Best PlayStation 4 Game From Every Year

It’s been just over 10 years since the PlayStation 4 debuted, and it found its way into gamers’ hearts. Since its release, the console has only continued to build upon the success of the PlayStation 3. A console that delivered some spectacular games and introduced some of PlayStation’s best characters.

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The PlayStation 4 has been around since late 2013 and has only continued to hold its own, despite the release of the portable powerhouse that is the Nintendo Switch and the arrival of the PlayStation 5 a few years back. Though the console is starting to show its age, there’s no denying that during its lifespan, the PlayStation 4 has hosted some truly spectacular games. Why not take a trip down memory lane and see the best game for each year of the console’s life so far?

11 2013 – Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag

Metascore: 88

With the PlayStation 4 dropping in November, there weren’t many games that managed to join the console in the remaining months of 2013. Still, the console managed a few games with the likes of Killzone Shadow Fall, Knack, and, of course, one of the best Assassin’s Creed games, in the swashbuckling pirate adventure, Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag.

The Assassin’s Creed franchise was coming off a bit of a slump following the disappointing Assassin’s Creed 3. So, when Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag brought a fantastic pirate adventure, complete with excellent ship combat, a great Assassin/Templar tale, and familiar fluid combat, it was hard for gamers not to climb aboard. In short, Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag was an absolute hit on release and has maintained that love for over 10 years. Now with rumors of remakes on the horizon, there’s no denying this open-world adventure was THE 2013 PlayStation 4 game to have.

10 2014 – Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

Metascore: 84

2014 marked the first full year of the console’s cycle, and the PlayStation 4 only grew with great new titles coming in month after month, but the year’s best came at the end of September with J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Ring‘s inspired action epic, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor.

The game puts players in the shoes of Talion, a Gondorian Ranger who is bonded with the wraith of an unknown elf. Together, Talion and the wraith take on the forces of Mordor in an adrenaline-filled adventure with exciting gameplay that felt like a combination of the best parts of Assassin’s Creed and Rocksteady’s Arkham games.

What made the title stand out was the introduction of Monolith’s superb Nemesis system, a gameplay system that sees the player’s enemies react to their death, ranking up and gaining promotions, each with their own given titles, strengths, and weaknesses. It made each player’s game feel personal and often saw gamers put a pin in the main story to slay the Orc that recently defeated them. It was a great gameplay feature and one that helped Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor stand out as 2014’s best PlayStation 4 game.

9 2015 – The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Metascore: 92

There probably aren’t too many sure-fire entries on this list, but CD Projekt RED’s fantasy-filled action RPG The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is undoubtedly one game that’s nailed on as its years best. The game is still a benchmark for gaming, and its great port to the Switch sees it as one of the best third-party games on the Nintendo console.

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The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a true gaming tour de force. The game is packed with so many elements, from its compelling characters, exciting combat, and some of the best stories to experience, both with its excellent mainline story and some of gaming’s best side quests begging to be explored. There’s a reason so many players have pumped hundreds of hours into exploring this fantastical world, and it remains a grand adventure that any gamer should look to pursue.

8 2016 – Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

Metascore: 93

If there was one thing Naughty Dog cemented over the PlayStation 3’s lifetime was their expertise at delivering stand-out gaming stories. Whether that was the adrenaline-packed adventures of treasure hunter Nathan Drake or the somber post-apocalypse dread of The Last Of Us, each game was a certified hit.

So, when 2016 rolled around, and Nathan Drake got the chance to finish his treasure-plundering ways with another globe-trotting adventure, it was hard for fans to contain their excitement. Thankfully, the final game was another stellar entry into the series, this time delivering a more character-driven story and featuring the most refined gunplay in the series to date. It was a true blockbuster experience and one that saw Naughty Dog raise the bar yet again with story-driven adventure games.

7 2017 – Horizon: Zero Dawn

Metascore: 89

A post-apocalyptic world filled with robot dinosaurs. How can any gamer say no to that premise? That was the selling point of Horizon: Zero Dawn, the latest game by Killzone developers Guerrilla Games. Much like other Guerrilla Games titles, the game was stunning, but it packed more than just a pretty world.

Gamers who took the journey into one of the best post-apocalypse games were treated to well-designed combat, a fascinating world to uncover, and a compelling story to sink their teeth into as they followed the main character, Aloy, on her journey throughout this fractured world. Whilst it may be known to some gamers as ‘that game with robot dinosaurs’, Horizon: Zero Dawn is so much more. It’s a brilliant time, with a lush open world to explore that’s packed with mechanical beasts to marvel at and a great heroine to pull players through a fascinating story.

6 2018 – God of War (2018)

Metascore: 94

Having vanquished all the Greek gods in the previous God of War trilogy, fans were excited to see Demi-God Kratos make a return to PlayStation. The game was a reboot for the franchise, seeing the combat overhauled, the character moved to a new mythological setting, and the anger issued Kratos, now tackling a new challenge, being a single dad.

Much to the delight of many God of War fans, the game instantly became one of the best God of War titles and cemented itself alongside the very best PlayStation exclusives. The introduction of one of the PlayStation’s best weapons, the powerful Leviathan Ax, made combat an absolute blast for players to fight their way through the diverse Norse realms. The story was the best the series has been, and the game moved along at a great pace that kept the action rolling and the more emotional story beats breath. It was an exceptional title in every way, and not only 2018’s best title but also one of PlayStation’s best games outright.

5 2019 – Resident Evil 2

Metascore: 91

Remade, and back, better than ever. That was the feeling shared among critics and fans of Capcom’s Resident Evil 2 remake. Making a full return 20 years after its initial debut in 1998, the beloved survival horror game was brought to the forefront of modern gaming with a fully kitted remake that blew old and new gamers away.

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Five years later, Resident Evil 2 is still the gold standard of remakes. That’s thanks to how well it stuck to the original game’s excellent story. While making modern game adjustments to the gameplay that make it feel at home on more modern consoles. This included the eerie atmosphere, solid gunplay, and fear-inducing Mr. X seemingly lurking behind every corner. Resident Evil 2 was a staple survival-horror game back in the 1990s and the 2019 remake showed how timeless the story was, remade for a modern audience, and it still delivered a phenomenal gaming experience, complete with that same dread and tension the series is so well known for.

4 2020 – Ghost of Tsushima

Metascore: 83

Taking a departure from electrically charged superheroes, Sucker Punch Productions decided to take the leap into Feudal Japan, taking everything they learned previously and crafting a truly exceptional samurai adventure game with Ghost of Tsushima.

The game thrusts players into the shoes of samurai Jin Sakai as he embraces the path of the ghost and tries to save his homeland from the Mongol invasion. The game not only presents a wonderful samurai story but also presents some of the most satisfying hack-n-slash combat thanks to a variety of stances and enemy types to do battle with. The island of Tsushima is one of the most beautiful open-world games to date, filled with beautiful scenery, collectibles to uncover, and fluffy little foxes to stroke.

3 2021 – Hades

Metascore: 93

In a year packed with so many exceptional games and in a genre with an abundance of fantastic titles, the quality of Supergiant Games’ incredible rouge-lite adventure game Hades can’t be understated. The game was a phenomenal experience and hooked all kinds of players, both experienced and new to the genre.

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Hades is a hack-n-slash rouge-lite adventure set within the Greek underworld. Gamers are put in control of Hades’ son, Zagreus, as he continues to venture out into the Underworld in hopes of escaping the realm and meeting his mother Persephone. In each attempt, players learn more about the Underworld and the characters that dwell there, as well as improve their strength, armory, and utility items. With Gods dropping a variety of boons to help players on their run, altering different aspects of Zagreus, every run is almost guaranteed to be a different fight from the last. It’s one hell of an addictive loop, one that, to this day, has players still diving back in and excited about what the upcoming sequel could bring.

2 2022 – God of War: Ragnarok

Metascore: 94

To say God of War: Ragnarök was highly anticipated is probably selling it short. The game was set to deliver fans a whole host of Norse-filled goodness with more realms, bigger bosses to fight, and the chance to finally throw down against the Nordic heavyweights of Odin and Thor, all whilst continuing the fantastic story that opened in the 2018 reboot.

Thankfully, this sequel delivered on every promise made and, in the end, gave gamers an action-adventure game for the ages. The game built upon its already fantastic combat, introducing more companions to enter the fray with new, improved weaponry and gameplay changes that helped make every combat encounter that much more thrilling. If there’s an example of a way to do a sequel right, then God of War: Ragnarök is one of the few shining examples and is an excellent adventure to experience on either PlayStation console.

1 2023 – Resident Evil 4

Metascore: 93

Another Capcom remake is on the list, and it’s perhaps no surprise that it’s the remake of the fan-favorite title Resident Evil 4. It remains a benchmark for the best survival-horror games, and the remake, much like Resident Evil 2, brought across quality-of-life updates whilst staying true to the same story and eerie setting that made the game so great back in 2005.

Bringing players back into the role of Leon Kennedy, who travels to a rural village in Spain that just so happens to have infected the locals with a mind-controlling parasite, which kick-starts an excellent action-horror experience. In short, Resident Evil 4 really is the perfect blend of horror and action, with its well-paced campaign delivering nerve-shredding tension and so many exhilarating combat encounters. It’s hard for any gamer to deny the great time they had playing this amazing remake.

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