Summary
- 2015 saw notable PlayStation games like The Order: 1886 offering impressive graphics and interesting steampunk settings.
- Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture immersed players in a moving adventure with profound backstories and captivating mystery.
- Helldivers laid a foundation for its popular sequel with its top-down shooter missions and fighting alien hordes missions.
In 2015, the PS4 era really started to pick up speed. By this point, the system had been out for a couple of years and had already built a decent catalog of games. That said, many of the best titles that landed on the system weren’t PlayStation exclusives. In fact, some of the biggest titles in 2015 were third-party efforts, such as The Witcher 3 and Metal Gear Solid 5: Phantom Pain.
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Those are some excellent titles, but PlayStation had some fantastic exclusives that year, too. Plus, some big games that year may have landed on other systems, but they are more associated with PlayStation. All of them are about to turn 10 years old, and here are some of the most notable ones.
8
The Order: 1886
The Order: 1886
- Released
-
February 20, 2015
- Developer(s)
-
Ready at Dawn
- ESRB
-
M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language
The Order: 1886 was PlayStation’s most divisive game of 2015. Some believed it focused too much on cutscenes and that the adventure needed to be longer. Others, however, marveled at the game’s production value and believed it offered some of the best-looking visuals they’d ever seen. In fact, despite being released in 2015, it remains one of the most graphically impressive titles PlayStation has ever produced.
What most people can agree on is that it has an interesting premise. The game is set in an alternate, steampunk-inspired take on 1886 London. The protagonists are the Knights of the Round Table, who attempt to save the city from the likes of werewolves and vampires. You won’t find many games with a similar premise.
7
Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture
Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture
- Released
-
August 11, 2015
- Developer
-
The Chinese Room, SCE Santa Monica Studio
- Publisher(s)
-
Sony Computer Entertainment
- ESRB
-
M For Mature 17+ Due To Violence, Blood, Suggestive Themes, Alcohol Reference, Strong Language
One of the most moving PlayStation games of 2015 came in the form of Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture. It’s a unique adventure game that has you exploring a village whose inhabitants have disappeared. All that remains of them are bits of light that reveal some backstory and clues as to what happened to the town.
It’s these ‘people’ and the various things you find around the environment that help you piece together what went down in the village before you turned up. Some of the backstories are very profound, and the mystery the game revolves around is captivating. It all makes for an experience like no other.
6
Helldivers
Helldivers
- Released
-
March 3, 2015
- Developer(s)
-
Arrowhead Game Studios
- Publisher(s)
-
Sony Computer Entertainment
- ESRB
-
T For Teen Due To Blood and Gore, Game Experience May Change During Online Play, Mild Language, Violence
While it was nowhere near as popular as its sequel, the original Helldivers was a good PlayStation game. Unlike Helldivers 2, it isn’t a third-person shooter. Instead, it’s a top-down shooter where you play different missions that have you taking on alien hordes and completing objectives.
So, the actual premise isn’t too different from the one in the sequel. After all, you’re still doing missions and fighting large alien hordes on behalf of Super Earth. Therefore, Helldivers deserves credit for setting some of the foundations that the beloved Helldivers 2 would be built upon.
5
Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance
Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance
- Released
-
October 6, 2015
- Developer(s)
-
Nippon Ichi Software
- ESRB
-
T For Teen Due To Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence, Language, Suggestive Themes
Disgaea is one of the more underrated PlayStation series. It has been around since the early 2000s but doesn’t get much spotlight despite being a series of solid RPGs. An example of the greatness of the series came in 2015 with the release of Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance.
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It’s an RPG with very strategic and stylish combat. That style comes from the outrageous and over-the-top attacks characters can unleash. Outside of combat, there is a good revenge plot to follow and some humorous writing to appreciate.
4
Axiom Verge
- Released
-
March 31, 2015
- Developer(s)
-
Thomas Happ Games
- Publisher(s)
-
Thomas Happ Games
- ESRB
-
E10+ For Everyone 10+ due to Fantasy Violence, Mild Language
Axiom Verge isn’t one of the most famous games released in 2015, but it was among the better ones, and it was released first on PS4 before landing on other systems. The game is a side-scrolling Metroidvania title where you play as a scientist in a high-tech world.
Despite being a 2015 game, it very much feels like a game from a much earlier generation, as it certainly has early Metroid vibes. This is in no way a bad thing, as it serves as a nice homage and is a great game in its own right.
3
Until Dawn
- Released
-
August 25, 2015
- ESRB
-
M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language
By 2015, the trend of narrative adventure games, where gameplay consisted mainly of QTEs and talking to people, had begun, thanks to the likes of Heavy Rain and Telltale’s The Walking Dead. However, it really began to grow in 2015, and Until Dawn was a significant part of that. It’s basically like an interactive version of a classic horror slasher movie. You have a group of young people going to a cabin in a location isolated from regular society, and they start getting picked off by a dangerous foe.
The difference is that you have a measure of control over what happens, and the game is great at including many different ways for the adventure to play out. As such, it became a perfect game to watch people play because everyone’s experience was different. This is likely why many streamers played the title, which significantly increased its fame.
2
Soma
- Released
-
September 15, 2015
- Developer(s)
-
Frictional Games
- Publisher(s)
-
Frictional Games
- ESRB
-
t
Soma was never a full-fledged PlayStation exclusive, as it launched on multiple systems. Yet, the PS4 was the first console to receive the wonderful and original game.
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It’s a survival horror game in which players need to roam around a research facility and avoid dangerous monsters. However, this isn’t just a game about scares and survival. It also has a thought-provoking narrative about consciousness and what it means to be alive. The tale is told mainly through compelling conversations you have with some of the creatures you meet in the facility.
1
Bloodborne
- Released
-
March 24, 2015
- Developer(s)
-
From Software
- ESRB
-
M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Violence
Bloodborne has to go down as one of the greatest PlayStation 4 games of all time. People love it so much that they’ve almost been begging for a sequel or a remake since not long after the game was released in 2015.
There are many things to love about the game, from its incredible atmosphere to its fascinating world to its compelling narrative. As FromSoftware made it, the game is very challenging and tasks you with relying on your brain in fights as much as your brawn. As a result, combat never gets boring.
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