by storm with its adorable feline protagonist, charming robot supporting cast, and fun platforming gameplay. I loved my time with Stray, calling it “one of 2022’s best games” in my 9/10 review, and it deserves a place in any PS5 owner’s library.
Baldur’s Gate 3
I refuse to pass up any chance to talk about this game! While Baldur’s Gate 3 is now available for Xbox, PlayStation, and PC, that wasn’t always the case as the Xbox Series X/S version released three months after its PlayStation 5 counterpart – issues getting the game to work properly on the baby Xbox accidentally made Baldur’s Gate 3 a timed PS5 exclusive. For a few months – long enough for this tadpole-infested adventurer to invest 200 hours – PC and PS5 players got to enjoy all of what Faerûn had to offer.
Baldur’s Gate 3, many a gamers’ pick for 2023’s Game of the Year, translated Dungeons & Dragons to a video game better than any officially named Dungeons & Dragons game has. You’ll quickly fall in love with its companions as you set off on a quest to free your mind of its unwanted visitor and save the realm – unless you want to go down a different path. Knowing Larian isn’t working on a sequel is bittersweet, as I would have loved to play a Baldur’s Gate 4 from them, but I’m beyond excited to see what they have in store next.
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