Best PS5 games: the best PlayStation 5 games to play

The first edition of Ghost Of Tsushima was a revelation - a stunning slice of Samurai that had us hooked from the star. The director's cut is something else, though, truly using the power of the PS5 and really showcasing what the console can do. This game is fast becoming the face of the Sony PS5 and that is okay with us - it's an essential buy.

A fantastic standalone Spider-Man story that lasts around 10 hours, this is a brilliant, tighter version of the original Spider-Man game. It looks amazing and the storyline is rather prevalent. Why it isn't as long as other games around, it's superb to play and the boss battles are something else - a far cry from the usual button bashing.

A riff on the playroom that failed miserably on the PS4, we see Astro and his crew basically taking you on a tour of the PS5 and all that it offers. This is a pre-loaded game that explores four worlds, each based on PS5’s console components.The game is brilliant and a fantastic showcase of what the DualSense controller (and console) can do. It's not just a 'free' games, it's one of the best in the launch line-up.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart makes the best use of the PS5's graphics with instant dimensional rifts jumping and worlds that are packed with density and life. The DualSense controllers feedback means that controls are enhanced and there's a whole bunch of ray-tracing on board, too. This is a stunning achievement by Insomniac - a PS5 showcase but despite how good it looks, the main ingrediant is FUN.

Horizon Forbidden World is a meticulous open world adventure. Although you could easily sink some 80 hours into the thing, it doesn't ever feel overbearing or bloated. In fact, the hours slip by as it does some decent handholding in the first five or so hours, getting you used to the deft battles and acrobatic puzzle scenes. From then you will want to seek out adventures, rather than feel obliged to. While Horizon Zero Dawn, the previous game, is hinted at throughout - you can also go into this one without knowing what happened before it. In fact, it adds to the mysticism of the beautiful, brutal world Guerrilla Games has created.

The best version of Demon's Souls we have played, this isn't so much a remaster but a remake of the original. It retains the hard-as-nails-gameplay but ups the ante in the graphics department. This is a game that will appeal to die-hard Demon's Souls players and those who are looking for a MASSIVE challenge.

If this one doesn't win game of the year in 2022 we will eat our virtual hat. There is so much to love about the new God of War. The new father and son element works beautifully, adding pathos to a game that is still all about punch-ups of the god-like variety. While the vast storyline is at times sprawling, the deft gameplay, beautiful visuals and Bear McCreary's luscious score all combine to create an experience that is really, really special. You will come for the rip-roaring combat but what will stay with you is, well, everything else

Despite its name, Control’s plot is focused on the, well, lack of control a secretive agency currently has over the supernatural. It’s your job to regain that control fighting the ghouls that come thick and fast. The PS5 is undoubtedly the best way to play Control, which had niggles on previous consoles. Here it’s free from issues, visually upgraded and a much pacier game. Add to this some nifty ray tracing and you have one of the best-looking next gen games to play.

As for the sound design - jeez, it will scare the crap out of you, playing with all the sci-fi tropes you know and love and making for a fantastic game to play.

Stunning. That's the one word we would use to describe The Last Of Us Part 1, a delicious-looking remaster that adds not just graphical enhancements but also speedy loading times (something that marred the original) as well as 3D Audio and some brilliant haptic feedback. While not as big a remake as what we saw with Resident Evil 2, if you haven't played the game in a long time then this is an essential (re)play. Given the game is just eight years old, though, there may be some that will be happy to just load up their PS4 version.

Resident Evil Village is a fantastic entry into the sprawling series that straddles both the survival horror of the previous game and the action the series has become known for. Swapping hick America for eerie Europe, we see Ethan Winters and his wife Mia trying to live a life after the events of Resi 7. It doesn't end well and soon you are headfirst into folk horror - battling lycanthropes and giants, gawping at gothic goodness that surrounds you. There's a real mix of moments on show in the game. From full-blown brutality that will make you flinch, haunted house scares that will make you jump - some of these things happen in the same scene which makes Resident Evil Village a constant surprise. While Lady Dimitrescu is a 'giant' leap in memorable villains in the series, there are plenty more disgusting creatures here that really make the Resi VIII what it is: a joyful fear factory, packed with action and dripping with dread.

Assassin’s Creed history hopping has brought it to a lot of places - Damascus, The Arctic, New Orleans - but it’s in good ol’ England where the real action is at, thanks to the franchise adding freakin’ vikings into this mix. This is a MASSIVE game - you can pack 60 or so hours and still be able to come back for more. And now that the cinematic kills feature can be disabled there’s even more fun to be had. Its rich in Viking lore and packed with action and mystery - even though the Assassin’s Creed franchise is 20 plus games strong, this may well be the best of the lot.

The newest game on this best PS5 games list is serious fun. Returnal is a third-person shooter stuck in a time loop, where the main character, an astronaut named Selene, has crash landed on an alien planet. The kicker is that when she is inevitably killed by alien hordes, she wakes up alive and returned to the place she crash landed. We have never died so much in a game but for each death you are rewarded with a new piece of a puzzle to solve, as well as being stripped of any fancy weapons you might have acquired (annoyingly). Some things stay the same but much changes after each kill, making this a punishing game not for the faint of heart. We love it, though, and can see us playing this one for many months to come.

When it comes to how it plays on the PS5, the graphics are moody but punctuated with Avatar-like glowing hues. The DualSense's rumble effects are used extensively and the 3D audio is also used to great effect. You will die. A lot. But bloody hell it’s good fun.

Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy is a fun ride! It's a single-player campaign that does away with multi-player and focuses purely on a story lead approach that puts the GOTG right in the middle of a cracking adventure. There's a surprising amount of choice throughout the game, which may help you as you get further into the story - the focus here is on Peter Quill but all the Guardians get their chance to shine. The combat and shooting throughout never gets boring (because of the amount of quips going around throughout) and while we would have loved a sprint button, this is a fantastic cosmic comic-book caper.

We have been playing Gran Turismo 7 for some time now and have fallen in love with this exceptional driving sim. The game offers classic vehicles - absolutely loads of vehicles - and tracks and the reintroduction of the legendary GT Simulation Mode, which has a cracking history of cars introduction this time around. GT7 also offers an even more realistic driving experience thanks to haptic feedback on the DualSense controller and the 3D sound the PS5 boasts. Whether you want to tinker with every aspect of your car or just get out and race, Gran Turismo 7 offers both, brilliantly so.

One of the more unconventional games on this (and it needs an upgrade once the PS4 version is purchased) is It Takes Two, a game where you need someone else to play along with you. The idea is that two parents on the verge of a divorce have to get through a number of fantastical challenges. Despite the rather downbeat plot, the creativity here is rich and the storytelling captivating. The richness of the gameplay also means that there is hardly any repetition in what you have to do - making this one of the best two-player experiences on any console.

(Free PS5 upgrade needed when you have purchased)

While it has similarities to Returna (another on this list), Deathloop doesn't take itself anywhere near as seriously. In fact, it's a joy to play as Colt, an assassin who wakes up on a beach unaware of why he is there or what he has to do. It turns out there are eight Visionaries on his hit list and it is your job to kill them all in one day or the day resets.

An oldie renewed and reinvigorated for the next-gen, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 is a treat for those who are familiar to the franchise and those who are new to it. The old skaters are back and they are, well, old - aged to perfection and ready to skate just like they used to. Everything looks new and improved but the best bit is that the arcade-style gameplay is the same, so you can rack up the points fairly quickly and feel like a pro pretty soon after picking up a controller. With plenty of incentives to keep you coming back, alongside a fantastic multiplayer experience and what you have is a thrill ride of a game.

(Free PS5 upgade needed once purchased)

This is really what the PS5 is all about - Hades is a technical achievement which is also a superb game to play. It's a dungeon crawler steeped in Greek mythology, where gods big and small help you through tasks, all of which is gorgeous in its 4K detail. It also has one of the best uses of the DualSense controller that we have seen. Lovely stuff.

Agent 47’s return is a bittersweet one as this is the last game in a frankly fantastic franchise. While you need to upgrade the game once you have bought the PS4 version (an easy process that’s done digitally) it’s worth it as the PS5 version has improved graphics and sound. The brilliance of this game is that you can play all old missions from previous games through Hitman 3, too, making it a must have. Even without this, it’s a fantastic stealth game and has us really excited about what its makers IO Interactive do with the James Bond franchise it now has the right to.

(Free PS5 upgrade needed when you purchase)

Stray is a unique game, where you roam around a post-apocalyptic world, figuring out a mystery while trying to stay alive. Oh, and you play as a cat. It's a real indie game treat that, at times, feels like a cyberpunk Untitled Goose Game, with stunning graphics. While the story is straightforward, the creatures and bots you meet on the way are full of wonderful quirks.

25 years in and as fresh as ever, Diablo is a series that mixes the world and look of a dark fantasy RPG with highly moreish loot driven mechanics. Barbarian, necromancer or sorcerer? You choose, and gradually design a build that can decimate hordes of enemies. The main campaign takes 20-35 hours to beat, but that's just the start of play in a game you can play for hundreds of hours in multiplayer. Couch co-op is on offer too.

Cal Kestis returns in the sequel to 2019's Fallen Order. It's a cinematic semi-open world adventure in which you hop between planets as he evades capture by the Empire. Jedi: Survivor is drenched in Star Wars vibes, with gorgeous backdrops that could have been lifted straight from the movies. It took some dings at launch due to technical issues, but runs a whole lot smoother these days.

Classic action horror title got a remake in 2023, and what a successful reboot it was. Fresh graphics, a partial redesign, and tightened-up gameplay. The original from 2008 hasn't aged that badly, but this fresh version is the one to try for newcomers. It's a scary game, though, so you might want to keep the light on while playing through Dead Space.

It's a new era for the one-one-one fighter. Street Fighter 6 takes some inspiration from its arch rival Mortal Kombat, by introducing an expansive single-player mode called World Tour. There's also a fresh control method, one where you don't have to pull off complex button prompts to perform special moves. Classic-style Street Fighter play is here for the long-term series fans too.

Disco Elysium is a lot of fun. It's one of those PS5 games that is wrapped around a simple premise - a detective wakes up in a town with little memory - and really runs with it, creating a stunning-looking, ever playable game. The writing on this one is simply stunning, so make sure you immerse yourself fully in this one.

As much as we are fans of Black Ops Cold War on the PS5 - it's on this list as well - we think that Modern Warfare II tops it when it comes to sheer entertainment. Its multiplayer campaigns are improved with the new anti-cheating system and the campaign is one of the best we have played (and the closest to playing an actual action movie). The only place it falls short in, is the fact that it is just too short. Some bugs here and there mar the experience online, but we are sure these will be zapped soon.

While George RR Martin probably should focus a bit more on finishing Game of Thrones, we forgive him for going off piste if he's creating narrative like he did for Elden Rings. Here is an open world game that offers a huge amount of freedom for you to find adventures, all backed by the hard-as-nails gameplay the folks behind Dark Souls are renowned for. While we'll admit that if you are already a Souls fan then this is an essential game. Those looking to dip their toes here that haven't played the games before may find everything an uphill struggle - this game doesn't ease you in, more assault your senses from minute one!

The final-ever FIFA game by EA Sports is a great swan song for the highly successful franchise. Players feel very realistic this time around, with both controls and visuals improved. There's good use of the DualSense controller for sounds and haptic feedback and when it comes to scoring it's certainly taking a more nuanced approach. Quick Play has been improved, too, so you can jump into a gam in seconds. The additions of women's club football teams is more than welcomed and means this franchise leaves with its head held high

Forget the cuteness of the Bugsnax, there is a lot more to this game than looking adorable. It is a hunting game, a collecting game and an exploring game. Like Animal Crossing where you find yourself just exploring the island to find new things. This is exactly what you do with Bugsnax and have a really fun time doing it. Now, we aren’t saying this is a PS5 limit tester. It really isn’t but it’s packed with intriguing characters and is something to play when your brain needs switching off. We just hope the catching mechanism is refined in further updates.

Looking like Darren Aronofsky's The Fountain crossed with the plot of The Leftovers, Ghostwire: Tokyo is about a Tokyo that is overrun by deadly supernatural forces after 99% of the city's population vanished. It's a stunning-looking game, full of shiver-inducing moments. Yes, it's repetitive but we had a lot of fun traversing the empty corridors, seeking out spooks. Some superb battle dynamics (the magic on show is ace), mixed with intriguing side quests make this a game you will want to come back to again and again.

Okay, we will be the first to admit that Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a game that doesn’t quite push the PS5 to its limits but this spin-off of the classic series has enough going for it to match the best of the rest. We would recommend turning off the dubbing for the best experience and switching to subtitles, and a bit more fighting that puzzling wouldn’t go amiss but this is still a fun journey that’s absolutely packed with mini games.

It's certainly not perfect - we encountered a few bugs in our play through which will hopefully be ironed out with patch updates - but there is a lot of fun to be had with this reboot of the famous franchise. If you fancy a GTA-like open world rollercoaster of a ride, then this one is for you. The characters have been changed, the carnage upped and the desert setting has never looked so stark and beautiful. It's chaotic, with big guns and car chases the order of the day but we were won over with the crazy charm of the thing.

We prefer the original title Gods And Monsters but Immortals Fenyx Rising is a fun, slightly flawed RPG which has notes of Breath of the Wild, while packed with a surprisingly funny storyline. As new IP goes, this is one that has been built to last and we can’t wait for more instalments. For now, though, we keep coming back to the puzzles and, yes, it’s like a greatest hits of other games around but that’s no bad thing.

If you are looking for total escapism, then The Pathless is for you. It’s an open world experience that’s an adventure story that is set to a propulsive beat, where you discover beautiful vistas - some crumbling around you - that are packed with puzzles, underlined with a healthy ‘you won’t die’ mentality. That’s not to say that there isn’t foreboding, there is with the encroaching fire but this is breathtaking, awe-inspiring stuff.

Yes, the single player campaign is short but it kept us entertained throughout, with the mix of real-life Cold War antics and some OTT CoD action. Graphics are fantastic and the DualSense really works its magic with things like reloading. The multiplayer is fun and if all else fails, there's a cracking zombie campaign to get through. However, the recently launched Modern Warfare II does beat this one for gameplay so make look there if you want the best CoD experience on PS5.

It's not perfect but boy are we having fun with the new Sackboy adventure. It's a platformer that has all the heart of the original games, with much of the landscape you traverse filled with malleable objects. There's a bounty of clebrities lending their dulcet tones and the whole thing is adorable fun.