24 Best PS5 Games for When They Need to Escape Reality

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry gets the RPG treatment in this new game. As players learn spells and potions, face goblins and beasts, they’ll ultimately have to decide if they want to use their powers for good or evil. Fans of the Harry Potter books will find a lot of nostalgia here.

When Frey Holland finds herself transported to another dimension, she uses her newfound magical powers to forge her way home. As Frey, players will discover this magic as they go, fighting horrible beasts (and humans) infected with The Break. Parkour, magic, and a beautiful setting are the backdrop to Forspoken’s battle of good versus evil.

Batman is dead, and it’s up to Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, and Red Hood to protect Gotham from the usual cast of DC-comic villains as well as a new enemy—a secret society called The Court of Owls.

Players choose a character and weapons, then head out into the night, filling up a Momentum bank for extra power. Gotham Nights supports both single- and two-person play.

Those looking for an immersive and complex game with layers of characters and challenges should turn to Elden Ring. FromSoftware’s style isn’t for everyone, as its previous games like Dark Souls and Bloodborne are notorious for being crushingly difficult. But that makes victory all the sweeter for those who can stick it out.

Reaching a broader audience with the new HBO series based on this game, The Last of Us is an example of video game storytelling at its finest.

Rebuilt for the PS5, it takes advantage of the haptic feedback and 3D audio capabilities of the console to make Joel and Ellie’s journey even more immersive. Plus, the game includes a bonus prequel chapter titled “Left Behind.”

Inspired by events in Japan’s feudal history, Ghost of Tsushima has players fighting for the freedom of the Tsushima empire, even if it means leaving their samurai training behind. Included with this game is Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, a cooperative multi-player extension that continues the battle.

Another long-running game franchise, Mortal Kombat and its latest installment have players join the Earthrealm to stop Kronika from resetting time and calling a do-over on all of history.

Two noteworthy characters appear—Mileena, a favorite villain who first appeared in Mortal Kombat II, and Rambo. The Rambo. Expect more of the excellent, gory, side-scrolling combat MK is known for.

Death Stranding has players embark on missions—with varying degrees of risk—to connect the survivors of an unnatural invasion. And no, your eyes aren’t deceiving you. That’s Norman Reedus, lending his talents to the main character, Sam Bridges.

Rebuilt for the PS5, Dead Space puts players in a deserted space craft that they can explore from end to end. Of course, creatures are out for the kill, so it’s best to find them first. It’s immersive sci-fi horror at its finest, and with 3D audio, jump scares are even more frightening.

Amid the ruins of future America, Aloy must battle sentient machines and their human allies with whatever she can salvage and turn into a weapon. Many favorite characters from Horizon Zero Dawn make appearances here.

It’s everyone’s favorite anthropomorphic hedgehog, back to collect Chaos emeralds and battle robots in the five Starfall Islands. Unlike some Sonic games of the past, Sonic Frontiers is open-world, which many Sonic fans will say is long overdue.

Playing as Ratchet or Clank, players fight their way through a number of worlds as they battle a power-hungry Emperor. Whether they opt for the Topiary Sprinkler, the Shatterbomb, or any of the other creative weapons the franchise is known for, each comes with its own unique response from the adaptive trigger on the controller.

The second game in the God of War series, Ragnarök can stand on its own despite the fact that it’s technically a sequel. Amid the stunning imagery, evolving weaponry, haptic and adaptive controls, and an impactful storyline, Kratos and Atreus (father and son) fight Norse gods and monsters to save the Nine Realms.

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As a reaper in the form of a crow, players collect as many souls as possible, work around the bureaucrats at the home office, and find a way to prop open Death’s Door.

This game is filled with challenging puzzles and funny puns, and it has a beautiful soundtrack. Death’s Door is a sequel to Titan Souls but is easily playable as a standalone.

In the future, a deserted city is populated by robots. Players, operating as a stray cat, must rely on their skills to find their way out of its dangerous, labyrinthine streets. Thankfully, a flying drone named B12 is there to function as guide. When it’s time to nap (and there’s always time for a cat nap), the PS5 controller purrs.

Planet Coaster entails designing and building roller coasters from hundreds of blueprints. The best part, however, is taking a thrill ride in the resulting creation. Other park-building elements include designing the landscape around the rides, and there’s even a Workshop for downloading other players’ coasters.

With two swords–one for mortals, one for immortals–Geralt of Rivia must survive the Wild Hunt. It’s a relentless, otherworldly invasion, and the only way to fight is one creature at a time. That is, unless Geralt finds the Child of Prophecy.

After saving the kingdoms, two expansion packs, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, offer new allies and yet another world to explore.

Gran Turismo 7 lets players drive alone, race with one other companion locally, or (with PS Plus) compete with up to 20 people online. But first, they’ll have to buy the best race cars and fill their garage.

Up to four friends can team up and romp around the farm, causing hours of goat drama in Goat Simulator 3.

There aren’t any rules here. Just be a goat. Dress up. Crash into things with your head. There are a few fun games you can play with each other; that is, until you get distracted by a salt lick.

Resident Evil has been a fan-favorite since its debut in 1996. Resident Evil Village wraps up the storyline of RE7, and continues it with “Shadows of Rose,” set 16 years in the future.

Players have the option to navigate in first- or third-person modes. And, with your purchase, your recipient gets free access to Resident Evil Re:Verse, a multiplayer game with the same characters—and a few new ones.