Gotta catch ’em all!
Except… if you’re playing on a PlayStation console, catching those Pokémon is quite difficult due to the fact Pokémon is a Nintendo-only franchise. Fear not though, because there’s a wide selection of games like Pokémon on PS4 and PS5, and we’re here to go through the very best of them.
Classic Pokémon games focus on three key elements: a story, the thrill of exploring the world around you, and of course capturing and collecting as many monsters as possible. We’ve selected five games that all focus on those three core elements. Some may do it in a slightly different fashion than Pokémon, but we’ve tried and tested each one and can confirm they’re just as good – if not better – than the real thing.
So, without further ado, read on to see our picks of the best games like Pokémon on PS4 and PS5.
Psst! Want to support GameSpew? We’ve included affiliate links under some of the entries in this article. If you want to buy any of the games on this list, please consider clicking our link. It won’t cost you anything more, but we’ll get a small slice of the profit, which goes towards our running costs.
1. Nexomon: Extinction
There’s so much to love about Nexomon: Extinction, a surprise hit for us when it came to PS4 back in September 2020. It very much captures the essence of old-school Pokémon games, right down to the top-down viewpoint as you explore the world. But its beautiful, crisp and colourful visuals bring it right into the 21st century, making every nook and cranny of Nexomon: Extinction‘s world a joy to poke around in. It really is a wonderfully-animated game.
When we reviewed Nexomon: Extinction, we said “it’s about as derivative of Pokémon as you can get”, but we didn’t mean that as a negative. It has taken the best elements of the famous pocket monster-collecting game and turned them into something new, all while creating some magic of its own. You’ll capture new monsters, train them by fighting, evolve them into new species, and ascend the ranks of the “tamer guild”. There’s a great story to keep you playing, too, packed with humour and intrigue. Yes, Nexomon: Extinction may be a little derivative, but it’s still one of the best games like Pokémon you can play on PS4 and PS5.
Read our review of Nexomon: Extinction
2. Monster Sanctuary
Not only is Monster Sanctuary one of the best games like Pokémon on PS4 and PS5, it’s also a damn good Metroidvania too. That’s right, this game from Moi Rai Games and Team 17 combines two genres to create something rather special indeed. Like Pokémon, you’ll be assisted by monsters, who you can catch and train as you play. But to set it apart, this is a 2D side-scrolling platform adventure game, with a huge, interconnecting world to explore.
It’s no walk in the park, though. Monster Sanctuary‘s battles are tough, so you’ll need to spend time ensuring your party of monsters are up to the task with plenty of training. By spending skill points you can level up certain abilities, focusing on the areas that matter most. Combat itself has much more strategy than your standard Pokémon game, too. Attacks build up multiplier stacks, which need to be optimised in order to deal the most damage to your enemies. And outside of combat, exploring the world is a joy in itself. You’ll need to use both your own abilities and those of your monsters’ to access new parts of the world, which continually open up to you as you progress.
There’s a lot to like about Monster Sanctuary, so if you’re looking for something like Pokémon to play on PlayStation, make sure it’s on your list.
Read our review of Monster Sanctuary
3. Monster Crown
The newest game on this list, Monster Crown is best described as “Pokémon for grown-ups”. This pixelated adventure apes the old-school Pokémon games of the Game Boy age, but with a darker, more adult edge. After all, you’re not going to get called a “little sh*t” in a Pokémon game, are you? But in Monster Crown, its characters don’t shy away from curse words and discussing darker themes.
But at its core, this is very much one of the best games like Pokémon available on PS4 and PS5. You take on the role of a youngster, setting out into the world by themselves for the first time. You’ll have a monster by your side to help you fight off others, and more monsters can be caught and tamed – or at least bribed – to fight by your side. Like Pokémon, all monsters have their individual strengths and weaknesses, meaning that a large and varied party is often your key to success.
But setting Monster Crown apart is its focus on crossbreeding. There are 200 types of monsters in the game to begin with, but you can end up with 1,200 individual species by breeding your monsters together. That’s a lot of monsters. You better get started now if you want to catch ’em all.
4. Temtem
TemTem takes the Pokémon concept and makes it massively multiplayer. This huge open-world MMO is perhaps the most modern-looking of all the games like Pokémon on PS4 and PS5; it boasts 3D visuals, brilliant character models and a huge range of monster designs. And even though you’ll be playing alongside lots of other players, the goal remains similar: catch monsters, train them, and battle against other monster tamers.
With six varied islands to explore in TemTem, there’s a lot to see and do. There’s a huge range of monsters to collect, plenty of world to explore, and a story to follow through to completion. You can play by yourself or team up with a friend in co-op; the choice is yours. However you play, you’ll be able to buy and decorate a house, customise your character and more.
TemTem is technically still in early access, where its been since its launch in 2020, so it’s still subject to changes. Updates are rolling out to the game often, with new content and improvements being added at regular intervals. It’s already very good, but once the final release is out, there’s no doubt it’ll be one of the best games like Pokémon on PS4 and PS5.
5. World of Final Fantasy
A Final Fantasy game? In a list of best games like Pokémon on PS4 and PS5? Yes! Hear us out. It may seem like an odd choice, but World of Final Fantasy isn’t your typical Final Fantasy game. This series spin-off combines characters from all across the long-running RPG series to create something completely new. And at the heart of it is a ‘Mirage’ system. Mirages are little creatures which can be caught in battle, and trained to fight alongside you. Sound familiar? Yeah, we thought so too.
Mirage creatures are, frankly, adorable. And while some of them are unique to World of Final Fantasy, some of them are based on popular creatures from the Final Fantasy franchise at large, like Chocobos and Cactuars. Of course, there’s more to World of Final Fantasy than simply collecting and training monsters, but it’s enough of a focus to be a selling point for anyone looking for a Pokémon-like experience on PlayStation. It comes highly recommended from us, anyway.
