And just like that, the first quarter of 2024 is over. Done. Finished. But what a quarter it's been! The release schedule had us scrambling to review a crazy number of high profile titles, but now that we've emerged victorious, we'd like to take a moment to reflect on our favourite PS5 games of the year... so far.

Now then, let's dive right in with the (potentially questionable) opinions of our esteemed editorial team.

Aaron Bayne, Video Producer

Helldivers 2

There have been a lot of games to enjoy in 2024, but none have grabbed me by the scruff of the neck quite like Helldivers 2. This democracy fighting third-person shooter was already lightly on my radar, as someone in love with online co-op games, but like many, I’d have never expected the fervour it would conjure up when it launched in February.

Helldivers 2 finds a special medium between an awesome power fantasy as you mow down hordes of bugs, with a butt-clenching tension as it all goes awry. It has a deep affinity for sh*t hitting the fan, which has easily made it one of the funniest cooperative games I’ve ever played. And this has proven to be a major hit with my gang of democracy-spreading Helldivers, as even months after release I’m still having to book in a slot ahead of time with friends.

Khayl Adam, Staff Writer

Helldivers 2

The dust is starting to settle after a huge first quarter of releases, but it is really difficult to pick anything other than Helldivers 2. I was a fan of the first game on Vita, and honestly, I didn't really know if the game would translate to 3D, but it does, and it's absolutely incredible, with a gameplay loop that is essentially pure gamer fuel fed directly into the veins.

Each mission is full of the kinds of unforgettable moments a scripted game could never hope to match, with a high-stakes extraction as the cherry on top. The evolving metanarrative is so engaging it feels like calamity could strike at any moment, and it has been a real joy to experience, both as a player and a reporter; I can't think of any other game that is such a joy to cover, with truly insane developments seemingly every other day, and we suspect many imitators will swiftly follow in Arrowhead's footsteps.

Liam Croft, Assistant Editor

Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth

Despite the obvious quality on show across the first few months of 2024, I've struggled to really click with a lot of its biggest releases. I've been more frustrated with disappointment rather than delighted by anything I'd consider Game of the Year worthy. Still, there has been one PS5 game that properly spoke to me: the excellent Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.

After falling off Yakuza: Like a Dragon well before the end, I'd had a bigger break from the series than most, so I was itching to return to the world of Kazuma Kiryu and Ichiban Kasuga when the game came through for review. The game consumed my January as a result, with a near 70-hour playtime tingling my narrative-focused senses. An improved turn-based combat system, new open world locations, and a fresh cast of characters made it even easier to lose my evenings to the trials and tribulations of the two legendary Yakuza members. Comfortably the best entry in the series yet, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is by far my favourite game of 2024 so far. I'm just going to be a bit disappointed if nothing else comes along in the next eight months that beats it.

Robert Ramsey, Assistant Editor

Dragon's Dogma 2

Going by the sheer amount of time I've put into playing it, I think my favourite game of 2024 so far has to be Dragon's Dogma 2. This is an experience that I've been waiting on for close to a decade, having fallen in love with the original Dragon's Dogma a few years after its PS3 release. In a lot of ways, the long-awaited sequel is like a remake — a truer realisation — of that initial concept; an RPG that places an incredibly heavy emphasis on open world exploration and dynamic action combat.

Dragon's Dogma 2 does stumble in places. The storytelling's a bit naff at times and the shoddy frame rate's a real kicker on a console that's quick to tout 60 frames-per-second as a selling point, but I just think the game's a joy to pick up and play. No other developer creates satisfying, tactile gameplay quite like Capcom, and it's on full display here. I simply can't get enough — as evidenced by the fact I'm almost on my second New Game+ run — and I'm looking forward to seeing what future updates and the inevitable expansion bring to the table.

Stephen Tailby, Assistant Editor

Balatro

Balatro is a difficult game to explain, as its excellent emergent gameplay and ripeness for dopamine-drenched high scores only truly makes sense while you're playing. With that said, I'm hard pushed to think of any other 2024 game I've enjoyed more. There are multiple moving parts during any given run of this card-based roguelike, but it never overwhelms with too much information. Success is never guaranteed, but there's endless potential for creating extremely powerful decks that wipe the floor with every stage. When the stars align, there's little else as satisfying as watching your stack of jokers and other buffs launch your poker hand into the stratosphere.

It's also just so easy to hop into. You can play Balatro for 20 minutes or several hours, and it's always worth a shot as you never know how a run will go. There's so much to unlock and discover, too, with 150 jokers providing wild effects and so many other layers to unfold, plus the challenge mode and numerous difficulty tiers to conquer. Between the generous amount of stuff to see and do, the countless card combinations, the elegant presentation, and the ever-present potential for joyous, game-breaking chaos, Balatro has quickly become a staple for me. I've no doubt I'll still be playing come December, and beyond.

We've had our say, but it's you that we really want to hear from. Get involved by voting for your favourite PS5 game of 2024 so far, and then explain yourself in the comments section below.

What's your favourite PS5 game of 2024 so far? (1,026 votes)

  1. A Little to the Left  0.1%
  2. A Tale of Two Sons Remake  0%
  3. Balatro2%
  4. Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden1%
  5. Contra: Operation Galuga  0.2%
  6. Dragon's Dogma 28%
  7. Expeditions: A MudRunner Game  0%
  8. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth27%
  9. Foamstars  0.3%
  10. Freedom Planet 2  0%
  11. Granblue Fantasy Relink  1%
  12. Helldivers 224%
  13. Hi-Fi Rush1%
  14. Immortality  0%
  15. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth10%
  16. Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story  0%
  17. Pacific Drive  1%
  18. Pentiment  0.2%
  19. Persona 3 Reload2%
  20. PlateUp!  0.2%
  21. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown3%
  22. Rise of the Ronin4%
  23. Skull and Bones  0.4%
  24. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League  0.5%
  25. Tekken 81%
  26. The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered5%
  27. The Outlast Trials  0%
  28. Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered Starring Lara Croft1%
  29. Ultros  0%
  30. Unicorn Overlord2%
  31. WWE 2K24  0.5%
  32. Other1%