20. Returnal (PS5)

Not that it needed to, but with Returnal, Housemarque has proven itself an incredibly capable studio. This PS5 exclusive is a frantic, ultra-tight third person shooter dressed up with some rogue-like elements to add variety and unpredictability to the mix, and the result is wonderful.

Trapped in a loop on a hostile alien world, Selene is forced to relive her fateful crash landing each time she dies. There's an amazing sense of accomplishment as you slowly progress through challenging boss encounters and explore six diverse environments full of randomised weapons, perks, and power-ups. It feels amazing to play, especially with amazing support for the DualSense's features, and the addictive gameplay is complemented by an enigmatic story that will leave you guessing.

The best part is that's just the start. A slew of additional modes flesh out Returnal, giving you a few extra ways to play when you're done with the single player campaign. The daily challenge mode provides all players with a fixed loadout and room layouts, with the goal of amassing the highest score possible by exploring and playing skilfully. Beyond that is the Tower of Sisyphus, an endless arcade mode that similarly tasks you with getting the highest score you can, only there's more of a sense of urgency. You're rewarded not just for skilled play but for fast play — your multiplier will start to tick down if you loiter for too long. The Tower also contains additional story, adding more layers to the mysterious narrative the main game offers.

Finally, there's two-player online co-op. This allows you to join or invite another player and go through the main campaign with a companion, potentially alleviating some of the challenge. While it isn't the primary focus of Returnal, the co-op works splendidly; resources are shared between you, forcing you to make decisions on who gets what, and a revival mechanic lets you bring each other back into the fight. It's just as much fun taking on the world of Atropos with a friend as it is alone, if not more so.

Whether you're in it for the world class gameplay, the atmospheric sci-fi setting, the intentionally mysterious story, or the variety of extra modes, Returnal is among the most robust, rewarding, and addictive games on PS5.

19. 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.

18. 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.

17. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (PS5)

After a few missteps, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard brings the series back to its survival horror roots while entering new territory at the same time. Played in first-person, we're introduced to Ethan Winters, who is lured into danger when his missing wife contacts him. The ensuing adventure is dripping with atmosphere and intrigue as you escape the horrifying Baker family and uncover a supernatural mystery. It's a great game, and made better on PS5 thanks to better resolution, faster loading, and more.

16. 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.

15. Pistol Whip (PS5)

Rhythm games and virtual reality go together wonderfully, and one of the best examples of that is Pistol Whip. Revamped for PSVR2's bells and whistles, this flashy game is essentially an on-rails shooter set to music. It's a simple idea but executed so well, oozing style and allowing the player to pull off some super cool moves. Firing your guns to the beat and dodging incoming attacks with perfect timing is endlessly satisfying, and the Hollywood-inspired levels are all a treat to look at, too.

14. Hades (PS5)

Bored of his immortal life in the Underworld, Zagreus takes it upon himself to escape the reaches of his godly father. In the brilliant roguelike Hades, you'll aid the prince in his attempts to reach the surface, engaging in countless runs through the ever-shifting realms. With each death comes plot development, however; a story is expertly interwoven with the gameplay loop, giving you a small taste of what each character has been up to before you dive back into the dungeons once more. With slick, fast-paced combat, an endless variety of perks and power-ups to try, and an escalating challenge for those that stick around, this is a fantastic action game that makes the most of its looping structure.

13. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (PS5)

Up until Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart released, Insomniac Games’ dynamic duo had been wilting in the wilderness a little bit. The PS4 reboot, Ratchet & Clank, was well-received – but it felt lightweight compared to classic series entries, like Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time. Fortunately, while Rift Apart doesn’t necessarily reinvent the wheel, it does deliver the series’ first full-scale adventure in well over a generation. This is a game that feels great to play, thanks in part to stunning DualSense integration and some of the glitziest special effects this side of the galaxy. It’s a little more throwaway than many of the PS5’s other exclusives, but its thoroughly entertaining while it lasts, and the introduction of new characters like Rivet mean there’s a lot of life left in this series yet.

12. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (PS5)

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is a direct sequel to Final Fantasy 7 Remake, as Cloud and the gang embark on their post-Midgar adventure. Featuring open world areas, there's a much greater emphasis on exploration, and while the core story of Final Fantasy 7 does take a backseat for a lot of the game, there's an enjoyable focus on character interactions. What's more, Rebirth is utterly stuffed with things to see and do. Side quests, minigames, treasure hunts — it's a massive release, and although we'd argue that it feels a bit bloated at times, there's no questioning the amount of effort Square Enix poured into this second part of the trilogy.

11. Horizon Forbidden West (PS5)

The sequel to Guerrilla Games' breakout hit, Horizon Zero Dawn, is bigger and better than its immediate predecessor in every single way. Horizon Forbidden West may retread familiar territory with its open world RPG adventure, but it improves upon the writing, introducing a worthwhile cast of characters for heroine Aloy to bounce off. New combat and exploration wrinkles, including a grappling hook, intensify the action, while the eponymous Forbidden West is a diverse sandbox, bursting with varied biomes and secrets to discover.