There are numerous games with exploration opportunities available on the PS5. God of War Ragnarok is one of the best-looking games players can experience on the system, and Cyberpunk 2077 has a colorful nightlife. Those are some good open examples on the console, but are those games all about exploration? It’s safe to say they are not as rich as their worlds are.
For anyone looking for worlds that demand to be explored, these PS5 games should suffice. They may not be exclusively about exploring the unknown, but they will certainly reward players for going off the beaten path, and that’s the most important thing of all.
Games that are not exclusive for PS5 have been considered as well, if their exploration is particularly good.
Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
Became A Courier And See The Sights
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, like the original game, is ultimately about delivering packages in a post-apocalypse. The protagonist, Sam, will unlock more modes of transportation and additional gear faster than the original to make Sam’s treks easier, from a three-wheeled motorcycle to an exoskeleton that divvies up the weight better to a fine piece of rope.
Between Mexico and Australia, there is a lot of ground to cover, and it’s easily one of the best-looking games on the PS5 so far. There is a lot of sand and rubble to sift through, but it is gorgeous all the same. The bunkers that house the NPCs aren’t that attractive, compared to other games set in post-apocalypses, but it’s always fun discovering a new quest giver with a weird quirk from one filled with birds to another housing an aspiring pizza chef.
Ghost Of Yotei
Bloody But Beautiful
Ghost of Yotei is one of the bloodiest games of 2025, and there’s even a setting in the options to increase the mud and blood effects. It’s a tale of revenge as Atsu, the protagonist, is hunting down the Yotei Six, who killed her parents and are ruining the land of Yotei through cruel means. Players have ample opportunities to engage with the bloody swordplay, but more so than the original game, Ghost of Tsushima, it seems like Ghost of Yotei tries to balance out the action and amps up the exploration bits.
Riding between areas looks great in one of the most calming horseback segments in years thanks to the black bars. Climbing mountains through platforming puzzles is also a treat. Then there are the various roadside attractions, which can increase various stats, like resting at a hot spring to build health or chopping bamboo to build up stamina for special attacks. The message of Ghost of Yotei is simple: beauty is all around, even in-between bloody battles. All players have to do is stop and appreciate the bud of a flower every once in a while to put things in perspective.
Sword Of The Sea
Surfs Up
Sword of the Sea is a spiritual follow-up to Journey, a game known for being about the experience. This game begins with players awakening as a statue with a magic sword in hand that is not used for combat, but a surfboard instead. Players will traverse a seemingly endless supply of sandy dunes with the goal of each mini-biome to rejuvenate life and water in them.
Bringing aquatic life back to sandy plains is a treat that gets better with each unlock for a chill experience unlike most games on PS5. It’s kind of like Okami in this way, which also had an environmental message within its Zelda-like dungeon crawling design. Sword of the Sea does have some side activities too, including skate parks for players to test their sword skills out in, like Tony Hawk of the distant future.
Hell Is Us
No Map, No Problem
Hell is Us is another post-apocalyptic game on PS5, but this one has a strange approach to navigation. Players have to pay attention to their compass, written notes in journals, NPC dialogue, and more if they want to make it through this action-adventure game. There is some action-based combat, but it’s featured just as heavily as a Silent Hill game.
That is to say, Hell is Us is more about the exploration and puzzles than it is the action, and even though navigating a big world without much aid can be frustrating, it’s another unique approach to the medium in 2025 that deserves a look. There are no markers to let players know where they are going for any major or minor quest. It’s thrilling, kind of like playing The Legend of Zelda on the NES all over again.
Get Lost
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim may seem like a wild pick as it is an RPG, but it’s also one of the best games to put in front of someone and just say, “Go!” There is combat, leveling up, and a deep progression system of skills like most RPGs, but combat is not the best part, or anywhere near the best parts of the experience. The tutorial area is tedious, but after that, being set free in the world of Tamriel is as eye-opening now as it was in 2011.
Open-world games have come a long way since 2011, but there’s something still special about going wherever and discovering new towns, caves, and ruins in The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. Witnessing a dragon, mammoth, or giant for the first time is both scary and exciting too, which is still great decades later, whether players are engaging with the original version, the various remasters, or enjoying it in VR.
