The PS4 is the most-popular of the two next generation consoles. It has a stellar-looking line up of games to come, with some incredible-looking titles launching in 2015 but to date its software catalogue has lacked must-play exclusives; while both consoles have struggled for genuine ground-breakers. Fret not though, for there are still plenty of good PS4 games to get your teeth into this winter. Here’s a list of our best PS4 games, split into three sections.
First up we have the bigger titles that should form the mainstay of your gaming for the next few months; then we have a handful of launch and older titles, which are well worth a look if you haven’t already played them, especially as they’re now available at bargain prices; finally there’s smaller games, quick plays and oddities, mainly downloadable. WE'll be updating this list with the latest releases as soon as we get our full reviews up online.
Please note that some of the trailers below are not suitable for those under the age of 18.
THE BIG HITTERS
Destiny - Fantastical sci-fi shooter from the creators of Halo
Possibly one of the most-hyped games of all time, it’s not surprising that Destiny didn’t quite live up to everyone’s expectations. Despite that there are loads of gamers who have enjoyed playing it and many who are still fighting away against The Darkness. Best described as a blend of Halo’s first-person combat and Diablo III’s loot finding, the game has its own blend of single- and multi-player gameplay that lets you go it largely alone if you prefer, or jump in with friends and strangers if preferred. Well worth playing for its sumptuous worlds and razor-sharp gunplay, even if you don’t get hooked enough to plough on through the post Level 20 grind.
Full Review:Destiny
Battlefield 4 - The biggest battles around
A buggy mess at launch, Battlefield took months to become the game it always should have been. It may now seem a little old hat, but this is still the most-engaging and rewarding multiplayer shooter on the console and arguably the most next-gen. Player counts match the PC version for the first time on a console, with 64 players in a single game. There’s loads of military kit to get your head around, from pistols to fighter jets. Some of the maps are epic in scale and have huge events, such as a shipwrecked battleship crashing into an island in the middle of the battle. It’s a great game and one where you make your own ‘did you just see that’ moments.
We’ve been having similar launch-day issues with the new Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, and if you prefer more frenetic, close-up and vicious online bouts then that game will certainly surpass Battlefield once the rough edges have been fixed.
Full Review: Battlefield 4
Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition - Grindingly addictive
Diablo 3, like crack cocaine, was incredibly addictive and had the ability to take over your entire (gaming) life. For those that managed to kick the habit, Ultimate Evil Edition is a relapse waiting to happen. Beyond an entirely new campaign act and unique new character class to play, the open-ended Adventure mode somehow makes grinding for new gear an absolute joy. Rifts, randomly created dungeons with the potential for serious loot drops, will have you crawling back for more punishment as you push the difficulty up to Torment levels and beyond.
Full Review: Diablo 3 and Reaper of Souls
The Evil Within - Gore-splattered adventure
The spiritual successor to Resident Evil 4, Shinji Mikami’s new-gen masterpiece is a rogue’s gallery of horror tropes and jumbled storytelling. Buried underneath, though, is a brilliantly paced, if slightly frustrating at times, action adventure with immensely satisfying gunplay.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho this ain’t: expect body horror, gore and blood by the bucketful, but there are plenty of tense moments too. If you’re after fear, head for Alien: Isolation (more on that below) but for gross-out violence and stomach-churning misery, The Evil Within is about as “mature” as horror games get.
Full Review: The Evil Within
Alien Isolation - More tension than you can throw out an airlock
Alien: Isolation is one of the games that should be applauded for creating a brilliantly immersive setting for its grisly and terrifying tale. Alongside classics such as Bioshock’s Rapture, the largely-abandoned Sevastopol space station is a perfect recreation in both design and tone of the Nostromo from the original movie.
This tension-filled stealth game cleverly marries its setting with its mechanics. The classic motion tracker provides you with a limited radar-like tool in a more believable manner than most games, while the creepy ‘synthetic’ androids that man the station, follow preprogrammed paths for entirely believable reasons. The singular Alien adds an element of random, violent chaos to all this, and the total outcome is one far greater than the sum of its parts. A must-play for fans of the first film, though those who preferred its gung-ho sequel may find this a little slow-paced for their liking.
Full Review: Alien Isolation
Wolfenstein: The New Order - Retro gunplay with a grown up feel
Wolfenstein is a very strange game indeed. In many ways its a retro treat, a first-person shooter where your health and armour are measured in numbers, where you can carry a huge arsenal of weapons all at once, and even wield them two-at-a-time for huge firepower. Youe enemies are even Nazis, the classic bad-guy that can be happily dispatched by the score without a second thought for them.
Despite all this, it’s not quite the big dumb shooter that its 90s influences might make you think. The plot may come from the most lurid of comic books, possibly Kieron Gillen’s Uber http://www.comcav.net/collections/uber, but it’s not tasteless, and when you reach its central hub it introduces a compelling bunch of supporting characters, all scarred by the war.
With some slick gunplay, an evolving arsenal, some tactically challenging enemies and even a farily decent (if simple) stealth mechanic, Wolfenstein shows whaat can be achieved on a modest budget if you don’t have to tack on a pointless multiplayer mode (no online play). Still if you want a good shooter with some more thoughtful elements, this is a great game to buy second-hand and trade back in when you’re done, it's available now from Game pre-owned for £20
Full Review:Wolfenstein: The New Order
SMALL BUT PERFECTLY FORMED
Towerfall Ascension
Arguably the best fun you can have with four people and a PS4, the only downside being that you need a controller for each player and not everyone has a new console yet. It’s old-school arcade action with players trying to impale each other with just three arrows each, crazy levels, power ups and lots of game modes make this an absolute riot.
Resogun
An incredibly pretty reworking of arcade classic Defender, with your ship blasting and boosting around a ring of alien-infested territory trying to rescue imprisoned humans. It’s addictive stuff and the graphics will blow you away, with every element being constructed, and then blown apart in epic style, from innumerable little cubes.
Transistor
Transistor may not live up to the same heady heights as Supergiant Games’ debut title, Bastion, but this is easily one of the most stylish and intriguing action-RPGs available on the PS4 to date. It’s a little repetitive for our liking, but its complex mix of real-time and turn-based combat means there’s plenty to get stuck in with, and the game’s gorgeous soundtrack creates a palpable atmosphere as you wander through the streets of Cloudbank’s crumbling cityscape.
Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes
Criticised initially for its lack of content, this dark prequel to the upcoming Phantom Pain is admittedly set around a single army base. However the wide range of mechanics on offer means there’s plenty to keep stealth-action fans engaged, and lots of missions to hone your skills over. A fantastic sandbox for fans of the series, just don’t expect too much in the way of plot
OLDIES BUT GOODIES
Last of Us: Remastered
The only excuse for not playing this the first time around was not owning a PlayStation 3. A masterpiece of gaming, blending story, characters and gameplay to lasting effect. Now even better looking, still brilliant. It's currently bundled as a download with many of the best PS4 Deals.
Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition
An excellent rebooting of the long-running franchise and available on the PS4 is a graphically updated version. The young Lara is shipwrecked on an island and must fight survive, well worth picking up, even more so at current prices - £20 new from Amazon.
Killzone: Shadow Fall
The best of the launch games for the PS4, the quality of the level design is varied, but at least the feel and play of them is varied too. The graphics are consistently impressive though and the multiplayer allows for solid class-based, objective-driven gunplay. Also a bit of a bargain at present, costing just £17 for PS+ members online.
Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag
Our favourite of the series to date, which takes the core stealth-and-swords gameplay and adds a huge ship-based combat simulation onto the side. Set in a stunning recreation of the Caribbean, there’s so much to do, but some mechanics are starting to show their age. Buy it for £20 preowned from Game.
