There have been plenty ofgreat fighting games released on PlayStation consolesover the years, and this continues to be the case with Sony’s most recent home console. The best PS5 fighting games beat out the competition with ease, either by offering up an ultra-realistic simulation that demands near-god-like reflexes or a fun-filled and fast-flowing free-for-all that just about anybody can pick up and play.
It may have taken a little while for the console to really find its footing when it comes to its ever-growing selection of fighting game offerings, but it’s now really starting to come into its own. With next-gen installments ofStreet Fighter,Tekken, andMortal Kombatall landing in 2023, it really is a great time to be a fighting game fan, particularly for those who happen to own a PlayStation 5.
12Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2
OpenCritic Rating: 71
There have been plenty ofSmashclones over the years, including Sony’s very ownPlayStation All-Stars Battle Royalein 2012. In more recent times though, only a handful have really come close to matching the excellence of the popular Nintendo franchise, one of which beingNickelodeon All-Star Brawl. Exactly how close it came is definitely a matter for debate, but most will likely agree that it was a fun game, if nothing else.
The game’s 2023 sequel takes things a step further, bringing together even more ofthe most popular Nickelodeon charactersfor a nostalgia-fuelled free-for-all that should appeal to players of all ages. Whether they grew up in the nineties watching shows likeHey Arnold!andThe Ren & Stimpy Showor spent their childhood kicking back to the likes ofDanny PhantomandInvader Zim, there’s a character here for just about everyone.
11DNF Duel
OpenCritic Rating: 79
When it comes to 2D and 2.5D fighting games,few developers are quite as well-practiced as Arc System Works. The Japanese studio has played a role in the development of many of the best fighting games of the past decade or so, including 2022’sDNF Duel, which serves as a spin-off of theDungeon & Fightergames that were hugely popular in South Korea and other parts of Asia around the turn of the century.
The game plays a lot like many ofArc System Works' other popular fighting games, with a simplified control scheme helping to make life easier for those who are new to the genre. The single-player experience is a little lackluster, unfortunately, but online play is top-notch, and the visuals and animation are bettered only by the game’s beginner-friendly nature.
10King of Fighters 15
OpenCritic Rating: 80
TheKing of Fightersfranchise has had its ups and downs over the years, which is understandable, really, given that the first game came out all the way back in 1994.King of Fighters 15definitely marks one of the series' high points though, with the drastic improvements made to the previous installment’s online mode being a big part of the reason for this.
That’s not to say that the game doesn’t still have its problems, the most notable of which being its grueling difficulty curve, some notable absentees from the roster, and a story mode that makes some of its peers look likeThe Last of Usor some other narrative-driven masterpiece. Still, for those looking for a fighting game that rewards dedication and mastery, there are few better, at least when it comes to the PS5’s somewhat limited library.
9WWE 2K24
After the release ofWWE 2K20, it was difficult to see a way back for the long-runningWWE 2Kfranchise. The change of developers hit the series hard, leading to one of the most technically broken video games in recent memory. To their credit, though, the team over at Visual Concepts stuck with it, and, after taking a two-year hiatus, returned with the excellentWWE 2K22. The next few annual installments have continued this upward trajectory.
Though it may not be a fighting game in the traditional sense,WWE 2K24is no less rewarding, and, against well-practiced opponents orsome of the more challenging AI settings, requires just as much dedication to truly master. Its biggest strength, however, is that it is an incredibly fun game, whether being played by nostalgia-driven adults or younger sports entertainment fans.
8Under Night In-Birth 2 Sys:Celes
OpenCritic Rating: 81
Under Night In-Birthremains something of aniche franchise for casual fighting game fans. However, those more in tune with the genre will no doubt be familiar with the series already, either due to the various revisions of its first installment or its fantastic 2024 sequelUnder Night In-Birth 2 Sys:Celes, the latter of which is one of the best 2D fighting games on the PlayStation 5.
The game may not have a popular IP from which to draw its lore and characters and its launch was largely overshadowed by that ofTekken8, which wasreleased just a few days later. However, it more than makes up for this with its smooth combat and stunning visuals. As with its predecessor, casuals may struggle to get to grips with the game when they first dive into it, but as they begin to master the mechanics, those early frustrations will be forgotten pretty quickly.
7Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO
OpenCritic Rating: 82
Make no mistake:Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZEROis a must-play game for both fighting game andDragon Ballfans. However, it’s certainly not without its flaws. Combat is largely made up of vanish combos and spamming Sparking Mode, and Ultimates are far too easy to counter. Episode Battle mode misses the mark a little as well, skipping over large sections of the story for certain characters while honing in far too closely on others.The what-if scenarios are a nice touch, but the fact that most of them are unlocked simply by finishing an episode quickly grows tiresome pretty fast.
The best thing aboutDragon Ball: Sparking! ZEROis arguably its large roster, but this too becomes far less impressive once you realize that around a third of the 182 launch characters are justdifferent variations of Goku, Gohan, Vegeta, and Trunks. Once every alternate form and transformation has been taken out of the equation, theSparking Zeroroster isn’t that much larger than the ones found inXenoverse 2andFighterZ, the latter of which offers a much more satisfying combat experience and a more carefully curated story mode.
6Dragon Ball FighterZ
OpenCritic Rating: 86
At launch, many sawDragon Ball FighterZas one ofthe bestDragon Ballgamesin years. Sadly, the absence of rollback netcode did start to become a bit of a problem as the size of the game’s community began to dwindle, but this long-requested function was eventually added as part of the game’s early 2024 current-gen port.
There’s an incredibly diverse roster on offer here, with 24playable fighters in the base version ofDragon Ball FighterZand a further 20 available through paid DLC. Those still enjoying the 2018 title will be hoping that the game’s current-gen release will attract enough new players to keep things ticking over until a true successor can be found.
5Guilty Gear Strive
Guilty Gear Strivewas easily the best fighting game to come out of 2021 and ranks among the very best fighting games available on the PS5. Granted, it perhaps ran out of steam a little faster than some may have liked, but in short bursts, and when played together with friends, it remains one of the genre’s most enjoyable offerings and a great way to familiarize oneself with fighting games in general.
With so many modern fighting games opting for 3D graphics, it’s nice to see a franchise sticking to its 2D roots, and the game is all the better for it. The visuals are crisp and at times absolutely stunning, while combat can at times be far more intuitive than it is in a lot of other anime-style fighters.Certain characters are a lot more difficult to master than others, but this is pretty normal for a fighting game, and, to many, is all part of the fun.
4Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate
OpenCritic Rating: 83
Though it started life as an eighth-generation console game,Mortal Kombat 11feels no less at home on the PS5 than any of the platform’s other big fighting games. Of course, the game’s next-gen patch certainly helps a lot in this regard, offering up enhanced visuals, a 4K dynamic resolution, and improved loading times, as well as several other big changes.
Together withTekken 7,Mortal Kombat 11took advantage of some of the missteps surroundingStreet Fighter 5’s release andVirtua Fighter’s prolonged absence to really cement the series' place as one ofthe fighting game genre’s very best franchises. The story mode is one of several highlights, but it was perhaps the decision to slow down the combat just a little that made the game truly great.
3Mortal Kombat 1
OpenCritic Rating: 84
Those who played throughMortal Kombat 11’s story probably weren’t all that surprised by the decision to reboot the series, but for everyone else, it came as a bit of a shock. Liu Kang’s new universe is very different from the one that preceded it, but that’s not a bad thing at all. In fact, there’s a strong argument to be made forMortal Kombat 1being one ofthe betterMortal Kombatgamesas a result of the devs' decision.
Granted, the god-awful Switch release and an issue that made it impossible for player 2 to perform certain combos cast a slight shadow over the game’s launch, but it’s an excellent game nonetheless. The combat is solid, the story mode is top-tier, and the roster is well thought out.Mortal Kombat 1rises to the challenge ofStreet Fighter 6, and although it arguably falls a little short, it’s still one of the best fighting games on the PS5.
