Ed McGlone
It uses the gunplay foundation of the highly lauded Titanfall 2, removes the mechs, and instead adds a dynamic class-based battle royale game that has evolved heavily since Apex Legends originally launched. Like other popular class-based shooters, you can expect regular updates and new characters to be added over time.
Back 4 Blood
A few generations ago, Left 4 Dead captivated multiplayer audiences with some of the most addicting and enjoyable co-op gameplay ever seen in a shooter. Using that foundation, Turtle Rock Studios set out to make their own captivating zombie shooter in 2021, titled Back 4 Blood. Back 4 Blood uses the same basic concepts as Left 4 Dead, pitting a group of survivors against interesting hordes of the undead, with one twist: playing cards. Using the many different cards in the game, you and up to three friends can create a variety of satisfying builds that work in a bevy of situations. While one player might focus on having a lot of ammo, another’s deck might boast special enhancements like health boosts. Thanks to this gameplay element, there’s pretty much an endless way to approach the handful of levels that make up Back 4 Blood.
Borderlands 3
If you’re looking for something a little more cooperative, then you definitely can’t go wrong with Borderlands 3. The series that sort of started the whole looter-shooter genre, Borderlands 3, has stuck with its roots, never really trying to turn the series into something it’s not, and instead, doing progressively more of what fans like about the series. It’s an irreverent online cooperative multiplayer shooter with lots of heavy RPG elements. Every gun has a ton of perks and stats to consider that you’ll want to try and match with your character’s skills, which evolve over time as you complete zany quests and level up your character. If you love RPGs, shooting, co-op gameplay, and are open-minded to its brand of humor, you can’t go wrong with Borderlands 3.
Call of Duty: Vanguard
Most people reading this list know about the Call of Duty series, and if you do, you know the deal at this point, as it has been an online multiplayer FPS staple since the PS3/360/GC generation of games. Vanguard is the latest in the series, and thus, if you want the most up-to-date and best-supported version of Activision’s brand of fast-paced FPS shooting, then this is the way to go. Call of Duty: Vanguard is developed by Sledgehammer Games, takes place in World War II, and does feature a campaign, too (not always the case), if that’s a selling point for you, in addition to its online multiplayer.
all of Duty: Modern Warfare II
The Call of Duty series is a reason that a lot of people are even into gaming, so it makes complete sense that the most recent game in the series is on the list. Just like previous iterations, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II boasts a boatload of amazing multiplayer maps and modes for your and your friends to enjoy. Whether you like competing in big team battles, control-oriented competition, or a good old fashion Death Match, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II is your oyster. Even if you don’t like going up against other players online, your group can still have fun with the returning Spec Ops mode. In Spec Ops, you and your friends complete objective-based co-op missions, similar to what you experience in the single player campaign. Finishing these nets you solid rewards and is just plain fun in its own right.
Call of Duty: Warzone
Similar to our last entry, Warzone is the ever-persistent live-service version of Call of Duty that is all about battle royale gameplay. Similar to Apex Legends, it has emerged from the battle royale craze as one of the core offerings in the genre. Warzone will evolve throughout the year, with dramatic changes occurring as new mainline Call of Duty games are released each year. Warzone will generally change and respond to the themes of the new game. Unlike the mainline games, though, Warzone is free and, instead, contains features standard in most big battle royale games like cosmetics and season passes. Otherwise, it’s typical Call of Duty-style gameplay, but with all of the battle royale fixings you would expect.
Dead by Daylight
Stepping away from the FPSs for a moment, the next entry on our list is for horror fans. Dead by Daylight is a cooperative/competitive game where a group of players needs to find a way to survive the night while a single ‘killer’ character is tasked with chasing them around, tormenting them, and trying to kill all of the players. You know, trying to make them dead… by daylight. Dead by Daylight has emerged as the premier game in this sub-genre, has demonstrated years of staying power and support, and still remains very popular, with new killers being added over time. Some of the killers are licensed as well and themed around popular horror legends such as the Cenobite (aka Pinhead), Freddy Krueger, and Michael Myers.
Destiny 2
Destiny 2 has had its ups and downs over the years (with the downtimes mostly coming around the game’s tumultuous launch). However, over the last two to three years, Destiny 2 has really settled down and has found its footing, especially once Bungie took full control from Activision. Nowadays, it’s churning out consistently great content and is one of the most dynamic live-service games around. Destiny 2 is an online multiplayer game that features a very robust PvE and PvP experience. If you only care about one or the other, you can certainly spend a ton of time engaging with either. PvP has multiple game modes that scale up, culminating with the Trials of Osiris. Meanwhile, PvE features story content, cooperative missions, and challenging raid content usually seen in MMOs with an FPS/RPG twist. Chasing loot is a big part of Destiny 2’s appeal, so make sure that’s your jam, too, before diving in since the story content probably won’t keep you around that long otherwise.
FIFA 22
Most sports games feature some kind of online multiplayer. Depending on your favorite sport (Madden, 2K, and MLB the Show come to mind), you might want to go that route. However, FIFA 22 makes our list as being one of the most consistent and popular offerings worldwide as opposed to just in the United States. Heck, even in the U.S., FIFA is quite popular, probably more so than the sport of soccer itself. FIFA 22 has what you would expect from a sports game’s online multiplayer offerings in the modern day. You can do something simple like go head to head with your favorite team, or if you want to get a bit more into FIFA, you can get wrapped up in the card-collecting Ultimate Team game mode and create a fantasy team that you can put up against other players’ teams online.
Fortnite
Fortnite is among the world’s most popular games for a reason. It not only revolutionized and helped create the battle royale genre, but it also innovated the free-to-play and live-service game spaces with its prolific cosmetic/seasonal paid shop and its ever-changing lore and world that will keep things fresh from season to season. Gameplay-wise, most people know what to expect. It’s a cartoonish battle royale where you have to scavenge for guns and equipment, but also materials too. You’ll use the materials to build “forts” in the blink of an eye to protect you from other players. That last part is a critical part of Fortnite’s appeal, so if building isn’t appealing to you, try out no-build mode instead, or try something like Apex Legends.
Final Fantasy XIV
If MMORPGs on your home console are your jam, it’s hard to top Final Fantasy XIV. It’s the world’s most popular MMORPG, and for a lot of great reasons. First, it’s got the best story content of any MMORPG on the market, hands-down. Not only is the content great by genre standards, but particular expansions in Final Fantasy XIV are also among the best stories ever told in Final Fantasy/gaming in general, full-stop. Then, of course, you have its fast-paced gameplay that mixes traditional Final Fantasy jobs with modern MMORPG combat. Whether you prefer solo content with NPCs, doing some of the easier, more casual content, getting hardcore in the hardest raid and trial content that Final Fantasy XIV has to offer, or even just crafting and gathering, there are a lot of ways to enjoy your time in Eorzea.
GTA Online
I don’t think anyone thought that when GTA Online first launched on the Xbox 360 and PS3 ages ago that we’d still be talking about it in 2022 as a relevant online multiplayer game, but here we are now on the PS5 and GTA Online is still surviving and thriving. At its core, it’s very much the same game: you complete missions, heists, races, and other social events with friends to earn cash so you can buy cool weapons and vehicles to show off or torment other players with. In addition to being just fun to play, GTA Online has made it this long through consistent and large free content updates that keep things fresh.
Guilty Gear Strive
There are a lot of great fighting games to choose from that are playable on the PS5, but if you want something fresh and new, definitely consider Guilty Gear Strive. Awarded our best fighting game of 2021, Guilty Gear Strive is developed by genre veterans ArcSys and is perhaps their best work yet. Everything from the game’s art style, soundtrack, and tight gameplay is at the top of its class as far as fighting games go. If you’re new to the genre, Guilty Gear Strive has a great tutorial mode to teach you everything you need to know when you start really getting into things, and it has a healthy online ranked tower mode to keep you busy and challenged.
It Takes Two
Sometimes, the best way to game is by solving puzzles with one of your loved ones. It Takes Two is the perfect game for that, especially if you’re a couple. In this exciting two-player experience, you and a friend control a couple on the brink of separation that must work together to turn themselves back from dolls into their human form. You’ll accomplish this by using an array of different powers, each unique to specific levels that make for some really clever puzzle-solving mechanics. Alongside great gameplay, It Takes Two’s story of growth, trust, communication, and family is also a worthwhile experience in and of itself.
No Man’s Sky
No Man’s Sky’s story is well-known at this point. Ridiculed at launch for being very under-cooked and underdelivering on just about all of its pre-release promises, its developer, Hello Games, has since evolved the game to be everything players could have dreamed of and way, way more with no signs of slowing down. No Man’s Sky is a sandbox game that drops players into the universe and lets them explore at their own pace. You’ll chart and record previously untouched planets and choose whether or not you want to keep pushing further into the center of the universe or settle down somewhere and make a base of operations. Originally only a single-player affair, No Man’s Sky can now be played cooperatively with others, so you don’t need to explore alone. Also, if you have PSVR, you can play everything in VR as well for a more immersive experience.
Rainbow Six Siege
If you are a big fan of more tactical, team-based, competitive multiplayer, then Rainbow Six Siege is likely the shooter you’ll want to go for on this list. Rainbow Six Siege has persisted for many years now for a reason. It has a consistent stream of content to keep things fresh and a core gameplay mode that hasn’t yet lost its luster. The game rewards great teamwork and heavily punishes those who don’t get with the program. So if you’re tired of lone wolfing it in games like Call of Duty, this is a direction to go in. The core gameplay of Rainbow Six Siege is a classic, tried, and true formula. One team attacks to get to an objective, and the other team has to defend to stop them. What makes Rainbow Six Siege stand out are the character classes that dramatically alter how you approach this task and, of course, the maps that force you to reconsider your tactics.
Rocket League
Rocket League is perhaps the most unique game on this list. It takes race cars, puts them on a soccer field, and then you go around and smash into a giant ball to get in a goal while also trying to compete against another team looking to do the same. All this while also ramming into you at high speeds to wreck your car. It’s a very simple, silly, but extremely fun concept that has remained popular with fans for many years. Rocket League debuted as a free PS4 Plus game that no one had ever heard of.
Splitgate
Splitgate is a relative newcomer compared to some of the other games on this list. Its elevator pitch is basically this: what if you took the gunplay of Halo and then also gave everyone a portal gun from the Portal series? Does that sound like it could be fun to you? Then, you’ll probably enjoy the heck out of Splitgate. Splitgate is technically still in open beta, but so was Fortnite for years and years, so don’t let that dissuade you. It’s very much a polished and fun experience with the promise of even more to come as the developers continue to work on it.
The Elder Scrolls Online
If Final Fantasy XIV just really isn’t your thing, but you still want to try out an MMORPG on your PS5, allow us to also recommend The Elder Scrolls Online. The Elder Scrolls Online is another extremely popular MMORPG with great story content. Unlike Final Fantasy XIV, which forces you to play through the entire story from beginning to end before you can reach the end game, The Elder Scrolls Online is a more open and disconnected experience. You can jump right into the action at any expansion and play through that expansion’s story without having needed to do anything else. You can also do what people normally do in Elder Scrolls games: wander around, see what you run into, and take on quests. Just keep in mind that the combat is not exactly like the single-player games. It’s its own kind of MMORPG-y brand of classic Elder Scrolls combat that is fine, but just make sure you know that before going in.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is a spinoff of the Borderlands series that mixes a few things up. First of all, it’s a contained story that takes place in a fantasy world. Fan-favorite character Tiny Tina is playing a tabletop game with her friends, and that’s where your character (the newcomer) comes in. While it’s still an FPS game at heart, the character classes this time have more of a fantasy-RPG flair to them, and there are also new melee weapons and guns like crossbows to fit with the theme. The biggest change from the Borderlands series is that there is a JRPG-style overworld where you can get into random battles and visit new towns and areas. If you really love old-school JRPGs and can get into Borderlands’ brand of gameplay, you might really enjoy Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, especially if you play it cooperatively online with a friend.
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