Compared to Nintendo, Sony is not known for platformers on their consoles, and yet it has some of the best exclusive franchises outside of Mario. Jak and Daxter, Ratchet & Clank, LittleBigPlanet, and more. The latest console, the PS5, is not bursting with masterpieces, but there are still quite a few worth discussing.
If You Only Play One PS5 Game This Year, Make It One Of These
Get ready for an epic gaming year with these must-play PS5 games. If you’re only getting one PlayStation game in 2026, these are the ones to consider.
From typical mascot platformers like Astro Bot to more inventive ones like It Takes Two, there is something for every platformer fan on the PS5. Hopefully, by the console’s end, there will be even more platformers to enjoy from both third-party and first-party developers. Maybe even a few will squeak out this year, but like the heroes in the following games, let’s jump into things.
Fit the 9 games into the grid.
Astro Bot
Super Mecha Galaxy
Astro Bot is one of those games that fans wish they had a mind eraser for so that they could experience the game again and again with fresh eyes. It’s one of the most creative platformers on any console with plenty of cool powers, levels, bosses, music, and incredibly solid controls.
Some powers included rolling into lava as a steal ball, becoming a sponge to douse flames, or sailing across a cloudy sky as an inflated balloon. Best of all, the nostalgia in Astro Bot is batting a thousand between fan favorite cameos from franchises like Resident Evil to more obscure ones like Mister Mosquito.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Two Universes Are Better Than One
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is the type of experience for those who appreciate more action in their platformers. Similar to other games, the heroes will be armed with pistols, shotguns, and grenade equivalents, but they’ll also get stranger guns like ones that turn enemies into pixels.
The coolest feature in this latest entry is the multiverse world-hopping and the role reversals as Ratchet gets paired with Kit while Clank becomes a sidekick to Rivet, both of whom are female alternate reality versions of Ratchet and Clank. Great levels, fun weapon leveling up mechanics, and stellar comedic bits. This is a great Ratchet & Clank game for new players.
Rogue Legacy 2
A Family Business
Rogue Legacy 2 is a 2D roguelike with hand-drawn visuals that are spectacular. Even though combat comes first, the platforming challenges are pretty solid, and there are plenty of power-ups players can find on their journey to make things easier, like an air dash.
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As players progress in the randomized dungeons, they will often have to platform through spiked areas or other traps, and getting past them all can be just as rewarding as the action. Rogue Legacy 2 is challenging without a doubt, but the progression system makes it an easy recommendation for beginners to the genre. Easy
Shinobi: Art Of Vengeance
Ninjas Kick Back
Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is the reboot the Shinobi franchise deserved, which truthfully went harder than it needed to. It too has hand-drawn visuals that look fantastic on any screen they grace with fluid animations between running, jumping, and slashing.
It’s another 2D game with impeccable combat and platforming that is both challenging and rewarding, if not a little too rough at times. The fast-paced ninja action will turn any player into a speed runner as they try to look as cool as possible in their playthrough, even if no one else is watching.
Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown
Following Ghosts
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a reboot sort of too, featuring a new Prince to root for, Sargon. Structurally, it can best be described as a Metroidvania with slick combat and even better platforming challenges as players unlock new time-based powers.
For example, the best challenge rooms involve players creating a copy of themselves to solve puzzles with layered interactions with ghost versions of Sargon. As a 2D Metroidvania, it’s also forward-thinking with a great map that details where players should focus their attention, and it should be mentioned that the boss fights are pretty epic, too.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time
Kept You Waiting, Huh?
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time is a double pun as it took over a decade to make a new original Crash Bandicoot game, and it’s also about time travel, just like the third game. Also, like the older games, Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time is a level-based platformer with newer ideas to not just make it feel like a rehash.
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From exploring pirate shipyards to ancient ruins to futuristic cities, the level design is on point, along with the platforming controls, as Crash has never felt better to play. Players can assume the role of several characters beyond Crash, get different costumes, explore secret levels, and more.
Stray
Kitty, Come Home
Stray is one of the most adorable and heartbreaking platformers on the PS5. Things start sadly as the ginger cat protagonist gets separated from their stray cat pack and winds up in a dystopian society filled with robots.
Soon, they make a robot friend of their own to help guide them back to their family, with plenty of harrowing set pieces and puzzles along the way. The platforming may not be as inventive as the other examples, but the relatively short journey of Stray will be engaging thanks to the world-building.
It Takes Two
A New Treat Every Minute
It Takes Two is not so much a core platformer as it is a hodgepodge of ideas with a platforming base. This co-op-only game features a husband and wife duo who got turned into dolls and now have to embark on a journey to reverse the curse while working through marital problems.
It’s a heavy subject, but their issues are soon forgotten on the journey when they have to ride ants, grind on rails, swing across trees, or even fire turrets. If players can find a partner, be it a child, friend, or love interest, they will never forget their time with It Takes Two, thanks to the constant gameplay surprises.
Braid, Anniversary Edition
Time Strangers
Braid, Anniversary Edition is a remaster of the original 2008 game, which was one of the earliest indie success stories from the Xbox 360 era. Decades old now, Braid still feels fresh thanks to its reverse platforming mechanics. Across beautifully painted levels, players will have to manipulate time to get past enemies, platform over obstacles, or solve other puzzle-based scenarios.
The goal is a simple one involving rescuing a princess, but there is a twist to the journey, which is why Braid, Anniversary Edition really solidified itself in the indie community beyond just being a good 2D platformer.
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