In recent generations, Sony and the PlayStation consoles have relied on high-quality exclusives as their bread and butter. While this has made for some incredible gaming experiences, it can be difficult to know where to start. With recent PC releases, it can also be difficult to define what the term “exclusive” really means. For this list, consider exclusive to mean that you cannot play these titles on Nintendo or Xbox, though some may sneak (or have snuck) their way onto PC. As PlayStation endeavors to expand its audience, more and more games have become available on PC, though they have not made their way to other consoles. For this reason, we are treating the term “exclusive” the same way PlayStation has in the PS5 generation.
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From Cyberpunk 2077 to Spider-Man 2, here are the best open-world PS5 games.
This generation of hardware has produced some of the most breathtaking visuals we’ve ever seen in gaming, but PlayStation’s games are far more than just eye-candy. Instead, PlayStation gained quite a reputation for offering experiences you’ll remember for a long time to come. Creating memorable stories with tight gameplay and unparalleled visuals is part of why players buy the PS5 in the first place. So, let’s get into what you should be playing on your PlayStation 5.
10Ratchet And Clank: Rift Apart
A High-Flying, Action-Packed Thrillride
Few studios can claim the same hot streak Insomniac has been on, and it’s for good reason. Their games simply jump off the screen and offer up some true joy for any player who puts their hands on a controller. Insomniac set out to capture the power of the PS5 and did so with great flare inRatchet and Clank: Rift Apart. As Ratchet and Rivet, you’ll move through levels at a breathtaking pace. Portals will jump you between areas that would be technically impossible on hardware like the PS4. The combat is fun and zany, as with many Ratchet and Clank games. You’ll genuinely want to try out every weapon and gadget you can get, because they each bring something unique to the gameplay experience.
Despite coming out near the beginning of this generations life-cycle, it’s still one of the best looking games you’ll find with graphics that truly delight and amaze.
The story, while ultimately somewhat predictable, is a pleasant ride all the way through. It’s like watching your favorite animated movie come to life, and it’s the epitomy of comfort-food gaming. You’ll enjoy a good number of laughs and likely smile a lot as you zip through portals and cross dimensions in this wild ride. It’s the kind of game that makes you feel like a kid again as the music soars and you zip your way through portals and dimensions withthout stopping for a breath between. Despite coming out near the beginning of this generation’s life-cycle, it’s still one of the best looking games you’ll find with graphics that truly delight and amaze.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
9Demon’s Souls
The Most Beautiful Souls Experience On PS5
While this is a remake of an old classic, you certainly wouldn’t know it. Bluepoint managed to makeDemon’s Soulsshiny and new to the extreme. It’s one of the best-looking games you may boot up on your PlayStation 5, despite being from this era’s launch window. Remaking a game is an interesting challenge, as the developers are tasked with creating an experience that looks new, while feeling like the classic players fell in love with when they originally played it. Fortunately, Demon’s Souls managed to get perfect marks in this department. They created a game so stunning that every level, every boss, every fight is going to have something happening that’s screenshot-worthy.
Demon’s Souls is a game meant to be adored, which is a good thing because it’s also one of the most frustrating experiences you might have on your PS5.
Demon’s Souls is a game meant to be adored, which is a good thing because it’s also one of the most frustrating experiences you might have on your PS5. Being one of the Souls games means that you’re in for a steep learning curve. Everything from bosses to trash enemies are going to throw you around until you learn to play the game significantly better. It might not be for everyone, but the people who like it tend to truly love it. However, Souls fans should also be aware that playing other Souls games doesn’t necessarily make you a shoe-in for Demon’s Souls. While it may have been the first of the Souls games, it’s certainly not the easiest. In fact, coming from a game like Elden Ring may mean you’re in for a steep learning curve once again.
Demon’s Souls
8Helldivers 2
The Best Time You Can Have Killing Bugs And Bots
Multiplayer games can be a little difficult to quantify, because so much of a player’s experience can depend on teammates. Then again, few games have managed to unite a community quite likeHelldivers 2. Major orders create a unified mission for everyone who logs into the game. Pushing back against a faction is a community effort that fills social media with cries for democracy and freedom. The shifting orders and community progression also adds something of a narrative to the game. Unlike any game with a story mode, this is a community narrative where all of the players are contributing to both the lore and setting. While the gameplay may not be revolutionary, the tight combat and excellent multiplayer has filled a niche players didn’t know they wanted.
Helldivers 2 Review: Freedom Never Sleeps
Liber-tea never tasted so good!
Helldivers 2 is as much about the humor as it is the mission. The game is generous with the amount of times players are allowed to respawn, so death often comes with more laughs than disappointment. Watching a teammate get taken out by a drop pod, or blown across the battlefield by an accidental explosion, will often have the whole team chortling before continuing on their mission to eradicate the foe. Part of the joy of Helldivers 2 has to do with the game’s many systems and incredible physics interacting in unexpected ways. So far, the live service component of the game has also managed to engage many players often turned away by such elements. Microtransactions that truly feel minor are a welcome reprieve from expensive cosmetics and pricey DLC.
Helldivers 2
7Ghost Of Tsushima: Director’s Cut
A Tale Of Beauty, Revenge, And Honor
There’s no doubt thatGhost of Tsushimais one of the most beautiful games you can play on the PS5. The Director’s Cut is smooth, refined, and expands on everything fans already love. The open world feels truly alive as enemies are scattered throughout and there are no shortage of world quests and side stories to complete. Everything you do helps to build the complete picture of what’s happening in Tsushima, and it’s incrediby satisfying to unlock everything. It’s also worth mentioning that this game has one of the most expansive and intuitive photo modes of any modern game. You’ll constanly want to capture the beautiful landscapes and brutal fights.
On this journey, Jin is forced to choose between his honor as a samurai and his stealth skills as the Ghost.
The story of Ghost of Tsushima is one that will stick with you long after you put the controller down, and its expansion is truly worth completing. After the invasion of the Mongols, Jin is set on the path of vengeance to save his country. On this journey, Jin is forced to choose between his honor as a samurai and his stealth skills as the Ghost. It’s a compelling narrative with moments sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. With different options like Kurosawa mode (a mode that makes the game like an old black and white film with subtitles), you can customize the experience you want to have, making replays even more interesting if you choose to revisit this stunning game. If you’re a fan of open-world games or samurai stories, this is a game you absolutely cannot afford to miss.
Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut
6Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Cloud And Friends Have Never Been Better
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthis both an incredible remake and a thrilling sequel. WhileFinal Fantasy 7 Remakehad wonderfully fun combat, Rebirth managed to make it even more dynamic by allowing you to use synergy attacks that create unique combinations between team members. Deciding who is on your team has never been more difficult, because all of the synergy attacks are incredibly fun and unique. And if you love mini-games, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is packing a whole lot of them. Queen’s Blood, the game’s most prominent mini-game, is an incredible card game on par with Gwent fromThe Witcher 3. I played so much of it that it almost became a problem while I was trying to finish the game for review.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Review: A Righteous Roadtrip
Seven seconds till the end.
If you enjoy a good open-world game, it’s hard to go wrong with Rebirth. The world feels alive and is full of fun activities for anyone who loves to explore and pick up all kinds of side quests. The story of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is also incredible, expanding upon what we knew in the original, offering genuinely interesting side quests, and even allowing for romantic moments some fans have been clamoring for since the original game. Even the ending, which we won’t spoil here, has managed to shock fans both old and new. The true gem of Final Fantasy 7 rebirth is the characters. They come to life like never before, and Sephiroth has once again proven himself to be one of the most iconic villains in gaming. It’s truly one of the best experiences you may have on PlayStation 5.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
5The Last Of Us Part 2 Remastered
A Story About Hatred, Love, And Loss.
If you’ve never playedThe Last of Us Part 2, there has never been a better time than right now. The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered is a near-perfect experience on the PS5. While the game made headlines for its incredible (and wildly controversial) story, the gameplay is some of the best you could ever hope to experience. Movement is much improved over the first game, which makes sense given the characters we’re following. In fact, the gameplay is so satifying on its own that Naughty Dog added a roguelike mode to allow players to experience the thrilling combat outside of the game’s main story. The new game mode is an incredibly welcome addition unique to the remaster on PS5.
The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered is about hurt people seeking vengeance at the expense of themselves and the people they claim to love
Early on in the game, Ellie and Abby make enemies of one another. And while we’re certainly meant to empathize with Ellie and cheer her on in her quest for vengeance, we eventually come to learn Abby’s entire story as will. Much like the first game, the writing is thought-provoking and asks you to truly question what it means to be a hero or villain. This is a game that features neither. Instead, The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered is about hurt people seeking vengeance at the expense of themselves and the people they claim to love. Much like the first game, it’s something of a heartbreaking story, though it distinguishes itself from the first game by being tragic in completely different ways.
The Last of Us Part 2: Remastered
4Death Stranding: Director’s Cut
An Open-World Experience Unlike Anything Else
Unless you’ve playedDeath Strandingitself, then it’s safe to say you’ve probably never played anything quite like Death Stranding: Director’s Cut. When Hideo Kojima set out to make Death Stranding, he wanted to create an asynchronous multiplayer experience where players could truly only positively interact with one another. To say that he succeeded would be an understatement. Pioneering paths, leaving behind ropes and bridges, then receiving feedback on how useful your equipment was, is a truly joyous experience. Likewise, discovering useful signs, equipment, and pathways is also a joy and an opportunity to show someone else how wonderful they were for leaving things behind for you. The game is somehow both lonely and cooperative as you’re left to find your way with sprinklings of other players’ actions scattered throughout.
The story of Sam Porter Bridges and his journey to reconnect the country is an unforgettable one, and it has never looked better than it does on the PS5.
The music in this game (much of which is licensed) also sets the tone and adds to the immersion within the game. Moments of quiet are tempered with somber music when you’re resting or traveling the world. Few games capture the vast openness of this world, which is full of secrets, obstacles, and unique moments to discover. If you’ve never played a game by Hideo Kojima before, be prepared for a weird and wild ride as the story takes unexpected and confusing turns. It’s best just to strap in and enjoy the ride, because not everything is going to make sense at first glance. But give it time, because it all comes back together in a brilliant way. The story of Sam Porter Bridges and his journey to reconnect the country is an unforgettable one, and it has never looked better than it does on the PS5.
Death Stranding Director’s Cut
3The Last Of Us Part 1
The Definitive Way To Experience One Of Gaming’s Greatest Stories
The Last of Uswas originally made for the PS3. It was then remastered for the PS4, and has now been completely remade for the PS5. It has also been adapted for television by HBO. There’s a reason Sony keeps revisiting this property, and it’s because The Last of Us is one of the best stories ever told in gaming. The journey of Joel and Ellie is a masterpiece and exemplifies the great and horrible lengths people will go to in the name of love. Naughty Dog’s remake is a masterpiece, capturing everything fans loved about the original game while dialing all the technical and graphical enhancements up to eleven.Joel and Elliehave never looked better, and their hauntingly beautiful world has never appeared more genuine.
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Audiences love their main characters in video games. Great protagonists shape the world around them while captivating the hearts and minds of players.
Remakes can sometimes reimagine a game’s concept, but The Last of Us Part 1 decided to faithfully stick to the script. Playing on the PS5 will all of the bells and whistles felt like experiencing it again for the very first time. The Last of Us Part 1 captures the stunning performances of its actors even more faithfully this time. Every look, every lip quiver, and every unspoken sorrow is captured here for the audience to experience. The game doesn’t just look better; ithits harder.Whether you’re a new fan coming to the game for the first time or a seasoned fan returning to an old favorite, you’ll find this is the definitive way to experience one of gaming’s greatest stories. .
The Last of Us Part 1
2Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Swinging Through New York Has Never Felt Better
When you think of what makes for an amazing video game sequel, you think of a few key components. First, the story has follow-up in a meaningful way, expanding both the world and the lives of the characters. Second, the gameplay usually needs to be tightened and enhanced in some way. Third, we need to be allowed to do things we’ve never done before, and see things we’ve never seen before. Finally, the sequel needs to feel essential. We need to feel as if the sequel was deserved. It needs to feel as if the standalone, or series, would be incomplete without the sequel.Marvel’s Spider-Man 2brings in all of these elements flawlessly.
It would have been enough for Insomniac to rest on what they’d done before while adding a couple of more villains. They didn’t do that at all.
When it comes to superhero games, Marvel’s Spider-Man is already one of the best. It would have been enough for Insomniac to rest on what they’d done before while adding a couple of more villains. They didn’t do that at all. Instead, they revisited both combat and traversal to make them even more dynamic than what the first game had offered. The combination of swinging and web-wings made swinging around New York incredible in a whole new way. Plus, adding a parry to combat felt more engaging and satisfying when facing off against both average enemies and bosses. Take all of that and put it in a blender with incredible character development for all of the characters and being able to play as both Spider-Men. Playing this gameis an incredible experience, and it’s one of the most definitive PS5 experiences you could ever ask for.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
1God of War Ragnarok
PlayStation 5’s God Among Mortals
WhenGod of War (2018)first came out, it was an instant success. The combat felt fantastic, the character development of Kratos was incredible, and the introduction of Norse mythology was a brilliant direction for the series. At the end of the first game, players were left with a lot of questions about the series. The first game ended with the promise of Thor, but that was about it. Well, in something of a surprise twist, Santa Monica Studios decided to tell this story in two parts rather than three. Players have become so familiar with games being told in three parts that this seemed like an odd move. But when you play the game, it makes complete sense. The developers put the story ahead of the dollar signs and gave playersan experience that felt complete and robust.
The narrative is so masterfully crafted that, with the addition of the Valhalla free DLC, it’s hard to imagine a better ending for this segment of Kratos and Atreus' journey
While God of War (2018) added the Leviathan Axe, which helped distinguish Kratos' combat from the original trilogy,God of War Ragnarokadded the Draupnir Spear. The spear holds a special place in Kratos' history as a Spartan, which helps beautifully tie in his past in a new way. Ragnarok also does a magnificent job of building the relationship between Kratos and Atreus. In addition, the villains of Ragnarok are much more nuanced than in 2018’s entry. Odin makes for a dastardly antagonist, positioning himself as both ally and surrogate father-figure to Atreus. The narrative is so masterfully crafted that, with the addition of the Valhalla free DLC, it’s hard to imagine a better ending for this segment of Kratos and Atreus' journey.
God of War: Ragnarok
DualShockers Definitives: The 30 Best RPGs Of All Time
After weeks of debate and voting, DualShockers has assembled its list of the greatest, most influential, most important RPGs of all time.
