10 Best PS5 Games Of All Time
The PS5 plays host to some truly incredible exclusive titles, but which are the cream of the crop?
This is largely down to the string of phenomenal gaming experiences that can be enjoyed courtesy of the PS Plus service, but the problem is that even if you didn’t have adult responsibilities stopping you from playing these games ad-nauseum, you’d still struggle to play everything on offer. This is why you need to know which games are the best, so you can use your time wisely. In a bid to have you only play outstanding games and no duds, I’m going to showcase ten games that represent the best of the PS Plus Catalog at the time of writing.
While we will include some PlayStation exclusives on this list, we will be considering all the titles present in the PS Plus catalog and will be listing them based on quality, popularityandexclusivity. Also, we will not be including games that require streaming due to the technical issues that persist with the service.
10Remnant 2
Souls-Like/Action
OpenCritic Score
Let’s get started with a game that has been the talk of the town as far as PS Plus additions this month at the time of writing.Remnant 2is the follow up to the wonderful Souls-LikeRemnant: From The Ashes, and follows on from that title with more surreal, sci-fi Roguelike action. From humble beginnings in Ward 13, you’ll fight tooth and nail to push back the otherworldly evil known as The Root and you’ll do it the only way you know how: with gunpowder and bloodlust.
Remnant 2is essentially the answer to the question ‘what ifDark Soulstraded in shields and swords for guns?’ But it’s also a super-accessible Souls-like, as while it is difficult, the punishment for dying is nowhere near as brutal as FromSoft titles. So if you’ve been looking for a way to get your foot in the door as far as Souls games are concerned,Remnant 2is a great option.
After the success ofAlan Wake 2, there is no time like the present to roll back the clock and playControl, the other surreal new weird title in the Sam Lake universe. This game sees you play as Jesse who, in an attempt to find her brother, somehow falls into the role of the Director of the Federal Bureau of Control. Which you will come to learn, is a job that has a lot of responsibilities you wouldn’t usually find in the typical managerial job description.
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This game provides a story that is as complex or as surface level as you like depending on how much you dig into the lore and notes dotted around the facility. Then you have the gameplay, which arguably kits you out with more competently handled force/telekinesis powers than any Star Wars game ever has along with a slew of other cool powers and weapons. Cards on the table, it’s as weird as a month of Tuesdays, but the surreal nature of this game is what makes it such a standout title. As Jesse says “It feels sane, or just the right amount of insane.” I’ll let you be the judge.
8Ghost of Tsushima
Action/Adventure
I have to say outright that I’m rather reluctant to include a slew of PlayStation exclusive open-world games on this list, because while they are all pretty great, they’re all cut from the same cloth. So instead, I’ll give you my personal pick of the bunch, which is,Ghost of Tsushima. There are some games within particular eras of gaming that provide visuals that stand out from the crowd and blow everyone else out of the water. Well,Ghost of Tsushimais one of the PS4 era’s real lookers.
Even putting the staggering visuals and art design to one side, however, this game is a truly amazing samurai epic with excellent writing, a seamless blend of stealth and high-octane combat. Plus, it’s a game with plenty of side-content for those that want to go off the beaten track. Mileage may vary as, if you strip it all back, it is a game carved from the typical Ubisoft blueprint, but it’s perhaps the best example of a game of this ilk, and one that’s well worth investing some time in.
If you do want more open-world games like this one via the PS Plus Catalog, then consider tryingHorizon: Forbidden West, Spiderman: Miles Morales, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, and Infamous: Second Son
7Demon’s Souls
Souls-Like
Speaking of Souls games, what about a PlayStation exclusive remake of the grandfather of them all? That’s right,Demon’s Souls, the game that would serve as the blueprint forDark Souls, is a game that you can play via the PlayStation Plus Catalog, and much likeRemnant 2, it’s a great entry point for anyone looking to dip their toe into the genre. Sure, you’ll still get pounded into a fine powder by the tutorial boss, but that’s part of the authentic Souls experience.
Despite being an old relic as far as Souls games are concerned, thanks to the fantastic work of Bluepoint Games, this remake captures the essence of everything that made the original great, but gives the visuals and sound design a welcome face lift. It’s an experience that all true Souls fans need to endure at least once, as it’s the seed from which all great Souls games thereafter bloomed. So to see where it all began, download this one when you get the chance.
6Hollow Knight
Metroidvania
In the last few years there has been quite a boom of Metroidvanias as there seems to be a real hunger for games of this variety, and I feel thatHollow Knightwas the catalyst for this. Team Cherry’s atmospheric and deeply addictive title places you in thecreepy-yet-mesmerizing world of Hallownest, and your role is to explore, uncover the secrets of this decaying region and push back ‘The Infection’ that blights this world once and for all.
It’s a game that has everything you could ever ask for. Amazing hand-drawn visuals, a killer soundtrack, precise platforming,challenging combat, rewarding exploration and mountains of brutally tough end-game content tailor-made for veterans of Hallownest. Due to the sheer popularity of this game, I don’t think its that controversial to say that this is perhaps the best Metroidvania of all time, but hey, I’ll stick my neck out and say exactly that. Consider that all the reason you need to dive into this one as soon as you’re able to!
5Disco Elysium: The Final Cut
Feeling political? Feeling groovy? Feeling drunk, high, like a superstar cop and like your heart is going to explode all at once? Well, then you just might be playingDisco Elysium, a game that I regard as one of the most ambitious, well-rounded and outstanding CRPGs ever made. This high praise is fully justified as this title manages to create a fully fleshed out world, introduces a cast of deep, nuanced characters and manages to keep you engaged from start to finish with no combat present in the game whatsoever.
Through the lens of the amnesiac cop Harrier Dubois, you can carve out your own legacy in Revachol. And the beautiful thing about this is, the game has so many branching paths that, even after several playthroughs, you’ll still find that this game has new things to show you. It’s funny, it’s dark, it’s intriguing, it’s surreal and it’s a miracle that a game of this quality even exists. So do yourself a favor and dive into this one head first, but do me a favor: don’t be a laughable centrist!
4Animal Well
There are some games out there that champion player discovery above all else, effectively dropping you in the deep end and forcing you to swim on your own. Games likeOuter WildsandReturn of the Obra Dinnare great examples of this, but the most recent game to do this is the ‘Metroidbrainia,‘Animal Well. This game sees you play as a little blob in a strange pixel menagerie, and your job is to explore, find ways to interact with the world around you, and in doing so, you’ll gradually start to piece together the secrets hidden in this beautiful Metroidvania setting.
It’s a game that actively tries to re-invent the wheel withinteresting new mechanics that effectively replace dashes and double jumpswith more novel alternatives, and it also champions player agency, allowing you to explore and make discoveries at your own pace. Never have I had quite so many satisfying ‘A-ha’ moments in a game than with this one, and if that sort of thing intruiges you, then you just might get a kick out of this wonderful indie gem.
3Sea of Stars
As someone who laments the golden age of JRPGs throughout the 1990s, my gaming experience is often marred by the sheer lack of JRPGs that capture the essence of the titles from this era. I long for games likeFinal Fantasy 7, Secret of Mana, Chrono TriggerandVagrant Story, and there just aren’t enough games that try to replicate that vibe. In 2023, however, we were gifted a game that acts as the spiritual successor toChrono Triggerin many ways, offering one of the most magical JRPG experiences that seamlessly blends modern polish with the vibe and feel of the 1990s golden era.
Sea of Starsis a masterful JRPG that takes inspiration from amazing titles likeChrono Trigger, Super Mario RPGand so many more from this era. It still manages, however, to tell its own unique story, provide a unique gameplay experience and push the genre forward through graphical and mechanical innovation. This is a love letter to games that came before, but it also serves as proof that pixel-perfect JRPGs still have a place in gaming today. So if you want a JRPG that can transport you back to ‘the good ol’ days,‘Sea of Starsis the game to do it.
2Kingdom Hearts 1.5 + 2.5 Remix
You want more JRPGs, so I hear you cry! Well, how about six more in a neat little package? For the longest time, the surreal yet sublime Disney meetsFinal FantasyseriesKingdom Heartswas an intimidating prospect for new fans. Unless you were someone like myself who was there from the beginning and played every title on the variety of systems they released on, you would find the story simply too complex to comprehend through no fault of your own. But thankfully, this would all change when the 1.5 + 2.5 Remix was released.
This bundle allows you to play the originalKingdom Heartsright through toKingdom Hearts: Re: Codedall on one system, with each game getting a much-needed remaster. This means that you’re able to get up to speed with Sora, Donald and Goofy without needing to sit down for a huge study session to get your head around the lore, and the bonus is that each game is a joy to behold. Well, maybe except forRe: Coded, you could probably skip that one.
This series is no longer a tough nut to crack, and it’s a brilliant, dynamic JRPG series that is an essential play for fans of the genre. So, if you were on the fence before, grab a keyblade and get going: there’s Heartless to kill!
Once you’re done with Kingdom Hearts 1.5 + 2.5 Remix, you should know that the PS Plus catalog also has Kingdom Hearts 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue and Kingdom Hearts 3, so you’re able to play everything the series has to offer all in one place.
Action/Sandbox
Then, lastly, we have a game that practically justifies the price of the entire PS Plus subscription on its own, as it just keeps on giving.Red Dead Redemption 2is one of the deepest, most detailed and most authentic Western-inspired video games you will ever play in your lifetime. It has hyper-realistic visuals that will leave your jaw on the floor, a fully-realized setting that acts as a massive sandbox playground where everything and anything is possible, and one of the most heartfelt and emotional stories in video game history.
All this, and that barely scratches the surface of whatRDR2has in store, as it’s a game that provides oodles of things to get distracted by, such as becoming a poker pro, becoming a skilled hunter and so much more. It’s the ultimate cowboy simulator with all the charm and refinement that we have come to expect fromRockstar Gamesdown the years. It’s a world that you may get lost in for hundreds of hours and still come back for more, and that, in a nutshell, is why you should adorn your finest cowboy hat and gallop into this masterpiece without hesitation.
