What are the best PS5 games at launch?

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Living in the UK is awesome. We have fish and chips; we have the NHS and we have the Great British Bake Off.

Sadly, we also have to wait a week for the release of the Playstation 5. So, if, like me, you’re patiently waiting for your big shiny new toy to arrive in the post, you’re probably scrolling through a list of games, wondering what to pick up and play first,  or perhaps if you’re in the US you’ve got one of these shiny new beasts sat in front of you and you’re doing the exact same thing.

Well, luckily for you, I was sitting here earlier, asking those hard-hitting questions: what are the best PS5 games at launch? What PS5 game should I play first? And, most importantly, what PS5 games are free at launch? Also luckily, we’ve had Tef and Jim hard at work over these past few weeks, reviewing everything they can get their hands on. Coupled with the games which have already been released on PS4, we have quite a healthy catalogue of games to look at already. Here they are, listed by review score, with a couple of notes against each one. Don’t worry, the full review is linked below if you want to get a more rounded picture of the full game.

What are the best PS5 games at launch?

Although we do give games 10/10 from time to time, new consoles are always full of hiccups, and no new game on a new console is ever perfect. We have, however, given a fair few the almost perfect score of 9/10, and a couple of clunkers the dubious honour of 6/10. Here they are, ranked by score (and then alphabetically for fairness), complete with trailers and our final thoughts.

Bugsnax – 9/10

Bugsnax was one of the games which really caught my eye when it was first revealed. A photojournalist running around doing Pokémon things? Sign me up.  This is what I said in my review:

Bugsnax is a unique and wonderful experience, and a must-play for anyone who can get their hands on it. If you’re lucky enough to have secured a PS5, make sure you make the most of PlayStation Plus and pick up your free copy while it lasts. If not, this game is still well worth your hard-earned cash.

You can read the full Bugnsax review here.

Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition – 9/10

Sibling rivalry never changes: Dante and Vergil will always have a rivalry and a new Playstation will always have a Devil May Cry game.

Or to quote Tef:

DMC5 Special Edition for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S builds on the excellence of the original release. It’s not the most essential purchase, since you will soon be able to buy Vergil as DLC for the original release, but with some new game modes like Legendary Dark Knight difficulty and the new graphical options making the game smoother/prettier than ever before, it’s sure to be tempting for fans of the series.

We kept the original review score of 9 for this game, but you can read the full review for this special edition release here.

The Pathless – 9/10

The Pathless is another great addition in the BotW-like genre. Linklike? I’m not quite sure what to call it, other than a bloody good game.

A larger more ambitious game from Giant Squid that shares influences with Breath of the Wild only to subvert it in clever ways: retooling a bow as an ingenious mode of traversal and puzzle solving, an open world with no map, and a shooter where you don’t have to aim. It’s an accessible and streamlined approach making for an unmissable adventure to lose yourself in.

Read Alan’s review of The Pathless here.

Planet Coaster: Console Edition – 9/10

Not all rollercoaster sims are good. The VR one which made you shoot things as you went almost had me vomiting in the corner of the room. This one, however, embraces all that is good about this genre, ramps up the saturation (and the sugar) and Dom absolutely loved it.

Joy, wonder and engrossing park management come together to spectacular effect in Planet Coaster: Console Edition. Frontier are masters of the park building art, and as we enter a new console generation that’s never been clearer.

Read Dom’s full Planet Coaster review here.

Astro’s Playroom – 8/10

I reckon that if TSA were to have a mascot, it would probably be Astro. Not only does this cute little robot match our logo, colour for colour, their first game was a rounding success — we all absolutely loved it. And it’s not just us who would use him as a mascot either:

Astro cements himself as the PlayStation 5’s mascot with a celebration of all things PlayStation that also showcases the full potential of the immersive new DualSense controller. Astro’s Playroom is the first thing you should play on PlayStation 5.

Read Tef’s full thoughts on Astro’s Playroom here.

Dirt 5 – 8/10

Our first racing game of the list, DIRT 5 is a big, bold over-the-top arcade racer. It’s far from perfect, but if this looks like your bag, why not give it a shot?

DIRT 5 strips away the more serious elements of the franchise and puts all its eggs in one, arcade cabinet shaped, basket. At times a riot, in other areas a little repetitive and lacking in finesse, it nevertheless delivers on the concept of an adrenaline-fueled off-road racer. It’s a game that makes you sit forward in your seat and savour the joys of jumping a Dakar Rally Peugeot 3008 over a ravine.

You can read more of Thomas’s thoughts on DIRT 5 here.

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales – 8/10

Onto the one everyone is probably waiting for, not only building on the resounding success of the first game, but doing so from the perspective of Miles Morales — a decision which made a lot of fans very happy.

Spider-Man: Miles Morales feels like more of a sequel than it is a stopgap, entangling players within its web of cleverly refined mechanics while delivering some familiar web-slinging thrills. A heroic technical showcase for PS5 owners picking up their consoles on day one, this meaty side story in the Spider-Man saga has us even more excited than before to see what Insomniac Games have planned next.

You can find out why Jim gave it 8/10 here.

Watch Dogs: Legion – 8/10

Ubisoft’s latest installment in it’s Watch Dogs franchise is, fittingly, a Marmite game, with people falling very much into one of two camps. Personally, I’m just hoping the PS5 version fixes the awful load times I’ve had on the PS4.

Watch Dogs Legion is a different type of sequel to Watch Dogs 2, contrasting in its approach to creating a hackable open world playground, but with no less impressive results. Playing as any citizen in London leads to some less-than-engaging story moments, but the web of relationships and activities that crop up as a result of the systemic design is mind-blowing. I rarely did the same thing twice in Watch Dogs Legion, and if I did, I wasn’t doing it the same way twice. Watch Dogs Legion truly feels like a living, breathing world, and it’s a world that I plan to revisit often, even though I’ve seen the credits on the main story roll.

You can read Miguel’s thoughts here.

WRC 9 – 8/10

WRC is the official World Rally Championship racing franchise. Much like our last racer, it’s not perfect, but this is a game that fans are going to love. Something tells me that this could feel pretty good with the new Dualshock, but we haven’t tested it with the adaptive triggers.

With driving that is now on par with the competition, WRC 9 will keep sucking rally fans back in for more. Elements around the core rallying action could still do with some added finesse, but when the basic premise is so solid, those issues fade into the background. At last, Kylotonn has delivered on the promise of authentic driving experience, and for a rallying game, I think that is the single most important element.

You can find Thomas’s full WRC 9 review here.

Marvel’s Avengers – 7/10

If you’re looking for a superhero smackdown, Marvel’s Avengers is likely your first port of call.

Marvel’s Avengers offers a new approach for a superhero video game, yet one that still feels all too familiar for anyone who’s played Destiny, The Division, or Anthem. It’s eye-popping in its technical prowess as well as how much it leans on live service hooks, anticipating players will come back day after day. And a lot of players definitely will, especially if they can squad up with friends. Past its flaws and behind the grind, Marvel’s Avengers is still a fun superhero brawler that has plenty of room to grow in the coming months.

You can read Jim’s thoughts on the latest Marvel game here.

Sackboy: A Big Adventure – 7/10

Another Playstation flagship franchise, Sackboy: A Big Adventure is going to be one of those games that fans gravitate towards. Unfortunately, it’s a little slow-moving, but it’s still worth your time if you’re curious what Sackboy (specifically not Sackgirl) has been up to.

Sackboy: A Big Adventure starts off slow, feeling like a hollow reflection of the franchise, but eventually grows into its new 3D platforming elements. It’s at its best when it blends the new with the old, when there’s power-ups, side-scrolling and a meaningful challenge, but it takes a bit too long to get it together.

Read Tef’s thoughts on this flagship game here.

Madden 21 – 6/10

Dom wasn’t impressed with Madden 21. Hopefully, its PS5 release will iron out the bugs which made this such a mission on current-gen consoles

Madden 21 has the components to be a solid, if utterly by-the-numbers entry in the franchise. However, a raft of bugs and glitches serve to undo the game’s atmosphere at every turn.

Read the full Madden 21 review here.

Unrated/Review in progress

Sadly, we haven’t had time to fully play and review everything. Where possible, we’ve given our thoughts on the game’s opening, with more thoughts to come. If you’re curious and want an early peak at how we feel these games are shaping up, take a look at our reviews in progress here:

What PS5 game should I play first?

Astro Boy, apparently — Tef’s full review was titled “Astro’s Playroom Review – The first game you should play on PlayStation 5”. That answers that question pretty well, doesn’t it?

And, most importantly, what PS5 games are free at launch?

First and foremost, anyone with a Playstation Plus subscription gets free access to Bugsnax this month — and the game is stellar so make sure you pick up a copy.

On top of that, PS5 owners with a this subscription will also have access to the brand new PS Plus Collection: a collection of games free to play if you have Playstation Plus. The name is pretty on the nose, if you ask me…

Anyway, the first batch of games you can pick up are as follows, with more inevitably to come as Sony expands the collection. Where we’ve only reviewed the base game, the review for that is provided:

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Barely functional Pokémon Go player. Journalist. Hunter of Monster Hunter monsters. Drinks more coffee than Alan Wake.