25. Nier: Automata
Nier: Automata delivers a wildly entertaining journey full of awesome ideas that is equal parts strange and beautiful. It offers a roller coaster of different gameplay opportunities, wrapped up in a fascinating story with multiple endings that encourage exploring every corner of this engrossing world. Nier: Automata is absolutely worth checking out this Yoko Taro-directed adventure.
24. Monster Hunter World
Monster Hunter World, a 2018 hit, impressed us not only with its rewarding gameplay but also with how accessible the game proved to be. For a series that can take some learning to get the hang of, Monster Hunter World produced a fully realized, expansive world.
23. Apex Legends
Apex Legends manages to stand out in the battle royale genre, even as a later addition to the fray. Set in the universe of Respawn’s Titanfall series, Apex utilizes similar gameplay mechanics, giving it a unique edge. In addition to its faster pace, Apex incorporates the use of specific “Legends” who all have different skills and abilities that create the need for teams to work together and synergize between the different characters.
22. Yakuza 0
Yakuza 0 is the high bar for SEGA’s long-running open-world series, packed with an extraordinary amount of things to do and centered around a genuinely compelling crime story. While its melee combat may lag slightly behind modern genre standards, Yakuza 0 still hits far more than it misses and is a big, bold and bruising tour through the Japanese underworld.
21. Tetris Effect
Tetris Effect enhances Tetris in a memorably powerful way. It’s a transcendent experience, making a stalwart of the video gaming medium fresh. Its Journey mode includes stages of memorable music, which melds to the blocks you move and place, with backgrounds that take you on a journey from the ocean depths to space.
20. Dreams
Dreams is unlike anything else: an ambitious project that has been expertly brought to life by Media Molecule. It’s an audacious experiment in game design that gives you endless ways to enjoy your time with it. An incredible creative suite made up of tools that allow for and encourage ultimate expression, all inside of your PS4.
19. Final Fantasy 7 Remake
The 2020 remake of Final Fantasy 7 revitalizes one of the most beloved JRPGs of all time in a (mostly) successful and engaging way. This new version of Midgard probably isn’t just how your brain remembers it looking – it’s much better, with a stunning, detailed, and immersive exploration of the steampunk city.
18. Overwatch 2
Overwatch is a brilliant multiplayer shooter brimming with Blizzard’s charm and detail. Overwatch 2 breathes new life into what was once the sharpest shooter around.
17. Ratchet & Clank
The iconic PlayStation franchise Ratchet and Clank only got better on PS4 with a beautiful, funny update of the duo’s first adventure. More a remix of the original PS2 game than a straight remaster, there is a gorgeous level of detail to the lombax and robot’s adventure, which also makes some noted story improvements.
16. What Remains of Edith Finch
One of the most heart-wrenching and visually dynamic adventure games of the generation, What Remains of Edith Finch is a must-play. While a game about recounting the death of each of Edith’s family members by exploring their bedrooms (turned memorial shrines) may sound like a bummer, the creative ways each memory gets explored keeps you entertained while the mystery of how this person died creates eerie suspense that will entice you to keep going.
15. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Uncharted 4 is Uncharted all grown up. It manages to juggle delicate relationship dynamics with ridiculously fun action sequences and breathtaking vistas ripe for exploring and pillaging. Though it gets a little bogged down by an overly long final act, Uncharted 4 is still one of the best action-adventure games of all time, and one of the best PlayStation 4 games ever.
14. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is without question the most ambitious entry in the Metal Gear series. While a lot of hardcore fans of the series were disappointed by the game’s scattered story, it’s hard to deny that the moment-to-moment gameplay is absolutely phenomenal. On top of rock-solid movement and a huge sandbox to explore, The Phantom Pain gives players a huge arsenal of weapons, vehicles, gadgets, and AI companions to approach missions creatively.
13. Resident Evil 2
Resident Evil fans were begging for a remake of the much-beloved Resident Evil 2 for over two decades. When it eventually came, it was everything they dreamed of and more. The Resident Evil 7’s RE Engine was reworked into a third-person tour de force, showcasing intensely realistic gore with blood dripping from mangled zombies.
12. Ghost of Tsushima
Sucker Punch’s latest adventure is dense with moving stories and striking visuals that make exploring its expansive take on 13th-century japan a joy. Its cast – across the English and Japanese languages – does an excellent job bringing Ghost’s complex tale of honor and loss to life, both in its 30+ hour main campaign and all the side quests that eloquently mirror thematic aspects of your main journey.
11. Red Dead Redemption 2
Both a stunning technical achievement and a gold standard for video game storytelling in an open-world setting, Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the greatest games Rockstar Games has ever made, and one of the greatest games ever, period. Red Dead Redemption 2’s world is a sprawling and stunning recreation of the wild west, packed so full of detail and activity it’s almost daunting.
10. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
While Nathan Drake established himself as a compelling lead over the course of the four core Uncharted games, 2017’s Uncharted: The Lost Legacy proved that the same was true for Drake’s supporting cast. Lost Legacy moved the spotlight to the unexpected duo of treasure hunter Chloe Frazer and mercenary Nadine Ross, and discovered there is a verve and chemistry in the cast even without Nate. Not only does Lost Legacy open the door for any number of spinoffs that focus on other characters, it features some of the best gameplay sequences the series has to offer.
9. Control
Control is an exceptional third-person shooter with a trippy supernatural twist. The seasoned team at Remedy Entertainment brought their years of experience to bear on one of the coolest ability/weapon sets in recent memory, which made for some of the most satisfying and frenetic telekinetic combat ever put to pixels.
8. Marvel’s Spider-Man
Marvel’s Spider-Man is a masterclass in comic book joy, an expertly built world that perfectly encapsulates the child-like wonder of looking up at the looming, inspiring skylines of New York City and the superhero-like triumph of effortlessly scaling the tallest buildings in the Big Apple. It’s a game about Spider-Man made by people who deeply, truly, genuinely adore Spider-Man, from his costumes to his friends, foes, and family.
7. Horizon Zero Dawn
Horizon: Zero Dawn is one of the most beautiful open-world games ever crafted. Grass sways in the wind beneath blooming sunrises while towering cities formed from the ashes of a once prosperous society loom in the distance. And, most importantly, giant, awe-inspiring mechanical dinosaurs outfitted with a terrifying array of pseudo-natural weaponry roam the land, roaring, gnashing, and trampling their prey.
6. Grand Theft Auto 5 / GTA Online
Rockstar’s latest and greatest open-world felony simulator made its debut at the tail end of the last console generation, handily breaking records as the fastest-selling entertainment product in history, so it’s no surprise that it got ported to current-gen. What is surprising, perhaps, is just how much of an upgrade it got in the process.
5. Persona 5 Royal
Persona 5 Royal sees you navigating school life by day and descending into the corrupted minds of Tokyo’s more villainous citizens by night in order to coerce them away from their corrupt endeavors. The students who make up Persona 5’s ensemble cast leave an indelible mark as they are introduced and further become embroiled in the exploits of the Phantom Thieves.
4. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
CD Projekt Red’s sprawling fantasy epic has become one of the most noteworthy games of all time, one that set a new standard for open-world RPGs. With a grim-yet-gorgeous world that stretches across the better part of an entire continent, every corner, cave, swamp or city street of The Witcher 3 has something to discover.
3. Bloodborne
Bloodborne is a brutally difficult, immensely terrifying action horror game that will immediately kick your ass. You’ll spawn, die, and repeat until you throw your controller, swear at your television, and vow to walk away forever. But a voice in your head will begin to ring and linger, calling you back, urging you to return, push forward, and conquer. And when you do, you’ll find yourself improved and fueled, patient and energized, ready to tackle it’s gristled, hairy bosses, rotting cathedrals, and wet, corrupt catacombs. Then you’ll die again, but this time you’ll be stronger, wiser, and older and prepared for the foulest of beasts to leap from the shadows and tear you apart all over again.
2. The Last of Us Part 2
The follow-up to 2013’s The Last of Us is the pinnacle of Naughty Dog’s storytelling ambitions during the life of the PS3 and PS4. Part 2’s ambitious, uncompromising story delivers at nearly every unexpected turn, with character arcs that are poignant, risky, and devastating. Naughty Dog asks you, the player, to do your best to reckon with morally ambiguity in ways that have evoked some of the strongest across the board reactions that we’ve seen from any game, ever.
1. God of War
2018’s God of War shows an obvious level of care that went into crafting its world, characters, and gameplay, evolving a longstanding PlayStation franchise into a testament to the power of storytelling in games and making it our choice for the best PlayStation 4 game, period. Every aspect of God of War feels intentional, interconnecting with every other major aspect of the game, making exploring every inch of its world a rewarding opportunity.
Best PS4 Games FAQ
Are There Upcoming PS4 Games?
Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail and The First Descendant release on July 2, followed by Darkest Dungeon 2 on July 15.
What Is the Most Popular PS4 Game?
Although it can be difficult to accurately measure popularity, it stands to reason that the most popular PS4 game is going to be a PlayStation exclusive game. The top titles in this category are The Last of Us, God of War, and Horizon Zero Dawn — which have all recently made their way to PC.
What are the Best PS4 Exclusives?
Although many of the best PS4 exclusives are now available on PC, titles like God of War, The Last of Us, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Marvel’s Spider-Man rank as some of the top exclusives on the last-gen console.
What are the Best Games on PS Plus?
If you happen to have PlayStation Plus Extra or PlayStation Premium then you have access to some of the best games on the console. A few of the best PS Plus games include Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Bloodborne, Ghost of Tsushima, God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, Marvel’s Spider-Man, and Red Dead Redemption 2.
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