The PlayStation 4 has to be a top-five video game console of all time, along with systems like the SNES, Xbox 360, and the PlayStation 2. Compared to the PS5, the PS4 had a much better library of exclusive games and a lot of timed exclusives that eventually came over to Xbox, like the Yakuza series and Persona, but it took years.
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Even multiplatform titles rocked so hard this gen, and the PS4 was the best place to play them. The base Xbox One was inferior in specs, meaning a lot of games ran at 1080p exclusively on PS4, making these games look better than ever.
8
2013: Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag
One Of The Best Assassin’s Creed Titles, If Not The Best One
Despite the PS4 having a much better library than the Xbox One, the launch games were far superior on the green brand. Killzone: Shadow Fall and Knack weren’t all that special, plus you had to deal with HDCP at launch, which made video capture impossible. The best all-around game would have to be Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag.
Released for all major consoles, Assassin’s Creed 4 was the pirate entry in the franchise. It was so much fun with the ship battles, which still compete with modern games today, plus you had the amazing multiplayer that Ubisoft has sadly abandoned. The online servers are still up, though, and both parts of the title are well worth revisiting.
7
2014: P.T.
The Horror Game That Rocked The World
- Released
-
August 12, 2014
- ESRB
-
m
- How Long To Beat
-
2 Hours
Despite P.T. being a free teaser for a game that was never released, its impact on horror gaming cannot be understated. An incredible, simplistic horror title that consists of an L-shaped hallway and a bathroom, it’s still, to this day, one of the scariest games ever. The atmosphere, sound design, and the freaky-as-all-hell Lisa just made for a truly special experience.
There’s some flaws, like the puzzles, which were deliberately made obtuse to make the Silent Hills reveal take longer to uncover, but in hindsight, it just made it annoying to play through. Sadly, P.T. is essentially a lost video game now due to it being hard delisted on the PSN store, in what must be some sort of licensing or legal issue, because even a paid rerelease would sell like Gangbusters.
6
2015: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Evolved The Triple-A RPG As You Know It
A lot of people would say that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is the defining game of the eighth console generation, and they would be right. 2015 had many great games, including the fan-beloved Bloodborne, but you just can’t top Witcher 3. Sure, the game had a great story with an amazing world to explore, but the presentation is what made Witcher 3 evolve the triple-A RPG.
In most triple-A RPGs at the time, conversations would use the incredibly simplistic animation process of using the same suite of small animations over and over again. Technically, Witcher 3 still does that, but in a much more complicated and sophisticated way that makes it look all hand-crafted, blowing away everything that came before.
5
2016: Overwatch
One Of The Most Historically Significant Games This Gen
It’s safe to say that the most important FPS title of the 2010s was Overwatch. Yes, Valve did hero shooters first with Team Fortress 2, but the massive success of Overwatch influenced the entire industry going forward. The game did so many incredibly fresh things.
You had an all-time great character design for the roster, in-depth 6v6 arena combat with metas and tactics that you had never seen before, and a huge competitive scene on a scale, unlike any prior hero shooter. Overwatch won Game of the Year at The Game Awards for a reason because it was that impactful for the industry.
4
2017: Nier: Automata
A Sequel That Saved The Franchise
2017 was a very competitive year. You had the 2017 Prey, one of the generation’s greatest games, along with Horizon Zero Dawn, the best new PlayStation series to come from this era. The greatest game goes to the title with the biggest uphill battle, Nier: Automata. To put things in perspective, the original Nier got trashed by reviews at the time, and while there was anticipation from hardcore fans, nobody could have expected how big of a hit Automata became.
PlatinumGames developed the sequel, even though Yoko Taro was still writing and directing, and this massively helped the game’s wide appeal. You had the developer’s trademark expert-level combat, along with the great story the Nier franchise always had. The gameplay turned people away from the original, but this sequel blew up the series to new heights.
3
2018: Red Dead Redemption 2
The Best Video Game Sequel Of All Time
PS4 exclusives were riding high in 2018 with the new God of War and Spider-Man games, but anyone picking either of those over Red Dead Redemption 2 is kidding themselves. You aren’t topping Rockstar Games at its peak. Red Dead Redemption 2 is about as perfect of a video game as you could get.
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The story is a GOAT in the video game medium, and Red Dead 2’s five-state open world has to be the best ever made in a game. There’s so much detail and stuff to find and do. Not one bit of the map feels hastily thrown together. Virtually everything from Red Dead 1 was improved here: the gunplay, open-world interactivity, animals, side quests, and even Easter eggs to find.
2
2019: Death Stranding
One Of The Most Creative Games This Generation
Death Stranding is a game you’ll love or hate, but those who enjoy it really enjoy it. Coming off of Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, Kojima Productions delivered a core gameplay loop that can really hook you in. Connecting people together, making expansive zip-line paths, doing hard deliveries to get those S ranks, or just barely getting an S rank with the strict premium delivery time limit feels great.
The story’s very creative, with important themes and likable side characters, even though it could use a better localizer. Online implementation has to be the best yet in a Kojima title, with everybody contributing to the game map and helping with the core themes. Death Stranding’s gameplay won’t be for everyone, but it’s a title you have to check out at the very least.
1
2020: The Last Of Us Part 2
Sony Saved The Best PS4 Exclusive For Last
- Franchise
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The Last of Us
- Released
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June 19, 2020
- ESRB
-
M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- How Long To Beat
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24 Hours
- Metascore
-
93
- Steam Deck Compatibility
-
yes
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Mighty
- Cross Save
-
no
- Cross-Platform Play
-
no
Like the original Last of Us, Last of Us Part 2 came at the tail end of the console generation and became the best exclusive in the system’s library. While the story was definitely controversial, the gameplay is where Part 2 outshines the original by a wide margin. The most disappointing aspect of Last of Us 1 had to be the combat.
Coming off of the impressive early gameplay trailers, which showed advanced enemy AI, the finished product had none of it. Part 2 is what you expected in the original, with nailbiting and intense enemy encounters that blew away Part 1. With a beefy campaign, gorgeous visuals, and great acting, everything combined makes Last of Us Part 2 the best PS4 exclusive and best PS4 game of the year.
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