Top PlayStation 5 Games 2023

As a familiar-looking hero shooter with dinosaurs added in, Exoprimal is much bolder than it may initially seem. This is a game that I envision many people will play and enjoy for a few hours, feel like they’ve gotten their fill of it, and then move on to something else. But that will be an incredible shame because they’ll never experience Exoprimal’s best content, which is hidden in the back half of its bonkers sci-fi story, and features some of the most surprising and innovative gameplay moments I’ve experienced in a team-based multiplayer game in a long time. I wish it took a little less time to get to those moments, as repetition starts to creep in before they hit, but Exoprimal’s unique PvPvE formula is impeccably designed, features fun and distinct exosuits regardless of what role you play, and is a breath of fresh air in the multiplayer hero shooter genre.

New Tales from the Borderlands successfully recaptures a lot of Telltale’s original magic with a fresh, funny, and affable new set of main characters, but unfortunately it also introduces new problems – both in the story and in some half-hearted game mechanics – that gum up the works. You don’t need to have played the first Tales in order to enjoy this one, but if you’re going to choose one or the other, stick with the original and circle back to this pseudo-sequel with tempered expectations if the first one grabs you as much as it grabbed me.

The Last of Us Part I remakes the beloved 2013 game in stunning detail for the PS5, but it's difficult to recommend at full price with so few changes.

Madden fans will tell you that it hasn’t been a great decade for EA’s football sim. Like the NFL itself, the profits have continued to grow, but the product has suffered. Madden NFL 23, though, provides a glimpse of a light at the end of the tunnel with a handful of smart enhancements to animations, AI, and passing mechanics that make subtle but meaningful improvements to the moment-to-moment football on the field. To be clear, Madden still has a long way to go to catch up with other sports sims, the majority of which are more refined, less buggy, and have a clearer identity. After playing Madden NFL 23, though, I finally have a little optimism that it’s on the right path — maybe not an emphatic “Boom!”, but clear forward progress for a series that so desperately needs it.

Ghostwire: Tokyo offers a varied arsenal of paranormal powers, and a well-realized deception of the Japanese capital. However, it does fall into some familiar open-world grooves.

The new Saints Row features enjoyable open-world gameplay but bland characters and an overall timid story make it the weakest entry in the series.

Atlas Fallen is a solid but uninspiring open-world fantasy RPG with brilliant movement and traversal but not much else. In a crowded field of fantasy RPGs, it doesn’t have the level of finish, characters, and story to make it a truly memorable experience.

Crash Team Rumble may not be a traditional Crash game, but it is a very fun one. Some characters and powers definitely seem to be stronger than others based on the fact that the community brings them into every single match, but everything and everyone is viable in the right hands. Matchmaking is a breeze, the maps are absolutely incredible, there’s a lot of depth for those who want to mine it, and it’s easy to lose yourself in the hunt for Wumpa Fruit for hours at a time, especially if you’re playing with friends. Even the cosmetic upgrades are fun to mess around with. But those hours come to a close a bit too soon due to a lack of game modes, limited matchmaking options, and an unlock system that is often downright annoying. That leaves Crash Team Rumble feeling a lot like Wumpa Fruit itself: it’s a great snack, and it’s got a lot of flavor, but you’ll probably be hungry again 30 minutes later. I know I was.

If you’re a diehard action RPG fan looking to kill some time with a game that doesn’t require a lot of thinking, then Godfall is a solid investment. Its core combat mechanics and familiar structure make it an easy game to dive in and out of without too much difficulty.

Madden NFL 24 makes several much-needed improvements to the on-field experience thanks to fantastic additions to animations and AI, but it still suffers from the same problems it always has once you get off the field: everything here is just done better in every other sports sim, even the other ones made by EA, and this year’s tweaks just aren’t enough to make up for the series’ continued feeling of sameness and lack of progress. To continue the metaphor, Madden feels like a decent but not great football team: content to coast. If it were in the right division I could see it sneaking into the playoffs, or overperforming in a good year. But it’s the kind of team that typically gets eliminated in the first round. The on-field game might be the best it’s ever been, but there are too many off-field issues here to ignore, and with each passing year it feels more and more like they’ll never be fixed. Perpetually, Madden seems like it could be a contender with time and the right changes, but right now it feels like an also-ran. And you don’t win the Super Bowl like that.