The best PS5 single-player stories and experiences

The best PS5 single-player games make the platform one of the greatest consoles to own today. With exclusives like Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart and God of War Ragnarok, there are many outstanding experiences on the beloved system. While it's sad that some double-A exclusives like Gravity Rush 2 and LittleBigPlanet 3 have fizzled from PlayStation's priority list, there are still grand single-player ?campaigns that will take your breath away. Here are 10 of the best PS5 single-player gam?es you can check out.

Marvel’s Spider-Man series

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If you're a big comic book fan or just like action games in general, you can't go wrong with Marvel's Spider-Man series from Insomniac Games. Web slinging feels the best it's ever been, evolving the system from the beloved Spider-Man 2 PS2 game and letting you do tricks in the air. Boss battles are immensely important and truly up the stakes of the storyline. Finally, this Marvel version of New York is so detailed as you're beating up foes across the stunning map with a glorious battle system. The follow-up based on Miles Morales is also stellar, perhaps outdoing the original game, with an elevated battle system and intense, drama-filled story. Now's a good time to get into the series as Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered is getting a standalone release on PS5.

God of War series

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If you love single-player games on PS5, you owe it to yourself to play the Norse God of War series. I personally found the PS2 and PS3 entries hard to get into. The action gets repetitive, there are oddly placed puzzles, and the harsh overtones of Kratos' personality repelled m?e. However, this new reboot-quel with Kratos as a father is a game changer. The way Kratos evolves past his violent origins and grows as a person is refreshing. Both of these games act as a fantastic coming-of-age story for his son Atreus as well. The combat takes?? a slower, more methodical third-person approach. The axe feels satisfying to wield, and the powers Kratos attains over the course of the series make you feel strong. There are plenty of cinematic bosses that amaze you too.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

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Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart hosts some of the best PS5 graphics, bar none. Reviewers often say this series looks like a Pixar film for a good reason, and I agree. But it's not just a tour-de-force of graphics, however. This sci-fi game features two engaging platforming heroes trying to save the multiverse from Dr. Nefarious and company. Most of the guns on offer pack a punch, like the Shatterbomb, while other weapons turn your enemies into cute objects like pixels with the Pixelizer. The storyline ?is also impactful and gets surprisingly emotional.

The Last of Us Part I

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Talking about emotional stories, The Last of Us Part I will leave you weeping. This post-apocalyptic has you play as Joel, a father who lost their child, and connects with a girl named Ellie as they face the harsh zombie-filled environment. Yes, they're called the Infected (not zombies, per se), but what makes them unique is how they have to listen to the environment to know where you are. It gets creepy as you have to slowly work your way through dark hallways to succeed. Otherwise, they'll come rampaging toward you, and you ne??ed your wits to shoot them in the correct spots. What's even scarier, perhaps, are the people you meet along the way, and the storyline gets very heavy as Joel and Ellie try to keep themselves alive. It's one of the best PS5 single-player games because of how intense it gets. I haven't even gotten into the impressive graphics, either.

Elden Ring

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Elden Ring is a tough S.O.B., but the grind is well worth your time as you defeat tough bosses with a big smile on your face and scale across a dangerous fantasy landscape. I've personally never connected with a Souls game, but for some reason, Elden Ring grabbed me. The open world allows you to explore, challenge other bosses, and level up at your own speed. You can find mysterious areas naturally, get awesome loot, and then attempt to defeat a tough boss once more. That game loop is absolutely engrossing and far better than the linear Souls style as you finally have options. You're not stuck with one boss over and over and over again. The world-building is also a strength of the game, with gorgeous scenery and ar??chitecture to gaze at.

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy

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I'll say it. This game is better than the first two Guardians of the Galaxy movies. The characters are written so well and are different enough from the Hollywood versions. There's a fantastic character arc for Eidos Montreal's interpretation of Starlord, and you truly feel the connection between all of the members of the group. The script is also quite funny. The third-person shooting gameplay is ?thrilling as you're zooming around foes with your jet boots and instructing the squad on what to do. Bosses also feel like a big deal in this game.

Final Fantasy VII Remake: Intergrade

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If you need an RPG to play on your PS5, Final Fantasy VII Remake: Intergrade is ready for you. With spectacular visuals, fast-paced yet strategic combat, and an engrossing storyline, this game will grab you from beginning to end. The music is also phenomenal. The Intergrade edition comes with a chapter that introduces Yuffie into ?the mix that you can't play on the PS4.

Astro’s Playroom

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Want a game that the kids (or your inner child) can play? Astro's Playroom is a wonderful pick. It fully uses the DualSense controller's functionality, such as the adaptive triggers and haptic feedback, to make a memorable experience. The platforming is some of the best the PS5 has to offer, as well. Additionally, it references great moments in PlayStation's long history. The best part is that Astro's Playroom is free to download!

Resident Evil 4 Remake

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This is an almost perfect horror game. Stunning graphics, a creepy environment, an epic story, tough bosses, and stellar third-person shooting gameplay. The puzzles are also a treat in Resident Evil 4 Remake. There's not much else ??to say other?? than pick this game up.

Horizon series

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While the sequel, Forbidden West, covers familiar ground in terms of its gameplay, it's still a tour-de-force of graphics. The unique robot-filled post-apocalyptic setting is striking. You also have some stellar performances by Ashley Burch (Aloy) and the rest of the cast. The storyline is also intriguing as we learn bits and pieces about why our civilization failed many years ago. Horizon: Zero Dawn is an incredible open-world game as you upgrade your gear and defeat titanic robots along the way, strategically breaking their parts until they fall. Forbidden West is still impressive, but?? to me, fails to capture my interest as much as? the original.

Honorable Mentions

There are some other stand-out titles that didn't quite make the Best PS5 single-player games list. One of them that is likely mentioned in the comments is Ghost of Tsushima. It presents a gorgeous open world inspired by the Mongolian invasion era of Japan. However, it strikes me more as a PS4 game rather than a PS5-specific entry for this list. It has received a remaster with additional content set on Iki Island. Additionally, there's Returnal. It's gained a large fanbase since its release, but can arguably be considered a co-op game, following one of its post-game updates.

The post 10 of the best single player g??ames you can play on a PS5 right now appeared first on Destructoid.

A Spider-Man 2 prequel comic is on the way, too

[Update: Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered for PS5 is now available as a standalone title from the PlayStation Store, priced at $49.99.]

There's more on the way for Insomniac's take on Spider-Man, and now, the remastered version of the original is getting its own release. Insomniac Games is releasing a standalone version of Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered on PlayStation 5 sometime later this month.

Originally, the remastered version of 2018's Marvel's Spider-Man was only available as a part of Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales Ultimate Edition. Now, there will be an option to get Peter's adventure all by itself for PlayStation 5 ?owners.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=1E051WtpyWg

For those who already own either a disc or digital copy of the original PlayStation 4 game, they will be able to upgrade to the PlayStation 5 Remastered edition for a $10 fee. Miles Morales owners, meanwhile, will also be able to get the remaster through the Ultimate Edition upgrade. And if neither is your option, Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered will run you $49.99 on the PlayStation Store.

As an important note, if you have a physical copy of the PS4 Spidey and ??want the digital PS5 remaster, you'll need to put the disc in every time you want to play the digital version.

Free comic book day

If you want a peek at what is new in the world of Spider-Man, and what's in store for the future, then this coming Saturday would be a good tim?e to head to your local comic shop. Saturday, May 6 is Free Comic Book Da??y, a pretty rad event where lots of publishers put out free issues of various comics.

Part of this year's comic roll-out is a new prequel comic for Marvel's Spider-Man 2. Here's an excerpt from today's PlayStation blog, talking about what to expect:

"When we initially sat down with the team at Marvel, we explored a few different ideas about what kinds of stories we could tell in a prequel comic. But we kept coming back to the same core premise—What if Peter, Miles, and MJ had to team up against a new Super Villain whose powers they didn’t understand? Additionally, we wanted to make sure that we could get a peek into what this heroic trio has been doing since the events of Marvel’s Spider-Man and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales. What is Pete up to now that there are two Spider-Men in the city? How is Miles doing in school? And how is MJ’s journ?alism career going?"

Sounds like there will be a lot to contend with leading up to Insomniac's new Spider-venture. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is still slated for sometime this fall.

The post Update: Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered is getting a standalone PS5 release appeared first on Destructoid.

We've missed you, Spidey

As part of an end-of-year post from PlayStation, Marvel's Spider-Man developer Insomniac has returned to give us the newest update on the game's sequel: a release window. The PlayStation blog is meant to highlight the platform's upcoming highlights for the new year, and what better way to start it off than with Insomniac's announcement that Spider-Man 2 will be coming in fall of 2023. Okay, so that's a pretty big window, and there's alway??s the chance that the game could be delayed. At the very least, though, it's nice to that development is coming along nicely and, for now, we can expect to play the game by the end of next year.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIQ3xNqkVC4

Insomiac's 2018 title Spider-Man, and its follow-up, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, are some of the best-loved games to come out of the last console generation. Based on the swinging mechanics alone, I have to agree. I've never played a game that made me feel more like a superhero, and I've been known to return to the game even after completing it just to swing my way around Manhattan. While Marvel had already taken over the box office, Insomniac secured the studio's hold on the newest console generation with the best superhero games since the Arkham series.

I think it's safe to say that Spider-Man 2 has been one of the most anticipated upcoming titles out there, so getting confirmation that it's on the way is going to be a huge boost for fans. We've got plenty to keep us busy in the mean time with all of the awesome releases headed our way in the first half of 2023 (I'm personally keeping an eye on Breath of the Wild: Tears of the Kingdom and Hades II), but I think it's safe to say that when Spider-Man 2 finally drops, we're ready to drop everything to slip back into the suit of our Frien?dly Neighborhood Spider-Man.

The post Insomniac’s Spider-Man 2 is swinging into action fall of 2023 appeared first on Destructoid.

The PC port seems to have done the trick

This August saw a familiar face web-zip his way up the NPD rankings. Following a PC port of Insomniac's Marvel's Spider-Man, the game shot up ?to third in the month's best-selling titles.

As NPD's Mat Piscatella notes, Marvel's Spider-Man made the leap from 84th in July to 3rd in August. Concurrently, Spider-Man was the best seller of the month acro?ss all tracked Steam titles.

//twitter??.c??om/MatPiscatella/status/1572229760801206274

Insomniac's web-crawler hit the PlayStation in 2018, but the remastered version made the jump to PC on August 12. And it seems like that jump was very successful, both critically and in sales.

While it doesn't have the Miles Morales conte?nt yet, the combination of high-end PC features and the potential portability (it is Steam Deck Verified) seems to have worked out well.

//twitter.com/MatPiscatella/status/1572229?9194801233?92

Madden NFL 23 came in at the top selling spot, which is not a huge surprise as Madden is a consistent top-seller for its launch month. The new Saints Row took the second place in NPD's top sellers.

Other notables include Horizon Forbidden West, back on the top 20 with a price promotion likely helping out, and Soul Hackers 2 debuting at the 15th spot. The PS5 leads the month's console sales, and is the top for the year in dollar sales. T??he Switch still leads in unit sales for the year, though.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=1E051WtpyWg

The power of the port

This is another solid PC port debut for Sony, following off others like God of War (2018) earlier this year. The sudden re-interest in a game that already sold quite well years ago? shows how effective these p??orts can be.

Tie in the way that Steam Decks seem to be flying?? out of Valve's production facilities, and it's a match made in Spidey-heaven. While a few notables are still missing from the PC port bonanza, it does seem like bringing these games ?over to more players is doing well.

Next up is the Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection, which packs together Uncharted 4 and The Lost Legacy, hitting PC on October 19.

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