10 best PlayStation exclusive games ranked

9. Returnal

Returnal could very well be the least-known (or played) game on this ranking. But make no mistake, Housemarque's latest title should, by all means, get more recognition than it gets. After all, it is an action-packed roguelike that pushes players to their limits while also delivering a cryptic story set on a haunting alien planet. Returnal is the real deal.

Perhaps the best part about this sci-fi title is its addictive and captivating gameplay loop. You know how roguelikes go. Players have to go through many levels that change slightly every time they are traversed, all while fighting challenging enemies that will show no mercy. If Selene - the main character - dies, you'll have to start whole sections of the game all over again. However, you'll also unlock permanent upgrades and shortcuts along the way that make subsequent retries a whole lot easier.

All of these features are pretty standard for this genre of video games. However, where Returnal truly differentiates itself is with its gunplay. Enemies shoot big, colorful projectiles at you that need to be dodged with utmost precision. It's easy for the screen to be overflown with many of these rockets at the same time, which can be overwhelming. However, it does make for a (weirdly) beautiful view to which players will need to respond with as many shots of their own. Combat is fast-paced, responsive, and challenging, but also very rewarding.

Shooting aliens is not the only thing you'll be doing in Returnal, however. There are six segments throughout the story where Selene strangely finds her childhood house in Atropos, the alien planet her ship crashes in. When you enter the house, there's a shift to a first-person camera as opposed to the third-person camera found everywhere else, and you won't be able to use guns to defend yourself which gives you a great sense of unease. Whenever Seline is in one of these segments, she re-lives childhood traumas that can be genuinely terrifying to play through. Not only does this allow for a little bit of gameplay variety, but it also adds a lot of atmosphere to the game as well.

Returnal's story has a very cryptic nature, which might not be for everyone's liking. However, there's a big plot twist throughout the middle of the game which is absolutely brilliant and it makes you go back to Atropos just when it appears you were able to escape it once and for all. Even if many things are open to interpretation once credits roll in Returnal, this memorable experience should be played by all PlayStation fans.