Let's Name the Greatest Title of the Gaming Era: Semi-Finals
These last 48 hours have been nothing short of dramatic. On Monday, we celebrated the five-year anniversary of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X with a tournament to decide the best first-party game of this hardware cycle. We presented eight PlayStation 5 titles and eight Xbox Series X exclusives to face off against each other, all heading towards a final showdown where the leading contender from each console would battle it out. We've witnessed some incredibly close calls in the initial matchups, particularly the extremely tight polls from the previous day. At this point, it's moment to decide the leading PlayStation and Xbox titles ahead of Thursday’s final battle.
PlayStation 5 Contenders
On the PS5 side, we have the Kratos-killer, Astro Bot. Maybe it should be no surprise considering that it won top honors at last year’s Game Awards, but its victory over God of War Ragnarök feels like a true upset. But to get to the finals, it'll have to go through the most valuable player of the PS5 generation: Insomniac Games. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 had a smooth path to the semi-finals, leaping past Ghost of Yōtei and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (another title from the same studio!) to secure a spot in the final four. Will Spider-Man defeat a home-grown Sony mascot, or is he fated to become a chibi cameo in the upcoming Astro Bot title?
Xbox Series X Contenders
For Xbox Series X has been more exciting. Emerging victorious from a more eclectic field of contenders is Forza Horizon 5. It's a big victory for the open-world driving game so far, proving that a niche category title deserves to be on the equal footing as classic platformers and cinematic action-adventure games. Its final obstacle on the way to the finals is a big one, though. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has proven to be a fan favorite, beating acclaimed titles like Pentiment and Hi-Fi Rush. Will it overcome a much bigger game from an established IP that's synonymous with the Xbox brand? If anyone can pull that off, it's likely Indiana Jones.
Cast your votes to decide the top PlayStation and Xbox titles of this era, and come back tomorrow to see which games will face off for the ultimate trophy in the championship round!
Polling Timeline
Round of 16: November 10, 11:00 AM Eastern - Tuesday, Nov. 11 at 9 a.m. ESTQuarter-finals: November 11, 11:00 AM Eastern - Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 9 a.m. EST- Final Four: Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 11 a.m. ET - Thursday, Nov. 13 at 9 a.m. EST
- Final round: November 13, 11:00 AM Eastern - Friday, Nov. 14 at 9 a.m. EST
- Winner announced: Friday, Nov. 14 at 11 a.m. EST
Head-to-Head Battles
PS5 Division
Astro Bot versus Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Xbox Series X Division
Forza Horizon 5 versus Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
