Hey there! As a fellow PS5 owner, I know you‘re likely looking to test your survival skills in immersive new worlds that tax your resourcefulness to the limits. That tense, high-stakes gameplay loop at the heart of the survival genre keeps us coming back to these uniquely demanding games.
In this guide, I‘ll be counting down the absolute best PlayStation 5 survival games available based on critical appraisal, community feedback and my own extensive playtime. You can expect a deep dive into key features, developer insights and analysis on why each stands out.
By the end, you‘ll have a solid roadmap for must-play PS5 survival titles to add to your backlog! Let‘s get started…
What Are Survival Games?
Before jumping into the rankings, let‘s quickly level-set what typically defines survival games first:
- Resource Management – Crafting weapons, shelter and tools from scarce materials scavenged in the world
- Base Building – Establishing a safe base offers reassuring gameplay comfort
- Hunger/Thirst Systems – Maintaining health/stamina by keeping fed and hydrated
- Hostile Environments – Dangerous spaces that threaten health like extreme cold, radioactive zones etc
True survival games are challenging as you start severely under-equipped and weak, forced to earn every marginal upgrade in the face of lethal obstacles everywhere. But overcoming initial vulnerability with cleverness pays off in a hugely gratifying gameplay loop that keeps survival mainstays like Rust, Ark and DayZrelevant years after launch.
Now let‘s explore the 8 PS5 survival games executing this formula best!
#8: This War of Mine (2014)
Developer: 11 Bit Studios (known for thoughtful emotionally-resonant games like Frostpunk)
Significance: One of the first survival games adopting perspective of civilians trapped in warzones. Over 2 million copies sold.
Key Features:
- Manage shelter, crafting, needs of civilians during day
- Tense turn-based scavenging runs at night for supplies
- Thought-provoking moral choices with consequences
This War of Mine brought empathy into the survival genre by putting players in control of helpless civilians just trying to endure a siege rather than soldiers. Your motley band of survivors lack any combat training, forcing total reliance on wits and avoidance.
Critically-acclaimed for offering a more emotional, grounded take, This War of Mine still challenges veterans with grim resource management decisions. Plotting expeditions at night through ruined city locations now defended by other groups looking to survive asks: how far will you go to secure another day‘s worth of critical food, medicine or tools?
Should you steal from others also struggling? What lines can be crossed in the name of survival?
Agonizing over such ethical dilemmas amidst the tense, turn-based stealth action gameplay creates plenty of unforgettable moments. With numerous difficulty levels and endings influenced by your choices, This War of Mine offers incredible replay value.
#7 Subnautica: Below Zero (2021)
Developer: Unknown Worlds Entertainment
Budget: Estimated $8 million
Sales: Over 3 million across platforms
Key Features:
- Hundreds of underwater creatures to discover
- Expansive base building options
- Novel setting rarely seen in genre
When the original Subnautica dropped players onto an aquatic alien planet, its novel concept delivered a refreshing evolution of the survival formula. Below Zero advances that approach even further as you attempt to survive the deadly conditions of Planet 4546B.
Venturing out across glittering biomes filled with unknown sea life never loses its allure thanks to diverse terrestrial regions brimming with vibrant vegetation, minerals and hidden underwater caves begging for investigation. Loot recovered lets you construct an expanding seaborne base while studying this waterlogged world.
Gorgeous next-gen visuals already competent on PS4 get dialed to new atmospheric heights with PS5 enhancements. Ray tracing also helps deadly eight-legged aquatic predators plying icy depths appear even more menacing. Subnautica: Below Zero‘s plentiful crafting depths create endless goals while clever creature design freaks you out.
#6 Tribes of Midgard
Developer: Norsfell (10 person team that lived together while developing!)
Reception: Very Positive 81% critic rating on OpenCritic
Key Features:
- Defending village from mythological invasions
- RPG leveling/gear progression for classes
- Online co-op for groups up to 10
Who hasn‘t dreamt of fending off an onslaught of rampaging vikings and colossal giants amidst the epic scale of Norse mythology made real? Tribes of Midgard delivers exactly such wish fulfillment vibes as you scramble to defend the Seed of Yggdrasil from destructive invasions in this unique mash up of village defense, crafting and ARPG loot progression.
Facing off against dark elves, undead and massive brutes like Grendels sets up intensely frenetic yet rewarding gameplay loops of repairing gates and towers during waves of attacks each night. Gear and XP upgrades open between these battles grants mighty new combos adding plenty incentive to keep playing "one more run".
Up to 10 player online co-op ups the fun exponentially – coordinating hero synergies and offensive structures with friends against ridiculous enemy swarms hits crazy levels of hectic survival spectacle!
