The Best PS4 Games for 2024
The best PS4 across nearly every genre will have your wallets weeping.
Our Picks
Though it's been a few years since the PS5 first hit store shelves, getting your hands on one was next to impossible until recently. So much so that industry analysts have said that the next-generation is just now beginning. This has made plenty of people stick with their good ol' trusty PS4, and it still has a ton of amazing experiences to offer, including hits like Elden Ring and Horizon: Forbidden West.
There's a rich library of AAA games exclusive to the PS4: Spider-Man, Bloodborne, The Last of Us Part 2 and God of War, to name a few. And then, of course, there are the cross-platform titles and indie games. It's an embarrassment of riches.
Read more: Best PS4 Gaming Headset for 2023
So, you're ready to start gaming. However, before you buy, consider the following:
- We've included links to the digital version of each game that is available at the PlayStation online store if you don't want the disc versions, which are sold at linked retailers via the red buttons.
- Apex Legends is free to play (for PlayStation Plus subscribers), just use this link to download it.
- In addition to freebies like Apex Legends, Fortnite and Call of Duty: Warzone, subscribers to PlayStation Plus get two free games per month. With upgrades like PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium, offering a catalog of games available to download or stream, PS Plus is now more similar to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
- Nearly all PS4 games should be playable on the PS5, so any investment you make in these games should transition easily if and when you upgrade to the new console.
With those caveats in place, on to the games.
FromSoft's latest entry Elden Ring has dominated the gaming world ever since it was released in February. It brings the punishing combat you love to hate from Dark Souls to a massive open world where death is waiting around literally every corner. The clear front-runner for 2022 game of the year.
God of War Ragnarok
God of War Ragnarok likely needs no introduction for PlayStation fans.
Following the events of 2018's entry, Ragnarok thrusts players into a new adventure as Fimbulwinter falls over the nine realms. With Freya still angry at Kratos for his actions, Ragnarok approaching and Odin taking a keen interest in Atreus, players have their hands full.
If you thought God of War was amazing, God of War Ragnarok somehow tops it in almost every way.
Horizon: Forbidden West
The Horizon series is back with what our reviewer called a "near-perfect sequel." Continue Alloy's journey in a deadly new environment, with new gear, armor and tons of cool new robo-dino adversaries.
The Last of Us Part 2
You can head here for our full, detailed look at The Last of Us Part 2, but we'll give you the Cliff Notes here: This is a brutal, profound video game experience that not only works in terms of its second-to-second combat but also has plenty to say about the dark nature of revenge and the cyclical nature of impulsive violence.
Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut
Ghost of Tsushima is yet another open world banger from Sucker Punch Productions, one of the most consistent first-party studios under Sony's vast umbrella.
Set in Japan during the first invasion of the Mongols in 1270, Ghost of Tsushima may borrow heavily from open world tropes seen in other, superior titles -- but it's still a gorgeously made video game. A real visual swansong for the PS4.
Final Fantasy VII Remake
The Final Fantasy VII Remake is one of those games that turned out better than anyone could have realistically expected.
It's beautiful -- utterly gorgeous -- and its reinvented combat system is a great balance between old and new.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Assassin's Creed fans may need to wait a little longer for Mirage, Codename Red and Codename Hexe, but they can jump into the latest adventure right now with Valhalla. Set during the Dark Ages as players control a Viking warrior named Eivor sailing to England in search of a new home, Valhalla is full of mystery and allure.
Ubisoft leans hard into its full-fledged RPG mechanics, making it easy for players to immerse themselves in its action.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Endless online discourse about its difficulty aside, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is another masterpiece from Dark Souls creator FromSoftware.
Sekiro shares a little of the DNA that made Dark Souls so compelling, but it's absolutely a brand-new beast, even more distinct from the Souls series than Bloodborne. It requires learning a whole new skillset (mainly parrying), but it's worth the initial pain.
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is probably the best superhero video game since Batman: Arkham Asylum. It's a little derivative, but there's no denying it's a well-made, supremely polished video game. You should probably check it out.
No Man's Sky Beyond
Despite its rocky launch, No Man's Sky has turned itself around over the years with several excellent content updates, becoming the poster child for video game comebacks. With over 18 quintillion planets to explore, it's literally impossible to see everything this game has to offer. So whether you want to spend your days exploring the galaxy or creating a homestead on some backwater planet you found, the world is your oyster.
Red Dead Redemption 2
I mean obviously.
It's been awhile since Rockstar has released a new video game, but Red Dead Redemption 2 has been worth the wait. This is a video game dripping in detail. Get through the slow start and engross yourself in one of the best video game worlds ever built.
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
Star Wars fans have had it good as of late, and that rings especially true when it comes to its video games. The Lego Star Wars series has always been consistently good, and it became even better with The Skywalker Saga.
Combining all nine films in the series and remaking old levels from the ground up, The Skywalker Saga is the definitive way to experience the franchise in video game form.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Outside of Lego games, the cream of the crop for Star Wars is Jedi: Fallen Order. Straying from the service and multiplayer games that fans have panned for years, Jedi: Fallen Order delivered an excellent single-player adventure starring a young Padawan following Order 66.
This is the Star Wars game you're looking for.
Apex Legends
Well this game came out of nowhere.
Apex Legends is the game no one saw coming. In 2018, Fortnite literally ruled our cultural universe, but now its position atop the battle royale genre is being challenged by Apex Legends and with good reason. Designed by the core team responsible for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and, more recently, the excellent Titanfall series, Apex Legends just feels so good minute to minute. Look for this game to stick around. It's currently free to download at the PlayStation store.
Bloodborne
FromSoftware doesn't make bad video games. It makes classics, stone-cold classics, one after another.
Before Elden Ring, Bloodborne may have been the best FromSoftware game.
A brand new universe, a faster paced combat style, ludicrously well-designed environments and beautiful enemy design. Bloodborne is difficult, but it's intensely rewarding. Crucially, it's a great entry point into the "Souls" genre.
The Witcher 3
The Witcher 3 is glorious.
A mind-bendingly massive open world that somehow doesn't sacrifice depth. Visually glorious. It also features surprisingly good writing and a mission structure that makes traditional side-quests feel meaningful.
Prepare to sacrifice much of your life to this behemoth.
Persona 5
Do you like inter-dimensional, high school drama anime featuring tremendously good-looking teenagers fighting demonic manifestations from another universe?
Boy, do I have the video game for you.
Spoilers: The game is Persona 5.
Control
A wild, spectacular (and completely bizarre) video game, Control is one of the most ambitious and interesting big budget games of the year. Fans of the X-Files (and maybe even Twin Peaks) will enjoy this.
Mortal Kombat 11
Mortal Kombat is still kicking and, some might say, is better than ever. Ignore. Once upon a time Mortal Kombat was a gimmicky ultraviolent competitor to the sublime Street Fighter II. Now it's a spectacular fighting game in its own right, with its own set of strengths. This is the best Mortal Kombat game to date.
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
Uncharted 4 isn't the strongest entry in the series (that's still the bar-setting Uncharted 2), but it's still a benchmark in visual storytelling excellence.
It's a little bit too long, with way too many shooting sections, but Uncharted 4 does some truly ground-breaking things in terms of video game storytelling.
And it's one of the most beautiful games ever made.
Undertale
Undertale is for people who have played a lot of video games.
It's got in-jokes, subverts tropes, it's razor sharp and properly funny. It's also a really interesting RPG and you should play it.
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
Punching Nazis: The Video Game.
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus was one of the best games of 2017 when it was originally released. A culturally relevant one as well.
What Remains of Edith Finch
A unique, story-focused game that'll pique the interest of folks that liked Gone Home, Dear Esther or games of that ilk.
Like those games, What Remains of Edith Finch is narratively driven, short but affecting.
Doom
Doom is extremely good. This is established fact. This reboot had no right being as good as it is. It harks back to a different kind of first-person shooter. It's about getting up close and personal with monster-demons and spilling their innards on blood-stained floors.
Resident Evil 7
Every so often Resident Evil becomes awesome again. There's a cycle.
Resident Evil 2: awesome.
Resident Evil 4: very awesome.
Resident Evil 5 through to 6: not awesome.
Resident Evil 7: extremely awesome.
It's great to see the granddaddy of video game horror series back to its best. This game is wild. Brace yourself.
Destiny 2: The Witch Queen
Despite vaulting a lot of older content, Destiny 2 still has a ton of excellent content for players to sink their teeth into. You'll need the base game to play The Witch Queen expansion, which players have called one of the best Destiny expansions to date. Savathûn's Throne World is waiting for Guardians to explore, so dive right in.
Inside
Inside is short, disturbing and stays with you long after you're done.
It really is one of those unforgettable gaming experiences. To explain more would spoil it. Just know that it is polished, smart, unique, interesting: It's a well-made "thing" that you should experience. (Note that the retail version, linked below, comes packaged with Limbo, another excellent -- albeit short -- game.)
Resident Evil 2
Probably the best video game remake ever. Evokes the spirit of the original Resident Evil 2 but doesn't feel creaky or dated. It works as a nostalgia piece but is also perfectly playable for newcomers. It feels like a brilliant reworking of a type of game no one really makes anymore.
Death Stranding
Yes, this PS4 exclusive is one of the weirdest games in recent memory -- as you'd expect from Hideo Kojima, the iconoclast game impresario behind the Metal Gear Solid series. And it was certainly divisive: We found this post-apocalyptic fetch quest to be (mostly) ponderous, while our colleagues at GameSpot gave it high marks.
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