Here are our picks for the absolute best PS4 games. From blockbusters to indies, these are the best games available right now for Sony’s PlayStation 4.
These are VG247’s picks for the absolute best PS4 games.
At E3 2018 we got a tempting glimpse at a few games that might one day make this list – Death Stranding, and The Last of Us Part 2 to name just a few.
But you’re not here to see what games might be good in the future, you’re here to see the best PS4 games right now. On that front you won’t be disappointed.
Since the last time we updated this list the imperious God of War released to widespread critical acclaim for its blend of brutal combat, deep exploration, and affecting story. It was an easy call to add it to the list
And now, in alphabetical order:
Alien Isolation
Survival Horror went through a bit of renaissance in 2014 and Alien Isolation was one of the best of the bunch. With its perfectly eerie retro-future aesthetic, exceptional Xenomorph AI, and refreshing mix of action set-pieces and stealth, Isolation is the game the Alien franchise deserved after a number of bungled attempts.
The eponymous Alien is the real highlight here though. Nothing creates a better sense of tension than unpredictability, and scrabbling to hide from an intelligent enemy that could burst out of anywhere at any time is a real thrill.
Assassin’s Creed: Origins
There was a lot of pressure on Assassin’s Creed: Origins to deliver. After years of sticking to a dogged annual release schedule, the series took a year off to let the dust settle and hone its craft. What emerged towards the end of 2017 was not quite the drastic reinvention that some had imagined, but a massive, densely-packed open-world that stuck true to the core of what made Assassin’s Creed fun in the first place.
It’s a truly beautiful game, making it a must-play for PS4 Pro owners, and the Ancient Egyptian setting is as fun to explore as any the series has had to offer.
Battlefield 1
With a story spanning six key battles across WWI, Battlefield 1 eschewed the near-future shooter trend of the time, instead looking back to a tremendously important period of history that had been left underexplored by big-budget games.
The presentation across single and multiplayer is as breathtaking as you’ve come to expect from DICE, with rock-solid shooting, vast and beautifully-detailed maps, and top-notch sound design.
Recently, EA taught an AI to play Battlefield 1 multiplayer to show off their neural technology .
Bloodborne
One of the most triumphant of PS4 exclusives, Bloodborne is a From Software and SCE Japan production in the same family line as Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls. A new, faster-paced take on the genre that proves no more welcoming to newcomers, it has all the hallmarks of a Hidetaka Miyazaki title: steep challenge, a restrained sense of narrative and a world you don’t want to lose yourself in because it’s full of monsters.
Although Dark Souls 3 has stolen a little of its thunder as the first new-gen Souls family game, Bloodborne more than deserves the accolades on its own merits. Believe the hype, and prepare to die, again and again and again.
If you’re apprehensive about jumping in, you won’t be the only new Bloodborne player – it’s free on PS Plus in March.
Dark Souls 3
Dark Souls 3 manages to evolve the formula enough to be the most accessible game in the franchise, without losing any of the ethereal, high-fantasy charm that made the series a benchmark for the entire industry.
The unforgiving combat, the nebulous lore and memorable bosses are all still here, but the online service is more reliable, the crafting system isn’t as obtuse, and the best parts of previous games in the series have been blended together to bring a little something for everyone. There’s plenty for hardcore fans to love, but if you’re just starting out on your Souls journey, this is as good a place as any to start.
The game’s The Ringed City DLC is brilliant too and, if this does end up being the last entry in the Souls series, closes things with a suitably enigmatic ending.
Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls Ultimate Evil Edition
Classic ARPGs have always been synonymous with PC, but Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls Ultimate Evil Edition takes the definitive version of Diablo 3 and translates it to console with seamless ease.
Filled with deep RPG systems and gold-standard dungeon crawling, Diablo 3 is a time-sink with more than 100 hours of demon-stomping, rat-punching fun to devour. If you’d rather not explore the land of Sanctuary alone, you can play online with friends or jump into couch co-op – just try not to argue too much over who gets to be the demon hunter.
Diablo 3 doesn’t end when the credits roll though, there’s a whole host of end game questing to dive into when you hit level 70 and open up Adventure Mode .
Dishonored 2
Dishonored 2 is a marvel of intelligent level design that’s a true joy to explore. There’s so much packed into each area that the game begs for multiple playthroughs, which it encourages not only with its two protagonists, but challenge-run-esque trophies. Trying for a full no kills, never-seen Ghost playthrough of Dishonored 2 changes each richly-detail environment into a brain-twisting puzzle to be solved.
Set years after the events of the original Dishonored, you can now play either as the deposed queen Emily Kaldwin or the grizzled protector Corvo Attano – each with a distinct set of skills at their disposal. Emily’s youthful anger and savage powers lend themselves to a more violent style, whereas Corvo’s stealthier arsenal is better for a considered approach.
You can try out Dishonored 2’s first three mission for free with the trial version available on the PS Store .
Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition
Divinity: Original Sin is a hardcore old-school RPG that’s up there with the best of ‘em.
Filled with deep, complex stats and systems, as well as satisfying combat and a rich, storied world to explore, Divinity is a must for fans of games like Baldur’s Gate and Neverwinter Nights.
The breadth of choice is what makes Original Sin truly special. Your choice of skills and playstyle open up multiple divergent paths across the plethora of quests through the game, leading up to one of 32 different endings. The whole story is playable in co-op too, which only widens the scope of possibilities more.
On PS4, you’re playing the Enhanced version of the game, which overhauls the original game’s skill system, tweaks some boss encounters and overall tightens things up for the better.
DOOM
A bombastic reboot of the OG series, DOOM is unashamedly retro in its straight-up demon-blasting, monster-squishing action.
DOOM was the first game to be made using the id Tech 6 engine, which might just make these the most beautiful beasts from the depths of Hell you’ve ever had the pleasure of blowing to smithereens. The vast arsenal of outlandish and powerful weaponry will have you painting the walls red in no time – and that isn’t strawberry jam.
You can find the game on PS4 for super cheap nowadays too, truly a whole lot of bang for your buck. Be warned though, even the game’s creators id Software can’t beat it on the hardest difficulty.
Dying Light: The Following Enhanced Edition
A surprise smash-hit from zombie aficionados Techland, Dying Light hit shelves at the absolute perfect time in January 2015, early in the PS4’s life-cycle, and during a slow release schedule.
By ironing out many of the technical hitches that mired the Dead Island series, Dying Light builds on its moreish survival blueprint with slick parkour and exploration. Zombies are much more active and aggressive at night, forcing a change of pace every time the sun goes down and adding a greater sense of variety and fresh challenge to the gameplay.
The Following Enhanced Edition bundles in all of the game’s post-launch DLC and expansion together, only increasing the hordes of reanimated shufflers to battle through.
Techland have just announced Dying Light Bad Blood, a PvP Battle Royale mode that’s scheduled for release later this year.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
There’s a reason Skyrim refuses to die. This PS4 re-release packs in all of the original game’s DLC, along with a fresh coat of paint to bring one of best games from last generation up-to-speed.
Skyrim is one of the most influential games of the last ten years, and while not all of its ideas are totally original, it refined the blueprint for a modern open-world game – with a branching storyline, kooky side-quests, and tons of skills to specialise in. There are potentially 100s of hours of Elder Scrolls goodness to get through here, made even better by the new addition of mod support on console.
Fallout 4
Fantasy isn’t for everyone, and Fallout 4 offers something completely different in the massive open-world RPG arena.
Now with a fully-voiced main character, Fallout 4 immerses players in the radiation-scarred wasteland of the Commonwealth, littered with the series’ distinctive brand of warped americana and pop-culture references. This is a much more accomplished shooter than previous Fallout games, but holstering your weapon and getting to know the motley groups of survivors is where the post-apocalyptic fun is really at.
There’s great flexibility in the characters builds that you can make in Fallout 4, and the new base-building feature is an engrossing diversion.
FIFA 18
FIFA 18 might only be an iterative improvement over last year’s effort, but it’s still got everything you could want out of a football game, with its unmatched amount of licenses giving it the edge over close rivals.
Career mode’s been given a much needed refresh, with an overhauled transfer negotiation system and squad hub, while Ultimate Team is as ferociously addictive as ever. In terms of gameplay, the most recent patch seems to have livened up games by giving computer controlled teams greater attacking impetus, where for much of the season games against the AI have either been frustrating exercises in attack-vs-defence or a complete cakewalk.
In a World Cup year, this is still the best place to live out your footie fantasies.
Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn
Very probably the best console MMORPG, and indeed only really rivalled by the increasingly good The Elder Scrolls Online, Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn is a triumph. Astoundingly playable with a control pad and populated via full cross-play with PC, the PS4 version of Final Fantasy 14 is in no way an embarrassment to its Windows sibling.
This game is so beautiful and so playable that you’d almost never guess the same title was once applied to the financial and moral embarrassment that was Final Fantasy 14 Online. A compulsive life-eater, as all successful MMORPGs are, Final Fantasy 14 has years of life left in it.
Final Fantasy 15
Billed as a “Final Fantasy for fans and first-timers”, Final Fantasy 15 delivers on that promise and pulls it out of the bag as a triumph for the series after years in development hell.
You hit the road with young Prince Noctis and his three best friends and advisors Ignis, Gladiolus and Prompto. But when things go awry on the way to the Prince’s arranged marriage in the protectorate capital city of Altissia, so begins a quest that spans all corners of the land of Eos.
The real time battle system might put off some RPG purists, but the breathtakingly pretty visuals and heartwarming buddy drama make this a journey well worth taking.
Mainstay monsters like Cactuar and Tonberry make cameo appearances, but there’s so much new to fall in love with.
Fortnight:Battle Royale
Fortnite Battle Royale is the hottest game on the planet right now. And while it might have been a rocky start for Epic Games and Fortnite, any lingering doubt over its mainstream potential was squished when professional streamer Ninja, alongside Grammy award-winning rapper Drake, broke the all-time record on Twitch.
The battle royale formula is simple – just like in the Japanese novel by Koushun Takami that gave the genre its name – 100 people are dropped onto an island and told to fight to the death with whatever they can find. The habitable area slowly recedes, funnelling players closer together until only one is left standing.
There’re a variety of game modes. Solo, duo and squads pit you against the rest of the playing field on your own or with up to three friends. While rotating special game modes like Blitz – which increases loot drops and reduces the play area more quickly – or 50v50 grand battles liven up the format in slower seasons.
What separates Fortnite from other games in the battle royale genre, other than its now massive playerbase, are its crafting mechanics, which let you break down scenery and create cover on the fly.
Season 5 of Battle Royale just kicked off, with a host of new skins to collect and challenges to complete .
God of War
God of War is back and badder than ever in this awesome update to the series.
Now set in Norse mythology, you follow Kratos as he braves the bitter frozen wilderness with his son Atreus to scatter his wife’s ashes at the tallest summit in the realm. The tough melee combat is still as tight as ever, but this time there’s a wider emphasis on exploration and a deeper emotional undercurrent to the story.
On top of that it’s a beautiful game, full of stunning vistas and explosive spectacle. There are tons of intense scraps to be had, brain-teasing puzzles to solve, and secrets to uncover. This is truly one of the modern classics on PS4.
GTA 5
The perennial worldwide phenomenon – despite launching last gen – was always going to make this list. GTA 5 refuses to leave the top sellers chart on any console, and is closing in on 100 million copies sold across all formats, making it the third highest of all time behind Tetris and Minecraft.
GTA Online has become an incredible cash cow for Rockstar, raising serious concerns over how long we’ll have to wait for GTA 6. The base game remains as strong as ever though, with an engaging plot that’s packed with uncompromisingly biting satire of modern life. After a nuclear apocalypse, all that’ll be left is cockroaches and GTA V.
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is a great example of a game that set out with a goal in mind and achieved it. Devised as an examination of a person’s descent into madness, Hellblade tries to emulate the experience of psychosis as it tells its personal and affecting story that draws on Norse and Celtic mythology.
Played with headphones, Hellblade is a masterclass of atmosphere, with whispering voices directing the player through much of their journey. The third-person sword combat can feel laborious to some, with spongy enemies soaking up a fair few hits before succumbing, but if you can get past that – and a camera that’s just a little too tight into the character – Senua’s Sacrifice is very interesting indeed.
Hitman
The rebooted Hitman was a massive gamble for IO Interactive. After a four year break from the main series, Hitman returned as an episodic experience steadily released over a period of months. Fans were skeptical at first, but the exploration and replayability that had always been at the core of any Hitman game made it a natural fit.
The introduction of Elusive Targets – high-stakes limited-time contracts that change up existing environments – did a lot to keep things exciting, while the staggered release encouraged players to rinse every level for its secrets before moving on.
You can grab the whole of Season 1 at the same time now, so there’s nothing stopping you from binging the whole confection.
