20. Hitman 3 (PS5)

The culmination of a generation of effort from the highly talented Danish developer IO Interactive, Hitman 3 is not only a sensational stealth game on its own – but it also compiles all of the locations from the World of Assassin trilogy, bringing them under one umbrella for near limitless espionage. The series blends large, intricately designed sandbox stages with clockwork-like gameplay, which is open to manipulation in any way you see fit. Your objective in each mission is to murder your marks without being spotted – and how you go about it is entirely up to you. A truly unique and flawlessly designed experience.

19. Alan Wake 2 (PS5)

Remedy Entertainment has followed up on the beloved Alan Wake with a more-than-worthy sequel. Alan Wake 2 goes all-in on survival horror, but it also goes all-in on Remedy's particular brand of weird, blending live action with gameplay, taking unexpected turns, and making lots of creative risks. The result is an atmospheric, unpredictable, and fascinating game of two halves. Whether you're playing as Saga Anderson in the real world or Alan in the dark place, it remains captivating throughout — and looks incredible to boot.

18. Silent Hill 2 (PS5)

17. Moss: Book II (PS5)

An early star of virtual reality was Moss, and this follow-up builds on those solid foundations. Moss: Book II continues the adventures of Quill, who now has access to multiple weapons to fend off enemies. They also play into the game's puzzles, which are larger in scope and more complex than the first game. It all looks wonderful too — the environments and character animations are gorgeous, and your unique perspective lets you get a really good look at these cutesy levels. It's not a massive departure from what came before, but this five-hour adventure is thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish.

16. It Takes Two (PS5)

When you think of co-op games, one should spring to mind immediately: It Takes Two. This action adventure is from the makers of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons and A Way Out, and sees you and a partner take on the role of an estranged couple. Turned into dolls by their daughter's tears, you and a friend must go on a wildly imaginative, endlessly varied, adventure to return to normal. Constantly presenting you with new puzzles and ideas, each as good as the last, you'll never grow weary of this brilliant game, playable locally or online.

15. Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales (PS5)

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales may be shorter than its immediate predecessor, a spin-off if you like, but it’s lacking none of the character of its older, bigger brother. While Marvel’s Spider-Man did away with origin story clichés, Miles Morales is much more of a coming of age tale, as it sees the eponymous star coming to terms with his new-found powers. This is a deeply personal plot that adds depth to Insomniac Games’ wider Spider-Man universe, and it comes with some smart new gameplay wrinkles that make it a blast to play. Instant loading and sumptuous visuals are merely the frosting on the top of this wintery open world treat, which will leave you lusting after Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.

14. Resident Evil Village (PS5)

For a franchise that has no shortage of experimental entries in its back catalogue, Capcom knows how to make a traditional Biohazard campaign when it wants to. Resident Evil Village adopts the first-person perspective of Resident Evil 7, but this time offers a confident and familiar romp through a sinister Romanian village. With an eclectic cast of curious – but occasionally underdeveloped – villains, the true character of this sequel is the setting itself, which harbours countless secrets and some truly memorable moments. And for those rocking a PSVR2, the full game is playable in virtual reality, which really ratchets up the intensity with overhauled controls and impressive visuals.

13. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (PS5)

Insomniac Games delivers an ultra-fun sequel in Marvel's Spider-Man 2. Refining pretty much everything that came before while delivering another rollicking superhero story, this is about as solid a follow-up as you could hope for. While it'll be fairly familiar if you've played the other games, new features tip it over the edge. The Web Wings are a huge boon for traversal, combat has been smartly refined, and the side content is more meaningful. It's a real crowd-pleaser, and is another shiny jewel in Sony's PS5 crown.

12. Elden Ring (PS5)

Elden Ring’s crowning achievement is taking a relatively niche gameplay loop – refined over the years with Demon’s Souls, Bloodborne, et al – and presenting it to the masses. FromSoftware’s open world magnum opus is a staggering achievement: a sandbox bursting at the seams with vulgar secrets, all presented with enough ambiguity to make combing every square inch of its dramatic Lands Between backdrop feel like true discovery. With a complex combat system enabling an eclectic array of gameplay styles, and some of the most devilish encounters in gaming history, this is an unmissable experience – and then some.

Segmented into a selection of sprawling sinister landscapes, celebrated director Hidetaka Miyazaki’s ambitious open world harbours more secrets than you may imagine. Cliff edges hide untouched catacombs, littered with loot and guarded by grotesque enemies, while the friendly characters you encounter gradually make way to sprawling quest lines that will send you all over the open world.

While you will need assistance to discover much of the game’s more obscure content – and we recommend reading through our Elden Ring guide before you embark – a big part of this fantasy favourite’s appeal is simply getting lost in its world. With the bottlenecks of past entries mostly eradicated due to the sheer scale of its sandbox, no two adventures will ever be the same.

In fact, the title’s versatility is one of its defining features. With a dizzying selection of armaments to choose from, ranging spellbinding incantations through to deadly seven-foot swords, the game gives you the freedom to inject your own personality into it. And whether you’re playing in single player alone or in co-op with a companion, you’ll find what feels like a never-ending array of artillery to experiment with and areas to explore.

FromSoftware has never been blessed with technical chops, and while the painterly art direction borders on the sublime, some minor frame hitching and graphical glitches can be a concern. But these are minor blights in a tour-de-force: a culmination of everything the Japanese developer has spent the past decade and a bit working to achieve.

11. What Remains of Edith Finch (PS5)

What Remains of Edith Finch is a difficult game to talk about without spoiling what makes it special. It's a narrative-driven experience that only lasts a few hours, but it packs in so much inventive design and imaginative sequences that it will stick with you for longer than anything else. Playing as the titular Edith Finch, you return to her rickety, unusual family house and unearth what happened to everyone. It's emotional, surprising, characterful, and unique. Now also on PS5, there's no excuse to skip this excellent adventure.