Did you manage to secure a PlayStation 5 in 2021? If so, you may be wondering which games are most worth your time. Here are some of the best PS5 games you need to play.
Despite ongoing world events and stock shortages, the PS5 has enjoyed a successful first year, but the landscape has changed since late 2020. There are now more PlayStation 5 games to choose from than at launch, and some make better use of the PS5 console’s features and power than others. Some launch titles still stand up as the pinnacle of the PS5 gaming catalogue as we head into 2022, while others have been replaced by new and exciting contenders.
There are some PlayStation 5 games that you absolutely must experience to get the most out of your PS5 console. Here are the seven best PS5 games you need to play as we enter the second year of the console’s life.
7. PS Plus Collection
For many PS5 owners, the PS Plus Collection is a fantastic bonus to owning the console. While we’re technically recommending multiple games here, with most of them being from last gen, each has been given a polish for the new hardware. Through this PS5 exclusive service, all PS Plus members gain access to a generous collection of some of the best PS4 games available. It’s as impressive now as it was during the launch of the PS5.
God of War, Bloodborne, Days Gone, and The Last of Us are just a handful of the PlayStation exclusives that you’ll be able to download and play. While many PS4 owners have already played these titles, anyone who has yet to experience them won’t want to pass up this opportunity. It will be interesting to see if Sony’s plans to create their own Game Pass service in 2022 will connect to this library in some way.
6. Returnal
Returnal isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea, some the mechanics are jarring and not in step with today’s gaming habits. Yet like FromSoftware’s games, Housemarque’s survival/psychological horror adventure has an uncanny way of burrowing under the skin of those who give it their time. Once players get comfortable with it, Returnal will start to reveal why it’s worthy of the time it takes to love.
It makes this list due to the quality, originality, and creativity of the title. Not only that, it gives the PS5 something to really show off. Returnal looks and feels gorgeous on Sony’s latest console, with every aspect of the gameplay working with the PS5 system to craft a rewarding, immersive, if not sometimes a little frustrating, experience.
5. Final Fantasy XIV
With the release of Final Fantasy XIV Endwalker, Square-Enixs’ MMO masterpiece has gone from strength to strength, now boasting more players than ever before. FFXIV looks amazing on PS5, fitting onto the system like a glove. In fact, the recent expansion has been so popular, the devs needed to freeze sales of the game to accomodate the demand. Fortunately, this issue is being resolved, but it doesn’t take away from how far the game has come.
We think 2022 could truly be a stand-out year for Final Fantasy XIV, and the upcoming FFXVI may also bring more eyes to the online Goliath. The PS5 has created an amazing home for the game, and we look forward to seeing where it goes from here.
4. Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Even a year after it came out, Miles Morales is a worthy follow-up to Insomniac’s first Spidey outing and a reliable purchase for any PS5 owner. Instead of taking control of Peter Parker, this time the game follows his protégé, Miles Morales, who receives similar powers a year after the events of the first game.
Spider-Man fans can expect the same web-slinging action, exploration, and fighting that the first game excelled in. Despite sharing the same world and core gameplay, Spiderman: Miles Morales features dozens of new gadgets, enemies, and characters that make this game essential for any superhero fan. On PS5, this game really shines, and with added ray tracing, we mean that literally.
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3. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
When the PS5 was first announced, Ratchet & Clank was one of the titles we were most looking forward to playing. It’s gameplay demo at that event wowed the online audience and was arguably the first look we got at what the PS5 could do, so expectations were high.
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Luckily, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart didn’t disappoint and gave fans of the long-running PlayStation series the next-gen adaptation of the franchise they had hoped for. As we head into 2022, Ratchet & Clank is a fantastic example of what family friendly fun on the PS5 can be. It’s a testament to the console and the IP.
2. Resident Evil Village
There’s a reason Resident Evil Village keeps appearing on Game of the Year lists, not only what is a phenomenal game, it helped give current generation hardware something to really get it’s teeth into. Resident Evil Village (or RE8 to some) managed to marry the best aspects of Resident Evil’s past entries into one experience, reigniting fans love of the franchise, and setting a bold new course for the future.
Now that Ethan Winter’s adventure into the snow-covered, monster infested Village is over, fans are eagerly awaiting Resident Evil Village DLC. We’re also wondering where Resident Evil goes from here and what other new chapters and remakes we might see in 2022 and beyond.
1. Demon’s Souls
The original Demon’s Souls on PS3 was the first game in FromSoftware’s punishingly hard Souls series and went on to serve as the progenitor to Dark Souls and Bloodborne. This critically acclaimed remake is a love letter to the PS5, as it pits you against fiendish foes and blood-curdling bosses on your journey through Boletaria, a once-proud kingdom that has been consumed by darkness.
If its eerily beautiful world and breathtaking orchestral soundtrack don’t grip you, then the hard-as-nails combat will. You’ll need to parry, dodge, backstab, and cleave your way through the game’s horrific creatures in order to carve out your blood-soaked path to victory.
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Even twelve months after release, Demon’s Souls on PS5 still remains the best showcase for the console. It makes use of the PS5’s visual fidelity, the DualSense controller, and other features in ways that most titles don’t. If you want to see what your PS5 can do in 2022, Demon’s Souls is an excellent place to start. We’re excited to see if its next spiritual successor, Elden Ring can knock it off its perch come February 2022.
So there you have it, some of the best PlayStation 5 games you can play heading into 2022.