The Best of the Best: Our top ten games in the PS4's generation

The PS5 and the Xbox Series family of consoles have been out in the wild for a few months now. While we are pretty pleased with what these new pieces of hardware have brought to the table, their existence marks the ending of another generation of consoles, the PS4 and the Xbox One. To mark the end of an era, we took a look over the past seven years of the PlayStation 4, where we've picked out our top ten games that were delivered over its lifetime - spoiler alert, it's a lot of Sony Interactive Entertainment titles. In no particular order, we start with Persona 5 Royal.

Persona 5 Royal

You have to be brave to start Persona 5 as it is. The game can easily make for over 100 hours of content in one playthrough, and that is before we even look to the extra additions that came with the Persona 5 Royal version. Developer Atlus already produced a stellar game with the original, but the Royal edition perfects it, approaching the dicier subjects with a little more class and bringing a variety of small additions and fixes along the way. Should you have the time and the courage, Persona 5 Royal will deliver a vast and enthralling tale for the ages, and considering you can only play it on the PS4, it's hard to argue that this isn't one the best games in the console's lifetime.

The Last of Us: Part II

One of the two games in The Last of Us series was going to be here, and for a moment, we considered adding both. Naughty Dog hit the jackpot with their gripping adventure tale The Last of Us, but The Last of Us: Part II brings an extra level of quality across the board that can't be ignored. There are an array of opinions surrounding this title, both good and bad, but it can't be denied that The Last of Us: Part II is a game built to the highest possible quality. Truth be told, it feels like a new-gen title, except it isn't, which is precisely why this game is an instant classic that will forever be a bright spot in the history of the PS4.

God of War

Prior to this release, we had seen Kratos kill countless Greek gods over multiple God of War games, but Sony Santa Monica Studio decided enough was enough, sending the iconic warrior North to deal with the rowdy Norse gods instead. God of War (2018) reboots the franchise with an entirely new look, taking the series we knew and loved, and giving it a fresh coat of paint, and a diverse gripping, less complex story centred around Kratos and his young son Atreus. Built around a large portion of awe-inspiring combat that feels tight and exciting to play, God of War is the epitome of what the PS4 offered - which is why to this day, fans hunger eagerly for its sequel.

Dreams

If you ask anyone how the PS4 excelled last generation, the answer would probably be single player experiences. However, Media Molecule also used the PS4 to release a charming, incredible title that gave creators the tools they needed to build their own games. Dreams is the ultimate evolution of Media Molecule's Play, Create, Share motto, and it really doesn't skimp on it either. With no limit to the creative options it offers, Dreams is such an expansive and broad title that it could to an extent be regarded as a platform all by itself.

Horizon: Zero Dawn

Usually, when developers show off post-apocalyptic worlds they are fraught with emptiness and lack of emotion. When we think about a wasteland after a devastating occurrence, it's hard to stray from that path. Guerrilla Games stared down that issue and instead delivered a diverse world packed with plenty of life and colour in Horizon: Zero Dawn. This title not only gave us a new kind of open world, but it exemplified it with a variety of breath-taking and formidable robotic creatures. To cap it off, it's storyline of discovery centred around outcast Aloy was filled with such emotion that it's hard not to see this game as an instant PS4 classic.

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

Before the massively successful The Last of Us, Naughty Dog developed the stellar adventure series Uncharted, releasing several games over a few years. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End was the most recent mainline Uncharted game coming out of the studio, and boy was it a good one. This game featured intense action, gorgeous environments, a gripping narrative, and brilliant performances by its cast - so if you are looking for a great game to explore what the PS4 offered, this is a damn fine one to do it with.

Ratchet and Clank

Compared to the previous two generations, we didn't see an awful lot of Ratchet and Clank on the PS4, but the one outing that we did get was a pretty spectacular one. Instead of crafting a new adventure for a new platform, Insomniac decided to revisit the roots of the franchise and created a reboot of the original title. This reboot made for the perfect blend of old and new as it allowed us to visit some of our favourite locales, but the story was also tweaked providing a different spin on how the two heroes first met. The film based on the game may have been a flop, but this is still a title no fan should be without.

Bloodborne

Dark Souls may be credited for creating a genre of its own, but Bloodborne is where series creator Hidetaka Miyazaki really perfected his craft. This gothic-inspired RPG is an absolute masterpiece as its setting is beautifully realised and it features some of the best bosses within the entire series. It of course features the same tough as nails combat as the Souls series, but it features new aspects such as transforming weapons, and it demands that players adapt to more of an aggressive approach to encounters. It also received an excellent Lost Hunters DLC, which added several new bosses, weapons, and locations. Only time will tell whether Elden Ring can top this current pinnacle of the franchise.

Death Stranding

Over his career, Hideo Kojima has given us plenty of unusual projects to play, but Death Stranding might just be the cream of the crop. This strange game sees a solitary man, Sam Bridges (played by Norman Reedus) trekking over a world devastated by the peculiar but terrifying Death Stranding. Launching as a PS4 exclusive, this game will assuredly leave you with a polarised opinion that is either highly positive or resoundingly average, but either way the journey to get to that point is something you won't want to miss.

Marvel's Spider-Man

Before Insomniac got their hands-on Spider-Man, it had been a while since we received a brilliant official superhero videogame. What they delivered in Marvel's Spider-Man was that and so much more. It brought a bustling version of Manhattan to life, alongside a gripping storyline that showed Spider-Man struggling with balancing his superhero and regular lifestyle. All of this, and the best part is still it's tight and unbelievably satisfying web-slinging mechanics that will have you swinging through Manhattan for hours upon end just for the sake of it. And, if you're looking for a little extra, it's recent spin-off Spider-Man: Miles Morales offers an equally impressive experience just from the perspective of a new, younger hero.

There are plenty of fantastic games that graced us over the PS4's seven-year run, but these ten are our best of the bunch. There might be titles here that you don't agree with, or alternatively ones that you think are missing, however, there is no denying that all of these games are greats that will be remembered alongside one of the most iconic games consoles of all time, the PS4.