While most gamers have likely stored theirs away in favor of Sony’s newest hardware, the PlayStation 4 reigned supreme during the last console generation. It completely trounced Microsoft’s Xbox One and Nintendo’s Wii U in terms of sales, and it was also home to some of the best games of that era. Now that it’s turning 10 years old, we thought we’d look back at a handful of its best games, with an emphasis on console exclusives and franchises that are more closely associated with the Sony brand.
Bloodborne
While developer FromSoftware has released a handful of games for the PlayStation 4, their Gothic, Victorian-era inspired masterpiece is arguably their most iconic. It’s an impeccably-designed game that eschews the genre’s reliance on shields in favor of gunplay, and its world design, boss battles, and moment-to-moment gameplay are top-notch. Now, if only it would get a remaster, or better yet, a full-on remake.
God of War (2018)
While the original slew of games on the PlayStation 2, 3, and Portable placed their focus on gratuitous violence and combo-centric combat, 2018’s God of War is an entirely different beast. Swapping out the Greek Pantheon for Norse mythology, this reboot follows an older Kratos, and his son Atreus, as the two journey across the Nine Realms to spread the ashes of Kratos’ wife. Their simple journey quickly spirals into something far more complex, with the likes of Baldur, Magni, Modi, and others trying to stop them at every turn. Sony Santa Monica’s reboot is nothing short of perfect, and propelled the studio to new heights, arguably eclipsing other first-party studios in the process.
Horizon Zero Dawn
While series like Fallout and The Last of Us paint rather bleak pictures of post-apocalyptic America, Guerilla Games’ Horizon Zero Dawn is a bit of a different beast. Sure, it’s still set in a future overrun by machines, but unlike its contemporaries, Horizon Zero Dawn swaps out the muted greys and browns for lush greenery and fantastic sights. Of course, it’s no slouch in the gameplay department either; taking down a Stalker or scaling a Tallneck never gets old.
The Last of Us Part II
Hitting store shelves a mere five months before the PlayStation 5 launched, The Last of Us Part II did the impossible — it hit the same high bar that its predecessor did. Sure, it had plenty of detractors and a few story and design decisions that angered longtime fans, but once the dust settled, it stands as one of the best games on the platform, a swan song for the aging PlayStation 4. A few of us here at We Got This Covered can’t wait to relive Ellie and Abby’s revenge tale once the second season of the HBO adaptation drops.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Perhaps the most divisive inclusion on this list, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is by no means universally loved by longtime fans. The shift to an open world paved the way for less traditional storytelling, and missing/cut content — along with series creator Hideo Kojima’s departure from Konami — left an indelible black mark on the final mainline game in the series. But if you can look past that, what you’ll find is an incredible game, with the most refined and fine-tuned gameplay the franchise has ever seen.
Monster Hunter: World
The PlayStation 4 is chock-full of multiplayer games, but few are as satisfying as Monster Hunter: World. We’ve lost track of how many games came before it, but World is the game that propelled the series to new heights, with seamless loading between maps/areas and a more approachable onboarding that won’t scare away franchise newcomers. While it can be played solo, Monster Hunter World truly shines when playing with a few friends; there’s nothing more rewarding than working together to take down a creature that’s 100 times bigger than you and your squad.
NieR: Automata
Like most other games on this list, NieR: Automata is another entry in a long-running franchise. Unlike most other games on this list, it’s one that a lot of gamers jumped into without knowing much about (let alone playing) the games that came before it. To be fair, that hardly matters; its gameplay is some of the tightest we’ve seen from developer PlatinumGames, and series creator Yoko Taro pushes the medium forward with a story that explores the value of life, and why society often defaults to violence. It’s captivating from start to finish and deserves all of the praise and recognition heaped upon it.
Persona 5 / Persona 5 Royal
If there was an award for the Game with the Most Personality, Persona 5 would be a strong contender to take home the prize. The visuals, user interface, music, environment design — it’s all so dang stylish, and every frame of this masterful JRPG is a sight to behold. The fact that it improves upon the formula laid out by previous entries is just the icing on the cake. If you haven’t played this one yet, you might want to consider picking up Persona 5 Royal, an enhanced version that features additional content and characters.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Rockstar’s take on the Wild West is a bit of an outlier. Very few games on the PlayStation 4 have managed to reach this level of quality and polish, but it’s also one of the few critically acclaimed games that are based on a real-world location and time period, specifically, the American Frontier. It’s an absolute masterclass in open-world games, and it’s so darn good that Tenacious D wrote an entire song about it.
Shadow of the Colossus
The original version of Shadow of the Colossus — which, for context, was released back in 2005 for the PlayStation 2 — is one of those games that should be played by anyone who’s “into” gaming, much like how Pulp Fiction and Citizen Kane are required viewing for any hopeful film student. Its unconventional structure; striking, minimalist design; and hulking, awe-inspiring colossuses (colossi?) paint a beautiful picture, and it has had a lasting impact that has reverberated across the medium for the past two decades. Chances are, a lot of gamers missed out on the original, but the PlayStation remake is the perfect way to experience this masterpiece.