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These 9 PS5 Games Could Define the Next Era of PlayStation

From God of War spin-offs to Konami’s resurgence, these new and upcoming titles make it clear: The PlayStation 5 is finally hitting its stride and entering its prime era.

 & Jordan Minor Principal Writer, Software

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February's Sony State of Play showcase was absolutely jam-packed with news on cool games for the PlayStation 5 (as well as other platforms). There was genuinely enough excitement to rival old-school E3 presentations. The hour-long stream gave promising updates on games we already knew about, such as Beast of Reincarnation, Capcom’s projects, Control Resonant, Death Stranding 2 on PC, Marathon, Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, Mina the Hollower, Saros, and Ghost of Yotei’s multiplayer mode.

But even better, that State of Play also had multiple blockbuster reveals. It gave all of us PS5 owners a better idea of what to expect in the near future as the console likely passes its halfway mark. So that’s what I’m focusing on here. With an eye on the next State of Play already rumored for later this week, these are my favorite trailers so far for brand new PS5 games.


Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse

Konami had an entire lengthy segment at the State of Play, arguably the show’s highlight, driving home just how much the publisher has bounced back. Everything from Metal Gear Solid to Silent Hill to new franchises got some love. But old-school fans should check out Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, an homage to classic 2D vampire-slaying made in partnership with the developers behind Dead Cells. The game launches in 2026.


Dead or Alive New Project

Dead or Alive may not be the most prominent fighting franchise, unless you like seeing pretty ladies on the beach, but we’ll take any excuse to get into some fisticuffs. Along with a revival of 2019’s Dead or Alive 6, Koei Tecmo announced that a brand new Dead or Alive is in the works, teasing us with classic combatant Ryu Hayabusa. There’s currently no release window.


God of War Sons of Sparta

While the upcoming God of War TV show adapts the modern Norse mythology arc, the God of War games are returning to Greece. The original Greek trilogy is getting the remake treatment, but it’s a ways off. So in the meantime, Sony dropped a 2D sidescrolling God of War prequel, Sons of Sparta, set in Kratos’s childhood. You can play it right now.


John Wick

Keanu Reeves’s John Wick is practically a video game character already, effortlessly murdering hundreds of goons in the most stylish way possible. So it’s no surprise, but still very exciting, that we’re getting a snazzy new John Wick game from Saber Interactive, a third-person action shooter that looks like the films come to life. There’s currently no release window.


Kena: Scars of Kosmora

2021’s Kena: Bridge of Spirits was the kind of charming action-adventure game that we don’t see too much in today’s world of glum, prestige games. Fortunately, the game did well enough that it’s getting a sequel, Kena: Scars of Kosmora, that expands this fantasy world. The game launches in 2026.


Legacy of Kain: Ascendence

Legacy of Kain is getting a retro rival with Legacy of Kain: Ascendence. This 2D sidescroller stars four characters, including a deep cut from the graphic novels. Legacy of Kain: Defiance is also getting remastered, so you can enjoy old and new takes on the franchise. Legacy of Kain: Ascendance is available now.


Project Windless

Project Windless is some kind of grand action RPG, based on a South Korean fantasy novel series. Surely fans of those books will understand the lore of whatever is going on here. But for me, Project Windless is a game about a fearsome, giant chicken man, and that’s a good enough pitch on its own. There’s currently no release window.


Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition

The future of Ubisoft may be uncertain, but Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition is a wonderful celebration of the French publisher’s original platforming mascot. An interactive documentary, the package includes various versions of the 1995 sidescroller alongside looks behind the scenes of development. You can play it right now.


Yakoh Shinobi Ops

Developer Acquire has a shadowy history with ninja stealth games thanks to its work on the Tenchu series. Yakoh Shinobi Ops seems to be a spiritual successor, challenging ninja squads to cooperatively complete their dark missions. The game steps into the light in 2027.


For more, check out the best PlayStation 5 games you can play right now. Eager to see other new titles on the horizon? Check out The Best Video Games Coming Out in 2026.

About Our Expert

Jordan Minor

Jordan Minor

Principal Writer, Software

My PCMag career began in 2013 as an intern. Now, I'm a senior writer, using the skills I acquired at Northwestern University to write about dating apps, meal kits, programming software, website builders, video streaming services, and video games. I was previously a senior editor at Geek.com and have written for The A.V. Club, Kotaku, and Paste Magazine. I'm the author of the gaming history book Video Game of the Year: A Year-by-Year Guide to the Best, Boldest, and Most Bizarre Games from Every Year Since 1977, and the reason everything you know about Street Sharks is a lie.

The Technology I Use

I use the newest Android and iOS smartphones for testing, but I currently use an iPhone 14 as my personal phone. I just hate that we gave up headphone jacks.

I've always favored gaming laptops over desktops. On that note, I have a 16-inch HP Envy with an Intel Core i9-13900H CPU and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU. No matter what machine I’m working on, an alarming amount of my personal and professional life revolves around cloud-synced Google Drive files.

For food subscriptions, my household sticks with CookUnity and HelloFresh for meals. Video streaming is a bit more complicated. While there are too many services to list, we're subscribed to most of the major ones. These days, I find myself drawn to HBO Max's movies and shows, as well as Peacock's reality trash.

I've been a lifelong Nintendo fan, and I sincerely believe the Nintendo Switch will go down as one of the best gaming consoles of all time. It has an unbelievable library of new and old games from Nintendo and third-party companies. The handheld/console hybrid approach makes playing games so much more flexible, a legacy that continues with the Nintendo Switch 2 and Valve’s Steam Deck.

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