Gaming
Games
5 of the best PS4 games you will ever play
Sony's newest little black box is on the way, so now is the perfect time to pick up some PlayStation 4 favourites and play them to your heart's content.
The PS4 is coming to the end of its life cycle, making now an excellent time to pick one up. Not only will you get the chance to play anything that comes out in 2020, but you’ll also be able to explore the rather impressive library of games. That being said, how will you know which are the best PS4 games? Well, we have you covered.
There are honestly dozens of games that are worth playing on PS4, the exclusives alone could occupy your time for half a year, and that’s just the good ones. Nevertheless, we’ve refined our choices down to these five – here are the games you need to play in no particular order.
1. Bloodborne
Bloodborne gives you a wide selection of weaponry to batter enemies with
© Sony
As a FromSoftware console exclusive, it’s not all that surprising to see Bloodborne popping up on every list about the best PS4 games. It’s quite simply an excellent example of just how good a hard game can be, but unlike Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice – which is also excellent – you can grind for levels if you’re struggling or even summon help to finish off a pesky boss.
Bloodborne is a tough-as-nails action game that has you exploring the gothic streets of Yharnam while trying to survive the hordes of beasts that roam the streets. You play as a hunter who goes out and kills off these abominations while trying not to succumb to your own animal instincts. It’s an excellent story told through a wealth of environmental clues, unsettling NPC interactions, and even the descriptions on the items you pick up. It’ll take some getting used to, but Bloodborne is well and truly one of the best PS4 games around, so stick with it.
2. God of War
God of War's savage combat sits alongside musings on the nature of violence
© Sony Interactive Entertainment
This actually isn’t a strict reboot of the series from a story standpoint, but very much is when it comes to everything else we know and love about our angry boi Kratos. While we’ve always known him as the over-the-top protagonist of the series, things are a bit different in God of War.
First of all, the game is no longer set in Greek mythology and now takes place in Norse mythology. This means substantially more snakes, and substantially less Zeus and his wacky adventures. It also tells the story of how Kratos looks after his son Atreus, in the wake of his second wife’s death. The two go on a journey to spread her ashes, all the while Kratos tries to keep a grip on his troubled past and stop it affecting his son. It’s a very touching story in places and makes great use of cinematography as well. This is an excellent example of just what the PS4 is capable of.
3. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
A rare moment of calm in The Witcher 3
© CD Projekt Red
Despite being the third in the series, The Witcher 3 is probably the one that most people have played in the series. It tells the tale of Geralt of Rivia, but as an almost tertiary character when compared to his daughter Ciri. Often, games will give you the all-powerful chosen one to play as in order to fulfil a power fantasy, but The Witcher 3 is different. It gives you control of a badass, for sure, but one who can be killed, and one who is deeply flawed in a world that is even more so.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has you chasing after Ciri while attempting to fend off the Wild Hunt who chase her and seek to use her power. That’s the main story, but it’s not the one you’ll remember, not really. It’s more about the characters you meet along the way, and the quests they’ll send you on. You’ve likely heard of the Bloody Baron, but nearly every character you meet is worthy of your attention. The best thing is that, at this point, there are two excellent DLCs to jump into as well. You could easily lose hundreds of hours to this game, and you’ll love every one of them.
4. Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2 is the sort of game you could lose a few months on
© Rockstar Games
Red Dead Redemption 2 is a long game. It has no interest in hurrying things along, nor does it ever apologise for that. Even the fast-travel system is tucked away and kind of obtuse, but there’s a reason why this plodding game is so brilliant, and it's in part because it's so happy to take things slow.
It places you in the shoes of Arthur Morgan, an outlaw and a key member of the Van der Linde gang. You follow him and his companions all over the increasingly un-wild west, and you learn all about them as you slowly make your way around. It’s an almost arduous game, but it’s like that so that you have time to listen to the characters and learn to love or loathe them.
5. Monster Hunter: World
Monster Hunter: World's arrival on the PS4 was a huge success
© Capcom
Monster Hunter has been an excellent series for over 15 years, but it’s always struggled to find a proper audience in the West due to its predominately handheld nature. Monster Hunter: World brought the experience to PS4, and not only does it look better than ever, but it’s also the easiest one to get into.
You play as part of a hunter’s guild who have journeyed to a new land. Unfortunately, there are a lot of things roaming around the island that want to eat you, and it’s your job to study them and try and stop them wreaking too much havoc. The variety of weapons and constant updates mean that you could probably play this until the end of time. Basically, you’ll be set for life with this one alone.
