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Demon's Soul is without a doubt one of the strongest PS5 launch titles, providing one of the most challenging, yet rewarding experiences. Bluepoint's treatment, although controversial, is immaculate and represents the best way to experience the classic that started it all.
Although the campaign is only a small slice of the larger package in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, it's great that it counters its 'blink and you'll miss it' length with a bit of replay value and some memorable missions you're bound to want to play again. Raven Software's more subtle approach to Cold War espionage feels like viewing Call of Duty through a new, exciting lens.
Sackboy: A Big Adventure is the hessian hero's best outing yet. Tighter platforming controls and a fresh perspective go a long way to reinvigorating the franchise, and it helps that the whole thing is positively stuffed with charm from beginning to end. Levels that feel lonely when played solo, and worse, levels that aren't accessible at all in single player dampen the experience, but not enough for platforming fans to dismiss it. If you've just brought home a shiny new PlayStation 5 there's also a lot here to showcase what the console is capable of in both visuals and the user experience, making it well worth considering as part of your launch library. Viva la Sackboy!
The Pathless is the next great indie adventure. Whether the joy you take from it is in its unique and super-slick traversal mechanics, or the arresting world and faultless artistry, there's no denying that Giant Squid has absolutely nailed it. If I could somehow travel back in time and get lost in this game all over again, I would. While I can't speak to the experience on Windows or Apple devices, I believe this is one for the PlayStation 5 players most of all. This world needs to be taken in at its most visually rich, and the unique properties of the DualSense heighten its gameplay even further. If you only pick one, non-AAA exclusive for your next-gen PlayStation, pick this one.
Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition pulls out all the stops to give players enough reason to come back. The loading is insanely fast, the ray-tracing is absolutely delicious and the frame rates are buttery smooth. If you've previously struggled to get into Devil May Cry, this won't necessarily appeal to you any more than previous games have. But if you're looking for a killer app to show off either your precious new hardware or television, then you should look no further.
Whether it's the super-catchy theme song, the nostalgia-evoking gameplay, or simply the very basic fun of hunting new Snax to transform the Grumpuses, Bugsnax is a game that is well worth your time. Its simple yet addictive challenge of catching the cute yet strange creatures coupled with some wholesome storytelling delivers a well-rounded and fun adventure.
Bright Memory is an utterly fascinating Swiss Army knife of a game that, despite its several ideas clashing in glorious cacophony, forces you to overlook the imperfections and other side effects of lone wolf development. It's an utterly confusing, but equally compelling, sub-hour whirlwind through a Chinese cultured fever dream that writes a few checks that I pray Infinite can cash when it releases next year.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla blends old and new to create a unique experience and one of the best Assassin's Creed experiences yet. It combines series-best combat, a compelling story, and mesmerising locales to dually offer a definitive Viking and assassin experience.
Gears 5 is a big, loud blockbuster that brings so much to the table, it's easy to under-appreciate it. By building on the stories set in motion by its predecessor, Gears 5's narrative journey is a benchmark for the series so far with well-rounded characters that are far easier to love when compared to the original trilogy's gruff, motley crew. Once you throw a polished, brutally competitive online facet, Horde's best iteration, and the promising Escape into the mix, Gears 5 becomes a package too hard to refuse considering the clear value on offer. The story's driving force might be "bound by blood" but Gears 5 is bound for greatness.
A colourful, vibrant adventure that's sure to stand out as a true family-friendly option for the next-gen. The platforming feels imperfect when needed the most thanks to limited camera control, however, The Touryst's puzzles are bound to keep you on your toes throughout. Be sure to soak up the sun, explore at your leisure, and uncover monumental secrets in this unexpected gem.
For a launch title, the worth of Spider-Man: Miles Morales is undeniable. It offers an expensive-TV-justifying visual feast – not to mention a tantalising "What Dreams May Come" glimpse at the sugar encrusted future of eye-candy. (Console hasn't even launched yet and I can feel my eyes getting the diabeetus.) Likewise, it delivers super-fast load times and an immersive, tactile DualSense experience you simply can't 'feel' anywhere else.
As a free pack-in game, Astro's Playroom is a great showcase of the new DualSense controller. More importantly though, it goes above and beyond in celebrating the history of PlayStation. There's throwbacks to PlayStation's greatest games and moments at every turn and it's a genuine delight from start to finish.
Yakuza Like a Dragon is both a fresh start and a shot in the arm that caters to series veterans and newcomers like. It bears all the hallmarks of a great Yakuza game, while making a damned good case for its revamped battle system. After Yakuza 6 topped the rest of the franchise with a matured and succinct focus it feels even more exciting to see the whole thing blown wide open again and have Ryu ga Gotoku just run wild. Kudos is deserved at Sega of America for their commitment to the game's localization as well, which is incredibly considered and comprehensive. I think I've found a new favourite Yakuza game.
Amid its chaotic titular mode, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered is as nail-biting as it was a decade ago. With a new lick of paint and the full suite of DLC included, it is a definitive version of a game that - at its best - sits between a combat and arcade racer, pitting Racer against Cop. Aside from these highlight moments, its a touch barebones and doesn't stack up against what else is available today.
Dirt 5 isn't at all the game I thought it would be. Far from a clinical rally sim, what it is is a simple, fun off-road racer that has a big personality. While it doesn't dive too deep underneath the hood, it still tears up a huge number of tracks across a great number of race types-it does more than enough to keep players firmly in the driver's seat.
The Dark Pictures: Little Hope makes an earnest attempt to build upon the formula established by Man of Medan in many ways. It offers an engaging and well-paced story, great characters, and an intriguing yet typical twist that genre fans will no doubt appreciate. Despite numerous improvements to the underlying gameplay and excellent production values, incessant jump scares prevent Little Hope from standing on the shoulders of Man of Medan, instead merely beside it.
When it comes to Wii U ports that have made their way over to the Nintendo Switch, Pikmin 3 has probably received the most love, care and new content of any of them. The game is much more accessible than it was before, making it perfect for newcomers to the series with enough new content to give fans of the series a reason to come back.
Watch Dogs Legion builds upon the solid foundation established by Watch Dogs 2 while adding its own ambitious twist with mixed results. Having literally every character playable is a gargantuan task, and from a gameplay perspective it works to cement Legion as the best Watch Dogs game thus far. Narratively speaking, however, it collapses under its own aspiration to offer an intriguing concept with spotty execution. Regardless, Legion is a triumph for making good on most of its lofty promise and a triumph for the series.
Ghostrunner might be standing on the shoulders of games like Mirror's Edge, and even Dishonored, in terms of inspiration with its parkour and slick swordplay. But it also separates heads from those shoulders and stands proud as the far better application of both disciplines-Ghostrunner is a sleek, fun exercise for deft hands.
Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods – Part One does a great job of setting up some genuinely intriguing plot points while also committing to the aspects that I loved so much about the base game. In the process, it’s bound to frustrate some players – it’s bloody difficult, has more platforming elements and the Marauders just keep on coming – but it’s still more of Doom Eternal and that’s hardly a bad thing.