The PlayStation 5's release came with its fair share of successful games, having some unique narratives, worlds, and gameplay mechanics. Not only that, the console also came with remastered adaptations that were made even better by its unique attributes like the immersive adaptive triggers and detailed haptic feedback, which can make any adventure more intense.
The 18 Best PS5 Exclusive Games, Ranked (July 2024)
A lot of the best PlayStation 5 exclusives are single-player experiences, with action-adventure and open-world also being frequently recurring themes.
Although there have not been a lot of PlayStation 5 exclusives at the time of this writing, the quality of the games is undeniable, as Sony has published some amazing adventures for players to immerse themselves in. While some of them are family-friendly adventures, like Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, the console has some more difficult iterations as well. With some literal and figurative uphill battles, PS5 gamers have quite the task in their hands with some challenging Sony games on the console that will definitely have players wanting to throw their controller.
8 Horizon Forbidden West
An Open World Filled With Distinct Enemies And Difficult Puzzles
Ranking among the best PS5 RPGs, the sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn was able to double down on everything that made the first game so good, including in its overall difficulty. Building on the gameplay, world, characters, and mechanics of the first game, Horizon Forbidden West completely immerses the player in Aloy's post-apocalyptic world.
The game has a great narrative and an original world filled with mechanical beasts, each with their own weaknesses and strengths. Not only are there varied combat mechanics that require players to adapt their gameplay, the game includes a wide world filled with quests, puzzles, and challenges that bring an extra layer of difficulty to the series.
7 Ghost Of Tsushima: Director's Cut
Brutal Open World With Bloody Invasions And Intense Duels
Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut
- Released
- August 20, 2021
- Developer(s)
- Sucker Punch
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure , Open-World
A brutal world with a heavy story and carefully crafted combat, Ghost of Tsushima provides players with a balance of finesse and difficulty that is hard to find elsewhere. Even so, the PS5 version of the game heightens the stakes from the PS4 original with incredible haptic feedback and more details in the game's breathtaking locations.
The emotional turmoil in the game makes it so that Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut brings a different kind of difficulty along with the intense duels and epic invasions. Regular game difficulty aside, this game offers a realistic mode where players can die with one hit in true samurai fashion, making this one of, if not the hardest Sony open-world game.
6 God Of War: Ragnarök
Epic Mythological Battles With God-Like Difficulty Mode
God of War: Ragnarok
- Released
- November 9, 2022
- Developer(s)
- Santa Monica Studio
- Genre(s)
- Action , Adventure
Kratos and Artreus' adventure through a mythological Norse world is not an easy one. Considered by many the best single-player game on PS5, this sequel offers so much in the span of one game. Wrathful gods, unique myths, a breathtaking world and, of course, epic battles are all a part of what makes God of War: Ragnarok so beloved.
All God of War Ragnarok Difficulty Settings Explained (Valhalla DLC)
There are five different difficulty settings in God of War Ragnarok, allowing the game to accomodate a wide range of different skill levels.
The game's accessible yet intense combat allows fans to dive deep into a story that can be played on different difficulty settings. The 'Give Me God of War' setting, however, proves how hard this game can actually be. This is a game mode made for God of War experts with fast reflexes. Once players select this difficulty, they will not be able to switch it throughout their playthrough, making it one of the hardest experiences on the PS5.
5 The Last Of Us Part II Remastered
A Post-Apocalyptic World Where Survival Is The Only Choice
The Last Of Us Part II Remastered
- Platform(s)
- PS5
- Released
- January 19, 2024
- Developer(s)
- Naughty Dog
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
Back when the first Last of Us game was released, it brought a level of horror and difficulty that, alongside its narrative, helped establish its pristine status in the gaming community. Yet the second game doubled down on everything that made the first game such a frantic third-person experience.
Despite its more controversial story beats, the second game in the franchise is even more unforgiving than the first, with more terrifying types of zombies. Already considered one of the hardest PlayStation 4 games, the remastered version of The Last of Us Part II makes for an even tougher experience, with haptic feedback and a new roguelike mode that make this a scary hard post-apocalyptic adventure.
4 Gran Turismo 7
Realism And Speed In A Challenging Racing Simulator
It is not hard to see why Gran Turismo 7 is regarded as the best PlayStation 5 racing game, as it brings utterly realistic visuals and amazing gameplay, with a world-class car selection, and circuits that offer a simulated racing game that brings the challenge to life.
Realistic and beautiful, the game offers players hard missions and tests that push racers to perfect their in-game driving to a staggering level. Despite its not-so-great launch, this racer offers a bumpy ride for players with realistically challenging circuits and races.
3 Demon's Souls
Unforgiving And Unrelenting Classic Souls Game
Not only one of the hardest games published by Sony, Demon's Souls is one of the hardest PlayStation 5 RPGs out there. The 4k visuals and smooth 60 fps might ease the original game's combat to a degree, yet it still presents the same challenges and unforgiving nature of Souls games.
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Demon's Souls has some hard as nails enemies, labyrinthine level designs, and a World Tendency system that adapts to the player's interactions to increase the difficulty, making it an extremely punishing journey. This can even result in an experience where players get less health, enemies more health, and less loot to help in this unforgiving experience.
2 Nioh 2
Fast Combat With Soulslike Gameplay
The first Nioh game was already highly regarded for its difficult nature and brutal combat, yet the second game aimed even higher when it came to difficulty. The game uses a Soulslike formula, but joins it with a fast-paced combat system that relies on lighting-quick reflexes. Not only that, enemies deal huge chunks of damage with every attack, raising the stakes in every fight.
The powerful bosses and the variety of enemies with unique fighting patterns makes this an unforgiving journey with highly frustrating combat. Overall, Nioh 2 gives players very little room for error as they are launched on a long yet fulfilling campaign through a dangerous world.
1 Returnal
An Overwhelming Horror Roguelike With No Room To Breathe
Being stuck in a time loop on a scary planet filled with terrorizing aliens is definitely not for the faint of heart, especially when navigating difficult horror-like memories in the process. Returnal features a distinctive environment that is filled with unyielding enemies and interconnected areas that change with each playthrough, which ranks it as one of the hardest Sony-published games ever made.
Every encounter is a desperate and overwhelming fight for survival that intensifies as the protagonist struggles to free herself from this horrific planet that seems to taunt her at every turn. With multiple projectiles flying from every direction, players will continuously struggle to stay alive thanks to the inhospitable forces that seem to drive the player to frustrating depths and deaths on every run.
5 Hardest PS5 Games Published By Square Enix, Ranked
Square Enix has published several difficult games on PlayStation 5, but which is the toughest of them all?
