If you’ve just procured a PlayStation 5, congratulations! You now have access to a library containing a shocking portion of the greatest games ever made. You know a system’s good when the web-slinging of Spider-Man or the once-mocked, now-incredible Cyberpunk 2077 doesn’t crack the top 10.
So many of the PlayStation 5’s best games are huge, 80-plus-hour endeavors. Which at least means you’re getting serious bang for your buck. But where should your priorities lie? Here are some hints for starters.
10. Astro’s Playroom
You can consider this a placeholder for Astro Bot, which comes out in September. But even the considerably smaller Astro’s Playroom, which comes for free with the PlayStation 5, deserves a top ten spot. In a system characterized by meaty, gritty games, Astro’s Playroom is a beautiful evolution of the mascot adventures of old. It’s simply good, old-fashioned fun.
9. NieR:Automata
An earth that no longer has humans, where androids are sent in to clean up the mess … It’s an interesting, if not somewhat traversed, concept. But NieR:Automata‘s approach to storytelling is anything but ordinary. It’s already hailed as a modern classic (with the anime adaptation to boot). Plus, it’s a highly engaging combat system that blends action and RPG elements beautifully.
8. God of War Ragnaröck
God of War Ragnaröck has one of the most fun combat systems on the PlayStation 5, no contest. Playing as Kratos, the titular (demi)god of war, has been one of the PlayStation’s greatest joys throughout the ages. But in Ragnaröck, the formula is the best it’s ever been, thanks to the emotional subplots provided by Kratos’ relationship with his son and the expansive world you have to explore.
7. Alan Wake 2
Ever wished Twin Peaks was a video game, but about an existentially tortured author? And also significantly scarier, with jump scares and all? Then Alan Wake 2 is for you.
For starters, you play as Saga Anderson, an FBI agent sent to a small foresty town to discover a disturbing string of deaths and disappearances—including of one Alan Wake, a famous author. From there, the creepy alternate realities begin to unfold, bookended by absolutely banger interlude songs.
6. Death Stranding: Director’s Cut
Hideo Kojima has evolved into the video game auteur of our time, and Death Stranding is his seminal achievement (so far). Granted, it is not a game for everybody. I’ve talked to people who think it’s the greatest game ever made. I’ve also talked to people whose taste I generally trust, who throw their hands up and say it’s the most boring game they’ve ever played. Either way, there’s not another game that’s anything like Death Stranding, and that’s a beautiful, beautiful thing.
5. Disco Elysium
Disco Elysium is one of the most masterful, inventive games of the past decade. It uses a Dungeons and Dragons-like die roll-based system, which is buffed by your attributes. But there’s no combat in Disco Elysium. You’re an amnesiac cop with an unfortunate history as a drunk, and you’re in a small town to solve a murder—and remember what happened to you.
There are a shocking number of branches Disco Elysium can lead you down, making for incredible replayability. You talk, you search, you observe. If you’re lucky, you have a meltdown about hats.
4. Persona 5 Royal
Final Fantasy has evolved past its turn-based JRPG roots, so who’s holding down the fort? Or should I say, the palace?
Persona 5 Royal is inarguably one of the greatest JRPGs ever made. The parable about the masks we wear to navigate modern society hits hard. The characters are impossible not to fall in love with, the soundtrack is phenomenal, the gameplay loop is addicting as hell. There’s no better game to make you feel like you’re in Tokyo while still on your couch. Try to find a weak point, I dare you.
3. Final Fantasy VII Remake + Rebirth
Most of the games on this list are also available on Xbox or the Nintendo Switch. But the newest Final Fantasy games are a PlayStation exclusive, and that’s quite possibly the biggest ace Sony has in its pocket. Because the Final Fantasy VII Remake soon-to-be-trilogy is one of the most interesting and ambitious projects in all of gaming. I can think of no other game that’s so thoroughly in discussion with its own legacy that the Remake project.
But you should also play it because the story of Avalanche’s attempt to save the planet from hyper-capitalist assholes (and the monster they created) hits even harder now than it did in the 90s. If I was ranking on my own personal preferences and obsession, this would be #1. They’re simply incredible games.
2. Elden Ring
There’s no gaming experience quite like Elden Ring. It leaves its claws in you, even if you don’t finish it. It trains you, in such a way that it will make you a better overall gamer. The famously difficult bosses, the endless exploration, the environmental storytelling, the ever-increasing sinking feeling that you might be the bad guy, the existence of Turtle Popes and Warrior Jars alongside dark horrors … At the risk of being overly simplistic about it, Elden Ring is a vibe. And one of the greatest games of all time.
1. Baldur’s Gate 3
In a decade or so, when we look back on the history of gaming, there is going to be a “before Baldur’s Gate 3” and an “after Baldur’s Gate 3.” Larian’s masterpiece will be as influential to the evolution of the art form as Breath of the Wild was. Somehow, they’ve created a video game that truly approximates how it feels to play Dungeons and Dragons—and all the freedom and chaos therein.
Baldurs Gate 3 is addictive, fun, and an astonishing feat. There are so many corners to find, so many stories to unravel, so many consequences to all your action, that no two playthroughs could be exactly alike. You’ll soon discover why the entire internet obsessed over which character to have sex with.
Published: Aug 31, 2024 03:33 pm