Despite marking the one-year release of the PS5 and Xbox Series X, the PS4 systems are still alive and kicking in December 2021. It will likely stay that way for a good year or two (which is probably why a lot of people still call the PS4 the current-gen console). New games are still coming to the PS4, and it’s still a great system to play on.
With all that, a lot of people are still not enjoying the full potential that a PS4 can bring them by not playing the must-have games. It’s also a fact that a lot of people are just starting to buy a PS4 in 2021, so if you’re one of those people who stumbled upon this article, welcome! I will recommend a lot of PlayStation Exclusives. Here are the five PS4 games you must play and finish at least once!
God of War (2018)
This game needs no introduction, especially to the long-time PlayStation players. I mean what’s not to love with this remake? It’s the fourth GOW game to release as of now, and you wouldn’t even need to play the previous games to understand how it works.
If you played the previous GOW games, oh boy, this one will be extremely different for you. You’ll still play as Kratos, but he’s not just killing everything he sees anymore. He’s a father now! His wife dies at the beginning, and your main goal for the whole game is to travel through the Aesir universe with Atreus (Kratos’ son) and get to the highest peak in all the realms to scatter Kratos’ wife’s ashes.
God of War is also not just a mindless beat ‘em up game anymore. There’s an interesting story waiting to unravel and there are new combat mechanics that make the game so much more exciting to play, starting with the Leviathan Axe.
In simple terms, that axe acts like an Ice Mjolnir, it has frost powers and you can throw it away and call it back with the press of a button. It might not sound like the best thing ever, but it’s extremely satisfying once you played it yourself.
Another reason you should play this immediately is because of the sequel, God of War Ragnarok, that’s supposed to come out in 2022 (assuming that there aren’t any more delays).
The Last of Us
I have been talking a lot about The Last of Us recently. It’s mostly because I’m so hyped about the upcoming HBO series. If you have a PS3, PS4, or PS5, I will always recommend The Last of Us (especially the Remastered version on PS4).
It’s about Joel and Ellie, who are survivors in a post-apocalyptic world that’s infested with fungi-infected zombies (yeah, it might sound weird). The big thing here is that Ellie is immune to the fungi infection that turns people into zombies.
The Last of Us is soul-sucking and depressing in general. You’ll be amazed at how it will make you question your morals and ethics. These games have some of the best graphics, sound design, and one of the most realistic gameplay mechanics, plus a story to take it all away.
There are two Last of Us games: the first part that everybody loves, and The Last of Us Part 2 that divided gamers into two camps. I’ll admit I hated it, but I can’t deny that it’s one of the most amazing games today (in terms of gameplay). Ellie is older in the sequel, and it’s basically the same as the first game but with all the gameplay mechanics improved.
To sum it all up, I’m sure everyone will love The Last of Us and the Remastered one as well, but I can’t guarantee that you’ll love the second game. But still, both games are a must-play and I recommend them to anyone.
Spider-Man Games
If you’re looking for pure fun in a PS4 game, then look no further than Spider-Man and Spider-Man Miles Morales. They’re both open-world games where you play as Spider-Man, and that’s it. I’m sure that description alone will sell this game to thousands of people.
You’ll be web-slinging across a fairly accurate representation of New York City, beating up some bad guys. And that is really it. Of course, it also has a pretty good story, but it’s fun enough that I really wouldn’t have noticed if the story sucked. That’s coming from someone who likes to focus on every story element a game brings.
It’s because of how fluid and satisfying the gameplay is. Even a child could play Spider-Man and figure out how to swing around buildings in five minutes, that’s how optimized and well designed the gameplay and controls are.
So yeah, I recommend Spider-Man purely from how fun and easy it is to play. There aren’t a lot of games that can do what Insomniac did with the Spider-Man games, so huge props to them and the developers.
Horizon Zero Dawn
Do you want more post-apocalyptic gaming goodness like The Last of Us? Does hunting robotic dinosaurs tickle your fancy? Horizon Zero Dawn has you covered.
The events on Horizon Zero Dawn begin in the year 3020. It’s a world where machines and robotic animals are all over the world, and humans have retreated into tribal groups. What happened to the previous world that we know, and why did these robots take over the world are the questions that the game’s story will answer as you play.
You play the game by using your trusty bow and arrow, spear, and other weapons that you can acquire as you go. There is also a lot of machine hacking, crafting, and looting that you have to do.
I recommend this game for everyone since it’s like a gateway drug for open-world action-RPG games. Plus it’s a fairly unique game with a unique story and unique gameplay. Plus, it has some of the most stunning artwork in any game you’ll ever see. There’s a sequel to this game coming out in 2022, so there’s no better time to play it!
Uncharted Games
Do you like Indiana Jones — or treasure hunting movies in general? Well, Uncharted games are like that. They’re all like action movies where you are the main character. The linear shooter adventure games are pretty similar to The Last of Us games, especially since they came from the same developer, Naughty Dog.
There’s a lot to be excited about when playing Uncharted games, especially when you’re playing it chronologically. You’ll see the improvements that Naughty Dog put out. One of those improvements is the combat system which gets better and better with each game you play.
The things to look for with every Uncharted game are intense action scenes. The best one has got to be the opening scene for Uncharted 2 where you climb up a train car that’s hanging from a cliff.
There are a ton of chases, crashes, and everything that you would expect an action movie to have. In fact, that’s probably the reason The Last of Us and Uncharted are both getting movies and tv shows soon.
But not all Uncharted games are equally exciting. If you want to pick out just the best games from the franchise, I recommend Uncharted 2 to Uncharted 4. You can play those without having played the other games but you will enjoy them more if you have played through the others.
Honorable Mentions
Here are a few other good games that didn’t make the list but I’ll add them in case you played all of the games above already.
- Persona 5 Royal
- Witcher 3
- Ghost of Tsushima
- NieR:Automata
Did you agree with this list of must play PS4 games? Do you have games in mind that didn’t make the list but you think everyone should play? Let us all know in the comments below!
