Summary
- Sega's recent success is evident through acquisitions like Atlus and improving classic games like Yakuza and Sonic.
- Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania and Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 offer fun puzzle gameplay with modern updates.
- Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii and Persona 5: Royal showcase Sega's strong performance in the RPG genre.
As of this writing, Sega is perhaps in the best health it’s been in since the Genesis days. It helps that they acquired popular developers like Atlus, giving them award-winning series like Persona to publish. But, the past decade saw their cult classic Yakuza series become a straight-up classic, and even the Sonic series is doing better than it has in years (Sonic Colors Ultimate notwithstanding).
10 Best Sega Games
It's not easy trying to pick the best games ever created by Sega, but we're going to take a stab at it anyways.
But, with so many amazing games coming out every year, some people might not have checked out Sega’s recent output. So, whether they’re console exclusives, multi-format releases, made by studios directly under Sega, or games just published by the company, these are the best Sega games on the PlayStation 5.
10 Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania
Going Ape On Classic Courses
Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania
- Released
- October 5, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
- Publisher(s)
- Sega
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Action, Platformer
Puzzle games are a good way to appeal to a broad audience, as they can be quick to grasp but tricky to solve. For example, Super Monkey Ball is all about getting a monkey in a ball from the start of one course to the end without falling, with most of the courses making that goal easier said than done. It was enough to make it a hit series, though one that seemed to be happier to move forward, as players needed to power up their old GameCubes to play the first two games.
That is, until RGG Studio made Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania, which recreates all the courses from SMB1 Deluxe and 2, but with some quality-of-life updates. Struggling players can use its slow-motion and guide features to help them find the best routes, while players of all skill levels can roll around as a variety of characters, from its main monkey, AiAi, to guest characters like Sonic the Hedgehog and Kazuma Kiryu.
9 Puyo Puyo Tetris 2
Breaking Blocks & Busting Blobs At The Same Time
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2
- Released
- December 8, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Sega
- Publisher(s)
- Sega
- Platform(s)
- Xbox One, PS4, Xbox Series X, Switch, PC, Xbox One X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One S
- Genre(s)
- Puzzle
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania is a good puzzle game, but if players want something more head-to-head, they can’t go wrong with Puyo Puyo Tetris 2. The original game combined the tricky colored blob combo-racking fun of Puyo Puyo with the nihilistic block arranging of Tetris into a unique arrangement, where mastering both could flood their foe’s screen with garbage.
The sequel continues where PPT1 left off, with a fresh story mode that sees their worlds combine once more, and an improved online mode that makes free play and league games more competitive. That, and its new Skill mode, will challenge players to use their character’s unique abilities and items to get ahead. Whether one loves one or the other, fans of both series will be pleased to see the two join up again here.
8 Sonic X Shadow Generations
The Blue Blur's Nostalgia Ride Gets Interrupted By The Ultimate Lifeform
Sonic X Shadow Generations
- Released
- October 25, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Sonic Team
- Publisher(s)
- Sega
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Between the Sonic movies and the gradually improving games, the Blue Blur’s been on an upswing lately. Though, if one had to pick out the best of the bunch, it would have to be Sonic X Shadow Generations. Half of it was a re-release of Sonic Generations, the best of the old boost games, which received a few tweaks here and there (e.g. Multiple save slots). The other half was a new game following Sonic’s edgy rival, Shadow, and his time in the white space.
It treats fans new and old to a new story that managed to turn Shadow's convoluted backstory into a rather moving blast from the past, with smooth and swift gameplay that arguably managed to one-up Sonic Generations with its Chaos powers and improved level design. Now, players can move faster and discover new shortcuts with clever use of Shadow's Chaos spear projectiles, or his time-freezing Chaos Control, among other abilities.
7 Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii
The Mad Dog Of Shimano Makes The Pacific Less Peaceful
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
- Released
- February 21, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
- Publisher(s)
- Sega
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Thanks to backwards compatibility, the PS5 is just as handy as the PS4 for letting players play every Yakuza/Like a Dragon game. Well, unless one prefers the OG Y1 & Y2 to their Kiwami remakes. Still, if players wanted to experience those games, Y3-6, Ishin, the Judgment games, and Yakuza: Like a Dragon, they could still do so with the PS5’s extra oomph.
The latest installment in the series puts the player back in the shoes of its resident lunatic, Goro Majima, as he takes to the seas in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. It goes back to the traditional street brawling gameplay but throws in naval combat via Majima’s ship, the Goromaru, and a range of minigames. From mainstays like Karaoke to twisting Pokémon Snap's camera-flashing formula in Sicko Snap, it’s got plenty to keep players occupied.
6 Football Manager 2024
Turn A Low Division Team Into Premier League Champions
Football Manager 2024
- Released
- November 6, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Sega
- Publisher(s)
- Sega
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Management, Simulation, Sports
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Some people might prefer baseball, tennis, or American Football, but the Football Manager games have arguably been the premier sports management sim series since their early days as Championship Manager. Though, by nature, they tend to work better on PCs and other computers than consoles, as anyone who’s ever had to use a D-pad to move a cursor on a screen may recall. Some games are just better suited to a mouse and/or keyboard than a controller.
But, things have gotten better since the 1990s, and if players only have a PS5 to work with, they can give Football Manager 2024 a whirl. It’s essentially the same experience of making the right trades and keeping everyone, from fans to the chairperson, happy. Only now, it’s bigger in scope, as players can now manage teams from Japan’s J1-J3 leagues or continue where their old FM23 saves left them off, since they’re compatible with FM24.
5 Two Point Museum
The Best Way To Master Museum Management
Two Point Museum
- Released
- March 4, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Two Point Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Sega
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
- Genre(s)
- Simulation, Strategy, Life Simulation, City Builder
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Business simulation games have been popular since the days of A Rock Star Ate My Hamster, but some players missed the tongue-in-cheek nature of older classics like Theme Hospital. So, two of their creators set up Two Point Studios and made Two Point Hospital, which was a good spiritual successor. Then, they made Two Point Campus, and it was better. Now, they’re giving museum management a go via Two Point Museum, where players must run their educational facility without running it into the ground.
Two Point Museum: 6 Improvements Over The Previous Games
Two Point Museum offers several beneficial improvements from previous games in the franchise.
On top of building gift shops, cafeterias, etc., they must fund expeditions to get items to exhibit and pull in more punters to their establishment. The rarer and more appealing the items, the more dangerous the expeditions will be. If players aren’t careful, they could end up losing their leading experts to various threats, which will make tracking down other historical curios more of an uphill challenge.
4 Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance
Survive The Post-Apocalypse With The Powers Of Persuasion
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance
- Released
- June 14, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Atlus
- Publisher(s)
- Atlus, SEGA
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
The Shin Megami Tensei series has been chugging along since the Famicom days, though most people outside Japan didn’t get a look at the series until the PS1 and PS2 days. Even then, they may be more familiar with its spin-offs, like the Devil Summoner and Persona series. But, the mainline SMT games tend to go into darker territory, as Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance shows.
It’s an expanded version of the original SMT5, where the protagonist must navigate their way through the post-apocalyptic wasteland of Da’at. By recruiting and fusing the right demons, they could become a force to be reckoned with and settle the angel-devil conflict that ravages the land. Depending on their moral choices, they could end up being better than the divine — or as dark as the darkest evil.
3 Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Ichiban Dives Into The Deep End Of Hawaii's Underworld
Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth
- Released
- January 26, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
- Publisher(s)
- Sega
- Platform(s)
- PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
The Yakuza/Like a Dragon series made its name with real-time street combat, where grinding a guy’s face into the pavement is just another Tuesday. But, the series gained a whole new range of players when they switched to a turn-based JRPG style for Yakuza: Like a Dragon. That game was a hit on the PS4 and PC, and it players great on the PS5 too.
If players want more from new hero Ichiban and his party, or just want to know why Majima is playing pirate in Hawaii, they can check out the sequel Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Ichiban now battles with a new party to discover something rotten in the Aloha State, with a new range of jobs, abilities, and summons to play with. It's the series' first sojourn outside of Japan's shores, but players can still see what's going on in Ijincho via Kazuma Kiryu's battle against a criminal conspiracy and his own mortality.
2 Metaphor: ReFantazio
Atlus Studio Breaks Out On Their Own With An Original IP
Metaphor: ReFantazio
- Released
- October 11, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Studio Zero
- Publisher(s)
- Atlus
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Metaphor: ReFantazio uses many gameplay elements from the SMT and Persona games, from day-night cycles to social links, but it’s not connected to either — not even as a spin-off or spiritual successor. It’s an all-new game set in an all-new world, as the players help Will lift the curse placed on his friend, the Prince of the United Kingdom of Euchronia.
It’s got plenty of familiar elements for Persona fans to enjoy, like PS5-style platforming and stealth sections. Otherwise, it’s a traditional turn-based RPG, where players must use their skills and Archetypes (manifestations of their insecurities) to exploit the enemies’ weak points. That’ll build up Will and his party’s stats, but to increase their Royal Virtues, they’ll have to get on the good side of each kingdom’s region, performing tasks for them to keep them happy.
1 Persona 5: Royal
Sega's Purchase Of Atlus Pays Off Beautifully
Persona 5 Royal
- Released
- October 31, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- P Studio, Atlus
- Publisher(s)
- P Studio, Atlus
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows
- Genre(s)
- JRPG, Adventure
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
The Persona series has run the gamut from being a niche cult classic to a widely acclaimed RPG mainstay. Old-school fans may still remember the heady days of P1’s dodgy localization (“Mark danced crazy!”), and even newer fans might compare their runs through the original Persona 3 to its remake, P3: Reload. But, for many players, their first taste of the series came in Persona 5.
It saw Joker and his Phantom Thieves use their newfound powers to steal people’s malevolent intents from the Metaverse — which could be a great success or go belly-up fast, depending on the player’s choices. The Royal edition further improved the game by fleshing out its dungeons and story threads, making it the de facto edition of the game to get, which is probably why it became one of the biggest-selling entries in the franchise.