Summary
The PS5 is probably about halfway through its life cycle, or maybe Sony will stretch this one out longer than they usually do and borrow from Nintendo’s original Switch philosophy. Either way, the system has had some great first-person games already, likeResident Evil VillageandIndiana Jones and the Great Circle.
Those are single-player games, though, and there have been some great first-person multiplayer games on PS5 too. Nearly every genre has been touched on from shooters to RPGs, and these are the ones every PS5 owner should check out for game night with their family or friends. These games will be ranked based on multiplayer options and overall quality.
MythForceis a unique take on the roguelike genre as it establishes itself in the same vein asHe-Man and the Masters of the Universe, as far as Saturday Morning Cartoon plots go. As four mythical warriors, players can go through a series of dungeons, acquiring upgrades along the way.
Each class is attached to a charismatic character, but they fall under the classic RPG tropes of hunter, mage, rogue, and knight. There aren’t many roguelikes or first-person games like it, especially with multiplayer attached.
The Outlast Trialsis a prequelset in a prison during the Cold War. Alone or in a party of four, players will go through a series of episodic missions with new killers hunting them down and not much to fight back with.
It’s best to think of the game likeResident Evil 3: Nemesis, as a big, hulking foe is always chasing after the party, and Saw because of the demonic traps. It’s also fun in its twisted sense of humor, like a bad B-horror film that is equal parts gross and unsettling funny with some of its characters and dialogue.
The Far Cry series has been pretty good about allowing campaign co-op, and this most recent entry is no different. Set in the made-up country of Yara, players will band together with a rebellion to free the nation from its dictator, played by the enigmatic Giancarlo Esposito ofThe BoysandBreaking Badfame.
Only two players can team up in this shooter, but that’s more than enough firepower to retake control of Yara. The only downside is that the story progression is not shared between the host and the online partner.
Back 4 Bloodis a spiritual successor toLeft 4 Dead, made by Turtle Rock Studios. The concept is mostly the same, as players could choose their character and then go through a series of zombie-infested levels that hit harder the closer they got to the exit.
While not as polished asLeft 4 Dead, it was indeed a worthy successor thanks to the intensity that each match brought with it. Hearing the screams and pleas of teammates could make for some incrediblezombie-filled gameplay sessions.
Dead Island 2can be played as a shooter, but the combat emphasis is on melee weapons. Players can craft wild weapons to take down zombie hordes across the sunny shores of L.A., like adding electricity to a machete. Three players can team up in this one, and there is a class system as each of thesix playable characters has unique traits inDead Island 2. Amy has high Agility, for example, but her Toughness is very weak, meaning that she takes a lot of damage. A well-crafted online party can help balance every playable character’s flaws.
Borderlands 3had a wealth of multiplayer options, including local and online gameplay, plus players could create a combination of local and online multiplayer together. It wasthe biggestBorderlandsgameto that point, offering players a ship as their HUB, which they could then take to different areas.
Of course, the main attraction is always the guns in these games, andBorderlands 3did not disappoint with its variety. For those itching to playBorderlands 4soon, which looks even bigger,Borderlands 3will be a good warmup.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6is the latest entry in the series overall and theBlack Opssub-series. There are three distinct modes in the game, including a host of multiplayer matches, a single-player campaign, and a zombie mode.
The zombie mode is a co-op campaign wherein four players will fight against a horde of AI-controlled zombies. The multiplayer mode objectives range from disarming bombs to getting kills, and they are just as fun alone as they are in a dedicated squad.
It’s hard to believe thatDestiny 2launched in 2017 as a paid game, which then became free in 2019. Three players can always join together to explore planets, but the bread and butter co-op mode has always been Strikes. Although a lot of Destiny 2’s content can be played solo nowadays, Strikes and campaign missions are most fun experienced as a trio. The variety of content has expanded a lot over the years, with seasonal and Exotic missions for three players thrown in the mix, too.
Then there are theDestiny 2Raids, like Vault of Glass, that offer six-player co-op, as well as dungeons like Vesper’s Host that offer a bit more challenge for a trio. There are also some classic Team Deathmatch modes to engage with. Three races, various classes, tons of loot, and more have helped keep this looter shooter alive for almost a decade.
