It’s no surprise that games are getting bigger thanks to technology improving. It simply costs a lot of data to render faces so impressively and unreal likeGod of War: Ragnarok. There are plenty of smaller games that are still great on the PS5 though.
A new one, for example, isV Risingwhich just came out of Early Access. It’s an action RPG survival game wherein players are a vampire trying to build an empire. It’s a solid game, but it is over 5 GBs. These other games are smaller, so let’s take a look at what the PS5 has to offer.
River City Girls 2is a co-op brawler and sequel to one of the best reboots of the modern era. The first game was about Misako and Kyoko trying to get back their boyfriends from a rival gang. The sequel was about the girls trying to enjoy a day out when they get stopped by more gangs.
Their boyfriends are playable too along with a handful of other characters. The co-op feature is great as are the RPG elements tokeep things more interesting throughout all of the punching and kicking ofRiver City Girls 2.
Warhammer 40,000: Boltgunis a throwback to 90s first-person shooters likeDOOM. Weapons are bizarre and lethal, like the chainsaw sword, the gore is pixelated but bloody beyond belief, and everything is sprite-based overall. There are even cheats if players want to feel like a god.
In a seemingly never-endingwave ofWarhammergames,Warhammer 40,000: Boltgunstands out as both a good entry in the franchise and a good homage to classic shooters. There’s not a lot else to say as it is simple pure chaos and is best experienced by playing.
Sea of Starswas an homage to 90s RPGs as a whole but more specifically it felt like a spiritual sequel to two classics. It had the active element fromSuper Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Starswherein characters could boost attack or defense opportunities during turn-based battles. It’s also likeChrono Triggerthanks to the team attacks and the presentation of the world.
Sea of Starswears its inspirations on its sleeve from the great pixel animations to the engaging combat but it is also 100% original. The individual story may be cliche about chosen ones and an impending darkness, but thecolorful cast keeps things lively inSea of Stars.
Tinykinwas an answer toPikminwhen Nintendo was reluctant to put out a new game. This indie game was about Milodane, a scientist fascinated by alien organisms who winds up on a planet inhabited by tiny creatures in a seemingly giant world.
As Milodane, players could recruit various creatures to move objects or to blow certain things up as two examples. Again, it’s very much like an indiePikminwhich is great because it launched on multiple systems besides Nintendo ones. It’s also great because of the use of cartoon cel-shading making everything pop from the characters to the backgrounds andTinykinis not too hard.
Penny’s Big Breakawaywas like a spiritual successor toSonic Maniaas the developer, Evening Star, was created and spun off from Sega’s watchful eye following its success. The art looks like it was taken from a PS1 game which was remade for a new generation and that isn’t an easy style to convey.
Most of the gameplay uses a giant yo-yo to some degree from riding it around loops to attacking enemies. It’s a creative platformer that makes good use of its levels to create an engaging and fast-paced experience. It’s certainly one of theunsung gems of the modern platformer age.
Dave the Diveris a roguelike and a restaurant game rolled into one. As the titular Dave, players will dive underwater in search of ingredients to use at their sushi shop. At night, that’s when the sushi bar is hopping and players have to get orders right to make a bigger profit.
Money can be exchanged to make Dave’s life underwater more accessible from better weapons to better air tanks to makecatching fish easier inDave the Diver. It’s a solid gameplay loop for a roguelike and one that looks great on the PS5 too.
Warhammer 40000: Boltgunis not theonly retro shooterworth talking about on the PS5.Prodeuswas released before it and it is an even bigger homage to the classics since it is an original work.
The art style is similar toWarhammer 40000: Boltgunwith the pixelated models, but it’s a faster-paced shooter going through multiple rooms. Players will blast through waves of zombies and demons all while trying to collect runes, ammo, and new weapons. The most impressive thing about the level design is the map, which felt like a small homage toMetroid Prime.
Chicory: A Colorful Taleis as fun alone as it is with a friend in co-op. Players begin with a magical paintbrush which can take ink away from objects or color them. Mushrooms can inflate, for example, if they are inked in darkly lit caves.
The world has been devoid of color, so it’s up to players to bring back life through painting. It’s as much a puzzle game as it is a work of art in the making. It’s easily one of the jolliest games on the PS5 which is why it made so much sense to add a co-op.
