Since the release of God of War, there has been a steady flow of gamers in my social media feeds who have picked up a PS4. Without any doubt, God of War is a system seller, now after God of War, looking into the backlog of exclusive games that the PS4 has had since its launch can seem daunting for new users. Have no fear, I will be giving you five must-play PS4 games to give you the best PlayStation experience. Just a simple rule for this list: it will not feature any remasters or ports. This means games like The Last of Us: Remastered and Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection will be omitted from this list.
Honorable Mention
The Order 1886
I could not, in good conscience, make a top five games on PS4 list and include this game but at the same time, I thoroughly enjoyed this game when I played it last year. It was panned critically for its short length, and with QTE heavy sequences, the $60 price tag did not help this game either. The story was fantastic however, blending history in with science fiction beautifully, and the combat was a lot of fun with some really cool gun variants and gadgets. With it only taking 6 to 8 hours to finish, and being able to find this game physically for under $10. I would recommend picking up this game and enjoy it for what it is.
#5Â
Bloodborne
If you are a fan of the Dark Souls franchise, then From Software’s Bloodborne is definitely a must-have game. Blending a beautiful gothic aesthetic with fast-paced combat. Bloodborne brings all the things that Souls players love, such as epic boss battles, RPG character building elements and side bosses galore! One of the coolest mechanics in this game that separates it from other From Software titles is the health regain system. While you have blood vials, which are similar to the Estus flasks if you get hit by an enemy then combo back immediately after getting hit you can regain some of your life back. The game is different enough from Dark Souls that even if you do not like the Souls series you should consider picking this game up. It goes at retails for between $20 to $29 and is honestly a steal for the amount of time you can lose in this game.
#4
Horizon Zero DawnÂ
Before God of War launched the last week, I would say this game is the most visually stunning game in terms of scale and detail in an open world style game this generation. What separates this game from a lot of other open world games is the absolutely stunning enemy design and complexity of some of the monsters. You spend a large amount of your time hunting and hiding from mechanized machines that seem to grow larger and larger in scale until it seems insanely daunting. With a good story, with some of the best bow mechanics, we have seen in a game this generation. Horizon Zero Dawn is a fantastic game if you are a fan of open world games, currently retailing for $43 for the complete edition, which includes The Frozen Wilds which adds even more content to an already full game!
#3
Persona 5Â
It would seem impossible to talk about PS4 exclusives you need to play without bringing up Persona 5. This franchise has often been touted as one of the greatest JRPG’s franchises, but Persona 5 truly has brought it to the front of the line in the genre. With turn-based combat, and in-depth social aspects that put an emphasis on building relationships that can help you later in the game. Boasting 100 hours plus of gameplay for most people to complete, this game has a great story as well as a alot of depth and is an absolute must play if you are an RPG fan.
#2
Yakuza 0Â
The Yakuza franchise developed by Sega and originally released back in 2005 on the Playstation 2, only in Japan until it hit North America in 2006. Fast forward to 2017 Yakuza 0 is released in North America, originally a PS3 and PS4 title released in Japan back in 2015. Yakuza 0 is a perfect place to start if you are new to the franchise, as the game is a prequel to the first game which is also available on PS4 called Yakuza Kiwami. Yakuza 0 is a fantastic and well-balanced game, the combat which is varying styles of martial arts feels absolutely amazing to control. With styles that fluid and fast while other styles are slower but deal heavy damage, there is fight stance for every situation you face. The story is surprisingly good, the main plot line is dark and serious as you follow the inner workings of one of the darkest criminal organizations. This is also balanced out with side missions and activities that are fun, and hilarious. The balance of humor and serious tones makes time in this game absolutely fly by. This is definitely a must play for new PS4 owners as this is one of the best franchises that was developed by Sega.
#1
Uncharted 4Â
Uncharted 4, a lot can be said about the Uncharted franchise but watching the growth from the very first game to Uncharted 4 in 2016. It is amazing to see how Nathan Drake grew as a person, and how is experiences up to this point has shaped him into the man many gamers have come to love. With endless wit and snarky one-liners in even the most dangerous of situations, Uncharted 4 does a fantastic job in making you feel for Nathan in this game. There are some very strong emotional moments that can really hit hard, and pair this up with gorgeous set pieces it makes for an amazing cinematic experience. The combo of stealth and third-person shooting makes the game a blast to play, and this was the first game I played on PS4 and I enjoyed every minute of it, and highly recommend picking it up and playing through it as Naughty Dog truly created a masterpiece with this game.
There are a ton of other great games available on PS4 that I did not list here such as Nier Automata, Until Dawn, The Last Guardian and many more! If you are a new PS4 owner enjoy the trip and dive into some great games!
What are your top five Playstation 4 games? Let us know in the comments!