Even if the PlayStation 5 will be the focus of Sony's 2021 plans, the PlayStation 4 is still a great device. It is impossible to be conclusive because of the enormous number of games in its library—well over 1,500—and the subjective character of the medium. Thus, we will not be.
Rather, we convened to believe that none of us had ever touched a PlayStation 4 controller. How come? I'm not sure; perhaps they decided on an Xbox One in order to play the exclusive titles they had missed. Or they have just come home after seven years of being stranded down a well only to find a FedEx box dated November 15, 2013 on their porch.
God of War
Sony's God of War series had laid dormant for half a decade when its latest incarnation hit stores in early 2018, and for good reason. Antiquated gameplay and troubling themes had made it an ill-fit for the modern gaming landscape. No more. SIE Santa Monica Studio's God of War manages to successfully reboot the series while turning the previous games' narrative weaknesses into its strengths. Kratos is now a dad, the camera is now essentially strapped to his shoulder and Sony has what is sure to become a new series on its hands.
Horizon Zero Dawn
After years spent churning out various Killzone titles, developer Guerrilla Games finally cut loose with a rich and imaginative new game in Horizon Zero Dawn. The game blends gorgeous post-apocalyptic open world with combat, crafting and a quiet but memorable story. Sure, it might not break new ground, but Horizon does everything so well that it doesn't even matter. It also, two years after its release, remains one of the most beautiful games of this generation.
Marvel’s Spider-Man + Miles Morales
Finally, you don't have to pick up Spider-Man 2 on the GameCube to get your web-slinging fix anymore. For almost 15 years, that game was held as the gold standard for a Spider-Man game, and I'll let you into a secret: It wasn't actually that good. Marvel's Spider-Man, on the other hand, is a tour de force. Featuring the best representation of what it's like to swing through New York City, well, ever, Insomniac's PlayStation exclusive also borrows liberally from the Batman: Arkham series' combat and throws in a story that, although it takes a while to get going, ends up in a jaw-dropping place.
With the launch of the PS5, Insomniac released a Miles Morales spin-off game, which follows the eponymous character as he attempts to protect NYC in Peter Parker’s absence. It's a standalone that you can play without owning the original, but we'd play the first title before Miles Morales as, while the stories are fairly disconnected, you'd lose the impact of the first game's narrative, and the mechanics are also changed a little in the second game, making it strange to go back to a game with a reduced moveset.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice isn't just another Dark Souls game. FromSoftware's samurai adventure is a departure from that well-established formula, replacing slow, weighty combat and gothic despair for stealth, grappling hooks and swift swordplay. Oh, and while it's still a difficult game, it's a lot more accessible than Souls games — you can even pause it! The result of all these changes is something that's still instantly recognizable as a FromSoftware title, but it's its own thing, and it's very good.
