Along with sweltering weather, the summer of 2023 will also usher in a flurry of thrilling independent games for the PlayStation 5. This compiled list of the top 10 independent games will keep you engaged throughout the season, whether you enjoy new releases or are ready to explore vintage oldies. Prepare yourself for exhilarating journeys, riddles to unravel, and remarkable gameplay mechanics that will make your summer gaming unforgettable.
Great independent titles like “Little Devil Inside” and others will be released in the coming months. However, that doesn’t imply that the previous titles don’t stand a chance. The top 10 independent games, both new and old, to spice up your summer are listed below.
#10 Blasphemous 2:
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The Penitent One makes a comeback in Blasphemous 2 to engage The Miracle in a never-ending battle. Players can explore a dangerous new world packed with mysteries and secrets, and slay terrible enemies who stand in their way as they pursue their goal of permanently ending the cycle. Fans of difficult action-adventure games will find Blasphemous 2 to be a terrifying and engrossing experience with its gloomy graphics, brutal gameplay, and complex lore.
#9 Disco Elysium:
Disco Elysium is a role-playing video game that was launched in 2019 by ZA/UM. It is set in the beach sector of a fictitious metropolis, still recovering from a siege that happened decades before the game’s start.
The player will take on the role of an amnesiac investigator tasked with solving a murder case. The game offers a thought-provoking and emotionally engaging experience thanks to its difficult decision-making, complex characters, and rich and nuanced plot.
#8 Bomb Rush Cyberfunk:
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk is a highly sophisticated, one-second-per-second funk experience brought to you by Team Reptile. It is set in a world created by Dion Koster, where self-styled crews with their own boost-packs conquer new heights of graffiti.
In this fashionable and chaotic journey, you can start your own cypher, dance, paint, do tricks, and fight the police. It offers a distinctive and thrilling voyage through a futuristic cityscape thanks to its bright art design, engaging soundtrack, and creative gameplay mechanics.
#7 Pathless:
Pathless, the action-adventure video game, was created by Giant Squid and released by Annapurna Interactive. The Hunter is an incredible archer in the game who has to figure out how to break an island’s curse. The player controls the Hunter.
The Hunter, armed with a bow and arrows, must shoot talismans strewn over the globe to fill her dash meter and fast move across the game’s breathtaking sceneries. It offers a captivating and immersive experience thanks to its stunning visuals, fluid traversal mechanics, and sense of wonder and exploration.
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#6 Pacific Drive:
The upcoming survival game Pacific Drive was created by Ironwood Studios. In this Pacific Northwest-themed game, players explore the untamed terrain on foot or in a station wagon while looking for a way out. It promises to give a suspenseful experience that will put your abilities and resolve to the test with its atmospheric location, intense survival mechanics, and engaging narrative.
#5 Kena: Bridge of Spirits:
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a 2021 action-adventure video game developed and published by Ember Lab. The narrative centers on Kena, a youthful spirit guide who uses her magical prowess to assist the dead in transitioning from this realm to the next.
Players explore a gorgeously designed environment as Kena, learn secrets, and set out on quests to help spirits on their travels. Kena: Bridge of Spirits offers a riveting and emotional journey with its magnificent visuals, gripping narrative, and seamless blending of action and exploration.
#4 Sifu:
The beat ’em up video game, Sifu, was created and released by the French studio Sloclap. Players take control of the sifu’s child who seeks vengeance on those responsible for their father’s passing in this contemporary Chinese game.
Players will hone their martial arts abilities and master different fighting tactics through challenging combat engagements. Sifu is an adrenaline-fueled experience that perfectly embodies the spirit of martial arts movies with its dynamic and visceral combat system, flawlessly choreographed bouts, and visually gorgeous art style.
#3 A Plague Tale: Innocence:
Action-adventure stealth game A Plague Tale: Innocence was created by Asobo Studio and released by Focus Home Interactive. The game recounts the perilous voyage of Amicia de Rune and her sick brother Hugo as they run from French Inquisition soldiers and swarms of rats spreading the black plague in 14th-century Aquitaine, France, during the Hundred Years’ War.
To survive perilous situations, players must cross hazardous surroundings, solve riddles, and use stealth techniques. A Plague Tale: Innocence creates a scary and intense experience with its compelling story, moody atmosphere, and ground-breaking gameplay features involving the manipulation of light and darkness.
#2 Hollow Knight:
2017’s Metroidvania Hollow Knight was created and released by independent studio Team Cherry. Players take on the role of the Knight, the unnamed insectoid warrior on a mission to learn the secrets of the haunted underground realm, set in the destroyed kingdom of Hallownest.
Players can explore a variety of underground places, meet friendly and aggressive insectoid creatures, and participate in difficult combat with terrifying bosses. It delivers a captivating and evocative trip that will put your abilities and resolve to the test with its lovely hand-drawn art style, eerie soundtrack, and intricate world design.
#1 Hades:
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And the best saved for last: Hades, a rogue-like game by Supergiant Games. In this never-ending mission to escape, players descend into the depths of the underworld as Zagreus, the son of Hades, and fight their way through waves of diabolical beings.
Thanks to its dynamic and quick-paced action, substantial character development, and captivating plot, Hades has been recognized as one of the best rogue-like games ever created. With each run, players uncover more of the extensive lore and develop bonds with fascinating characters. Thanks to its stunning visuals, excellent voice acting, and incredibly compelling gameplay loop, Hades will hold your attention for hours on end.
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Which of these games are you looking forward to the most? Which Indie games do you love? Let us know in the comments.
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