Best PS4 Action-Adventure Games to Play on PS5

Best PS4 Action-Adventure Games to Play on PS5

We've seen a pretty nice lineup of action-adventure games launching on PS5. Between Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Immortals Fenyx Rising, Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition, and Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales (Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered, too, if you picked up the Ultimate Edition), we had a lot to choose from. .

These games won't suit everyone's tastes, but thankfully due to backwards compatibility on the PS5, next-gen owners can take advantage of Sony's huge PS4 catalog as well. From Red Dead Redemption 2 to The Last of Us Part II, the choice is endless.



Even better, depending on the title, playing through PS5 can also offer better performance, increased resolution, and faster loading times. Many titles can now be found at low prices, but some are completely free through the PS Plus Collection, which is exclusively available to PS5 owners, provided you're a subscriber. As such, here are our top recommendations for PS4 action-adventure games you should play first on PlayStation 5.

The shadow of the colossus

There's no denying that Shadow of the Colossus is an absolute classic. Focused on the story of Wander, we find our hero traveling through a strange land to kill Colossi, seeking to bring a girl named Mono back to life. Facing 16 of these giant creatures in total, each with their own specific weaknesses, Wander has his work cut out for him.

Originally released on PS2 by (unsurprisingly) Team Ico of Ico and The Last Guardian fame, this remake was brought to us by Bluepoint Games, who recently undertook the fantastic remaster of Demon's Souls on PS5. It's incredibly faithful to the original, which isn't always to its advantage, but there's an unforgettable experience here that you won't want to miss.



In our review of the game, we said, "Shadow of the Colossus is still a great game despite its game design becoming repetitive and the fact that some of its mechanics can be quite boring. There's still no game that can match its dreary atmosphere, simple but effective storytelling, and outstanding boss battles. It's a one-of-a-kind game that still holds its own and one that PS4 owners should check out..."

Origins of Assassin's Creed

Assassin's Creed might be one of Ubisoft's biggest franchises, but few would argue that upon reaching Syndicate, it started to feel rather stale. Having already seen annual releases, Assassin's Creed Origins turned the tide by skipping 2016 and releasing in 2017 instead.

This time around, fans travel to ancient Egypt, with the tale centering on an age-old conflict between the forerunners of the Assassin Brotherhood and the Templar Order. Incorporating an open-world style, it adopts more distinctive RPG-like gameplay, which Odyssey and Valhalla later developed.

Although it was criticized for its poor pacing, reviewers considered it a needed reboot of Ubisoft's hit series and even now it's worth a watch.

We said that despite some technical issues, "Assassin's Creed: Origins is a fantastic game that takes all the best elements of the action-RPG genre (like hunting, crafting, archery, etc.) and gives you complete freedom to use it all in the grand and utterly beautiful world of Ancient Egypt.”

Days Gone

Days Gone came at a time when zombie fatigue had set in for many gamers, but as another free game in the PS Plus collection, it deserves a second look. Developed by SIE Bend Studio, Days Gone is set in the Pacific Northwest after millions of people have turned into zombies following a global pandemic that has destroyed civilization.



Traveling through this open world by motorbike, you play as Deacon St. John, who discovers that his wife Sarah might still be alive. Of course, there's plenty of action to be found along the way.

Quite remarkably, Days Gone on PS5 is improved over its PS4 counterpart, now playable at 60fps with vibrant 4K resolution. So if you've ever been curious to try it out but haven't figured it out yet, playing Days Gone on PS5 is definitely your best option yet.

Hellblade: Senua's sacrifice

We've all seen the argument over whether games can be considered art, but if there's a game to convincingly defend it, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is certainly in the conversation. Drawing inspiration from Norse mythology and Celtic culture, this story revolves around Senua, a warrior determined to travel to Helheim to save a loved one.

We highly rated it at the time as "a unique game that intriguingly captures mental illness and offers a punishing yet fluid set of mechanics, all wrapped up in a fascinating journey through a vibrant world." Hellblade has further been praised by critics for its delicate handling of psychosis, aided by developer Ninja Theory's work with those who suffer from these conditions and mental health experts.

A sequel was announced last year, Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, although due to Microsoft's acquisition of Ninja Theory in 2018, this one unfortunately won't be making its way to PS5.

Control

Remedy Entertainment has gained a devoted following over the years due to the popularity of games such as Alan Wake, Quantum Break, and Max Payne. Now, with Control, arguably their best title yet, they've connected them all through a complex multiverse.



In Control, we play the role of Jesse Faden, who is looking for his missing brother since they were separated when they were children. As Director of the Federal Bureau of Control (FBC), Jesse's adventure takes us through the FBC headquarters, aka The Oldest House, a building that can transform and change shape, reaching alternate realities.

Finding the Oldest House threatened by a mysterious entity called The Hiss, an entity that has infected nearly everyone at FBC Headquarters, Jesse must fight his way to the truth using both guns and his powers. supernatural.

Control is a surprisingly challenging one and we heartily recommend you give it a try, saying, "(it's) arguably Remedy's biggest and weirdest game to date. In many ways, it's is also his best, while paving the way for a Marvel-like connected universe."

It's due to come to PS5 next year and is offered as a free upgrade if you own the Ultimate Edition. In the meantime, it still plays beautifully thanks to backwards compatibility on the PlayStation 4.

Fantôme by Tsushima

Sucker Punch Productions has established itself with series like Sly Cooper and Infamous, so it was quite surprising when they revealed their next title after it would be an action game set in feudal Japan. Launched earlier this year, Ghost of Tsushima puts us in the role of Jin Sakai, a samurai warrior who seeks to repel the Mongol Empire's invasion of the island of Tsushima.

Learning to defeat these tough invaders through both traditional and untraditional, stealthy and direct means, Jin questions everything he thinks he knows and must decide between a rigid code of honor and saving his home.

Ghost of Tsushima's open world is one of the most beautiful on the PlayStation 4 and packed with things to do, from liberating villages to writing haiku. Its story and mechanics ultimately make it another award-winning game worth looking into. This helps Ghost of Tsushima get a performance boost on the PS5, running at 60fps for smoother gameplay, and recently saw the addition of cooperative multiplayer in Ghost of Tsushima Legends.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Red Dead Redemption 2 was an undeniable success for Rockstar Games. Released in 2018 and sold 34 million copies, this story is a prequel to the original Red Dead Redemption, where we take on the role of Arthur Morgan, a member of the infamous Van Der Linde Gang.

Set in 1899 during the final years of the Wild West, RDR2 shows the gang at their peak as federal agents hunt you down, tying into John Marston's story from Red Dead Redemption.

Another open world title, Red Dead Redemption 2 offers hundreds of hours of content. Whether it's the well-written narrative or one of the game's many free-roaming activities, RDR2 is a game players can return to again and again, finding, if not something new, something entertaining to enjoy. every time.

Like many other PS4 games on this list, we really enjoyed RDR2 and while it doesn't see a huge performance boost on PS5, players can expect to find improved load times and fewer drops. frame rate.

The Last of Us 2

Even now, months after its release, The Last of Us 2 continues to grab headlines. Recently passed The Game Awards, winning seven of the 10 awards it was nominated for, including Game of the Year, it is one of the best and most controversial games of 2020.

Experiencing major leaks and backlash against Progress, Naughty Dog's juggernaut held firm in June. Set four years after the first game, TLoU2 begins by showing fans that Ellie and Joel have built a new life in Jackson, Wyoming, but it's a life that's soon turned upside down.

Without getting into spoilers, The Last of Us 2 features a story we called an “emotional roller coaster” when we reviewed it earlier this year. Although it doesn't always land, its narrative and mechanics make it a spectacular experience worth playing.

God of the war

We've seen franchise reinventions before, but God of War gave us something that defied all expectations. Developed by SIE Santa Monica, 2018's pivot takes us from ancient Greece to a quieter (and chillier) Scandinavian setting, using Norse mythology as inspiration for a more nuanced tale.

Having destroyed the Greek gods, Kratos is a much older version of himself in God of War; he started a new life in Midgard, and we find that he now has a family. After the tragic death of his wife Faye, Kratos and his son Atreus set out on a journey to scatter her ashes, earning Baldur's ire in the process.

Narratively rich and featuring some truly fantastic combat, God of War is one of the best games of this decade. As this is a free game from the PlayStation Plus collection for PS5, there is no excuse not to play it. A sequel is due next year, so there's never been a better time to get started.

Horizon Zero Dawn

It's been almost four years since Horizon Zero Dawn first launched and honestly it still holds up beautifully. Developed by Guerilla Games, it brought us a primitive-futuristic adventure, where wild machines now roam a post-apocalyptic world. It follows the story of Aloy, an outcast rejected by her tribe, as she sets out to find out who she is.

With a group of cultists corrupting these machines, it's up to Aloy to find out what's destroying this wondrous world. Of course, she gets tangled up in a larger mystery that unravels the mysteries of this world in the process. It's been a fantastic adventure and with Horizon Forbidden West currently on track for release in 2021, we highly recommend checking out the first game in the works.

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

No one can deny how much Uncharted helped shape the PS3 era for Sony and when Naughty Dog revealed a fourth game for the PS4 expectations were high. Released in 2016, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End takes place several years after the third game, seeing us play as the now-retired former treasure hunter Nathan Drake.

Quickly finding himself out of retirement, this adventure takes us on a search for Henry Avery's long-lost treasure, taking Nathan all the way to Libertalla. It was yet another big winner on our books and another freebie via the PS Plus collection. If you enjoyed A Thief's End, you'd do well to also check out its standalone expansion, The Lost Legacy.

Batman: Arkham Knight

It's strange to think that for a long time Batman had a pretty bad rap with video game adaptations. That was until Rocksteady Studios came along. After winning over gamers with Batman: Arkham Asylum in 2009, we haven't seen a new entry for five years now in this Arkham series but Batman: Arkham Knight has done the best so far.

Nine months after Arkham City, Gotham City is attacked by Scarecrow, who forces a citywide evacuation and is aided by the elusive Arkham Knight, all in an attempt to finally defeat Batman. We thought it was one of the best Batman games to date and as a free PS Plus Collection game, there's absolutely no excuse not to play.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

We've seen mixed results from Star Wars since EA got the license, but if there's one game you shouldn't ignore, it's Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Set five years after Revenge of the Sith, we play as Cal Kestis, a Jedi Padawan who is hunted by the Galactic Empire following their Jedi Purge.

Marking the only Star Wars action-adventure title on last-gen consoles, this single-player experience wasn't perfect but still provided a great time for fans. If you're looking for a cheaper way to play, Fallen Order isn't a PS Plus collection game, but it's available through the EA Play subscription service for $4,99 per month, which is at least worth the detour.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider

Lara Croft will always be one of gaming's most iconic protagonists and while Tomb Raider games haven't always hit the mark, we found a damn fine effort in Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Launched in 2018 and developed by Eidos-Montreal, it marks the third entry in the rebooted franchise, following 2016's Rise of the Tomb Raider.

This time around, Lara travels between Central and South America, exploring the lost Inca city of Paititi while battling a paramilitary organization. We thought about it, even though some critics thought that after three entries, the formula became obsolete. Either way, if you're not tired of raiding tombs just yet, this adventure should prove to be quite satisfying.

Sekiro: the shadows are dying twice

As we continue to wait on the elusive Elden Ring, now is a great time to return to Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Developed by FromSoftware, it marked a departure from the studio's previous work on Bloodborne and Dark Souls, with fewer RPG elements and no online multiplayer, although of course it retained the Soulslike difficulty of its predecessors.

Playing the role of the disgraced “one-armed wolf” during Japan's XNUMXth-century Sengoku period, we uncover a tale of revenge as he goes after the samurai clan who attacked him and kidnapped his lord. Utilizing a suite of polished ninja skills, stealth, and one-on-one combat, Sekiro is absolutely worth a look if you're up to the challenge, but it's not for the easygoing.

Do you agree with the games we have featured here in this list? Sound off in the comments below.

Published on 22 December 2020

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