The long-awaited, much-rumoured PlayStation 5 will finally debut on 4th June during an online live event.
Promising to showcase ‘the future of gaming’, the one-hour presentation looks set to reveal the PS5’s early game line-up, give us a closer look at the DualSense controller unveiled last month and maybe, if we’re lucky, a glimpse of the console’s design.
While Sony’s event is less than a week away, the PS5 won’t actually launch until the upcoming holiday season. That means gamers will have to wait a few more months until they can get their hands on the new PlayStation – and excluding a small number of exciting current gen titles still to come before then, you might be looking for something to play in the meantime. Here are our top 4 PS4 games to play before PS5 arrives…
1. God of War (2018)
This landmark sequel in the eponymous series arrived on the PS4 a couple of years ago to resounding acclaim from critics and gamers alike. In a departure from previous titles, 2018’s God of War moves the series away from its Greek mythological roots to Midgard – a realm from Norse mythology.
As before, you play as Kratos – but this time, he’s accompanied by his son Atreus as he journeys from their home to scatter the ashes of his deceased second wife (Atreus’ mother). Wielding an almighty battle axe, you’re taken on a total thrill ride as you smash your way through monsters and gods of all shapes and sizes. And with a vast assortment of skills, armor and weapon upgrades to unlock and collect (in addition to engaging RPG elements), God of War will definitely scratch an itch for top-tier gaming.
2. Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018)
The highly anticipated prequel to 2010’s Red Dead Redemption drops you into a fictional version of the United States in the final year of the 19th century. As the days of the Wild West come to an end, you control Arthur Morgan – a grizzled and disgruntled outlaw – on the run from the law and rival gangs.
While Arthur himself was never explicitly mentioned in the original, this game sheds new light on Dutch van der Linde (a primary antagonist in Red Dead Redemption) and his gang. From the outset, you encounter familiar faces (including a young John Marston and family) and work to help Dutch realise his never-ending plans for success and sanctuary.
This old western crime story is on a scale perhaps never-before-seen in video games, and packed full of breathtaking twists and turns and deep character development. Most importantly, it’s great fun to play – the action and gunplay are crisp and full-on, which helps you appreciate some of the game’s slower moments when camping, hunting and fishing.
3. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (2016)
The fourth instalment in the Uncharted series sees players assuming the role of settled-down treasure hunter Nathan Drake in his story’s final chapter. Picking up a few years after Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, this game’s plot brings Nate out of retirement at the behest of his brother Samuel and reunites him with best pal Sully.
Featuring familiar puzzle solving, collectibles and combat (complete with the stealth, melee and gun mechanics players know and love), A Thief’s End doesn’t revolutionise anything. But it perfects the series formula and sets the benchmark for future Uncharted titles and similar games in the genre. Incredible visuals and a touch of free roaming add to the experience, ultimately making for a total package that you absolutely must pick up before the next console generation arrives.
4. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (2015)
Imperfect and controversial, the final game in the three-decade old Metal Gear franchise received its fair share of criticism when it launched almost five years ago. For starters, the story is incomplete – it ends abruptly on a cliff-hanger that almost certainly wasn’t supposed to be and with a retconning twist that left life-long fans groaning. And who can forget the much publicised falling out between series creator Hideo Kojima and publisher Konami, which resulted in the former’s unceremonious departure from the company.
Yet despite its shortcomings and behind-the-scenes problems, MGSV is still a fantastic video game. Picking up the Metal Gear story in 1984 (nine years after MGSV: Ground Zeroes), The Phantom Pain puts players in control of ‘Venom’ Snake as he seeks revenge against the destroyers of Militaires San Frontieres (his former private military company) and Mother Base (their now sunken offshore headquarters). This is the first open world Metal Gear, and it includes some of the best elements of each of its predecessors. Its missions give players near total freedom to approach them how they like, and the visuals were second to none back in 2015.
Its attention to detail and engrossing stealth combat are something to behold even now, and it leaves you wanting so much more once it draws to a close. Unfortunately, there may never be more, and this could be it for the Metal Gear series – so make sure to play it and appreciate the last chapter in a legendary franchise that really did change the game.
Honourable mentions
While they didn’t quite make our top 4 picks, here’s a selection of awesome titles from the last seven years that you should try if you haven’t already…
- Horizon Zero Dawn (2017)
- Marvel’s Spider-Man (2018)
- Death Stranding (2019)
- Fallout 4 (2015)
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015)
- Detroit: Become Human (2018)
If any of your favourites didn’t make the cut and you think they deserve a shout-out, let us know in the comments…
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Featured Image Credit: Sony (fair use)
