The Best PS5 Action Games

Best action games at a glance

How these action games were selected

The ranking considers:

• Combat responsiveness, impact and mechanical clarity
• Movement, traversal and encounter design
• Weapon, ability and enemy variety
• Difficulty progression and accessibility
• Storytelling that supports rather than interrupts the action
• Single-player, cooperative and competitive modes
• Replay value through builds, challenges or multiplayer
• How directly each game fulfills action-game intent

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is primarily a turn-based RPG. It is included as an action-adjacent choice because timed parries, dodges and attacks create real-time involvement inside its turn-based system.

1. God of War Ragnarök

Best overall action game

God of War Ragnarök continues a mythological journey across several Norse realms.

Combat combines the Leviathan Axe, Blades of Chaos, shields, abilities and companion support.

Different weapons create distinct ranges and elemental interactions, encouraging players to switch tools rather than rely on one repeated attack.

Enemy variety and major encounters test blocking, dodging, positioning and crowd control.

Exploration adds environmental puzzles, optional battles and equipment progression between story sequences.

God of War Ragnarök is single-player with full controller support.

Choose it for cinematic presentation, substantial combat depth and a long action campaign that balances spectacle with character progression.

2. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Best open-world action game

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 turns movement across New York into a central action system.

Web swinging and additional traversal options let players move rapidly between districts without making travel feel separate from play.

Combat combines aerial attacks, dodges, gadgets and character-specific abilities.

Two playable heroes provide different powers and encounter rhythms while sharing the wider city.

Stealth offers an alternative opening to many conflicts before direct combat begins.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is single-player with full controller support.

Choose it for fluid traversal, superhero combat and an open world where crossing the map remains mechanically engaging.

3. Returnal

Best challenging action game

Returnal combines third-person shooting, bullet-hell patterns and run-based progression on a changing alien planet.

Movement is fast, and survival depends on reading projectiles while maintaining accurate fire.

Weapons carry different traits that can change how a run develops.

Death returns the campaign to an earlier point while preserving selected forms of knowledge and progression.

Procedural changes prevent every attempt from becoming a fixed memorization exercise.

It supports single-player and online co-op with full controller support.

Choose Returnal for demanding combat, repeated mastery and a science-fiction mystery structured around the cycle of failure and return.

4. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

Best action game for beginners

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart combines third-person shooting, platforming and rapid transitions between dimensions.

Its weapon collection favors unusual effects and distinct tactical uses rather than small variations of the same firearm.

Combat arenas encourage constant movement while projectiles, enemies and environmental hazards compete for attention.

Platforming and traversal sequences create breaks between larger firefights.

The colorful presentation and adjustable challenge make the game easier to approach than Returnal or competitive military shooters.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is single-player with full controller support.

Choose it for readable action, creative weapons and a polished introductory campaign.

5. God of War

Best starting point for the Norse story

God of War begins the series’ Norse-era story and establishes the combat systems expanded in Ragnarök.

The Leviathan Axe can be used in close combat, thrown at distant targets and recalled.

A shield supports blocking and parrying, while companion attacks add another tactical layer.

The close camera gives encounters physical weight and keeps attention on nearby threats.

Connected regions contain optional areas, puzzles and equipment beyond the central route.

God of War is single-player with full controller support.

Choose it before Ragnarök when story continuity matters. Choose Ragnarök directly when broader weapon variety and expanded encounters are the priority.

6. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Best action-adjacent RPG

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 follows a party attempting to end a recurring cycle of death.

Combat is turn based, with skills, party composition and resource decisions determining the strategic layer.

Real-time inputs allow players to dodge, parry and strengthen attacks during combat sequences.

That reactive system creates more physical involvement than a conventional menu-driven RPG without turning the game into pure real-time action.

Exploration and character development support a story-focused campaign inspired by Belle Époque France.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is single-player with full controller support.

Choose it for strategic party combat with active defensive timing. Choose God of War Ragnarök or Returnal for uninterrupted real-time action.

7. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II

Best broad military-action package

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II combines a cinematic campaign with cooperative missions and competitive multiplayer.

First-person gunplay emphasizes fast target acquisition, weapon control and movement through compact combat spaces.

The campaign shifts between direct firefights, stealth-oriented situations and larger set pieces.

Online PvP provides the greatest replay value for players who want short matches and direct competition.

Co-op offers an alternative for players who prefer working against computer-controlled opposition.

It supports single-player, online co-op and online PvP with full controller support.

Choose it for mode variety and modern military shooting. Players interested only in a solo action story may prefer the tighter focus of God of War or Ratchet & Clank.

8. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

Best focused modern military campaign

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare presents a modern military story through first-person combat and tactical set pieces.

Weapons produce distinct recoil and handling characteristics across missions and multiplayer.

The campaign alternates between conventional firefights and slower situations requiring target identification and controlled movement.

Special Ops supports cooperative challenges, while multiplayer provides competitive maps and modes.

Its action is more grounded in firearms and positioning than the movement-heavy combat of Returnal or Spider-Man 2.

It supports single-player, online co-op and online PvP with full controller support.

Choose it for a focused military campaign and tactical shooting. Choose Modern Warfare II when the newer package and broader continuation are more important.

Which action game should you play first?

Match the recommendation to the experience you want:

• Cinematic melee combat: God of War Ragnarök
• Open-world superhero action: Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
• Demanding roguelike shooting: Returnal
• Accessible platforming and weapons: Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
• The beginning of the Norse-era story: God of War
• Turn-based strategy with active inputs: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Military campaign, co-op and PvP: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
• A focused modern military campaign: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

God of War Ragnarök is the strongest broad recommendation. Ratchet & Clank is more approachable, while Returnal suits players seeking the highest mechanical challenge.

Best single-player action games

God of War Ragnarök provides the strongest combination of melee depth, cinematic storytelling and optional combat.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is better for open-world freedom and traversal.

Returnal provides a repeatable action challenge structured around changing runs.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart offers a shorter and more accessible campaign centered on creative weapons.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is best for players who want party strategy and story with reactive combat timing.

Best multiplayer action games in this selection

Returnal supports online co-op, allowing two players to face its changing alien environments together.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Modern Warfare II support online co-op and competitive online PvP.

The remaining games in this guide are single-player experiences.

Players should choose according to whether multiplayer means cooperation, direct competition or a complete solo campaign with no online dependency.

Best action games for beginners

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is the easiest entry point because combat is readable, weapons are distinct and platforming breaks up larger encounters.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 also provides accessible movement and combat, although the number of abilities can become more complex later.

God of War offers a focused introduction to its combat before Ragnarök expands the available systems.

Clair Obscur provides more time to plan because its underlying structure is turn based.

Returnal is the least beginner-friendly recommendation due to its projectile density and run-based consequences.

Action games versus action RPGs

A pure action game places immediate execution at the center. Movement, aim, timing and defensive reactions decide each encounter.

Returnal and the Call of Duty games fit that definition most directly.

Action RPGs add character growth, equipment and build decisions. God of War and Ragnarök use those systems without allowing statistics to replace combat execution.

Clair Obscur reverses the balance. It is fundamentally a turn-based RPG with real-time defensive and offensive inputs, not a conventional action RPG.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Ratchet & Clank combine action with open-world or platforming structures rather than deep role-playing systems.

More action games to explore

Players seeking weapon-heavy melee combat can continue with the best hack-and-slash games.

For historical sword fighting, see the best samurai games and games like Ghost of Yōtei. Fans of repeated runs and build experimentation can explore games like Hades.

Final recommendations

God of War Ragnarök is the best overall action game for cinematic melee combat, weapon variety and story. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 leads for open-world movement, while Returnal provides the strongest demanding shooter challenge.

Choose Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart for accessible action, God of War to begin the Norse story or Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 for turn-based strategy with active timing.

Choose Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II for the broadest military package or Modern Warfare for a more focused modern campaign.

The right action game depends on what should drive the encounter: weapon switching, traversal, aim, pattern recognition, defensive timing or the ability to adapt before the next attack lands.