Gacha games previously used to be exclusively dominant on mobile devices, but that isn’t the case anymore. Thanks to the overwhelmingly positive response that Genshin Impact received when it first launched, a slew of awesome gacha games have launched for consoles and PC.
The PS5 is seen as the best console to play gacha games, primarily because it’s where many games usually come out first. But with these games taking so much time and effort, which are the best gacha games to play on the PS5?
Genshin Impact
It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Genshin Impact was the one that started it all, at least when it comes to gacha games shining on consoles. The game took inspiration from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but quickly separated itself from Nintendo’s first-party title.
Whether you’re playing for the ever-expanding story or the lovable characters, Genshin Impact has it all. The combat seems one-dimensional to many, but others think its simplicity is charming. All it takes is some smart merging of elements to make quick work of most enemies, though there are definitely some challenges for those who want them.
Genshin Impact’s world is huge. Teyvat is packed with secrets, side quests, puzzles, and characters. It’s a world that you may find yourself getting lost in, especially with how new content is constantly coming. There are hundreds of hours worth of content for you to enjoy with this game, and you can do all of that without spending a single cent of your money.
Wuthering Waves
Wuthering Waves launched as the “Genshin Impact killer.” While it didn’t exactly live up to that name, it’s an amazing game nonetheless. The game’s high-speed combat and fluid movement system won over countless players who were looking for something more serious. It’s no Dark Souls, but it’s definitely more challenging than your average gacha game.
Difficulty aside, Wuthering Waves has so much more going for it. Its character designs are excellent, and the worldbuilding can comfortably tackle Genshin’s. The visuals are also breathtaking, with constant updates and optimization changes ensuring that Wuthering Waves is much more accessible than it was at launch.
Exploration is also arguably much more fun here when compared to most other gachas on PS5. Mechanics such as wall running and grappling make for a seamless explorative experience every single time. Of course, it helps that the game’s cities are so distinct and unique that playing this game really feels like a journey.
Zenless Zone Zero
Stepping away from all of the open-world games, Zenless Zone Zero is a dungeon-crawler where you battle enemies in sandbox areas. When combat is the biggest factor in a game, it makes sense that the developer has no choice but to ensure it’s as polished as possible. This rings true for Zenless Zone Zero and is one of the biggest reasons for its success.
Instead of the fantasy setting that most gacha games go for, Zenless Zone Zero takes place in an anime-style urban setting. Combat is fast and fluid, and you’re expected to chain together combos to ensure you can take down enemies quickly. The visuals and high-energy soundtrack constantly keep things fresh. Other gameplay mechanics help cut through the constant violence.
Zenless Zone Zero also has some awesome marketing that you can’t help but fall in love with. Whether it’s Burnice getting an entire music video or a character literally being considered a bike in the community, those who love interacting with like-minded players will absolutely love this game.
Honkai: Star Rail
Long-time gacha players must have heard of the Honkai series before. However, no game comes close in popularity to Honkai: Star Rail. This turn-based gacha game is much more relaxed than the other best gachas for the PS5. Interestingly, that’s one of the biggest highlights of this game.
Completing daily tasks is more relaxed, and characters in this game are given more time to shine. Every character has a detailed backstory that you can’t help but fall in love with. This is primarily because team building plays a huge role in this turn-based game. Players have to rely on pure stats instead of how fast they can hit or how well they can dodge.
Not to mention, this game’s production quality is insane. The cinematic story moments are good enough to knock your socks off, and the music is absolutely beautiful. For many gacha lovers, this was the game to turn them into turn-based enjoyers.
Arknights: Endfield
Arknights: Endfield is one of the newest gacha games on the PS5. But it has quickly become one of the best free-to-play games on the PS5. This free-to-play game has a strong reputation thanks to its squad-based combat and beautiful visuals, but that isn’t what sets this game apart from the many other games in the genre.
This game has a base-building mechanic that has players constructing entire cities. Instead of just upgrading menus or waiting for timers to complete, this game has you building proper industrial networks across the map. This means you’ll be making production lines, trade routes, factories, resource pipelines, and more.
Arknights: Endfield’s learning curve is definitely steep, but this game can really hook you in if you give it enough time. When you aren’t constructing factories, you’ll likely go out into the beautiful world to defeat enemies and complete quests. It’s a traditional gacha game, but with inspiration from other games to make the experience more unique.
