Topic: What Are Your Favorite Games of this Generation?

Stellar Blade, Street Fighter 6, Fatal Fury COTW and Unicorn Overlord.

I’ve been thinking about this question for a while and I do think my list has changed since I last made one. I like thinking of it in that context that @Kraven posed it of “games that have made an impact on you this generation.”
This generation has so much overlap that I broke it down some different lists. I’ve chosen three categories and limited myself to five games in each. And I only play on PlayStation, so this is skewed that way.

Games that can only be played on current gen hardware:
Returnal -
This game has definitely lived on in my mind, and might just be my favorite game of the entire generation. It’s wild to say that because it’s not the type of game I would have usually been drawn to.
Baldur’s Gate 3 -
I’m just partway through this but unless things fall apart drastically, this game is going to end up one of my favorites of the generation, and possibly of all-time.
Spider- Man 2 -
Pure fun with an amount of polish unrivaled
Final Fantasy XVI -
The most epic boss fights imaginable, and maybe my favorite FF protagonist.
A Plague Tale Requiem -
I forgot this is current gen only (although it has a Switch port…?) and it really is a solid game. Recent buzz about the next entry has brought it forward in my mind again and I think back fondly of it.

Cross gen and/or games brought forward from previous generations:
Resident Evil 4 Remake -
Absolutely fantastic remake and perfectly executed. I couldn’t finish the original version of the game because of the older control schemes and systems, but the Remake was a great ride start to finish.
Demon’s Souls Remake -
Never tried the original, but I absolutely relished my time in Boletaria on PS5.
Control: Ultimate Edition -
A game that apparently struggled to properly function on last gen, I had a blast with this PS5 version as one of my first current gen experiences.
Hogwarts Legacy -
Released cross platform, this was still one of my favorite games I’ve played on my PS5, with nostalgia carrying a lot of the load but the gameplay was also really fun.
Gran Turismo 7 -
I was obsessed with this latest entry into the storied GT franchise, and it still sits on my hard drive since I am tempted to go back to it from time to time. My driving skills are probably very rusty though.

Games that I played the last gen versions through backwards compatibility on current gen hardware:
Dark Souls Remastered -
An absolute classic, and the game that really popularized the Souls-like genre. It still stand up well today.
Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin -
I was surprised how much I loved this game, and those who followed along as I posted thoughts of it know how obsessed I was with it.
The Last of Us: Part II -
The game has a current gen remaster now but I played the PS4 version through backwards compatibility and I think I’d honestly say this is the most impactful game I’ve played on my PS5.
Final Fantasy VI Remake -
Over time I’ve realized more and more what a triumph this game really is.
Guardians of the Galaxy -
This was an absolutely solid time, fun story, great characters, beautiful graphically and artistically.

Special category for Indies/AA:
Balatro -
Still dip into this addictive card game from time to time.
Inscryption -
Really great game, which has both an interesting card game and fascinating story telling.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits -
Extremely well made action game, fun and beautiful also
Disco Elysium -
A unique experience, and is a game that I still think back on and ponder.
Stray -
I don’t even like cats but this game is brilliant.

It feels kind of hard to do a list for this generation as the line between PS4 and PS5 has been much more blurry that before. So games like Ghost of Tsushima, Control (Ultimate Edition), Hades, Yakuza: Like a Dragon are all great but I don’t know if I’d say they’re this gen.

So the more clearcut games;

1. BG3 really is a once in a generation type game. There’s not much I can add to what’s been said but it’s one of the true role playing games which has so much content and variation you could play nothing other than the is game and still not see everything.

2. Returnal still feels one of the most true PS5 games for me and just felt so good to play. It was great fun playing it along with the thread in here giving encouragement and advice for those of us playing at the same time.

3. Cyberpunk 2077 is a rare game I’ve replayed and have actually played it three times (an immediate replay to get the platinum and then another for the DLC). It’s just good fun with a killer central storyline.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 will certainly be in there but I’m still playing it. And Death Stranding 2 will make the list when I eventually get to it too I’m sure.

If we're counting anything released from November 2020 and beyond, I have to join @Th3solution in his praise for Guardians of the Galaxy. I'm a hard person to please when it comes to comic book fare, but something about this ragtag group of heroes has always amused me. I tink the video game versions of the characters even did them more of a service than their film counterparts, and it was just a joy to play from beginning to end. Genuinely one of the best video game narratives we've had the pleasure to experience in quite a wile. It's a real shame it'll never get a sequel.

Another personal favourite for me (that hasn't yet been mentioned) would have to be Showgunners. A delightfully presented action romp with turn-based tactics game-play. Just a very fun time and an example of taking your genre and just doing a perfectly polished version of it. It's a shame it's exclusive to PC, or I think a lot of you would get a kick out of it as well. I'll still have to try Sumerian Six from the same developers which does have a console port, so if that's any good, I might be able to convince some of you to try that one out.

And for a final shout-out, I'd have to put Star Trek: Resurgence in there as some of the most fun I've had with a current-gen game. Just another really well-crafted narrative which I would consider to be up there with some of Telltale's best if you're at all into that type of game. You'd be forgiven for thinking it's not part of this console generation though, as visually it does look like it came out roughly a decade too late. Thanks to our late RogerRoger for turning me onto that one!

Elden Ring and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Got a lot of them. Resident Evil Village, RE 4 remake, Monster Hunter Wilds, Street Fighter 6, Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition, all the Yakuza/Like a Dragon, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, King of Fighters XV, Stellar Blade, Ninja Gaiden II Black. On the first party front it's Astro's Playroom, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, God of War: Ragnarök and my favorite PS5 game so far... Astro Bot.

Astro Bot.
Expedition 33.
Death Stranding 1 & 2.
Last of Us 1 & 2.
Gris.

Hmm. I seem to like single player story driven games...

This generation’s been packed with some wild variety. For me, I got the most hours out of Elden Ring and Baldur’s Gate 3, and I keep coming back to Returnal whenever I can’t decide what mood I’m in. Even though games like Monster Hunter Rise and Cyberpunk weren’t perfect at launch, the updates made a big difference for me. I’m still a sucker for anything with a heavy exploration focus, like Sea of Stars and Hades, and when I’m hanging out with friends or just want a break from the big, complex stuff, I mess around with smaller online games too. Recently, I’ve started checking out unique digital picks that blend competition and community aspects, especially stuff from this region. I actually came across iSabong, which makes classic sabong matches accessible online with live streams and a bunch of other game options. I like discovering platforms that bring traditional games into a modern space.

Astro's Playroom - The sequel was bigger and probably better but Playroom really tapped into something for me.

Elden Ring - Just brilliant, throw in Shadow of the Erdtree as well and it's on its way to becoming one of my favourite games of all time.

Eiyuden Chronicle - Far from perfect but I loved it, it has a special place in my heart.

I feel one game this generation that is criminally underrated has to be Returnal. I only played it for the first time last year.... and wow the game is extremely fun, well polished, addictive game play loops. Safe to say HouseMarque now have my trust and I cannot wait for SAROS!

@Oram77 Amen, Returnal is in my top 5 GOAT list for sure.... maybe even top 3.

Housemarque's next effort is sure to be incredible

I’m mostly playing on PS5 this gen too, and my top picks so far are definitely Spider-Man 2 and Resident Evil 4 Remake. The polish in Spider-Man 2 is just wild, and swinging through NYC somehow never gets old for me. I just started Baldur’s Gate 3 recently after putting it off for months, and wow, it’s already climbing my personal favorites list.

When new games come out, I like hunting for digital copies since they’re almost always cheaper than discs. I usually end up finding solid deals by comparing across stores with sites like cdkeyprices, especially since prices can change every day.

Resident Evil 4 Remake would probably be the best game I've played this generation.

Quick question before I list mine: what years count as being a part of "this generation"? I need to know that before I accidentally pick something too far back 🤣.

I wish i could answer

For me, it's currently a seven-way split between...

Astro's Playroom
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Ghost of Yōtei
Hitman: World of Assassination
Horizon Forbidden West
Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Sonic Frontiers

...with either Horizon or Spidey taking the top spot if you really twisted my arm. Honourable mentions go to Gotham Knights, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Sonic X Shadow Generations, The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe, and Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered.

Problem is, there are so many other huge games that I've yet to play, and a good few others still to come, too. Seems like this generation is gonna be one of the longest, if not the longest, and y'know what? That's absolutely fine by me, because it gives me more time to play more great games and not feel like I'm being hurried on to the "next big thing" before I'm ready.

Maybe I should just know this off the top of my head, but I play a LOT of games, so I checked some of my Covid GOTY lists. I think mine would look something like Cyberpunk 2077 (and Phantom Liberty), Life is Strange True Colors, Cassette Beasts, God of War Ragnarok, Expedition 33, Fire Emblem Three Houses, Monster Hunter Stories 2, Baldurs Gate 3, Yakuza Like a Dragon and Infinite Wealth, Monster Hunter Rise / Sunbreak and Borderlands 3 (in no particular order) am sure I am probably missing something massive in there.

for me its been a very poor generation with most of my favourite games being ps5 versions of ps4 games so i dont count those

maybe only i would say Jedi survivor and even that wasnt as good as fallen order