Top 20 Best PS5 Games (So Far)

Script written by Aaron Brown

Welcome to Watchmojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the best of the best on Sony’s latest console… So far.

#20: “Star Wars Jedi: Survivor” (2023)

Although it may have stumbled out of the gate, the follow-up to the surprise hit Fallen Order continues the journey of Jedi on the run Cal Kestis in a galaxy-trotting adventure worthy of the Star Wars name. With smoother animations, larger and more branching Metroidvania-style worlds to explore and some of the most satisfying lightsaber combat since The Force Unleashed, Jedi Survivor managed to improve and refine the framework laid out by its predecessor. The story of Cal and his companions looking for a way to escape the Empire brings Cal deeper into the overall Star Wars lore than ever before and the game’s deep combat and engaging characters more than earns this survivor his place in the Star Wars universe.

#19: “A Plague Tale: Requiem” (2022)

It’s not very often that a title from a mostly unknown developer manages to stand out from the crowd of AAA titles, but A Plague Tale Innocence managed to become a standout with its impressive world building and rat horde physics. Requiem continues the tale of Amicia and her little brother Hugo with the rat infestation continuing to follow them as they search for a cure to Hugo’s condition. Although a mostly safe sequel, Requiem makes meaningful improvements to the game’s stealth combat as well as puzzles and further establishes itself as one of the premier action-adventure games. It continues to build its world and lore in meaningful ways and the endless waves of rats are some of the most impressive hordes in all of gaming.

#18: “Stray” (2022)

No one expected the journey of a small orange tabby navigating his way through a post-apocalyptic world devoid of humans but populated by humanity’s former robot companions occupying the city in their absence. The neon-soaked city streets give way to a grimy underworld as our kitty hero tries to find his way back to its family with the help of its tiny robot companion B-12. Uncovering the mystery of the city as well as what happened to humanity is a surprisingly emotional journey full of eccentric characters to meet and a mystery far bigger than a stray cat trying to find its way home.

#17: “Hogwarts Legacy” (2023)

The wizarding world of Harry Potter is no stranger to video games, but never before have players been given the chance to explore Hogwarts Castle on this scale. Taking place long before the days of the “Boy Who Lived”, Hogwarts Legacy allows players to freely explore the grounds and surrounding areas all while attending classes and building relationships with their fellow students. Full of easter eggs and familiar characters for longtime fans to discover, or maybe even explore for the first time, Hogwarts Legacy offers fans the most interactive opportunity to explore the world of Hogwarts and allows them to create their own witch or wizard that welcomes both longtime fans and newcomers to Slytherin.

#16: “Sackboy: A Big Adventure” (2020)

One of Sony’s cutest unofficial mascots, Sackboy has been giving players the chance to create their own worlds since the days of the PS3, but on the PS5, he finally gets the chance to take on his own big adventure. While most of the creative side of Sackboy’s previous outings is left up to the developers Sumo Digital, Sackboy’s worlds are filled with the same charm and imaginative nature fans of the series have come to expect. Sackboy can dress up in a variety of costumes from Sony’s catalog as they explore a world full of new power-ups and take on the villain Vex to save Craftworld. It might not revolutionize the genre, but it doesn’t need to when it’s this fun.

#15: “Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut” (2021)

The only game on our list originally released for the PS4, the Director’s Cut of Sucker Punch’s grand opus adds so much new content and features it almost feels like a new game. The journey of Jin fighting to save his island from the invading Mongols is even more impressive in dynamic 4K resolution and 60 frames per second and now makes full use of the PS5’s 3D audio and the DualSense’s haptic feedback. Players also received the Iki Island expansion, offering an entirely different area to explore as well as new enemy types exclusive to the island. Even if you’ve already saved Jin’s island from the Mongols, the Director’s Cut makes it worth another journey to become the Ghost of Tsushima.

#14: “Cyberpunk 2077” (2022)

There’s no denying Cyberpunk launched in a rough state to say the least, but with the next gen update, CD Projekt Red finally began to deliver on the promises of those first gameplay demos. Now almost 3 years later, with the Phantom Liberty DLC, CD Projekt Red not only delivered a satisfying sendoff to 2077, but also completely overhauled the game, delivering the experience players had hoped for and expected from the studio. The game is downright gorgeous with Night City exploding in neon colors and players can finally fully customize their builds as promised, offering far more freedom than in the game’s original incarnation. Night City never sleeps and with all the updates to the PS5 version, neither will you.

#13: “Resident Evil 4” (2023)

Remaking one of the most beloved games of all time is no easy task, but Capcom managed to not only improve on the original, but also set a new benchmark in their already impressive catalog of recent remakes. Updating not only the graphics but the characters, world, combat and even story, Capcom crafted a masterpiece worthy of one of the most important video games of all time and included enough new branching paths and secrets to surprise even the most diehard of loyal fans. The RE Engine continues to impress with its excellent lighting effects and gore mechanics that keep combat consistently fresh and engaging. While there are of course purists out there, for our money, THIS is the definitive Resident Evil 4 experience.

#12: “Gran Turismo 7” (2022)

One of the flagship racing sims of not only the PlayStation, but the industry as well, Polyphony Digital’s attention to detail and endless pursuit of realism has culminated in their seventh outing of the venerable racing franchise. The haptic feedback of the Dualsense puts the power of these racing machines at your fingertips and narrowly missing the other cars and guardrails during a sudden sharp turn remains a visceral experience. The level of detail in the tracks, many of them taking inspiration from real world racing circuits, as well as the cars themselves, is a motorhead's dream as they customize everything about their vehicles before taking to the track. For true racing sim fans, it doesn’t get any more real than this.

#11: “Demon’s Souls” (2020)

The original Demon’s Souls first challenged players to “git gud” back on the PS3 and became a runaway success that led to the Dark Souls franchise, even though Sony initially had reservations about the title. Times certainly have changed as Sony made the remake of the game that launched the era of the Soulsborne games as their premiere launch title on the PS5. Recreated brilliantly by the remake maestros at Bluepoint Games, Demon’s Souls is still one of the most stunning looking games on the console even almost 3 years later and their updates to the world and creatures within add new and often disturbing details the PS3 wasn’t capable of back in 2009. As an early showcase for the PS5’s capabilities, Demon’s Souls raised the bar.

#10: “Returnal” (2021)

Known primarily for bullet hell shooters like their hit Resogun, developer Housemarque took that formula and applied it to a third person shooter roguelike and created one of the most difficult but rewarding experiences on the PS5. Using the roguelike approach, Selene must live, die, and repeat as she unravels the mystery of how she ended up trapped in an endless loop on this mysterious planet. The game makes unique use of the PS5’s DualSense and its haptic triggers, and with each death learns more about the world and its connection to Selene. With its challenging gameplay and a narrative that still has people debating its true meaning, Returnal sticks with you and keeps you returning long after the credits roll.

#9: “The Last of Us Part 1” (2022)

Less than 10 years old, the choice to remake one of the most influential games of all time was ridiculed endlessly when it was first announced, but the chance to replay one of the greatest games of all time in stunning 4K is a hard offer to pass up. While much of the gameplay remains unchanged besides the inventory and upgrade workbenches, the graphical overhaul was undeniably impressive. Character models felt more expressive and realistic, the infected were more unsettling, the world itself was more overgrown as plants reclaimed the vacant cities and the game now featured Naughty Dog’s gold standard of accessibility options. It might not have been the most necessary remake, but it’s arguably the definitive way to experience Joel and Ellie’s journey.

#8: “Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales” (2020)

Insomniac’s Spider-Man swung onto the PS4 and blew everyone away with its detailed world and characters, original and emotional story, and some of the best unlockables ever in a Spidey game. Insomniac followed up their successful first outing by giving the newest webslinger his own adventure and managed to one up themselves once again. With new boroughs and areas to explore and a Spidey still learning the webs, Miles’ first solo adventure introduced players to his unique powers and movesets which felt completely different compared to Peter’s. The additional power of the PS5 let players swing between the skyscrapers faster than ever before and the game’s updated lighting effects and ray tracing made it a standout entry into Insomniac’s new Spidey universe.

#7: “Horizon Forbidden West” (2022)

Guerilla’s Horizon series landed on the PS4 in a big way with its post-post-apocalyptic setting as well as interesting characters and lore and oh yea, freakin robot dinosaurs! Aloy’s journey on the PS5 sent her to the West Coast with its brilliantly detailed landscapes and oceanfront views as well as all new machines ready to dismantle. Guerilla’s Decima Engine flexes its muscles with the PS5’s additional power and some of the vistas and lighting effects are downright jaw dropping. The series’ already solid combat was expanded upon, and environments were bigger and more detailed than ever before. The addition of the hang glider also gave players more freedom to explore as Aloy once again attempts to prevent the end of the world.

#6: “Final Fantasy XVI” (2023)

Final Fantasy is one of the longest running series in the entire industry and while each entry manages to improve on the tried-and-true formula, no other entries has made the drastic changes of the franchise’s 16th entry. While the changes to combat might not have been for everyone, the world of Valisthea was one of the most fully realized in the series and the more mature direction of the game’s story allowed it to tackle issues the series had only touched upon in previous entries. With superb combat and some of the most spectacular and grandiose boss fights in the series, Final Fantasy 16 is the perfect entry point for newcomers of the influential series and a true showcase game for the PS5.

#5: “Elden Ring” (2022)

FromSoftware’s streak of continuing to iterate on their familiar formula reached a new pinnacle with Elden Ring. Featuring a fully open world in which players are still discovering new secrets even today, the game not only opened up the options for combat and exploration but managed to be the most approachable Souls game to date while still maintaining the developer’s trademark difficulty. The world of The Lands Between is meticulously and beautifully designed, full of new areas all interconnected by a massive overworld. Players are free to set out and explore it however they choose, full of dungeons, catacombs, and a seemingly endless supply of optional bosses to challenge and inevitably repeat until victorious.

#4: “Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart” (2021)

It seems like nowadays, unless you’re Nintendo, the platforming genre is almost non-existent, but thankfully Insomniac’s longest running franchise, Ratchet & Clank, is still going strong 2 decades later. Their latest release manages to perfect the formula they’ve been crafting for the last 20 years and 3 console generations to deliver their most visually and mechanically impressive entry to date. The inventive arsenal the series is known for is refined and honed to offer options for all playstyles, and the characters we’ve come to know and love across all the previous entries are in top form. The game’s titular Rift mechanic offers brand new options not only for gameplay but combat scenarios as well. Plus, the whole game is just an absolute blast from beginning to end.

#3: “Baldur’s Gate III” (2023)

The long dormant Baldur’s Gate franchise’s influence can be felt in everything from Bioware’s Dragon Age series to Larian’s own Divinity Original Sin franchise. And yet, even with all the hype surrounding Baldur’s Gate’s return, no one expected it to be one of the most authentic Dungeons and Dragons experiences ever created in video games. The sheer amount of customization players have over not only their character but the narrative itself is unprecedented and players are truly set loose to create their own experience just as the tabletop game intended. With continued support as well as over 17,000 possible variations of the game’s ending with more on the way, Baldur’s Gate 3 could be the only game RPG fans need until the inevitable PS6.

#2: “Astro’s Playroom” (2020)

Oftentimes pack-in games with new consoles are nothing more than spruced up tech demos, but few are as charming and just downright fun as Astro’s Playroom. The little robot will explore worlds specifically designed to showcase the new features of the PS5 DualSense but within each level are nods and easter eggs to Sony’s long legacy within the console market. Players will explore the guts of Sony’s consoles while running into other bots recreating some of the PlayStation’s most iconic series and characters in adorable Astro Bot form. Astro’s Playroom is not only one of the most delightful experiences on the PS5, but also a celebration of PlayStation’s legacy.

#1: “God of War Ragnarok” (2022)

As one of Sony’s longest running franchises, Kratos’ journey through the Norse realms came to a spectacular end in God of War Ragnarok and could be one of the Spartan’s greatest adventures to date. With new realms to explore as well as new abilities to master and a playable Atreus, the scope of the Nine Realms had expanded to coincide with the impending Ragnarok on the horizon. Kratos’ time in the land of Midgard might not have spanned the same epic scale of his Greek adventures, but sometimes it’s about quality rather than quantity, and Ragnarok offered fans a satisfying end to the Norse saga while still leaving the door open for more epic adventures with the God of War.


Things can only get better from here. Which upcoming PS5 game do you think will be added to the list in the future? Conjure up your predictions and let us know down in the comments.