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The best PS4 games you can buy: From Bloodborne to Uncharted 4
It’s a testament to the quality of the PlayStation 4’s expansive library that narrowing down a list of the best PS4 games is incredibly hard. As one of the best-selling consoles of all time, it’s no surprise that Sony’s eighth-generation platform has a stacked back catalog of AAA big hitters, indie darlings, remasters, remakes, and much more.
To keep this list of the best PS4 games as succinct as possible, we’re limiting it to our top 10. And all our top 10 PS4 games picks are console exclusives (PC not included). We’ve also left out PlayStation VR games like ASTRO Bot Rescue Mission, Rez Infinite, and Tetris Effect. If you have a PSVR, do yourself a favor and check them out.
As a bonus, we’ve put together a quick list of other incredible games that aren’t PS4 exclusives at the bottom of this article.
Best PS4 games:
Editor’s note: This list of the best games on PS4 will be updated as new games launch.
1. Bloodborne
The first and (in this writer’s opinion) best PS4 exclusive you can buy, Bloodborne is a masterpiece. It comes from the team behind the notoriously challenging Dark Souls series.
Bloodborne sticks with the Souls’ series core action RPG gameplay and steep difficulty curve while discarding the grim fantasy for a Gothic horror setting. Its vicious combat, intriguing lore, and savage boss fights make for a nightmarish delight like no other.
Fear the old blood.
2. Final Fantasy VII Remake
After over a decade of teases and multiple delays, the long-awaited remake of Square Enix’s PS1 classic is finally here. Well, the first part anyway.
Final Fantasy VII Remake takes the first third of the seminal Japanese RPG and updates it for a modern audience. Cutting-edge visuals, a revamped, real-time version of Final Fantasy VII’s turn-based combat, and a bunch of other changes all breathe fresh life into the steampunk world of Midgar. Now, if only we could hear something, anything, about Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 2…
3. God of War
God of War (2018) is a part-sequel and part-reboot of the hack-and-slash franchise that introduces Kratos a.k.a. The Ghost of Sparta a.k.a. the angriest man in gaming to the world, beasts, and gods of Norse mythology.
Despite switching to third-person, God of War retains the frenzied combat of its predecessors while effortlessly adopting a more story-driven approach. After murdering his way through the Greek pantheon, Kratos’ newfound status as a single parent of his son (BOY!) Atreyus forces him to confront the consequences of his rage-fueled past.
A true modern epic and a refreshing, surprisingly mature new chapter for a series that will surely continue on the PS5.
4. Horizon Zero Dawn
After over a decade of mediocre shooters with pseudo-space nazis, the Killzone team finally delivered an open-world sci-fi game that quickly cemented itself as a PlayStation franchise for the future.
Read more: Everything you need to know about Playstation Now
Horizon Zero Dawn features bleeding-edge visuals, a star turn from the always-excellent Ashly Burch as red-haired hero Aloy, and a compelling story and setting that combines old-world tools and elements of tribal culture with futuristic technology. Also robotic dinosaurs. Do I need to continue?
5. The Last Guardian
Originally intended for launch on the PS3, The Last Guardian survived years of development hell before eventually landing on PS4. It was well worth the wait.
A spiritual successor to Ico and Shadow of the Colossus (more on that later), The Last Guardian is a beautiful and poignant puzzle platformer. The game follows the growing relationship between a young kidnapped boy and a giant cat-dog-griffin-thing — brought to life with astonishingly realistic AI — as they team up to escape a dangerous mystical prison.
Despite some strange puzzles, occasionally awkward controls, and irritating technical issues, there’s still nothing else quite like The Last Guardian on any other platform.
6. The Last of Us Part 2
How do you follow up on The Last of Us, a generation-defining masterpiece that sits alongside the gaming industry greats as one of the best games ever made?
Acclaimed developer Naughty Dog faced a daunting task with The Last of Us Part 2. However, the end result is a bravura gaming experience filled with emotional gut-punches that more than lives up to the series’ legacy.
The Last of Us Part 2 follows companion-turned-protagonist Ellie on a revenge-fueled journey through post-apocalyptic Seattle in an expansive story that pivots around the fallout from the first game’s violent ending.
This lengthy sequel is tonally and structurally far messier than its predecessor. But it’s also far more ambitious with its storytelling techniques and overarching themes. It improves on the original’s brutal combat and tense stealth gameplay in every way, while also introducing fresh human foes and new fungal-infected creatures.
If you haven’t played The Last of Us, then start with the excellent remastered version for PS4 before moving on to the sequel.
7. Marvel’s Spider-Man
Insomniac Games’ Spider-Man does for the webslinger what the Batman Arkham series did for the Caped Crusader.
While Spider-Man on PS4 does suffer from some open-world-itis with boring fetch quests and collectibles, it’s hard to complain when swinging through New York feels so good.
No doubt the first in a series, Spider-Man PS4 also does a fantastic job at fleshing out Peter Parker as a character and introduces unique yet faithful takes on iconic members of Spider-Man’s rogues’ gallery.
8. Persona 5 Royal
Easily one of the most stylish games of all time, Persona 5 Royal is a Japanese RPG with a rebellious twist.
Persona 5 Royal puts you in the school uniforms and sneakers of the Phantom Thieves — a ragtag retinue of teens that have the ability to jump into the cognitive world and change the hearts of greedy and corrupt boomers.
The “Royal” version improves on the original Persona 5 with new content, characters, and gameplay tweaks that make the 80-100 hour psychedelic ride even more thrilling.
9. Shadow of the Colossus
Shadow of the Colossus is a sublime remake of arguably Team Ico’s crowning achievement. It’s a rare remake that’s faithful to the original while improving on it in every way.
This epic sees you traveling across a desolate, picturesque land in search of colossi to slay. To say the encounters with these behemoth beasts are memorable doesn’t do the majestic battles of puzzle-solving, strategy, and endurance any kind of justice.
10. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
The last and best main entry in Sony’s biggest blockbuster franchise signs off with a bang. Despite settling into retirement, seasoned adventurer Nathan Drake takes on one last job to settle a score and save his brother.
Read more: Everything you need to know about Playstation Plus
Fresh off of The Last of Us, Uncharted 4 saw Naughty Dog deliver a far more mature take on the action-adventure series that squeezes in a lot of subtle character work between bombastic shootouts.
Be sure to check out Uncharted: The Lost Legacy too. This shorter spin-off builds on the semi-open-world structure of Uncharted 4’s best chapter and brings back series favorite Chloe as the playable character.
Best PS4 games: Non-exclusives
With a library as huge as the PS4’s we couldn’t ignore some of the other amazing non-exclusive games. Here are the best you should check out:
- Assasin’s Creed: Valhalla — As the 22nd title in the long-running series, AC: Valhalla represents the best that Ubisoft has been able to put together. This time around, you take the reins as Eivor the Viking.
- Danganronpa 1.2 Reload — The PS4 has a surprisingly deep selection of visual novel games. The first two Danganronpa games, as well as Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy are super niche, but utterly brilliant.
- Dark Souls Trilogy — The OG classic remastered, a divisive sophomore outing, and a fan-pleasing finale. Bloodborne fans shouldn’t miss FromSoftware’s challenging trilogy or the shinobi-themed spin-off, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
- Doom — The perfect reboot of the demon-slaying shooter series. Its sequel Doom Eternal is also worth a look, though the 2016 game is a little tighter.
- Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age — A staunchly traditional Japanese RPG with classic turn-based combat, a seemingly endless supply of quests, and a memorable cast of lovably quirky characters.
- Jedi: Fallen Order — Sometimes you just have to let your inner Jedi explode, and this AAA title is the perfect way to do so. It blends gritty combat, tricky puzzles, and more.
- Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain — Hideo Kojima’s last Metal Gear outing was a mixed bag overall, but the open-world stealth gameplay remains the pinnacle of the series. Check out Death Stranding for more Kojima weirdness.
- Nier: Automata — Platinum Games’ existentialist action RPG won’t be for everyone, but if you like esoteric games and hack-and-slash combat then you’d have 2B silly to skip this one.
- Overwatch — Blizzard Entertainment’s hero shooter revitalized the online FPS genre a few years back and is still going strong today. If you’re more into battle royale games then you’ve got Fortnite, Apex Legends, and PUBG.
- Red Dead Redemption 2 — Rockstar’s sequel is a Western odyssey for the ages. Of course, if you want more open-world action, there’s also the ever-popular Grand Theft Auto 5 or The Witcher 3.
- Resident Evil 2 — A brilliant remake of the PS1 classic. Check out Resident Evil 7 to see the series’ latest entry that goes back to its pure horror roots.
- What Remains of Edith Finch — A compelling story-driven title with a gut-punch ending. For something similar, give Firewatch and Return of the Obra Dinn a try.
That’s it for our list of the best PS4 games you can buy. We’ll update this list as more great PS4 games become available. Be sure to check out our other PlayStation content below!