If you haven’t played Escape from Tarkov yet – and you have a relatively beefy PC rig – then we’d recommend you give it a shot. It’s a hardcore multiplayer FPS in which you and your fellow players are dropped into a map, given basically nothing at the outset, and tasked with surviving and battling other players. Along the way, you’ll encounter ambient quests in the world that you can take on, so it’s a hybrid PvP and PvE shooter. It’s a great game to play with friends, but you can head in solo as well if you’re feeling particularly brave.
Unfortunately, Escape from Tarkov isn’t currently available on PS5. In fact, not only is there no Escape from Tarkov PS5 version, but the game isn’t out for any other console either; it’s strictly a PC exclusive. With that in mind, you might be looking for a PS5 game that approximates the Escape from Tarkov experience. Since you can’t play Escape from Tarkov on PS5, you’ll be happy to know there are other games out there that fill the hole left by this realistic shooter’s absence. Here are 7 great games like Escape from Tarkov that you can play on PS5!
1. Vigor
Vigor is probably about as close to Tarkov as you’re going to get on PS5 right now. It’s an online survival shooter in which players are airdropped into a location and must scavenge for resources and supplies in order to survive. Of course, you’ll also be doing battle with other players, so you’ll need to have your wits about you. Vigor has been continually updated since launch with a wealth of extra game modes and other bonuses, so there’s never been a better time to get stuck into this free-to-play game. Give it a shot if you’re looking for a Tarkov-like experience and you don’t mind the usual free-to-play trappings.
2. Chernobylite
This is one for the single-player fans. While it’s true that Escape from Tarkov isn’t technically a post-apocalyptic game, the ruined cities and hardcore stylings that make Tarkov what it is translate perfectly to Chernobylite. Developed by Farm-51, this survival horror-esque RPG tasks you with heading into a nuclear exclusion zone in order to discover what happened to your fiance. Just like Tarkov, Chernobylite is an unashamedly hardcore experience; you’ll need to scavenge for everything you need to survive, and a single mistake could be the difference between victory and defeat.
3. PUBG: Battlegrounds
This early adopter of the battle royale genre is going free-to-play in January, so it’s probably worth waiting until then to give it a shot. However, if the aspect of Tarkov that appeals to you is scavenging for resources and organic encounters with other players, then PUBG: Battlegrounds will definitely work for you as well. This is a game so hardcore that players make sartorial choices not for aesthetic reasons, but because it will help them to play more efficiently (removing shoes to deaden footstep sounds, for example). Make no mistake; despite its high player count, PUBG: Battlegrounds is a game for true connoisseurs.
4. Call of Duty: Warzone
Though Tarkov isn’t a battle royale game, its focus on modern warfare puts it in line with a game like Call of Duty: Warzone. Players are dropped into a massive map and must fend for themselves, grabbing loot and dispatching any enemies they come across. Warzone puts a spin on the classic battle royale mechanics by placing defeated players into the Gulag, a location where they can battle each other for the chance to respawn. Activision Blizzard’s murky issues aside, Warzone is great fun, and if you can gather together a regular squad to take it on, it’s even better.
5. Fortnite
Okay, so Fortnite might be a little cartoony for people who love Tarkov’s unflinching realism. However, once you get yourself into a game, you’ll quickly realise that its kiddie aesthetic belies Fortnite’s hardcore gameplay. To put it simply, it’s difficult to win a game of Fortnite; there’s a huge amount of skill and strategy involved in planning your way to victory. To win, you’ll need to amass as many resources as you can and build yourself the perfect fort to protect your life from other players. If you don’t mind stepping out of your survival comfort zone, Fortnite could be the perfect game to play.
6. Metro Exodus
Much like Chernobylite, Metro Exodus is a single-player odyssey, but it’s well worth taking the trip, even if you’ve never played a Metro game before. These games are set in the Moscow subway tunnels after a nuclear war has destroyed the Earth. You play as Artyom, who must embark on a journey across Russia in order to reach the far eastern edge. Metro Exodus is unfailingly bleak; it’s not a game to play if you’re after happy endings and cuddly aesthetics. However, Tarkov fans should enjoy it for its uncompromising nature and hardcore difficulty.
7. DayZ
Last but not least, we have DayZ, which is an undeniable influence on Escape from Tarkov. It’s an open-world zombie shooter with RPG elements in which players are dropped into a persistent world and forced to survive against the undead (and each other, of course). Just like in Tarkov, you’ll have to scavenge everything you need from the world around you, and just like in Tarkov, other players are the most dangerous element you’ll come up against. Check out DayZ if you don’t mind the undead shambling around and you want a similar survival experience to Tarkov.