Summary
- NES games started quickly, sans tutorials, remaining engaging, a quality some modern games lack.
- Astro Bot innovates with well-paced creativity and inventive levels for an engaging experience.
- Cat Quest 3 begins with immediate ship access, offering a family-friendly RPG fun for all ages.
While the graphics on NES games aren’t mind-blowing by today’s standards, there is something that these classic games still have above modern titles. When a player puts in a game, turns the power on, and hits start, chances are they will begin playing right away. Super Mario Bros., Mega Man, Ninja Gaiden, and the list goes on.
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These NES games didn’t need lengthy tutorials in the 80s and 90s, and they don’t now. Are there any games on modern consoles, like the PS5, that start just as fast? Better yet, are there any PS5 games that start strong without very many lengthy tutorials or setups and remain engaging until the credits roll? Let’s see what experiences the console has in store.
Astro Bot
Little Robot, Big Ideas
Astro Bot
- Released
- September 6, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Crude Humor, Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Team Asobi
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Astro Bot is a platformer that went back to basics for 3D platformers, but also never stopped being creative. There was a story and goals to be met in each stage, but they were all so well-paced and inventive that it never felt like work.
From turning into a sponge and extinguishing fires to creating platforms made out of leaves, there was always something new. It never got dull, over-bloated, and the ending was bombastic and put all of Astro Bot’s Easter Eggs to good use.
Cat Quest 3
Get Your Ship Ready
Cat Quest III
- Released
- August 8, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Comic Mischief, Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- The Gentlebros
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
How many games with sailing give players their ship right away without any boundaries? It’s hard to think of examples, but that’s exactly how Cat Quest 3 begins. Granted, players will not want to venture into high-level territories under-leveled, but it is possible if players want to grind and make the game more challenging.
Cat Quest has always been a family-friendly action RPG series that is as fun for kids as it is for adults, and this latest entry is the best example yet.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
A Whole New World
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
- Released
- February 29, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Blood, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Final Fantasy 7 Remake, while good, was entirely set within Midgar. It’s how the original game was set up, linearly, and after Midgar, which is where Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth starts up, is when things opened up. Final Fantasy 7 Remake walked so Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth could run.
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Granted, there is about an hour or two of flashbacks with Cloud, but it’s not a slow episode as it gets right to the action. In the present, players then get a wide cast of playable characters, each with their own unique play styles. It’s a big world to explore, full of weird content that Final Fantasy, as a brand, hasn’t flexed in a very long time.
Gravity Circuit
Save Robots, Become More Connected
Gravity Circuit
- Released
- July 13, 2023
- Platform(s)
- PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
Gravity Circuit felt like a throwback to Mega Man games, except that the hero character, Kai, likes to kick and punch instead of shoot. The visual style of this game is incredible, with complex color schemes beyond what the NES or SNES were capable of.
It’s just a solid action platformer at the start, and then the rescuing missions are added in, which contribute to what gear players can buy and equip, which is where things really get hot. Gear can change play styles, which is fun to experiment with, and no old-school Mega Man game ever got this creative.
Resident Evil 4 (2023)
Great On GameCube, Even Better On PS5
Resident Evil 4
- Released
- March 24, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
The original Resident Evil 4 set itself up better than most horror movies from the 2000s. The same is true for the remake, which has a haunting intro as Leon S. Kennedy is driven into a foreign village, dropped off, and then he discovers they all want to kill him. They’re not zombies, just people.
It’s later revealed that there is a mutagen in their body, but that’s beside the point. Resident Evil has never had an opening scene this intense before, and it asks so much of players. The thrill didn’t let up from there either, and there’s a very good reason why it’s a fan favorite.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
A Multiverse Of Madness
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Released
- June 11, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ for Everyone 10+: Alcohol Reference, Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Insomniac Games
- Genre(s)
- Platformer, Third-Person Shooter
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is still the best showcase for demonstrating how good the PS5’s load times are. Players often had to jump through rifts into completely new worlds, and even peering into one seemed like an incredible strain for any system.
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Beyond the rifts, the gameplay was as solid as ever for an RPG platformer hybrid. Fans couldn’t have asked for more beyond what they got: inventive weapons, two cool new playable characters while keeping the classics too, and bigger worlds to explore than ever before.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
A Vast Improvement
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
- Released
- April 28, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Mild Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Respawn Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure, Soulslike, Sci-Fi
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order eventually got good, but Cal, the hero, was a weak apprentice in the ways of the Force, and as a likable character. Understandably, every new franchise needs a beginning, and it thankfully allowed its sequel, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, to start with pizazz.
Cal started with a strong lineup of powers that made him an effective and likable Jedi, and things only got wilder. The customization options for the lightsabers were deeper, which is what fans really wanted, although some REALLY dug tweaking Cal’s beard.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
Grab A Slice
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge
- Released
- June 16, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Tribute Games Inc.
- Genre(s)
- Beat 'Em Up
- Platform(s)
- Android, iOS, PC, PS5, PS4, Switch, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge is a spiritual sequel to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time, a fan favorite entry in the TMNT gaming franchise. Tribute, the developer, seemingly wasn’t satisfied with just making a direct brawling successor.
They added so much more, like each character gaining levels and unique skills. Also, it featured six-player co-op, which is unheard of for a brawler not in the arcade to this day. It’s a celebration of all things TMNT that doesn’t hit fans too hard over the head in this nostalgia trip.
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