Best PS4 games 2018: 25 essential PlayStation 4 releases

We have entered into the golden era of the PlayStation 4, the time when game developers have learned how the hardware performs and have tuned games to a point that maximizes the ability of the system. Not only do these games look better than ever, but play better than ever, too.

This fact isn’t lost on Sony. When it comes to exclusive games, the PS4 is leading the pack with some of the standout single-player narrative adventures of this generation. It’s the only place where you can play huge hits such as Horizon: Zero Dawn, Shadow of the Colossus and God of War.

Sony’s commitment to games like this looks set to continue through 2018 and beyond with a range of new games confirmed to be coming to PS4, including The Last of Us 2, Spider-Man, and Ghost of Tsushima. 

Exclusives aren’t the be all and end all, though. There are some incredible third-party games out there and fortunately you’ll find most of them on PlayStation too. The amount of choice the PS4 offers is part of what makes it so great but it can also be overwhelming which is why we’ve put together this list of the games we recommend the most.

Whether you’re at the cutting edge and playing on the 4K PS4 Pro or you’re sticking staunchly with your original PS4 until the PS5 launches, there’ll be something in this list that will appeal to your tastes.

Make sure you check back here regularly – we’re always updating!

Trying to decide which PS4 set-up to get? Watch Jon and Gerald discuss the differences between the PS4, PS4 Pro and PS4 VR.

A powerful, poignant and unforgettable game

One of PlayStation’s most highly anticipated exclusives of 2018, God of War has lived up to the hype. Taking Kratos from Greek to Norse mythology, making him a father, and focusing on narrative as well as completely revamping combat has made God of War a welcome refresh for the franchise. In our full review, we called God of War “the best game in the series” for many reasons, but the stand-out is that this is a game with heart and it’s not to be missed.

PS4 Pro support?  Yes. 4K at 30 fps and HDR. 

Say hello to the triple indie

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is developer Ninja Theory’s first attempt at publishing its own game and it’s quite an achievement. The game follows Senua, a Celtic warrior suffering from psychosis who travels to Hell to rescue her lost lover.

The game uses an interesting mix of binaural audio and innovative visual techniques to communicate Senua’s experience with her psychosis to the player, resulting in a game that’s likely to be quite different from anything else you’ve played recently. 

Disturbing, insightful and extremely enjoyable to play, this is a game worth taking a look at.

You can read all about our experience with the motion capture tech behind Hellblade right here. 

PS4 Pro support?  Yes. Dynamic resolution adaption for stable framerates. 

Out of this world online multiplayer

Dark Souls is an iconic series in the gaming world and with this remaster you have the chance to go back to where it all started in 2011, but with improved visual fidelity and performance. All the better to see those horrific and punishing enemies that are coming relentlessly for your blood. 

This is the same original game with all of its DLC but that’s no bad thing. Dark Souls is a fantastic, must-play title and it’s great to see it on the latest generation of consoles. Not just because the framerate bump to 60 fps makes it a much smoother and more exhilarating gameplay experience. 

PS4 Pro support? Yes. 4K at 60 fps.

A welcome dose of nostalgia

Crash Bandicoot is one of the classic gaming IPs and a revered figure on the PlayStation platform. We were absolutely delighted, then, when he made his debut on PlayStation 4 with the remaster of the N. Sane trilogy. 

If you like your nostalgia in big dollops, Crash Bandicoot N. Sane trilogy is a remaster well worth picking up. This is the same levels, gameplay, and the iconic music is still there but it’s been given a lovely new lick of paint. At TechRadar we think it’s a great example of the way classic games should be resurrected.

PS4 Pro support? Yes. 1140p at 30fps

This is the PS4’s next rising star

Horizon: Zero Dawn is a PlayStation 4 exclusive that owners of the console absolutely should not miss. 

Set in an aesthetically prehistoric post-apocalyptic world inhabited by robot dinosaurs, the game puts players in the shoes of Aloy who hunts these creatures and scraps them for parts. It’s an interesting premise to say the least but it works. 

Our own review classes it as a Play It Now title and although it has a few shortcomings we think it’s an huge open world game that gets it right. It’s a “must-own game of 2017” with visuals that will be particularly impressive for PS4 Pro owners. 

If that’s not enough commendation, the game was the winner of our 2017 reader’s choice award. 

PS4 Pro support? Yes. 4K, 30fps and HDR support.

A classic lovingly recreated

Shadow of the Colossus is a classic PlayStation title, a game that performed graphical marvels when it was released on the PlayStation 2 in 2005. Now it’s been remastered with 4K and HDR support and this time around the game world is more beautiful than ever, while keeping the original’s emotional weight and gameplay. 

For those looking for a gaming experience quite unlike any other, Shadow of the Colossus is a must-play. In our full review of the title we called it “a journey well worth taking once, and somehow even more worthwhile second time around”

PS4 Pro support?  2 modes: cinematic with 4K, HDR and 30 fps or performance with 60 fps. 

Friends who slay together, stay together

Monster Hunter is a classic franchise that’s been going for a long time, but with its return to console it’s been given a new lease on life and dragged kicking and screaming into 2018. 

Whether you want to play solo or team up with a group of up to three friends, this game has you enter a stunning game world that feels genuinely dynamic and alive in order to hunt down monsters. For research, of course. 

There’s a learning curve here, and the dark-souls style of combat has the potential to frustrate, but this is the most accessible Monster Hunter game we’ve seen in years. If you’ve been looking for a chance to break into the series, this is it. 

In our review we called the game “a bold and confident new chapter” and gave it a “play it now” recommendation. Thinking of becoming a Monster Hunter yourself? Make sure you check out our full survival guide. 

PS4 Pro support?  Yes. Can choose between 60 FPS, 4K resolution, or prioritized graphics. All with HDR support. 

Remastered thrillride

First released in 2008, Burnout Paradise is a prime example of how to do an exhilarating open world racing game. Perhaps not quite as appreciated as it should have been when it was first released, we’re glad to see it make a return on the latest console generation. Visually, it’s not vastly different but it still looks great and it has those all-important buttery smooth frame rates. 

Paradise is different from the rest of the Burnout series but it’s fantastic in its own way. Fast cars and big crashes in a thrilling playground game world make for an adrenaline high you can’t beat. If your PS4 has been lacking in the racing stakes lately, this is a good option. 

PS4 Pro support? 4K at 60fps

The end of the long and dusty road

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End hasn’t been out for very long, but we can already tell that this is going to be a Game of the Year contender come December. The game was tasked with an impossible task by bringing a satisfying close to Naughty Dog’s classic adventure series and delivered something well above our expectations. Exceptionally high production values, an engaging story about a wayward brother and an adventure to remember, Uncharted 4 has them all in spades.

Though Naughty Dog’s Uncharted journey has finally reached its destination, you’re guaranteed to treasure the memories it created forever.

If you’re a PS4 owner, it would be criminal not to take this ride.

PS4 Pro support? Yes. 2560 x 1440 resolution with HDR and 30 fps in single-player. 

Hope you don’t have a swear jar

From Software’s enigmatic and notoriously challenging Souls titles all hold critical and fan acclaim, but none are as stylistically interesting as the quasi-Industrial era Bloodborne.

It plays like an RPG set indelibly on a hidden difficulty mode with all the helpful text pop-ups removed, which is to say it requires more than a modicum of patience from the player.

But that’s the point – in Bloodborne, you get out what you put into it. Victory’s all the more rewarding when you’ve watched your enemy, memorized his attack patterns, struck at the opportune moment and prevailed via the game’s impeccable melee combat.

PS4 Pro support? No.

Making the old feel new again

After a year away, Assassin’s Creed is back and it’s bigger and better than ever. In Assassin’s Creed Origins you go back to ancient Egypt, before the brotherhood and before the Templars, where you play as the original assassin Bayek. 

Assassin’s Creed is a series that was growing increasingly stale but with Origins the formula has been refreshed with new RPG mechanics, story-driven side quests and a far more free-flowing combat system.

Whether you’re new to the series or a fatiguing fan, Assassin’s Creed Origins is absolutely worth playing as it’s the strongest and most stunning installment we’ve seen in years.

Read our full review of the game and our tips and tricks guide. 

PS4 Pro support?  Yes. HDR support coming November 6. 

A chilling return to form

Your gaming collection isn’t really complete if it doesn’t have a quality horror title and if we had to suggest one it’d be the newest installment in the Resident Evil franchise. 

Resident Evil is the franchise that put survival-horror games on the map and though it lost its way slightly in later titles, the newest game is a return to form for Capcom. 

By going back to the survival-horror basics and getting them dead on, Capcom has made Resident Evil 7 a genuinely frightening and exhilarating gaming experience. If you have the stomach for the gore, it’s absolutely worth playing.

The PlayStation 4 version of the game has an added bonus for PS VR owners – a virtual reality adaption of the game which Capcom has absolutely nailed.  However, you’ll need to be brave to play it all the way through. 

Don’t miss our full review of the game.

PS4 Pro support? Yes. 1080p supersampling and HDR. 

They had the technology to rebuild him, better than before

The original Titanfall was a great game, but unfortunately it didn’t come to the PlayStation. Fortunately, its sequel, Titanfall 2, improves on it every conceivable way: the motion is more fluid, there are more distinct titans to choose from and, hold onto your hats here, there’s actually a single-player campaign that might take the cake for the best first-person shooter story of the year. 

This game’s pedigree is inherited from one of this generation’s smartest and most unusual shooters. The original Titanfall married ninja-fast on-foot combat to the gloriously thuggish thrill of piloting giant mechs, which are summoned from orbit a few minutes into each match.

The skill with which Respawn has balanced this mix of styles in the sequel is remarkable – Titans have firepower in excess but they’re easy to hit, and maps offer plenty of places for infantry to hide. These ideas coalesce into one of this year’s most remarkable entries in the genre and is well-deserving its own shot in the spotlight as well as a Game of the Year nomination.

PS4 Pro Support? Yes. Higher resolution and more stable frame rates.

A smart, stealthy, steampunk adventure

Following the surprise 2012 hit Dishonored wasn’t going to be an easy task, but Dishonored 2 has more than lived up to its expectations. 

Picking up 15 years after the events of the original, Dishonored 2 takes players back to the Victorian Steampunk city of Dunwall. This time, though, you have the choice of whether or not you want to play as the original title’s protagonist Corvo, or his equally-skilled protegee Emily. 

Dishonored 2 doesn’t differ wildly from the first game, but there was nothing wrong with Dishonored in the first place. What we get is a vastly improved and close to perfected take on it. 

Anyone who likes their games filled with atmosphere, character, and a bit of wit and intelligence will find Dishonored 2 worth picking up. 

You can read our full review here.

PS4 Pro support? Yes. 2560×1440 at 30fps. 

Naughty Dog’s best, made better

Many games have offered us post-apocalyptic visions of the future, but none have been as brutal, as believable, or as touching as Joel and Ellie’s story.

It was near-perfect on PS3, but with current-gen’s increased performance ceiling Naughty Dog found ways to ramp up the visual fidelity to ‘drop the controller and stare’ levels. A radical tonal departure from Uncharted’s jovial treasure-hunting escapades, The Last Of Us Remastered demonstrates the California studio’s ability to strike a darker mood, populating the overgrown ruins of its setting with a cast characterised by murky morals but still getting you to care for them like your own bessies.

If you love this one, make sure you keep an eye on all the latest news surrounding its sequel: The Last of Us 2. 

PS4 Pro support? Yes. Choice of 4K at 30 fps or 1080p at 60 fps with HDR. 

A refreshing jump back in time

In the latest Battlfield game, DICE takes players back in time to World War One and by doing so completely rejuvinates the once stagnating franchise. 

Battlefield 1‘s historical setting helps it to stand apart from the rest of the modern military shooters on the market with all new weapons, vehicles, and level designs that feel fresh and capture the chaos and brutality of war.

The game offers a poignant and entertaining single-player campaign that sets a new standard for first-person shooter. Broken into six sections, each following a different character and front line location, the campaign never feels dull or repetitive.

The single player campaign even feeds neatly into Battlefield 1’s multiplayer mode which, while familiar, also benefits from the much-needed breath of life that the change in setting gives. 

Graphically impressive, entertaining, and sometimes touching, Battlefield 1 is a return to form for the series. 

PS4 Pro support? Yes. 

Lara’s origin story finally makes its way to the PS4

Has it really been 20 years since we first saw Lara in action? How the time flies when you’re upgrading from a 32-bit resolution to upwards of 4K. But no matter how many years go by, Lara still manages to find a handhold in our hearts.

Despite being the sequel to a prequel about the young life of the Lara Croft, Rise of the Tomb Raider feels like the pinnacle of the series. The reboot which saw a brave new direction for the franchise seemed a lot of the time to be little more than a bit of light Uncharted cosplay, but Rise is a far more accomplished game.

There’s now a genuine open world which feels like there is always something to do, and something more than just harvesting up collectibles in exchange for a light dusting of XP. There are also tombs. Yes, that might seem a fatuous thing to say given the name, but the previous game gave them short shrift. In Rise though they are deeper and more plentiful. Plus, on top of everything else, it’s got VR support, which is pretty neat considering that there aren’t many PlayStation VR titles around these days. 

Welcome back to PlayStation, Lara, we’ve missed you. 

PS4 Pro support? Yes. 3 display modes available; choose between 4K at 30 fps, 1080p at 60 fps or 1080p at 30 fps with enriched visuals. 

Stories don’t come bigger than this

Geralt didn’t have the smoothest of entries to PS4, but after some heavy patching and a lot of angry words about visual downgrades, we’re left with an RPG boasting tremendous scope and storytelling.

Oh, and combat. And don’t forget Gwent, the in-game card game. And there’s the crafting to get stuck into. And the alchemy.

You’re rarely short of things to entertain yourself with in The Witcher 3’s quasi-open world, then, and all the better that you’re in a universe that involves the supernatural without leaning on the same old Tolkien fantasy tropes. Invigorating stuff.

PS4 Pro support? Yes. 4K resolution or improved performance at 1080p. 

The JRPG genre at its best

Final Fantasy 12 is one of the most underappreciated and anomalous Final Fantasy games, first released in 2006. With this remake, Square Enix gives players a chance to take a second look at the game, this time at a games that runs much more smoothly with less obvious faults and cracks.

In The Zodiac Age you’ll find a beautiful game world, fast and exciting combat, and a sweeping storyline that’s an example of the JRPG genre at its best. Whether you’re a fan of Final Fantasy or not, 12 is enough of a series outlier that it’s a good place to dip in and see what you might be missing. It’s a PlayStation 4 exclusive, too.

PS4 Pro support? Yes. 2560×1440 resolution.  

Our 2016 Game of the Year

Overwatch has without a doubt been one of our favorite games to come out of the last year. 

It’s a classic team arena shooter from Blizzard that sets two six-person teams of wildly different characters against each other in a bright and cartoonish science fiction universe. 

Great graphics, tight maps, and a good roster of characters to enjoy playing. Overwatch is good old fashioned fun and we thoroughly recommend it.  

PS4 Pro support? Yes. 1080p with 60 fps. 4K UI overplay. 

Of heists and men…

Not only is it the best sandbox game on the platform, GTA V is also the best golf game, the best tennis sim, the undisputed virtual yoga champ, one of the best racers… it’s even a pretty serviceable MMO.

We’re used to scale and scope from Grand Theft Auto, but what Trevor, Franklin, and Michael bring us is a staggeringly well-realised city seen from three entirely different perspectives. Trevor, the maniacal rampage killer whom we discover to be in all of us when we play a Rockstar game; Franklin, the classic rags-to-riches character with street smarts and the ability to pull off a bandana; and Michael, the troubled criminal with a dysfunctional family and a beer gut to show for his life of violence.

However you play GTA V – a multiplayer muckabout, a story-driven third-person actioner, a flight sim – it reveals itself to be the best game on both this generation and the last.

PS4 Pro support? No.

Seeking fun, weirdness and excellent combat? Look no further 

If you want to play a game that will feel different to anything else you’ve played recently, we heartily recommend NieR: Automata. 

Though it’s a sequel to 2010 game Nier, you don’t have to have played the first game to enjoy this one. Set in a dystopian future, the story of the game revolves around a war between machines created by alien invaders and the remnants of humanity. Humanity has fled Earth to seek refuge on the moon but has sent combat droids down to fight for them.

You play as one of these droids, 2B, accompanied by another droid called 9S. Combat in this game is intensely satisfying, the game world is stunning with a huge sense of scale and the story is strange (sometimes to a fault) but incredibly entertaining. You won’t be disappointed.

PS4 Pro support? Yes. 1080p at 60 fps. 

Still the best football sim money can buy

FIFA is, for many console owners, a highly anticipated annual event. The latest and arguably greatest installment in the football sim series has arrived in the form of FIFA 18. 

Whether you’re looking to play against others online, build up a management career on your own or play a cinematic story mode that’ll give you an insight into the dramatic life of a premier league footballer, FIFA has a game mode just for you. 

The best thing is, there’s always more than enough to throw yourself into and agonize over until the next game rolls around with further incremental improvements that’ll convince you to upgrade. 

You can read our full review of FIFA 18 right here and make sure you’re the best on the pitch using our tips and tricks guide.

PS4 Pro support? Yes. 4K and HDR.

How many Snakes does it take to change a lightbulb?

Okay, so Hideo Kojima’s last game for Konami – and his last ever Metal Gear game – might be a little tough for the MGS n00b to get to grips with, but it’s still one of the best stealth-action games ever crafted. The open-world shenanigans will satisfy all your behind-enemy-lines / Rambo fantasies and probably confuse you with crazy plot twists and a million characters all with the same gravel-toned voices.

But hey, that’s all part of its charm, right?

PS4 Pro support?  No.

Superb in every sense

Looking for an incredible single-player shooter? Look no further than the 2017 wonder that was Wolfenstein II. Picking up from where the original game left off, this game is a timely social commentary and a superbly silly adventure all rolled into one well-written package.

With tight mechanics and a story worth caring about this is one of the most satisfying first-person shooters we’ve played in a long time. In our full review we called it “expertly crafted” and recommended that you play it now. 

PS4 Pro support?  Yes. 2560x1440p.