Board 8 > A ranking of all the PS5 games I've played so far [w/write-ups!]

(+) Yeah! (+)

What better way is there to return to Board 8 than with a ranking and some write-ups?? Tell me which games I need to play and which games I overrated/underrated.

#9. NBA 2K23
Lolllllllllllll. Bit of a joke entry, but it is a PS5 game that I played so I'm including it. It's just a bad game. There's microtransactions and lots of glitches. It's okay as a basketball sim but everything else is terrible. Don't play unless you like playing exhibition games for the hell of it.

#8. Sifu
I was really looking forward to this game, but the story is very cookie-cutter martial arts film stuff, it's short, and some of the boss fights kind of suck. It's a more difficult game than I was expecting, but that would be okay if it weren't for other shortcomings. I don't think the aging mechanic the game uses is all that interesting - moreso just frustrating. Mediocre game.

#7. Astro's Playroom
This is where the games start being good on my list. It's a fun demo for the PS5 and not much else, but that's all it has to be.

#6. Horizon Forbidden West
I LOVED the first Horizon, and was slightly disappointed by this one. I eventually started skipping lots of the dialogue if it wasn't a main story mission. Side mission characters are so quick to tell you their whole life story for no reason, and most of them aren't memorable. And their facial animations are SO bad!! Uncanny valley at its finest. The main story was good, but not as good as Zero Dawn's was IMO. The only thing this game improves on is the gameplay. Still a solid game, but not as good as I was hoping.

#5. Deathloop
This game got a little overrated by critics when it came out, but it's still pretty good. I liked how it's almost a puzzle-shooter with trying to figure out the order of things you have to do to beat the game. There's plenty of good gameplay mechanics here and an initially very intriguing story with some good villains. I do think the story eventually loses its luster sadly, and then the ending doesn't quite stick the landing. I'll also say that playing through the same levels over and over again gets tiring regardless of the fact that they change a little bit here and there.

#4.5. Final Fantasy XVI
Okay okay I haven't beaten this yet (hence the 4.5 placement), but it's pretty damn good so far! It gets off to a slightly slow start, and there are a LOT of cutscenes, but I'm enjoying the story, and the combat is ultra crisp. I like how the game keeps introducing new tools to use in combat just as you have had enough time to really utilize the last tool enough. It keeps things interesting without overloading you with new mechanics. If it keeps this quality up through the end, then it would be higher on this list.

#4. Spiderman Miles Morales
I had a blast playing this. If you liked the first game in the new Spiderman series, you'll probably like this one, because they play the same outside of a few new powers that Miles has (which I thought were great additions to the gameplay). Obviously, it's shorter, but I think there's still enough here to make it worth your while. The main story is about 6-7 hours long with some solid side content to go with it. If you get 100%, it's about 10-15 hours. It's by no means a masterpiece, but it's very solid. Outside of unskippable cutscenes and a few small gripes with the story, I don't have much to complain about.

#3: God of War Ragnarok
God of War 4 is my 2nd favorite game of all time. This game is definitely in the same vein as that one, but on a bigger scale. And dare I say it, Ragnarok isn't quite as refined as GoW4. GoW4 really transformed the series and stunned with its emotional depth/maturity, a change which Ragnarok continues, but I feel like GoW4 was more succinct and more nuanced. Ragnarok has a few story beats which seem like filler, the characters feel like they're always telling you the meaning of what's happening, and no one EVER LETS YOU SOLVE A PUZZLE ON YOUR OWN. Seriously, stop blurting the answers out! I'm being tough on it since I loved GoW4 so much, so let me be clear: Ragnarok is fantastic. The gameplay has been expanded in a good way, and the story is still incredible. In fact, I'll say this: while GoW4 left a lot of things unexplored story-wise (numerous realms being locked, Gods frequently being talked about but never showing their faces), Ragnarok is ready to face them head on. By the end, I was more than satisfied.

#2: Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
I'm a sucker for Ratchet & Clank games. You know exactly what you're gonna get: fun arcade-styled gunplay with kickass and creative weapon choices, some simple platforming, and an overall light-hearted story. The formula doesn't fail. Rift Apart has the added bonus of being absolutely gorgeous though. The environments are varied, but every single one of them is beautifully created with the same amount of love. I also think this game has one of the better stories in the R&C franchise, though not the best. Fantastic game worth anyone's time.

#1: Returnal
I was shocked by how much I liked this game. Roguelites have been some of my favorite games over the last 2-3 years (Hades and Risk of Rain 2 in particular are ones I come back to regularly), and since Returnal is basically an AAA roguelite, it scratched an itch I didn't know I had. The gameplay is engaging, it's fast paced, it's satisfying, etc. You have plenty of viable options on what weapons and strategies you use in battle, but nothing comes free. Then there's the story. Wow. It takes risks with its story that most AAA games refuse to take, and to me, they paid off big time. It's a story that will challenge many people, but it's very meaningful, and keeps you intrigued until the very end. I don't know if this is a game that I would recommend to everyone, but for my tastes, it was just what I was looking for.

If you haven't played them elsewhere:
FFVII Remake Intergrade
Elden Ring
Stray

colliding posted...

If you haven't played them elsewhere:
FFVII Remake Intergrade
Elden Ring
Stray

FFVII Remake I played on PS4, and I would put it above Miles Morales but below GoW Ragnarok

I'm probably crazy for saying this but I don't think I have much interest in Elden Ring. Soulslike games haven't been a huge hit for me. Nioh 2 is my favorite Soulslike game, and I liked it more than Bloodborne.

I loved Returnal... aside from the story. I'm okay with the risks it took, I just think the execution wasn't great. Still a fantastic game though.

Returnal was super surprising to me. Unfortunately I had to quit it because I'm playing on PC and it gets random crashes (truly random, so nothing you can do to avoid it). Which really sucks when the game is so difficult and time consuming per run. But it's shocking how intense the battles and bosses can be, even in co-op which is normally ez-mode. It seriously captured the pixel-perfection of bullet hells. The tower is also perfectly designed with the time bonuses and such.

I watched the rest of the story online and I don't know how good it is really, but I am glad they took that risk. The game didn't really need story so it didn't hurt, and it added a fun layer that you could chew on. Also I'm a sucker for blatant PT clones.

foolm0r0n posted...

Returnal was super surprising to me. Unfortunately I had to quit it because I'm playing on PC and it gets random crashes (truly random, so nothing you can do to avoid it). Which really sucks when the game is so difficult and time consuming per run. But it's shocking how intense the battles and bosses can be, even in co-op which is normally ez-mode. It seriously captured the pixel-perfection of bullet hells. The tower is also perfectly designed with the time bonuses and such.

I watched the rest of the story online and I don't know how good it is really, but I am glad they took that risk. The game didn't really need story so it didn't hurt, and it added a fun layer that you could chew on. Also I'm a sucker for blatant PT clones.

Haha yeah I definitely saw the PT influence. Sad that the PC port was not done very well.

Always glad to see some love for returnal. Its seriously underplayed

Solioxrz362 posted...

FFVII Remake I played on PS4, and I would put it above Miles Morales but below GoW Ragnarok

The DLC is worth it and as far as I know it's PS5/PC only

colliding posted...

The DLC is worth it and as far as I know it's PS5/PC only

I'll have to transfer my save data over and play that DLC then! I've been interested, just been playing other things.

Returnal is great

Spiderman to me felt like.... more spiderman. It wasn't bad by any means but I didn't finish it

Looking at the list of games I've played on PS5 I would rate them

1. Elden Ring
2. Returnal
3. FFXVI
4. Tactics Ogre
5. Demons Souls
6. Spider Man
7. Tiny Tina
8. Gran Turismo

masterplum posted...

Returnal is great

Spiderman to me felt like.... more spiderman. It wasn't bad by any means but I didn't finish it

Looking at the list of games I've played on PS5 I would rate them

1. Elden Ring
2. Returnal
3. FFXVI
4. Tactics Ogre
5. Demons Souls
6. Spider Man
7. Tiny Tina
8. Gran Turismo

I thought about getting Gran Turismo... what makes it the weakest one on your list?

Also, I'm glad that I'm not alone in the Returnal love :)

For me, being a huge Gran Turismo fan I got the game on Day 1.

If you've ever played a GT game before then you should know what to expect with this game, just with far superior graphics.

I was slightly disappointed with the campaign mode. In previous versions you were able to experiment with cars to find the best ones to do well in races - which you could tackle in any order. In this campaign it was more like "buy one of these cars and go race here". Also you didn't have to win said race, just finish in top 3 to advance. This is a minor bug bear of mine as it doesn't encourage you to get good as it's fairly easy to finish 3rd.

That being said, there is a ton of additional content, missions, license tests etc that will challenge you.

I know it sounds like I'm hating on it, I just have super high expectations from the series. I did thoroughly enjoy the game despite the above I thoroughly enjoyed it. It just hasn't hit the peak of GT5 imo

Solioxrz362 posted...

I thought about getting Gran Turismo... what makes it the weakest one on your list?

I got it with a PSVR2 and it was extremely fun as a theme park style ride and really not something I like playing as a game. Played it once for a couple hours and never really felt the desire to play again

Racing games aren't normally my thing - I was more interested because of how gorgeous it is. I remember semi-enjoying Driveclub and the graphics were a big part of that. Graphics don't make good games, but graphics can certainly help the spectacle of it.

If the campaign mode disappointed then it's probably not something I'll play

My ranking, best on top

FFVIIR
Elden Ring
Ragnarok
FFXVI
Rift Apart
Stray
Astro's Playroom
Tiny Tina Wonderlands
Fifa 23

Top 7 all lovely games. Unsure about ranking of top 3 but I think the order they are in now. Tiny Tina is dull but alright, Fifa kinda sucks but I wanted World Cup.

ctesjbuvf posted...

My ranking, best on top

FFVIIR
Elden Ring
Ragnarok
FFXVI
Rift Apart
Stray
Astro's Playroom
Tiny Tina Wonderlands
Fifa 23

Top 7 all lovely games. Unsure about ranking of top 3 but I think the order they are in now. Tiny Tina is dull but alright, Fifa kinda sucks but I wanted World Cup.

the annual sports games falling at the bottom of the list, i'm seeing a pattern

Solioxrz362 posted...

#4.5. Final Fantasy XVI
Okay okay I haven't beaten this yet (hence the 4.5 placement), but it's pretty damn good so far! It gets off to a slightly slow start, and there are a LOT of cutscenes, but I'm enjoying the story, and the combat is ultra crisp. I like how the game keeps introducing new tools to use in combat just as you have had enough time to really utilize the last tool enough. It keeps things interesting without overloading you with new mechanics. If it keeps this quality up through the end, then it would be higher on this list.

After finishing FFXVI, I cannot decide whether it would still be right above Deathloop, or if I would move it below Deathloop.

Great combat, some fantastic boss fights, mostly good story, fantastic visuals, good music, bad repetitive side quests, and a messy ending (although not an unsatisfying ending, just messy). Starts off a tad slow, then blossoms into a wonderful game, but slowly falls apart a bit as it goes on.

I think FFXVI is going to stick with me more than Deathloop, but I would say Deathloop is less flawed. So I'll go with the copout answer and say they're tied.