The PlayStation has made a name for itself as one of the biggest brands in gaming. Most players can rest assured that they'll enjoy high-quality experiences as long as they check out games that have received the PlayStation seal of approval.

Kazuma in Yakuza (PS2) and Wander in Shadow of the Colossus
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Most players will arguably enjoy the best gaming experience possible with these titles on PlayStation hardware. The amazing melee combat present in these titles makes it clear why fans will be left enthralled as they beat down the foes standing in their way.

8 Final Fantasy 16

The Simple And Cinematic Combat Is Easy To Get Into

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Final Fantasy 16
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10 /10
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Released
June 22, 2023
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Developer(s)
Square Enix
Platform(s)
PC, PS5
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty
Genre(s)
Action RPG

The beauty of Final Fantasy 16 stems from its beginner-friendly combat system, ensuring that players will love looking at flashy cinematics as they take out the myriad of foes standing in their way. As Clive unlocks more Eikon powers, he can call forth a series of destructive abilities that will eradicate most foes in no time.

While some people may argue that Final Fantasy 16's combat is all style and no substance, the bombastic boss fights and satisfying combos that players can pull off make up for this lack of depth. It may not be the hardest combat system around, but players will love mastering Clive's basic moveset before moving on to more complicated things.

7 God Of War 3

The Final Game Of The Original Ancient Greece Trilogy Is A Joy To Play Through

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God of War III
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8 /10
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Released
March 16, 2010
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Developer(s)
Santa Monica Studio
Platform(s)
PS4, PS3
Genre(s)
Action, Adventure

God of War 3 is one of the most spectacular hack-and-slash games players can get their hands on. Kratos' adventures on the PS3 are nothing short of mind-blowing as players take out numerous challenging gods and Titans in a conflict for the ages.

Seeing this enraged Spartan warrior tear up his enemies in brutal fashion is a huge part of what makes God of War 3 such a satisfying ending to Kratos' adventures in Greece. The ending reveals a modicum of passion and kindness in Kratos that becomes a focal point of his character in the Norse mythology reboot.

6 Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

The Engaging Gameplay Of This Action JRPG Is Amazing

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Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
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9 /10
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Released
February 29, 2024
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Developer(s)
Square Enix
Platform(s)
PlayStation 5, PC
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty
Genre(s)
RPG

Players who loved Final Fantasy 7 Remake's combat will love what its sequel brings to the table. With greater control over summons, Synergy Abilities, and more characters to control, it's easy to see why Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is such a huge step forward.

Brave fencer musashi on the left and gran turismo 2 on the right.
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Building up stagger meters and targeting elemental weaknesses never ceases to be engaging. The open-world approach of Rebirth means that players will love exploring the game's massive landscapes and find things to do at their own pace, whether it be participating in challenging combat encounters or uncovering hidden treasures.

5 Marvel's Spider-Man 2

Polishes The Combat From The First Game To Give Both Spider-Men More Options Against Their Foes

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Marvel's Spider-Man 2
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9 /10
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Released
October 20, 2023
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Developer(s)
Insomniac Games
Platform(s)
PlayStation 5, PC
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty
Genre(s)
Open-World, Action-Adventure, Superhero

It's only a given that Marvel's Spider-Man 2 would boast a combat system that's vastly superior to its predecessors. Being able to use abilities and gadgets quickly helps combat be more dynamic than ever as players school their enemies time and time again.

From parry mechanics to impressive air combos, there's no shortage of moves players can pull off in Marvel's Spider-Man 2. Smashing opponents with Peter or Miles' unique abilities is incredible and ensures that every enemy encounter is something fans look forward to, even towards the end.

4 Demon's Souls

The Remake Of The Original Game Features Challenging Yet Rewarding Combat

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Demon's Souls
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10 /10
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Released
November 12, 2020
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Developer(s)
Bluepoint Games
Platform(s)
PlayStation 5
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty
Genre(s)
RPG

The remake of Demon's Souls may lose some of the sinister atmosphere present in the original game, but the visual upgrades more than make up for it. It helps that the combat mechanics are faithfully retained to let players enjoy a stellar action-adventure RPG.

Players must go through multiple stages and level up wisely, forming a build that can use their favorite weapons and smash enemies to kingdom come. The combat in this game is amazing and something FromSoftware fans are familiar with, rewarding timely dodges, blocks, and parries with valuable attack windows to beat enemies down in style.

3 Ghost Of Tsushima

Jin Is A Blur In Combat As He Cuts Down Numerous Mongols In Style

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Ghost of Tsushima
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9 /10
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Released
July 17, 2020
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Developer(s)
Sucker Punch
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty
Genre(s)
Action, Adventure

The beautiful visuals of Ghost of Tsushima coupled with tight and satisfying combat mechanics ensure that players will love checking out this game on the PS4 or PS5. Jin Sakai's story is a compelling one as he decides to sacrifice his honor to become a Ghost that can save his people.

Best PS1 Games With Character Creation, Ranked (feature image)
Best PS1 Games With Character Creation, Ranked

The PS1 era was still early days for character creation, but these games were ahead of their time in that respect.

Taking out droves of enemies in standoffs before using one of Jin's four combat styles to take out other Mongols is a huge part of what makes Ghost of Tsushima click. It's a must-play for anyone who loves engaging melee combat in their video games.

2 God Of War Ragnarok

Kratos Uses Numerous Weapons To Bring The Hurt To His Foes

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God of War Ragnarok
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10 /10
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Released
November 9, 2022
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Developer(s)
Santa Monica Studio
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty
Genre(s)
Action, Adventure

God of War Ragnarok was a notable improvement over its predecessor, balancing a lot of Kratos' moves to make combat more compelling than ever before. Players are encouraged to use moves repeatedly in combat to master them and enhance their effectiveness.

With the addition of the Draupnir Spear, players have more options to mess around with in combat. By the end, a seasoned Ragnarok player will be cycling through all three weapons on the highest difficulty and showing the toughest bosses just how competent they are.

1 Bloodborne

The Fast-Paced Combat Feels Great To Master As Players Take Out Some Of The Hardest FromSoftware Bosses

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Bloodborne
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Released
March 24, 2015
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Developer(s)
From Software
Platform(s)
PlayStation 4
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty
Genre(s)
Action, RPG, Soulslike

To this day, Bloodborne is hailed by many as the greatest PlayStation exclusive of all time. It's a crime that this game hasn't been released for modern consoles, and fans can only pray that this happens sooner rather than later.

The tweaks made to Bloodborne's combat ensure that players will love matching the pace of their swift enemies, staying aggressive to rally and regain their health as they kill the toughest foes after a grueling effort. Bloodborne can be unreasonably hard at times, but patient players with powerful builds will eventually conquer the game's toughest foes.

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