10 Best No.5's In Gaming History
High fives all around!
And so, we continue our journey through gaming's greatest and goodest. After taking a look at the best no.3 and no.4 games of all time, it's time for the greatest no.5's to stand up and get their flowers.
One thing that struck us when compiling this list was how many of the games on it came off the back of relative disappointments. Many of the series here suffered a notable dip in quality when it came to game number four, and in all these cases, the developers responded with some of the best course-correction since WWE icon Becky Lynch swapped her air hostess uniform for a pair of wrestling boots.
Having said that, not every game here suffered from having a disappointing predecessor. Indeed, our top two entries are follow-ups to some of the greatest games ever made.
On that note, we should mention that we've done away with the rule on disqualifying franchises discussed in "Best No. 3/No. 4's In Gaming". There are few franchises with genuinely great fifth entries, and following our self-imposed stipulation meant that we were taking too many legitimate contenders off the table.
10. God of War: Ragnarok
Let's deal with the elephant in the room first: no, God of War: Ragnarok doesn't quite hit the same heights as its predecessor, mostly due to some pace-shattering padding (looking at you, Ironwood). However, dismissing it because of that would be like snubbing a restaurant because it has two Michelin Stars instead of three.
And make no mistake - despite its missteps, Ragnarok is still a gaming masterpiece. A flawed one, yes, but one that deserves pride of place in any gamer's collection.
As well as containing the thunderous combat and rip-roaring spectacle God of War fans have come to expect, Ragnarok continues the series' maturation with some of the best-written characters in gaming. Kratos' struggles to be the father his son needs are immediately relatable to any parent, and the evolution of Kratos and Freya's relationship turned out to be one of 2022's most unexpected highlights.
Ragnarok may not have been perfect, but it got so much right (we haven't even touched on the heart-pounding bosses, well-written side quests, or staggeringly generous post-game). It deserves every accolade it received - from BAFTAs to GOTYs - and cements the God of War franchise as a masterful part of the gaming pantheon.