For the first time in the PlayStation 5’s lifespan, Sony couldn’t rely on surefire bets from beloved series like God of War or Marvel’s Spider-Man to keep players invested throughout 2024. It was up to lesser-known PlayStation franchises and third-party developers to craft the brunt of Sony’s 2024 exclusive.
2024 wasn’t all smooth sailing for Sony due to the failure of Concord. Thankfully, there were plenty of bright spots as underrated PlayStation series came into their own, and companies like Konami and Square Enix delivered much-needed console exclusives. Astro Bot has cemented itself as PlayStation’s latest mascot, and Helldivers is a top-tier live service IP. On PS5 only, we saw games like Final Fantasy VII and Silent Hill 2 reimagined for a new generation. Plus, PlayStation also decided to introduce Horizon to a younger demographic of gamers and incubate some potential new series with Shift Up and Team Ninja.
While 2024 might have seemed lacking in great PS5 games when the year began, many unexpected PS5 exclusives delivered when they came out and provided some of the best gaming experiences one could have this year. These were our favorite PS5 games from the console’s most experimental year yet.
Astro Bot
It shouldn’t be surprising that our game of the year tops this list of PS5 games. Astro Bot serves as a loving celebration for PlayStation’s 30th anniversary and distills gaming fun in its purest form. Team Asobi’s 3D platformer is as abound in creativity as it is in Easter eggs for PlayStation franchises beloved and forgotten. It utilizes every part of the PS5’s DualSense controller in ways I didn’t know were possible, reminding us that interaction makes video games truly special as an art form. Astro Bot is quite possibly the best game to be released for PS5 yet and cements Team Asobi and Astro Bot as PlayStation greats on the same level as Insomniac’s Ratchet & Clank.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
2020’s Final Fantasy Remake was a defiant reimagining of the first act of a PlayStation classic, so this continuation of the most ambitious video game remake project of all time had high expectations. Thankfully, Square Enix surpassed them by building on what worked in Final Fantasy VII Remake to create a more expansive adventure. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth nails the feeling of going on a journey with friends. It makes exploring its world a joy by maintaining a massive attention to detail, even in side quests. Rebirth’s narrative continues to twist the story of Final Fantasy VII in unexpected ways and features an ending that will immediately leave you wondering what will happen next. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth set a new standard for what AAA RPGs can be and did so only on PS5.
Helldivers 2
While it’s easy to make fun of Concord, we also shouldn’t forget that Sony and Arrowhead Game Studios released one of the best multiplayer games of the year. Heading into its release, there wasn’t much in the way of real hype or high expectations for this sequel to an underrated PS4 and PS Vita isometric shooter. But once Helldivers 2 came out, it was impossible to escape its thrall. Helldivers 2 finds the fun by leaning into chaos and emergent gameplay that keeps players constantly fending for their lives as they fight off aliens and robots for Super Earth. Add a level of connected meta-progression that had players working together to complete shared goals on top of that, and you have a recipe for a cooperative shooter that’s nearly impossible to put down.
Lego Horizon Adventures
While The Last of Us Part II, Until Dawn, and Horizon Zero Dawn got PS5 remasters this year, Lego Horizon Adventures was a much more worthwhile reimagining. This game takes Guerrilla Games’ postapocalyptic action series, which has become a marquee franchise for PlayStation, and reinterprets it in a kid-friendly way. Experiencing Aloy’s Horizon Zero Dawn escapades from a more childlike, humor-focused perspective is delightful for those who’ve already played the other Horizon games. For newcomers or younger players, Lego Horizon Adventures‘ simplicity makes it a welcoming on-ramp to a franchise that will be very important to PlayStation’s future. If your kid has wrapped up playing Astro Bot and you’re wondering what you should have them play next, Lego Horizon Adventures is a logical recommendation.
Rise of the Ronin
Team Ninja’s Rise of the Ronin flew under the radar following its release in March, but it is one of the best Soulslikes of the year. This development team took its expertise from the Nioh games and applied it to a more ambitious open-world adventure that retains the methodical and rewarding combat that Souls-inspired games are known for. It’s also a great resource for learning about the Edo period in Japanese history. While the release of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree and the announcement of Ghost of Yotei took some wind out of Rise of the Ronin‘s aura of originality, it stands confidently along 2024’s best action RPGs.
Silent Hill 2
Bloober Team knocked it out of the park with its remake of Silent Hill 2, an all-time PlayStation horror classic from Konami. This remake handles the sensitive subject matter of its dour narrative deftly; it will disturb and enthrall you, even if you already know what happens in the original. On the gameplay front, Silent Hill 2 takes the right cues from Capcom’s recent string of Resident Evil remakes with its third-person camera perspective and combat that’s not a slog to play. While many had doubts that Bloober Team could pull this complicated remake project off, the Polish studio delivered while flexing its expertise in the horror space.
Stellar Blade
Shift Up’s debut console game feels maximalist in every sense of the word, from the over-the-top character designs to flashy, dynamic combat. Stellar Blade is also one of the best-looking games to be released on PS5 yet, so make sure you stop and take in some of the immaculate environment and enemy design while playing. It and Rise of the Ronin create a great Soulslike double gaming feature, reaffirming that Sony has cornered the market for strong action games. While the discourse surrounding Stellar Blade online was exhausting and the game itself isn’t perfect, this is still a defining release for PlayStation in 2024 and an obvious recommendation for anyone looking for great console exclusives to play.