20. Sackboy: A Big Adventure (PS5)

With creator Media Molecule focusing its attention elsewhere, LittleBigPlanet’s whimsical weaved hero deserved his Super Mario 3D World moment. Sackboy: A Big Adventure doesn’t pull up any trees like its predecessors, but is instead a robust co-operative platformer with some memorable musical moments. With a cutesy DIY aesthetic and some surprisingly tight action, it excels in an area that Sony has often been accused of overlooking: fun for the whole family.

19. Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name (PS5)

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name covers yet another chapter in Kazuma Kiryu's action-packed life. This is a 'shorter' experience that adds context to Yakuza: Like a Dragon by expanding upon the behind-the-scenes events of its main story. But unlike Ichiban's adventure, Gaiden goes back to full-on action combat in what almost feels like a celebration of Kiryu as a character. It doesn't quite have the scope of a mainline instalment, but Gaiden is still a fantastic and surprisingly emotional example of SEGA's long-running series.

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18. Control: Ultimate Edition (PS5)

Control pushed the limits of the PS4, delivering an intense third-person romp — but a technically flawed one. This return trip to the unorthodox Old House feels much more at home on the PS5, however, and while there are some strange difficulty spikes, Remedy’s unique brand of shooting shines throughout much of this engrossing outing. The oppressive setting, unnerving enemies, and wonderfully eerie atmosphere really come to life on Sony's current-gen machine, offering much improved visuals and performance.

17. 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.

16. The Last of Us Part II Remastered (PS5)

Arguably the greatest PS4 game, upgraded and repacked for PS5, with cut content and an all-new roguelike inspired mode, which takes full advantage of Naughty Dog’s underappreciated third-person shooter gameplay. The Last of Us Part II Remastered will hold few surprises for those who’ve already played the original, groundbreaking outing – but that doesn’t make it any less essential.

15. Cyberpunk 2077 (PS5)

Following a disastrous PS4 launch, Cyberpunk 2077 might as well have been a brand new game on PS5 over a year later. CD Projekt Red stuck to its guns, delivering a much improved version of the open world RPG on Sony's current-gen console, free of the game-breaking bugs and crashing issues that plagued the initial release. The result is memorable and often engrossing dark future title, peppered with great characters, punchy combat, and some excellent freeform mission design. Better late than never!

14. 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.

13. 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.

12. 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.

11. 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.