The 10 best PlayStation 4 games

The PS4 has been out in the wild for almost five years now, and throughout its lifespan, the console has built a library of truly fantastic games. Whether it’s celebrated exclusives or third-party juggernauts, there are countless experiences to be found right now.

1. God of War

God of War

Pros

  • Incredibly gorgeous
  • Huge amount of gameplay
  • Most satisfying combat system
  • Depth to the combat via character upgrades
  • Excellent father/son tale
  • Zero load screens
  • Kratos

Cons

  • Boss encounters massively underwhelm
  • Change of pace certainly won’t be for all
  • Ending falls flat

2. Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection

Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection

Pros

  • Arcade perfect ports
  • Online and Training Modes
  • Detailed Museum mode does the series’ legacy justice

Cons

  • Some ‘improved’ home ports missing
  • Ridiculously cheap A.I. opponents
  • Joy-Cons aren’t ideal for fighting games

This is how to do a collection of an iconic franchise. With arcade-perfect ports of 12 of the most incredible entries from Street Fighter at a time when it was considered untouchable, the 30th-anniversary collection is an essential purchase for fight fans. OK, one entry is a bit of a stinker (the very first game), but every journey starts with a single step, and from then on Street Fighter has become a staple of the games industry.

Also, the collection of artwork, concept drawings and more within the collection will allow you to pour over details previously unseen and learn much more about the games you love.

3. Far Cry 5

The 10 best PlayStation 4 games

Pros:

  • Spectacular action in stunning scenery
  • Four great villains, each with their own style
  • More immersive and organic than previous Far Cries
  • Brilliant specialists and animal allies

Cons:

  • Sometimes sticks too closely to old Far Cry templates
  •  Loses pace whn the Seeds aren’t around

The latest entry in Ubisoft’s Far Cry series doesn’t disappoint. Set in fictional Hope County, Montana, Far Cry 5 has you playing as a Deputy who find themselves up against Eden’s Gate. This mysterious cult has enslaved the local populous into mindless puppets willing to carry out their every whim.

At the front of this phenomenon is the Seed Family, a quartet of crazy, compelling villains who you’ll have to defeat on your adventure. They all have stand-out narrative moments with excellent performances, even if their motivations remain a bit muddled.

Far Cry 5 features all of the same crazy, over-the-top open world mechanics of its predecessors including outposts, hunting and the return of the companion system not touched since Far Cry 2.

4. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy

The 10 best PlayStation 4 games

Pros:

  • The same great Uncharted gameplay
  • Chloe and Nadine make great protagonists
  • Astonishing visuals
  • Huge set-pieces and ingenious world design
  • Leaves you wanting more

Cons:

  • More of the same (if mostly in a good way)

This standalone Uncharted adventure stars Chloe Frazer and Nadine Ross as they travel across the world in search on an ancient treasure. Despite taking place outside the main series, The Lost Legacy is equally as beautiful and hectic as its siblings. Following on from the stellar Uncharted 4, this is an experience you can’t miss.

Stuart Andrews adored it, awarding Lost Legacy 10/10 in his review: “To my mind, this isn’t merely one of the best games of the summer, but one of the season’s best blockbusters in any media. If Naughty Dog wants to leave the series here, it’s hard to grumble, but let’s hope it doesn’t. Right now, more Uncharted seems like anything but a bad idea.”

Naturally, as a first-party game, this game takes full advantage of the PS4 Pro, with 4K visuals and HDR.

5. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

The 10 best PlayStation 4 games

Pros:

  • Huge, coherent and immersive game world
  • Game systems and storyline both engage
  • Beautifully rendered characters and scenery
  •  Crammed with interesting quests, side-quests and activities
  •  Geralt a more mature and sympathetic lead

Cons:

  • Long loading times
  • Occasional framerate drop

The Witcher 3 has become the ultimate RPG – the one by which all others should be judged. For one, this is the largest, and most convincing open world we’ve ever seen. But also, you’re looking at a game with a storyline, quests and game systems that makes that world an incredibly compelling place to exist in.

This is the GTA 5 of sword and sorcery, so be prepared to sink a lot of hours into this game.

6. The Last of Us Remastered

The 10 best PlayStation 4 games

Pros:

  • Superb storytelling and immersive gameplay
  • Enhanced graphics and consistently smooth frame rates
  • Includes the brilliant Left Behind expansion
  • Factions multiplayer mode works better

Cons:

  • Visual enhancements not as huge as you might expect
  • No compelling reason to buy it again

The Last of Us was arguably the best game on PS3, and its remaster still stands tall as one of the best PS4 games you can buy. The re-release brings updated graphics, including HDR support and 4K upscaling for PS4 Pro. There are also graphical improvements, increased draw distance, a better combat mechanic and better framerate. Plus there’s the simply sublime photo mode, which we believe makes any game better.

This edition also includes the captivating Left Behind expansion, which follows Ellie in her very own tale. With The Last of Us Part 2 on the way, there’s no better time to jump in and familiarize yourself with the game that started it all.

7. Horizon Zero Dawn

The 10 best PlayStation 4 games

Pros:

  • The most gorgeous console game ever made
  • So much stuff to do
  • An engaging story

Cons:

  • Waypointing can be a little iffy

Horizon Zero Dawn is quite simply the most gorgeous console game ever made. Whether you’re gaming on PS4 or PS4 Pro, it’s a beautiful title that needs to be seen to be believed. It is also one of the finest example of HDR use in gaming.

But Guerrilla Games has also delivered so much more: Horizon is a compelling story told with an incredibly satisfying gameplay loop. As Aloy, you will take to this glorious open world, bow and arrows in hand, and hunt everything in site. It’s an immensely enjoyable game and a must-buy for PS4 players.

8. Bloodborne

bloodborne

Pros:

  • Smart level design
  • Consistent, satisfying mechanics
  • Thick, moody atmosphere

Cons:

  • Frequently frustrating
  • Obscure style may annoy

Another PS4-exclusive and another absolutely incredible game. Bloodborne marks the spiritual successor the Souls series by FromSoftware. It’s a challenging, consistently rewarding and unsurpassed since it launched way back in 2014.

If you like your games to present incredible difficulty followed by unrivaled triumph, you need to buy Bloodborne. The best part is the game is currently FREE on PlayStation Plus, so what are you waiting for!?

FromSoftware has recently announced the spiritual successor to Bloodborne: Shadows Die Twice, so once again this is the perfect time to jump onboard.

9. Persona 5

The 10 best PlayStation 4 games

Pros:

  • Great premise that doesn’t get old
  • Menial tasks are somehow fun
  • Looks great
  • Battle system is smartly thought out
  • Proper weird

Cons:

  • Asks for a lot of your time
  • Not instantly accessible
  • Does get very rough at times

Persona 5 is arguably the finest JRPG on Sony’s console. Successfully living up to years of hype and anticipation, Atlus’ latest masterpiece combines addictive gameplay, beloved characters and an unrivaled sense of style to deliver an experience that simply can’t be missed. Playing as a young boy starting a new life in Tokyo, you quickly find yourself embroiled in a series of sticky situations as the leader of The Phantom Thieves.

You’ll attend classes, make friends and infiltrate a series of devious dungeons known as Palaces to defeat corrupt individuals from the real world. This generous gameplay loop is made even better by some wonderful visuals and sharp, witty writing the series is renown for. Persona 5 is nothing but essential.

10. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice

The 10 best PlayStation 4 games

Pros:

  • Incredible visuals and audio
  • Brutal and kinetic melee combat
  • Clever perspective-based puzzles
  • Immersive storytelling that could only work in games

Cons:

  • Action takes time to warm up
  • Be prepared to discover things for yourself

Ninja Theory’s latest work might just be its finest yet. The studio behind Heavenly Sword and Enslaved: Odyssey to the West has crafted a harrowingly beautiful journey with amazing visuals,  great performances and ingenious design.

It’s short-lived but perfectly paced with a blend of action and puzzles that grows in richness and complexity as the game goes on. Senua’s story is a tragic, heartfelt one that is just begging to be experienced.