The PlayStation 4 has some incredible games – here are the best of them.
To help you decide what deserves a place in your collection, here’s our choice of the best PS4 games that you can buy in 2018. Our best PS4 games list covers new releases, classic adventures, and some great left-field entries. We regularly update this page, adding and removing titles to keep the number from sprawling too widely. If you have other formats, check out the best Switch, PC, or Xbox One games, too.
The Best PS4 games in 2018: Recent hits
1. Marvel’s Spider-Man
Insomnia Games’ Spider Man game is a frenetic delight, finally realising the dream of swinging across Manhattan like Marvel’s iconic superhero. The game is well written and boasts some spectacular visuals, but its strength is in the little details – from how Spidey’s webs actually attach to buildings, to the game’s excellent photography mode.
2. Divinity: Original Sin 2
On the surface, Divinity: Original Sin 2 looks like a throwback to the age of isometric role-playing, typified by the likes of Baldur’s Gate. It definitely is this, but it’s also so much more, with some of the best writing and quest design this side of The Witcher 3. Throw in a winning co-op mode and you have a exceptional fantasy RPG.
3. God of War
God of War (2018) is a blistering reinvention of the longstanding hack-n-slash series, bringing new RPG elements and a surprisingly touching father-son story. It looks gorgeous, boasts hefty combat and is packed full of memorable setpieces.
4. Monster Hunter: World
Like a character in a Victorian science-fiction fantasy, Monster Hunter: World will see you venture to a lost world of strange beasts to categorise and capture. Unlike a character in a Victorian science-fiction fantasy, you’ll be fighting these colossal creatures with impractically large swords, crafted from their slaughtered kin. A great deal of attention has gone into designing the ecosystem of the game, and the result is an impression of a living, breathing world where humans are low on the food chain.
5. NieR:Automata
NieR:Automata creator Taro Yoko is something of a loose cannon, known for turning up to interviews wearing a moon mask or talking about his work via sock puppets. That eccentricity is why NieR:Automata is such an interesting game, with its kinetic, bullet-hell gameplay covering an oddball parable about AI, robots and drone warfare. Made with PlatinumGames, the studio behind fast-paced titles such as Vanquish and Bayonetta, NieR:Automata is a bombastic, button-mashing adventure.
6. What Remains of Edith Finch
The first-person exploration genre, sometimes called “walking simulators”, is pushed towards interesting new places with this intricate game. The titular Edith Finch returns to her family home – so far, so Gone Home – but then delves into the past of her deceased family members via a series of mini games. The narrative is expertly woven, and enormously affecting.
7. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
If you’re looking for a hack-n-slash RPG, you’ll be disappointed by Ninja Theory’s thoughtful exploration of mental illness. If you’re looking for a game that does interesting things with the interactive medium; which explores psychosis with sensitivity, and manages to weave a visual spectacular fable in the process, you’ll be in fine company.
8. Shadow of the Colossus
The PS2 classic Shadow of the Colossus has been given a stellar facelift for its PS4 iteration, opening Team Ico’s masterpiece to a whole new generation of players. You play a young man called Wander, tasked with tracking and killing 16 giants. The result is one of gaming’s most beautiful experiences. Sublime.
9. Bloodborne
An absolute must for anyone who’s a fan of the Dark Souls series. Created by Demon’s Souls, Dark Souls and Dark Souls 3 director Hidetaka Miyazaki, Bloodborne is a gripping, action RPG. As with every Miyazaki game, the story around Bloodborne is shrouded in mystery. What is known, however, is that the decrepit city of Yharnam has been struck with a plague that turns its inhabitants into beasts. Now, crazed citizens and monsters roam the streets. Good luck surviving out there on the night of The Hunt.
10. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
You won’t find an open-world game (apart from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild) that’s anywhere near as slick, enjoyable and totally engrossing as CD Projekt Red’s adventure. Don’t let the fact that this is the third entry into The Witcher series deter you from picking it up, not only do you not need to know what’s come before, but this fantasy epic will sweep you off your feet within the first few hours and you’ll never be able to put it down. By picking up the award-winning Game of the Year edition you’ll not only get the near 100+ hour main game but two full expansions – adding well over 40 hours more – and all of the free DLC bonuses. You can also pick it up for next-to-nothing in most sales.
11. DOOM
If, before its release, you asked people whether a throwback follow-up to 1993’s Doom would be exactly what shooting games needed in 2017, they’d probably raise more than an eyebrow. What we ended up with the newest Doom is a gleeful gorefest that focuses on flow and atmosphere over pretty much everything else. The results are fun. A lot of fun, and well worth spending your hard-earned coins on.
12. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
The Uncharted trilogy is a fantastic run of games, and Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End isn’t just an amazing sequel that builds on them but it’s a beautiful and fitting end to the Nathan Drake’s saga. You don’t need to have played the previous games, of course, because it’s a smooth and exciting action game regardless, but fans of the series will love Uncharted 4 even more.
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