43 Best PS4 Games Every Gamer Should Own

43 best PS4 games every gamer should own

Upcoming PC games: The best new games to look forward to in 2019 and beyond

- Top PlayStation 4 exclusives

- All the PS4 games we recommend

The PlayStation 4 is a fine games console and no mistake. And the 4K-ready PS4 Pro is by far and away the best PlayStation yet.

But it's the games that have made either PS4 as popular as it is today.

That's why we've put together a list of games we've thoroughly enjoyed since the console's launch in 2013. All of them are well worth adding to your library, with many bargains available too.

Here then is our list of the best games you can get for the PS4 and PS4 Pro, presented in no particular order.

ROCKSTAR

Red Dead Redemption 2

Our Promise

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A truly stunning game that provides entertainment and enjoyment for weeks. It starts slow but the amount of depth and variety in mission types will soon have you well and truly hooked. Rockstar isn't the most prolific of developers but it is certainly one of the very best. There are few open world games around with as much thought and attention afforded it.

SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT

God of War

Our Promise

The Pocket-lint Gadget Award winner for Best Game of 2018, God of War is, quite simply, stunning. Its over-the-shoulder third-person style works well for both emotive story-telling and the new combat system. We particularly like the axe throwing mechanics and, specifically, the weight of the axe as it travels back to your hand Thor's hammer style. No PS4 should be without the latest God of War game.

God of War review: Stunning reinvention marks Kratos' triumphant return

SONY COMPUTER INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT

Marvel's Spider-Man

Our Promise

It is hard to describe just how enjoyable swinging around the streets in Spider-Man actually is, you will find yourself doing that for hours without even needing to complete a mission. But thankfully there is a great story and game in the open world superhero title too. Comic book fans will also thoroughly appreciate the amount of collectables and costumes that can be unlocked. And there are some great character cameos along the way too.

Marvel's Spider-Man PS4 review: Catches thieves just like flies

EPIC GAMES

Fortnite

You can't have a best games list without including Fortnite. For a start, it's free to play so everyone can get involved, and even its in-game emotes have become real-world dance crazes. It's rare a game transcends gaming itself, but Fortnite certainly has. The mixture of FPS, base-building and cartoon graphics attract the young and old alike and we heartily approve of PlayStation's decision to open up cross-platform play on this specific title.

SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT

Horizon: Zero Dawn

Our Promise

Although it's not one of the most well-known games, Horizon Zero Dawn is one of the best on the console full stop. Combining tribal themes with robotics and technology, the setting is as fascinating as it is unique. And in Aloy, we get one of the strongest female lead characters in years. There are many RPG elements and precise action sequences in the massive open world game. It is also one of the best-looking on the PS4, especially when hooked up to a HDR TV.

Horizon Zero Dawn review: The best-looking game on PS4 by far

NINJA THEORY

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

A stunningly beautiful and engrossing adventure, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice tells the story of a Pict warrior slowly slipping into madness as she tries to save the soul of her fallen lover. It uses intelligent imagery and research to convey mental illness and adopts the relatively rare practice of permadeath. If Senua dies in the game, you have to start all over again. It is haunting and will stay with you long after you finish.

ACTIVISION

Spyro Reignited Trilogy

Our Promise

A great remaster of one of the most endearing platform game series of the 90s, Spyro Reignited Trilogy takes the gameplay from Spyro the Dragon, Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage! and Spyro: Year of the Dragon but dramatically improves the visuals and audio. Developer Toys for Bob even got the voice actor for the two sequels to revoice Spyro in the first for continuity. It's a great trio for old and new alike, as there is much to do across each of the games.

SONY/NAUGHTY DOG

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

Our Promise

Uncharted 4 isn't just the result of Naughty Dog's learnings throughout the previous trilogy, it also benefits greatly from the developer's work on The Last of Us. While radically different in tone, A Thief's End undoubtedly borrows some elements from its enduring horror-based stablemate, resulting in the studio's most rounded, balanced game yet.

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End review: Going out with a bang

BANDAI NAMCO / FROM SOFTWARE

Dark Souls 3

Our Promise

As anyone who has played a Dark Souls game would expect, Dark Souls 3 is huge, gothic, creepy, studded with bosses which, when you first encounter them, seem impossibly daunting, yet irresistibly addictive. At times, you will curse the impulse which propels you back into its fetid world, as you struggle to advance even a couple of hundred metres. But the pay-off is that any small triumphs you manage to pull off will be so hard-won that they feel like mighty victories.

Dark Souls 3 review: As gothic, unforgiving and brilliant as ever

WARNER BROS INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT

Hitman 2

Our Promise

We were (and still are) big fans of the first episodic Hitman reboot but the sequel is even better. It is possibly the best stealth game ever, in fact. It requires patience but the sheer number of ways to complete each assassination mission make it a game you will come back to again and again. The game also upgrades the episodes of the first game, so you can revisit them too using the new and improved game engine.

Hitman 2 review: An utterly sublime stealth game

The Last of Us Remastered

Our Promise

With a very tidy graphical overhaul and the Left Behind DLC added as part of the pack, The Last of Us Remastered is easily one of the finest rereleased games in the PS4's line-up. It's an essential purchase and play for all those who didn't get a chance to join Joel and Ellie on their post-apocalyptic zombie-style journey on the PS3. Not only does it look beautiful, it is a masterwork of storytelling that resonates long after the game has been completed.

The Last of Us Remastered review

SCEE

Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection

Ahead of Uncharted 4: A Thief's End being released, Naughty Dog remastered the previous trilogy of Nathan Drake games to whet appetites. They each star the all-action adventure hero that has become as endearing to gamers as Indiana Jones has to movie fans and are a great intro to his fourth and final (?) appearance. The three included games look better than ever before, in 1080p at 60 frames per second, and even the control system of the first in the series was improved to better match the sequels.

CAPCOM

Monster Hunter: World

Our Promise

The first Monster Hunter game to make it onto home consoles is an undoubted success. It proves to be gloriously addictive and endlessly charming and offers an open world experience like few others, with what feels like a living, breathing environment. The RPG elements are great and easy to get to grips with, even if you a newcomer to the franchise. You'll soon find yourself addicted to both its charm and challenges. Much like us.

Monster Hunter World review: Taking down beasties in glorious fashion

SCEE

Tearaway Unfolded

By Media Molecule, the developer behind the Little Big Planet series of games, Tearaway Unfolded is inventive and unique on a console dominated by blockbuster action titles. Its art style is fantastic and the platform/puzzle gameplay offers enough variety to have you hooked as you progress through the cardboard and paper-inspired world.

BANDAI NAMCO

Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom

Our Promise

There is no shortage of JRPGs available for the PlayStation 4 but one of the very best has to be Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom. It retains a unique and very Japanese charm, yet provides all the depth of gameplay and accessibility as the very best Western RPGs. An exemplary battle system underpins the action, while heart and soul exudes from each character encountered along the way.

Ni no Kuni II Revenant Kingdom review: As irresistible as Zelda and as heavyweight as The Witcher 3

UBISOFT

Trials Fusion

All RedLynx's Trials games are fantastic and ridiculously addictive and Trials Fusion is no exception. Set in a future landscape, the sideways-scrolling motorbike racer ramps up the difficulty to crazy levels, yet still you want to come back for more each and every time your rider dies in spectacular fashion. The PS4's graphical presentation is also awesome for such a simple to pick up and play game. And there's a stack of great DLC available too.

FIREBALLIS1

No Man's Sky

Our Promise

While No Man's Sky was criticised a fair amount straight after launch, continual updates and content patches have arrived to turn it into the space exploration game we all originally hoped for. What's more, these updates are free, so buy the game now and you get a magnificent, huge adventure with variety and surprises in abundance.

SONY

Until Dawn

Our Promise

Sony's interactive horror story is very much an unsung hit, presenting a chilling tale where your actions decide how many (if any) of the teenagers trapped with a killer survive the murderous spree. Scary and intelligent, while well acted, Until Dawn has plenty of replay value too as you'll want to go back to see if you can do things differently.

Until Dawn review: Movie-like visuals, movie-like gameplay

WARNER

Mortal Kombat X

Although Street Fighter has always been the most talked about franchise among die-hard fighting game fans, we’ve always preferred the Mortal Kombat series. And Mortal Kombat X is a welcome return to the madcap, absurdly violent days of the past, with “finish him” end moves that are hilarious and gross in equal measure.

SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT / FROM SOFTWARE / JAPAN STUDIO

Bloodborne

Our Promise

A PS4 exclusive, Bloodborne is from the same stable as Dark Souls and you can tell almost instantly. It matches its stablemate series graphically, albeit with current generation flair, but the main similarity is that both action-adventure/RPGs are as difficult as each other. Prepare to throw your DualShock 4 around. A lot.

Bloodborne review: Hard as nails

SQUARE ENIX

Life is Strange

Without a major licence to hang onto, the original Life is Strange could have escaped your notice, even though it features every bit as engrossing a story as The Walking Dead or other episodic adventure game. The five episodes, which follow teenage girl Max after she discovers she can turn back time, feature fantastic voice acting and twists and turns that will have you guessing until the very end. And the best part about it is that your actions determine the outcome. An excellent sequel has also started recently.

TEAM 17

The Escapists

Like many other games available for the current generation consoles today, The Escapists adopts 8-bit graphics, although that hides a cunning level of depth in gameplay terms. It is a puzzle adventure game of sorts where you have to successfully escape a series of more difficult prisons. Where it succeeds is in its sense of humour and simple gameplay mechanics – a trademark of Team 17, also the creator of the Worms series. You probably won’t find many games as addictive as this little gem either.

2K GAMES

Borderlands: The Handsome Collection

Strangely not including the original Borderlands, you can’t really describe The Handsome Collection as being the definitive package but the remastered versions of Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel!, plus all DLC previously released are plenty enough to warrant a purchase. Part role-playing game, part first-person shooter, each Borderlands game holds enough action and humorous adventure to keep you going for months.

ELECTRONIC ARTS

Dragon Age: Inquisition

This chapter is the third-part in the Dragon Age trilogy and easily eclipses all that has gone before. As with The Last of Us, it is the story that stand out more than any other aspect of the game, and Bioware's traditional mastery of dialogue helps tell it in a natural a way as possible. It's also a mighty role-playing game with hours and hours of gameplay at your disposal. Just make sure you've got the time to invest in it. You will definitely be rewarded.