The best PS5 games for 2023

Diablo IV brings the series back to its roots with a darker tone and aesthetic while also keeping the combat and looting grind as enthralling as ever. Diablo‘s Sanctuary is rich with grisly lore, and this has never been more apparent than in Diablo 4. The big villains are ambiguous in their motives but decidedly evil in their methods, and they’re played brilliantly throughout the campaign. Moreover, the graphical fidelity, music, and sound design are all top-tier, which is surprising given its frustrating always-online nature. 

Marvel’s Midnight Suns strategy RPG that follows both iconic Avengers characters and more obscure supernatural ones as they take on Lilith, Mother of Demons. Players can walk around and mingle with the other heroes between missions, while its turn-based strategy gameplay stands out from Firaxis’ previous titles by putting the focus on card-based abilities.

Enjoy your time with Deathloop on PS5 while you can; this is one of the last times you’ll ever play a Bethesda game on a Sony console. The publisher’s games will be Xbox console exclusives from now on since Microsoft owns Bethesda. Due to a deal that existed pre-acquisition, Sony was able to lock down Arkane Studios’ latest game as a timed console exclusive for PS5, which is a bit of good foresight in retrospect. It’s the last hurrah for a long history between Bethesda and Sony. And what a send-off it is. Deathloop is one of the PS5’s most critically acclaimed titles. The first-person shooter is a clever stealth action game that combines the assassinations of Hitman with the supernatural powers of Dishonored. That’s all tied up in a roguelite gameplay hook where players relive the same day over and over. Each run is about collecting intel as Colt tries to figure out how to take down eight “visionaries” in one day and break the time loop. The game also features a creative (though polarizing) multiplayer mode where players can invade one another’s games and cause chaos. That’s all topped off with tight shooting and Arkane’s signature level-design strengths, making this a must-own PS5 game.

The RPG genre is changing. Traditional, turn-based combat is slowly swapping over to more real-time action. We saw it in games like Final Fantasy VII Remake, but it was especially noticeable in Tales of Arise. The latest game in the classic Tales series was a significant change of pace for longtime fans with its retooled combat. Sometimes, a big change like that can be a cause for concern. Luckily, no worries were needed here: Tales of Arise is one of the best JRPGs in recent years. Developed by Bandai Namco, Tales of Arise tells a weighty story about government tyranny in a divided world. A party of heroes come together to save the day, but more importantly, they just get to hang out and become friends. The game features delightful party chats that reveal each character’s specific quirks. Most notable of all is the game’s gorgeous art style, which takes inspiration from watercolor paintings. For fans of the genre, Tales of Arise is an instant classic that pushes RPGs further into the future.

Ubisoft has become synonymous with “open-world games” over the past decade. Franchises like Assassin’s Creed continually set the bar higher and higher for the genre with gigantic worlds chock-full of content. While there is no shortage of options to choose from when it comes to Ubisoft’s vast catalog, Immortals Fenyx Rising shouldn’t be overlooked. While its name isn’t as well-known as some of the studio’s more established games, the new IP could be the company’s most exciting franchise in years. Immortals Fenyx Rising is Assassin’s Creed meets The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Building on Zelda’s free-roaming mobility, the game is all about offering players more fluid and rewarding exploration. That means that the game is less about following a checklist of map activities and more about seeking out and discovering the world’s secrets. It’s a vibrant, funny game that playfully uses Greek mythology to create an entertaining open-world experience that gives Breath of the Wild fans something new to try.

There isn’t anything like No Man’s Sky. In this game, pretty much anything you can see, you can explore — from any area on a planet to other worlds and even other solar systems. In this space-exploration game, you have access to a practically endless list of planets to visit, each with its own weather, wildlife, and inhabitants. But exploration isn’t the only thing you can do in this game. No Man’s Sky blends survival, combat, resource management, and even multiplayer action, culminating in one of the most ambitious games of all time.