With the halfway point of 2021 fast approaching, we decided to take stock of the last six months by tasking the lovable and enthusiastic Push Square community with ranking its favourite PlayStation games of the year so far. That resulted in more than 5,000 votes placed across the past five days, with PS5 exclusives clashing and PS4 experiences still riding high. It leaves us with an excellent top 10 list that surely has at least something for everyone. But if not, we've still got half the year left for you to find something to love. So, let's take a look at your top 10 PS5, PS4 games of 2021 so far.
10. Disco Elysium: The Final Cut - 116 votes (2% of total votes)
9. Yakuza: Like a Dragon - 132 votes (2%)
8. Hitman 3 - 164 votes (3%)
7. Control: Ultimate Edition - 193 votes (4%)
6. It Takes Two - 193 votes (4%)
5. Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade - 285 votes (5%)
Cloud Strife's triumphant return on PS4 just wasn't enough for you lot, as the moody hero breaks into the top five a year later thanks to a current-gen upgrade packaged alongside a sweet piece of DLC. Wutai's own Yuffie stars in a new story that details what happens when the main protagonist isn't around to swing his Buster Sword about. And while it may be a somewhat short experience, fans of the PS1 classic will find a lot to love. Plus, the base game looks and runs better than ever now. Square Enix fixed Cloud's front door, so the PS5 version sort of has to rank highly as a result.
4. Mass Effect Legendary Edition - 304 votes (6%)
Commander Shepard is finally back and he/she is looking better than ever in this comprehensive remaster of the RPG trilogy. BioWare really went to town, ensuring every detail shines for the new generation and modernising the mechanics and gameplay aspects that needed it most. You know what you're going to get with Mass Effect, and that is exactly why fans flocked to the role-playing masterclass of a series in their droves these past few months. Save the galaxy, pass some Paragon or Renegade checks, and maybe even romance an alien or two along the way. The Mass Effect franchise is back, and the world is a better place for it.
3. Resident Evil Village - 641 votes (12%)
Resident Evil Village has quickly cemented itself as one of the best entries in the horror franchise so far. Love him or hate him, but protagonist Ethan Winters returns for a wild trip through a remote European village brimming with tall ladies, werewolves, and all manner of other monsters. No zombies to be seen around these parts. It results in another awesome first-person experience with excellent boss fights, intense action, and memorable characters that will go down in Resident Evil lore. Who knows what's next for the Winters family, but we'll certainly be there to witness the conclusion. A great start for the series on PS5.
2. Returnal - 816 votes (15%)
Housemarque's AAA take on the rogue-like genre has catapulted the Finnish studio into second place with Returnal. It's hardly a surprise, though, given the developer's past work on the likes of Resogun and Nex Machina. Although, with the support and funding of Sony fuelling its efforts, the plight of Selene Vassos takes things to a whole 'nother level. Your senses are under constant assault as a barrage of alien lifeforms throw all they've got at you, regularly resulting in death after death. Those setbacks just make the highs and triumphs feel even better, however. Housemarque has set a brand new standard for the rogue-like genre — one we don't expect to be topped any time soon. What a game.
1. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart - 1298 votes (24%)
The planet-trotting duo of Ratchet and Clank top your list of the best PS5, PS4 games of 2021 so far! Joined by Rivet and Kit, the latest twosome is integrated into the story so well that we can't imagine a follow-up without them. That doesn't mean fans of the long-running saga were left by the wayside, however. The classic gameplay loop of action and platforming returned with a few new bells and whistles to keep us entertained, all the while looking outstanding and giving purpose to the PS5 SSD. Will it be the best overall PS5, PS4 title of 2021? We'll reconvene in another six months to find out.
How does your personal list of the best PS5, PS4 games of 2021 so far fare against the Push Square community's top 10? Do you agree or has one certain title been forgotten about? Let us know in the comments below.
Comments 28
Hitman 3 was robbed. (Great top ten so far!)
It's great to see Returnal has done so well. Game of the year for me, and my favourite PS5 game so far.
Mass effect legendary edition and its not even close
a game from 2007 better than anything else ive played this year
Pretty good year for games so far I'd say, although the absence of Guilty Gear Strive in this top 10 confirms what I always thought: that you're all terribly uncultured swine.
Happy to see Ratchet & Clank in the top spot. Fun to play and gorgeous to look at. It is truly a next-gen gaming experience.
The Pedestrian was robbed!
All of these games deserve their spot on this list, but I am a little bummed that Chicory: A Colorful Tale didn't make it. To be fair, it's a niche indie game, but it's so good, it's still in my top 10 favorite games of 2021 so far, and I recommend it to you all.
Ratchet by a long way for me.
I love it when a game has you smiling throughout.
Demon soul.ratchet and clank.returnal.and resident evil vilkage.word up son
Glad to see Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart, Returnal & Resident Evil Village among the Top 3, but sad to see so little love given to the Indie Sensation that was Little Nightmares 2.
Returnal is my game of the year 100%, which says a lot because I played through Village 3 times. Challenging-but-super-satisfying gameplay and serious Metroid-vibes have just kept me glued to Returnal like nothing else in recent memory. Still haven’t even finished Act 1, but I’m just so in love with this game. One of—if not THE—best rogelike I’ve ever played. I can see myself coming back months or years later, just to see how far I can get in a run. Can’t wait to see what lies after Nemesis! 10/10, GOTY, etc. etc.
I'd have Ratchet & Clank at the top as well, just ahead of Yakuza and RE. All awesome games. Not the biggest fan of the genre it's in but Returnal has had some fun, thrilling moments as well. Fantastic year so far and still plenty more to come. Getting Scarlet Nexus today.
2021 games I’ve gotten: RE Village (PS5), Nier Replicant, Control: Ultimate Edition, R-Type Final 2
I loved all of them and don’t know which would be my #1. Probably RE Village but I’ve put the most time into R-Type Final 2
@get2sammyb I was not a fan of Hitman 3. It was my first entry into the series. And it just felt...boring. I found the AI to be horrendous, and completely oblivious.
3 - Control Ultimate Edition
2 - R&C
1 - Returnal
@trev666
This! Currently playing ME2 and picking up my jaw from the floor at how great this game looks and plays. Also, I'm spending way too much time in Afterlife listening to Callista by Saki Kaskas (RIP). Haven't played Ratchet, Returnal or RE Village but I guess it's telling when games spanning 2007-2012 are more attractive to me then anything from 2021. Roll on ME4! Bioware is back.
@eagletrippin Best to think of it more like a puzzle game. If the AI acted like real people the puzzles wouldn't be any fun.
Ratchet and Clank is the best game of 2021 so far? I'm deeply skeptical of the validity of this poll.
That Mass Effect thumbnail 🤣🤣🤣
@trev666 Have to agree with this, first time playing Mass Effect and the writing was excellent, outstanding games, I wish EA did a full remake for PS5/Series X.
@playstation1995 Demons Souls on PS5 is amazing but its a 2020 game..
Ratchet & Clank is comfort food, so I get the polling results. Me personally, I’ll just say Housemarque has shot up my favorite developer list and I can’t wait to see what they come up with next.
I've never played less games than I have in 2021. Since I got a PS5 and beat Demon's Souls in December I haven't bought anything new and I can't bring myself to get interested in anything that has released this year. This is true for most of my friends as well. The drop off in gaming was noticeable with the launch of the PS5, the opposite of what you would want/except with a new console release.
Was little nightmares 2 this year? It's criminal that's not in top 10 if so 🤔😊
Hitman 3 was robbed! I guess people will only respect the devs once 007 comes out.
I wish there were 10 PS5 games available to rank!
RE Village deserves the number 1 spot!
Ratchet and Clank My first and only game of 2021.
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