30. Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy (PS5)

A superhero game from Square Enix is enough for hardcore PlayStation players to proceed with caution after Marvel's Avengers, but developer Eidos Montreal has done Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy proud with a faithful, funny, and thoroughly enjoyable campaign based on original storytelling. It's a meaty one too, lasting north of 20 hours. The characters of Drax, Groot, Rocket, and Gamora are just as you remember them from the Marvel movies, and even Star-Lord performs valiantly despite the lack of a Chris Pratt face scan. Combat is deep and engaging, exploration is limited but fun, and dialogue is top-notch.

29. Grand Theft Auto V (PS5)

In its third generation, GTA 5’s unwavering commercial popularity looks unlikely to ease. Presented for the first time on consoles in 4K at 60fps, this is undoubtedly the best-looking version of Los Santos to date. While elements of the graphics and gameplay are beginning to show their age, this open world is largely unmatched, and despite GTA Online having some serious onboarding issues, its continued expansion makes it an unparalleled multiplayer mode with an identity all of its own.

28. The Last of Us: Part I (PS5)

Forever tainted by its high launch price, The Last of Us: Part I is a faithful remake of Naughty Dog's 2013 masterpiece that brings the post-apocalyptic adventure up to modern standards. While the gameplay is largely untouched, its visuals shine with stunning character models, gorgeous backdrops, and an abundance of detail to ensure there's something to look at in every corner. Some will forever question why it was needed, but The Last of Us: Part I has never looked better.

27. Alan Wake 2 (PS5)

Remedy Entertainment has followed up on the beloved Alan Wake with a more-than-worthy sequel. Alan Wake 2 goes all-in on survival horror, but it also goes all-in on Remedy's particular brand of weird, blending live action with gameplay, taking unexpected turns, and making lots of creative risks. The result is an atmospheric, unpredictable, and fascinating game of two halves. Whether you're playing as Saga Anderson in the real world or Alan in the dark place, it remains captivating throughout — and looks incredible to boot.

26. Death Stranding Director's Cut (PS5)

Death Stranding Director's Cut takes the truly unique "strand game" adventure and dials things up a notch for PS5. Hideo Kojima and his team created a haunting and strange world with the original game, tasking players with traversing a desolate and dangerous landscape to make deliveries. It shouldn't work, but it does — every step you take can be a risk, and this need to watch your footing is an interesting way to create tension, especially when those nasty BTs show up. Director's Cut enhances the experience with improved graphics and performance, DualSense support, 3D audio, and a range of new content.

25. Hitman 3 (PS5)

The culmination of a generation of effort from the highly talented Danish developer IO Interactive, Hitman 3 is not only a sensational stealth game on its own – but it also compiles all of the locations from the World of Assassin trilogy, bringing them under one umbrella for near limitless espionage. The series blends large, intricately designed sandbox stages with clockwork-like gameplay, which is open to manipulation in any way you see fit. Your objective in each mission is to murder your marks without being spotted – and how you go about it is entirely up to you. A truly unique and flawlessly designed experience.

24. Final Fantasy XVI (PS5)

The Final Fantasy series has never been one to sit still, and with Final Fantasy 16, it's moved away from its turn-based traditions entirely. The first true action RPG in the mainline games, it's quite the departure from the norm, but it's an excellent entry nonetheless. Featuring a gripping story delivered by brilliant performances, incredibly fun combat, and some of the most spectacular scenes imaginable, this is a fantastic game that pulls out all the stops.

23. Yakuza: Like a Dragon (PS5)

Yakuza: Like a Dragon barely feels next-gen as it’s very much rooted by Ryu ga Gotoku Studio’s dated engine and game design principles, but it’s bursting with personality and one of the most varied releases on this list. At its core, it’s a traditional, turn-based (a first for the franchise) role-playing game built around an engaging and relatable party of core characters, but it’s so much more: this small but densely populated open world harbours go-karts, an entire business management minigame, and more wacky side-quests than you can shake a massage wand at. This is one of the most unique and time consuming titles on PS5.

22. Moss: Book II (PS5)

An early star of virtual reality was Moss, and this follow-up builds on those solid foundations. Moss: Book II continues the adventures of Quill, who now has access to multiple weapons to fend off enemies. They also play into the game's puzzles, which are larger in scope and more complex than the first game. It all looks wonderful too — the environments and character animations are gorgeous, and your unique perspective lets you get a really good look at these cutesy levels. It's not a massive departure from what came before, but this five-hour adventure is thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish.

21. Hogwarts Legacy (PS5)

Taking place hundreds of years before the events of Harry Potter, Hogwarts Legacy finally lets fans live out their dream of attending the eponymous school. While there's an intriguing story to follow that takes you far beyond the castle itself, this RPG's strengths are all in the smaller things. The school is a joy to explore, as are the surrounding grounds, because of an obsessive attention to detail that really does imbue the open world with magic. Layer on top solid spell-based combat, flying on your broom, and even rearing magical creatures, and the result is a real crowd-pleaser — and definitely the best game in the franchise.