The Playstation 5 has been on the market for almost two years now, and there are now many outstanding games available for the platform. For those who have managed to get their hands on the next-gen consoles amidst worldwide stock shortages, there is a strong selection of titles available. From exclusive titles developed by Sony’s studios like “Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart” to games from third-party publishers like “Elden Ring” and “Stray”, there is something for every gamer.

With so many titles, however, it’s easy to lose track of them all. This is where we come in. We’ve compiled what we think are the best PS5 games currently available in a list for you.

1. “Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart”

Pro: stunning graphics, fun gameplay, shows the power of PS5

Contra: not many side missions

The latest “Ratchet & Clank” adventures is available exclusively for the PS5, and it’s not hard to see why. It’s a perfect showcase for Sony’s new hardware, with not a single loading screen to be seen. The title demonstrates the console’s impressive performance, especially when jumping between different dimensions.

“Rift Apart” picks up where 2013’s “Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus” left off and is the perfect blend of impressive Pixar-level aesthetics, crisp gameplay and a compelling story. Even if you’ve never played a Ratchet & Clank title before, you’ll quickly find your way around.

In the game, the titular duo follows Dr. Nefarious into the multiverse, jumping between a wide variety of open worlds to stop the arch-enemy from taking over everything. The 15 to 20 hour campaign is jam-packed. Replay value is provided by cheats and skins that are unlocked during the first playthrough.

2nd “Horizon Forbidden West”.

Pro: huge open world, beautiful graphics, challenging battles

Contra: Too many confusing systems, feels a bit too familiar

When the team at Guerilla Games first sat down to create “Horizon Forbidden West“, the sequel to the PS4 hit “Zero Dawn”, the first word on the whiteboard was certainly “more”. More weapons, more missions, more mechanical monsters, more unlockable abilities, more crafting, even more inventory systems. “Horizon Forbidden West” is a game that offers a lot – sometimes too much.

Once again playing the red-haired huntress Aloy in a post-apocalyptic future, you’re tasked with venturing into the (forbidden) West to collect some MacGuffins to rebuild the terraforming AI. The West looks mostly the same as the East, but is rendered in stunning detail thanks to the power of the PS5.

The gameplay is largely the same (there’s just more of it). Improved climbing and a new swimming mechanic help “Forbidden West” stand out in a post-Breath of the Wild world. The small and large robotic animals are still the stars of the show, with returning favorites and some eye-catching new additions.

When “Horizon 3” inevitably arrives, it might benefit from something less – sometimes the jumble of abilities, upgrades and inventories makes “Forbidden West” very confusing – but if you’re looking for an open world to lose yourself in, this game serves its purpose very well.

3rd “Elden Ring”

Pro: deep combat system, brutally challenging, stunning open world

Contra: no possibility to lower the difficulty level, very few explanations about how the game works

From Software is known for particularly difficult games, such as the “Dark Souls” trilogy and, more recently, “Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice”. Like the other games in the developer’s collection, this title is beautiful and even more difficult to master, but it takes place in a brutal open world.

Unlike most open-world games, which feature objective markers and other mechanics, you are not bound to a strict path, but can move through the world at your own discretion. You’re basically thrown in at the deep end and just have to survive – classic “Souls”-style.

“Elden ring” supports different play styles. Players who are able to sneak up on unsuspecting enemies, bombard enemies with spells from afar, or ambush them with their crossbow will feel right at home. With a captivating story, an exceptionally well-designed open world and some of the toughest bosses we’ve encountered so far, you’ll have a very challenging game that will delight all those who like to be punished. In short, if you liked the Dark Souls trilogy, you’ll love what Elden Ring has to offer.

4th “Deathloop”

Pro: loop-based gameplay, great weapon/force dynamics, great voice acting.

Contra: it is hard to keep track of the information provided, becomes repetitive towards the end

“Deathloop“, the latest work from Arkane, is one of the best games currently available on the PS5. It combines satisfying gunplay, tactics, a beautiful open world that changes throughout the day, and of course, lots of curses.

Most of these are from protagonist Colt, who wakes up on Blackreef Island and finds himself stuck in a time loop. Colt soon finds out that he must kill eight visionaries on the same day before midnight to destroy the time loop. This may sound simple, but these pesky antagonists don’t stay in one place all day – and that’s where things get interesting.

It’s up to you to explore the regions of Blackreef Island at different times of the day, gather information, gain access to new weapons and improve your skills to influence the visionaries. How do you kill two visionaries when they are both in different areas at the same time of day? In this exciting FPS you’ll also have to demonstrate your investigative abilities.

The gunplay in particular feels very satisfying, and combined with the variety of abilities you’ll find new and creative ways to take out the increasingly aggressive islanders.

5. Dying Light 2 Stay Human.

Pros: satisfying parkour mechanics, great melee combat, player-influenced storyline

Contra: RPG elements get in the way, large parts of the map are not available at launch

“Dying Light 2 Stay Human” is the sequel to the 2015 zombie hit that takes everything we liked about the original and takes it to the next level. In the game, you take on the role of Aiden, a pilgrim who roams the infested world as a sort of post-apocalyptic Amazonian driver, looking for his long-lost sister Mia. The setting is the walled Villador, a sprawling post-apocalyptic cityscape that is the last bastion of humanity. Much to the annoyance of its inhabitants, however, zombies also roam the city.

The open world of “Dying Light 2” offers an unprecedented verticality that “cyberpunk” can only dream of. This is where the improved parkour really shines, offering a fast-paced and very entertaining way to navigate through the environment. Combat is equally satisfying with a constantly changing selection of melee weapons. These can be upgraded and customized with captured items. Want a hammer that spits fire and shocks enemies on impact? That’s possible in Dying Light 2.

The story is engaging as ever, with more player decisions that can have massive implications for the overall plot. The only annoyance is that huge areas of the map (which can be seen with binoculars on top of tall buildings) are not accessible at launch, only becoming available later in the form of paid DLCs. The first one is called “Bloody Ties” and will be released in October for consoles and PC.

6. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.

Pro: satisfying combat mechanics, lots of fun Easter Eggs, expansive open world

Contra: open world can feel empty, repetitive side missions

“Assassin’s Creed Valhalla” is the Norse open-world role-playing game we’ve all been waiting for. In the game, you’ll slip into the fur-lined boots of Eivor and head to ancient England to forge alliances, traverse the large and varied open world, and even raid towns and monasteries to get supplies for your own homestead.

The story is captivating, with crucial moments in which your actions affect the game’s outcome in unpredictable ways. Since this is an “Assassin’s Creed” title, there are plenty of side missions, puzzles to solve, pagan gods to appease and hallucinatory dream states to explore.

With a combination of satisfyingly brutal combat, a simplified yet effective weapon system, a hugely customizable character and a charming open world full of secrets and Easter Eggs, you’re likely to lose yourself for hundreds of hours in the beautiful world Ubisoft has created here.

7. “Stray”

Pro: Detailed, vivid environments in a semi-open world, lots to discover and trophies to collect, Interesting storyline

Contra: previous areas cannot be revisited in the same run, can be completed in a few hours

If there is one game that has taken 2022 by storm, it is “Stray“. As the name suggests, you’ll take on the role of a nameless stray cat in a post-human world. After falling into the sewers of a city inhabited by robots with walled gardens, it’s your task to find a way out.

The kitten is as charming as you’d imagine, with typical feline characteristics. Although there is little spoken dialogue outside of cutscenes, the game does an excellent job of conveying the stories and emotions of the town’s AI-controlled inhabitants. Optional memories to discover give players a better understanding of the post-human world they find themselves in.

It’s fun to explore the open world as a cat, with areas and paths normally inaccessible to human protagonists. “Stray” a game that should not be rushed – especially if you want to collect all available trophies. Here they should take a close look at all the areas. This works well, but with the disadvantage that it’s not always clear when you’ll enter the next area, and that might frustrate 100-percent players a bit.

8. “Returnal”

Pro: stunning graphics, amazing DualSense support, satisfying gunplay.

Contra: incredibly difficult, runs can drag on for a while, progress is lost if you give up in the middle of a run

“Returnal” is a bit like “Marmite” – you’ll either love it or hate it. Fans of roguelike games in particular will quickly lose themselves in the beautifully detailed – yet dark – world of Atropos.

Main character of “Returnal” is Selene, who has crash-landed on an alien planet and is now stuck in a time loop that brings her back to the place of the crash every time she dies. It’s a tense, adrenaline-filled game – especially in the later biomes – as the enemies become increasingly complex, deadly and unpredictable. You’re never far from death in Returnal, and although you may be frustrated at first, you’ll soon appreciate the loop.

At each death, everything is randomized: the starting location, the map, the route and even the enemies you encounter on the way, making it almost impossible to predict the game’s events, even after multiple playthroughs, and ensuring that everything stays fresh. The story is captivating and mysterious, and you’ll have to pay attention to small details if you really want to understand what is going on in Atropos. Apart from the story and the gameplay, Returnal is a perfect title to show off the PS5’s technical and graphical possibilities, since it looks and feels absolutely fantastic.

9th “Resident Evil Village”

Pro: varied gameplay, really scary in some parts, surprising storyline

Contra: too action-heavy, drags on in places

Capcom had a hell of a time following up on “Resident Evil 7,” a celebrated reinvention that returned the old franchise to its roots while taking it in a new direction. The response from “Resident Evil Village” on it is to do four different “Resident Evil” games at once and see which one goes down best. Ethan Winters, the protagonist of “Resident Evil 7,” is back. This time he’s stranded in the Eastern European wilderness, trying to save his young daughter.

As you work your way through the titular village (unexpectedly infested by werewolves), you must fight your way past four local rulers, each with their own kingdom.

The infamous Lady Dimitrescu’s Castle is the closest thing to classic Resident Evil, but other sections such as a non-combat nightmare in a house filled with dolls, a puzzling section in water, and a combat-heavy course through the floors of a zombie cyborg factory are also part of the gameplay.

It’s not quite perfect, but “Resident Evil” is at its best when it’s inventive, and you can’t say that “Village” isn’t.

10th “Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga”.

Pro: Characters and locations from all the Star Wars movies, revised mechanics, the typical Lego charm.

Contra: Operation can be confusing

The hype surrounding “Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga” was huge in the run-up to its release, and it’s not hard to see why. The game features all nine films in the Star Wars franchise, with locations and characters from each film. For once, the hype was justified.

“Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga” is packed not only with content from all nine movies, but also with a whole host of secrets to discover along the way. The game has the typical tongue-in-cheek Lego charm while introducing new mechanics to the tried-and-true formula.

For one thing, the latest Lego title revamps the gameplay mechanics so that, like most third-person titles, you move over your shoulder, which puts you closer to the action and makes you more aware of the Lego-filled environments. Shooting is still done with a pistol, but the new camera angle means that you now have the option to take cover and aim downwards for a more traditional action shootout experience.

Besides, there is a new skill tree that will let you improve the powers and abilities of the different character classes throughout the game. This provides a greater incentive to collect the different objects in each level, while you fight your way through the Galactic Empire’s defenses.

The only real drawback to The Skywalker Saga is the user interface. Even for longtime fans of Lego games, the various systems for unlocking characters and buying ability upgrades can be overwhelming at first glance.

11. “Far Cry 6”

Pro: varied open world, fun homemade weapons and vehicles, Giancarlo Esposito as Anton Castillo

Contra: Becomes repetitive towards the end, parkour portion can be frustrating

The “Far Cry” series has had a bit of a crisis in recent years, with “Far Cry Primal,” “Far Cry New Dawn” and even “Far Cry 5” missing the mark, but “Far Cry 6” brings things back down to earth on the fictional Caribbean island of Yara.

The island is beautiful, ranging from dense forests to small villages to large cities with skyscrapers (a first in the series!). However, the inhabitants are under the control of the dictator Anton Castillo. Every “Far Cry” game needs an over-the-top antagonist, and Castillo is just that. He forces the islanders to rebel against him while he desecrates the island and its inhabitants to create the world’s first cancer cure.

Gunplay focuses on homemade weapons, ranging from a flamethrower to completely insane gadgets (did someone say CD player pistol?), with gameplay and dexterous movement making gunfights feel fluid and exciting.

“Far Cry 6” doesn’t reinvent the wheel, and it can get repetitive as you make your way through the main regions of the island to gain supporters and overthrow the dictator. The gameplay is much more addictive than the last installments in the series, and the game’s co-op mode makes for great multiplayer fun.

12 Demon’s Souls.

Pro: beautiful graphics, improvements over the original, successful controls

Contra: devilishly heavy, lacks the depth of later offshoots

A remake of an obscenely difficult PS3 RPG from 2009 may not be an obvious choice for a PS5 launch title. But not every obscenely difficult PS3 RPG from 2009 served as a prequel to the infamous Dark Souls trilogy.

This is more than just a remaster with a lush coat of paint, with many improvements to ease the occasional grind of the original. It’s just as tough, though, and like the subsequent Dark Souls games, rewards all players willing to defeat each boss (and often the normal enemies in between) over and over again.

No, “Demon’s Souls” is not the best “Souls” game ever. But thanks to the polish on the PS5, it’s certainly a great game, and it’s by far the prettiest.

13 Call of Duty: Vanguard.

Pro: Hollywood blockbuster graphics, numerous multiplayer modes, customizable weapons and skins.

Contra: Same “Call of Duty” formula, short single player campaign, zombie mode feels too easy

“Call of Duty: Vanguard” is the latest installment in the ongoing series, set at the time of World War II – or near its end, if you consider the single-player mode. This one is definitely worth a look! The campaign is shorter than in previous spin-offs, but it’s a memorable experience with great characters and graphics worthy of Hollywood. The story mode allows you to sit back and still realize how far FPS games have come in the last 20 years.

Aside from the campaign, however, it’s all about the game’s multiplayer modes – of which there are many – including a fun but simple zombie mode. With 20 maps available at launch, it’s quite a varied entertainment with a variety of game modes to choose from. An updated menu system lets you search for games based on factors like player count.

It’s still a “Call of Duty” multiplayer experience that’s largely identical to its predecessor, with satisfying, fast-paced gunplay, killstreaks, and plenty of skins to unlock. Considering that the formula works so well, though, it’s unlikely to change anytime soon. Still, if you’re looking for a first-person shooter on the PS5, Call of Duty: Vanguard is a great option.

14. “Jurassic World Evolution 2”

Pro: Over 75 dinosaurs (including flying and aquatic dinosaurs), game mode to the movie, well-rounded park simulation.

Contra: steep learning curve, simple single player campaign

“Jurassic World Evolution 2” is the successor to the first dino park management game, and although it’s still the same core concept, Frontier has obviously listened to the community and included a number of improvements this time.

Not only are the dinosaurs more detailed, but there are now flying and water dinos, with a special dome required to keep the flying inhabitants at bay. The user interface has been updated, and annoying features of the original – such as the power cord system – have been reworked. It all makes for a more satisfying park-building experience, although it can be a bit overwhelming for new users.

This is where the campaign comes in, which feels more like a giant tutorial. Once you’ve mastered the basics, the game’s sandbox mode – where you create the park of your dreams – or the more interesting “What If?”-style Chaos Theory mode, which puts you in the middle of key moments from the five Jurassic Park movies, offers a more satisfying, intense park management experience.

If you love the idea of designing your own dino retreats, Jurassic World Evolution 2 is the perfect place to start.

15 No Man’s Sky

Pro: Trillions of planets to explore, addictive gameplay, constant improvements through free DLC content.

Contra: other players are rarely encountered, some planets are very similar

Although No Man’s Sky got off to a problematic start – to put it mildly – in 2016, developer Hello Games has been working on the game continuously over the past six years, making it almost unrecognizable in its current state compared to the original.

The procedurally generated universe of “No Man’s Sky” with huge planets full of unique flora and fauna invites you to explore on PS5. The 4K-at-60fps performance and DualSense support enhance the experience, and the game is constantly expanding, both in terms of performance and with new features through free expansions.

There’s even multiplayer support with a special game mode that sends the No Man’s Sky community on timed quests in specific galaxies, which means you’ll meet other explorers. In such a large universe, meeting someone else is always an unforgettable experience!

“No Man’s Sky” is by far the best space exploration game currently available on the platform, and offers excellent value for money.

16th “Spider-Man Miles Morales”

Pro: great presentation of PS5 hardware, fun storyline, stunning graphics

Contra: Campaign is very short, no real Spider-Man sequel, repetitive side quests.

If you loved Marvel’s Spider-Man on the PS4, then you’ll love the Miles Morales-focused love. Although the game is more reminiscent of “Uncharted: The Lost Legacy” in terms of scope than a completely new title, the relatively short campaign makes you want more.

The map, core gameplay and themes are largely the same as in the PS4 game, but the focus is on the charismatic Miles Morales. With the regular Spidey on vacation, Miles has to patrol the streets of New York, and as you can imagine, not everything goes according to plan.

The title takes advantage of the PS5’s power to deliver a cinematic gaming experience that sometimes feels more like a Marvel movie than a game – and that’s especially the case when playing in the game’s Fidelity mode, which sacrifices 60 frames-per-second gameplay for a much improved graphical experience that includes ray-tracing for it.

It’s not the most comprehensive sequel ever, with the same frustratingly repetitive challenges and uninspired side quests as the original, but it’s enough if you want a next-gen Spider-Man until the proper sequel comes out sometime in 2023.

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