A new generation of consoles is upon us. But what are the best PS5 games that should be on your radar right now? Everything you need to know about the next-gen line-up is right below.
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Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
Release Date: November 12, 2020
Just like Black Flag before it, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is set to be cross-gen, meaning it’ll be available on both PS4 and PS5.
Valhalla takes place 873AD as the war between Norway and England rages on. Players assume the role of Eivor, with a male and female option available, as they forge their path through medieval England.
This version of Assassin’s Creed leans further into the RPG genre with settlement building, deeper romance options, and meaningful choices.
Assassin’s Creed Origins and Odyssey both were fan-favorite PS4 games thanks to their new approach to stealth, more varied landscapes, and vastly improved combat mechanics. Could Valhalla be one of the best PS5 games to keep an eye on? Quite possibly.
Dirt 5
Release Date: November 19, 2020
For the simulation racing fans out there, Dirt 5 will release in October on PS4 and at some point in 2020 for PS5.
What’s new this time around is the inclusion of a career mode starring the likes of Troy Baker and Nolan North. That is, along with next-gen visuals and, hopefully, no load times thanks to the PS5’s SSD tech.
Godfall
Release Date: November 12, 2020
Not much is known about Godfall other than it’s an up to three-player co-op hack ‘n’ loot with insanely detailed graphics.
The focus here has been creating fluid combat with a punch. The gameplay vid, although designed to make it look as great as possible, looks like combat hits hard. Bonus points for the over-the-top decapitations. Everyone loves OTT decaps.
As Godfall is set to light up both PS5 and the Epic Games Store, it’s one of the PS5 games that doesn’t need to worry about running also on PS4 hardware, meaning we should – in theory – see more of what the PlayStation 5 can do.
Immortals: Fenyx Rising
Release Date: December 3, 2020
Here’s another Ubisoft release spanning both PS4 and PS5.
Immortals: Fenyx Rising is, in a nutshell, a more stylized Assassin’s Creed Odyssey mixed with Zelda: Breath of the Wild. It’s a Greecian open-world filled with vivid color in which players set off on a journey to save Greek gods from the clutches of Gaea and Tartarus’s offspring, Typhon.
It’s got a really beautiful aesthetic and looks like it could be a good alternative for kids who’re sick of Fortnite and want something meaty to chew on.
Madden NFL 21
Release Date: 2020
Due for release on PS4 on August 25, 2020, this year’s Madden probably won’t reinvent the hogskin, but for fans of the long-running football game, should keep them busy while we await a true next-gen Madden game.
NBA 2K21
Release Date: November 12, 2020
Here’s another case of a video package being shown, but hoo-boy does it look realistic.
Outriders
Release Date: 2021
Coming from Square Enix and Bulletstorm developer People Can Fly, Outriders is a third-person shooter RPG whereby players pick one of four unique classes ( Trickster, Pyromancer, Devastator, and a yet-to-be-revealed fourth class).
While not hugely popular, Bulletstorm was a really solid shooter that deserved better. It’ll be interesting to see what People Can Fly does with next-gen tech. The studio knows how to make guns ‘pop’. Combine that knowledge with new tech and Outriders could be one of the best PS5 games, hopefully.
Paradise Lost
Release Date: 2020
If there’s ever a pitch that hooks you straight away it’s this: A 12-year-old child finds a Nazi bunker in a post-nuclear Polish wasteland where World War II never ended.
Right? How can that not grab your attention?
There’s a focus on decisions, which are said to shape the world and what you can find. Aside from that, very little is known about the game in terms of gameplay. Still, there are tidbits of info to make this a game worth following.
Gran Turismo
Release Date: TBD
The latest entry in the ever-popular Gran Turismo series has been unveiled, and it looks hyper-realistic.
No release date was mentioned but as soon as that changes we’ll be sure to let you know.
Horizon: The forbidden West
Release Date: TBD
Aloy is back and this time there’s a robotic oliphant (the elephants from Lord of the Rings, but you already knew that).
No release date was mentioned, but, as with everything from the PS5 game reveal event, it sure looks shiny.
The video also showcased more varied terrains, which I’m sure fans of the first game will be super happy to hear.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
Release Date: TBD
One of the biggest surprises is a new entry into the Ratchet and Clank series.
This version sees the duo traveling through different dimensions, even to one where there’s a female Ratchet.
The jumping from dimension-to-dimension, a big hook of the game, is something that wouldn’t be possible on previous-gen consoles due to loading screens. Looks like the new Sony SSD tech is getting straight to work.
It looks cool and if you’re after a game for you and the kids to play, it could be perfect.
Spider-Man: Miles Moralez
Release Date: November 12, 2020
It looks like the follow up to Marvel’s Spider-Man is Spider-Man Miles Moralez.
Not much was shown other than a brief video package, but it looks like for this game players will assume the role of Moralez rather than Peter Parker. COOOOOL!
Speaking via Twitter, Insomniac Games revealed the game is set to be a standalone title. The theory, right now, is that it’ll be similar in scope to something like Uncharted: The Lost Legacy.
Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines 2
Release Date: 2021
If there’s ever a textbook definition for cult-classic it’s Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines.
As a follow-up to the 2004 gothic classic, Bloodlines 2 treads in the shadows, mixing a high-class lifestyle with secrecy in what has to be one of the most anticipated PS5 games to date.
Watch Dogs Legion
Release Date: November 24, 2020
As with Valhalla, Ubisoft is playing it safe and releasing Watch Dogs Legion across both PS4 and PS5.
Set in London, Legion sees the UK capital city turned into a Police state of sorts. It’s up to the player, and the hacker group Dedsec, to attempt to wrestle power back into the hands of the people.
Watch Dogs sees the player utilize different hacks to take down enemies. This could be changing the traffic lights as you’re making a speedy getaway or using robotics to take out enemies before they see you. Or if you’re like me, changing the traffic lights then plowing straight into another car because you’re awful at driving.
One of the new hooks for Legion is the ability to take control of non-player characters and turn them into player-characters. The twist, once they’re dead, they’re dead, and you’ll need to pick someone else to hack the world with. Sounds neat, right?
Chorus
Release Date: 2021
Imagine Starfox. Now make it for adults and give it a Mass Effect styling. That’s pretty much what Chorus is. This could be one of the best PS5 games in the looks department.
It looks really lush. Like, jaw-droppingly lush. Here’s hoping we get more info sooner than later.
Hitman III
Release Date: January, 2021
Agent 47 is back and this time he’s ready to finish the trilogy, how nice of him.
Very little was shown, other than a drama-filled video, but if you’re big fans of the previous Hitman games, chances are you’ll be dying to see how the trilogy finishes.
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum
Release Date: 2021
What’s interesting about The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is it isn’t by Warner Bros., the license comes from Middle Earth Entertainment, meaning it’ll draw inspiration from the books rather than the movies. Interesting!
The game itself is a stealth platformer hybrid set after Gollum finds the one ring. There’s said to be a focus on Gollum’s inner struggles as the two sides of his psyche battle for dominance.
While there’s still very little known about the project by Deponia developers Daedalic Entertainment, the fact we’re getting something NOT based on the movies has a lot of Lord of the Rings fans intrigued.
Resident Evil VIII: Village
Release Date: 2021
What’s worse than a creepy old house filled with a psychotic murder-family? How about a village!
Get ready to be scared to death once again as Resident Evil gets the next-gen treatment.
Cross-Generation Games
Thanks to backward compatibility, the top 100 PS4 games will be playable on PS5. So yeah, if you’ve spent far too money much on Fortnite, your purchases are safe.
Not only will the below games work from the off, some are also getting a new and shiny PS5-specific version at a later date. Nice!
Fortnite
Release date: 2020
Fortnite will arrive on PS5 at launch but that’s not all. In mid 2021, the game will change its engine from Unreal Engine 4 to Unreal Engine 5. Here’s what Epic Games had to say on the matter:
“We will release Fortnite, built with UE4, on next-gen consoles at launch and, in keeping with our commitment to prove out industry-leading features through internal production, migrate the game to UE5 in mid-2021,” says Epic.
So not only will we get Fortnite on next-gen, we’ll also get a suped-up version later down the line. Cool!
Aside from Minecraft, Fortnite has become one of the best PS4 games and shows no signs of slowing. It’s entirely possible, at launch, Fortnite could very well be one of the best PS5 games, which would be all kinds of amusing.
Destiny 2: New Light
Release Date: TBD
Destiny 2: New Light will bring the game to next-gen consoles without leaving current-gen players behind.
PS5 players will be able to play with PS4 players, although Bungie is said to working on full crossplay between PlayStation and Xbox as the main goal.
What’s also great is Destiny 2: New Light won’t force you to buy a new copy of the game. If you already own the base, free-to-play version with paid expansions, the new 60fps and 4K version for PS5 won’t cost a dime.
GTA: V
Grand Theft Auto 5 will be releasing on PS5 at some point in 2021 with an upgraded and expanded version.
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
Release Date: 2020
While we don’t know much about the specifics, we do know Siege will arrive on PS5 at launch and will feature cross-generational play, meaning PS4 players can play with PS5 players.
Warframe
Release Date: TBD
Again, as with Siege, we don’t have much to go on. We do know, however, according to Leyou Technologies, via GameSpot, that a next-gen outing for the sci-fi looter-shooter Warframe is happening at some point.
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