The Playstation 5 has now been out for several weeks and if you can find one, which seems to be nigh impossible except from scalpers, it’s a very solid system with some fantastic games available right now. While the PS5 plays almost every PS4 game, the following games have PS5 builds that take advantage of more powerful hardware and some controller-centric features. Look for more games coming soon!
Demon’s Souls
Love or hate the, the Souls series have been a massive commercial success and also have a sizable cult following. After nearly giving up on the first level of Bloodborne on launch, I pushed through and after beating the first insanely difficult boss, I was hooked. Rarely do games feel so rewarding and the game that started it all on the PS3, Demon’s Souls, has now been made from the ground up for Playstation 5.
Rarely do games so perfectly blend gameplay, graphics, sound, effects and music to such a degree as Bluepoint Games has done with this remake. Similar to their fantastic Shadow of Colossus remake, the team is in top notch form keeping to the stellar original gameplay but pushing next-gen to the max. The first level is brutal but after you start upgrading weapons and “getting gud”, you will love this game. This is the Playstation 5’s must-have, killer launch app for sure. I whole heartedly recommend it and give it our extremely rare review score of…
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
After several entries than were less than stellar (Press F to pay respects), the last few years have been absolutely stellar for the divisive Call of Duty series. While commercially it’s usually a massive success every year, it’s mostly recently with Modern Warfare and now, with Cold War, that the quality has really been increased and the value at a very sweet spot.
Black Ops mixes a stellar campaign, fantastic Zombies mode and a very good multiplayer package. The lack of map county and variety, even though Satellite is my absolute new favorite, along with lack of a solid map selection/voting system, are the main reasons for dragging the score down just a bit. We need more server options, filters, 24/7 map selections, etc por favor! That being said, Cold war is absolutely gorgeous on the Playstation 5 that makes a stellar package, just the cherry on top with the best version of the game you can play on consoles so far.
The Pathless
While there are a massive amount of unique gaming titles out there, it’s sometimes a chore to dig through all the bad/mediocre ones to find the diamonds in the rough. The Pathless, in a very busy Holiday gaming season, is a very bright diamond in the unique gaming rough. From the creators of ABZU, the stylistic graphics are a mix of BOTW and BELOW, which is a massive compliment.
Sliding, gliding, and letting arrows fly through a dense forest is oh so satisfying in the Pathless and it’s insane graphics and effects are smooth as can be on the Playstation 5. We definitely prefer the 60 FPS performance mode on this (and every PS5 game that has the option) and it’s oh so delicious. If you are looking for a polished, unique and smooth adventure, The Pathless is one of the best on PS5 right now.
Warhammer: Chaosbane
While the world waits, seemingly forever, for Diablo IV, there are a few solid options out there for us ARPG/Diablo fans to sink our teeth into. Definitely on the unique side is the Warhammer based Chaosbane while released earlier last year on the traditional platforms, the new enhanced PS5 version features some luscious visuals, lightning-fast loading times and a ton of content.
It’s your traditional hack and slash affair but this version is gorgeous on the PS5 and even some of the slight dualsense features are worthy of the upgrade for newcomers and fans alike. While the content, story, and voice acting are stellar, some of the effects and most of all the loot, suffer a bit from quality issues. If there is an update or patch for more armor and weapon choices, our score would go way up. Either way, this is a solid ARPG for solo or multiplayer parties.
Spirit of the North: Enhanced Edition
People play games for many different reasons. Some play to escape the insanity of the world around us, some love the competitive nature of multiplayer matches, others like to dive into story rich stories and environments. No matter what your preferences are, it’s hard to figure out where Spirit of the North actually fits in and who it was made for exactly, especially as an Enhanced Edition for the Playstation 5.
On one hand, the graphics are quite gorgeous and loading times quick on the PS5 but other than that, there isn’t much enhancement to talk about. Also, this is more a relaxing, surreal “experience” vs an actual game IMHO. While it can be pretty to look at and overall relaxing, mostly due to the moody, surreal soundtrack, the gameplay and objective of Spirit as just not that exciting, fun, or interesting. If you are looking for something of calming experience with not much action or excitement, Spirit is for you. If you are looking for a solid gaming experience, there are plenty of other options as shown above.
