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The PlayStation 4 is one of the best selling home consoles of all time, and throughout its very lengthy shelf life it saw hundreds of high quality game releases.
These games range from massive blockbuster triple-A titles to tiny indies made by just a single person, and almost all of them are available to play on the PS5 thanks to backwards compatibility. Picking a game from the list of thousands can be a challenge, but that’s what reviews are for — to help you pick out the best of the best.
We’ve put together this list of the best PS4 games of all time, as told by their scores on Metacritic, a review score aggregator that collects all of the scores for professional reviews of games and compiles them into one single “Metascore.”
Red Dead Redemption 2
Score: 97/100
Rockstar Games is best known for the GTA series, but its Red Dead series is almost as good. Red Dead Redemption 2 took over a decade to release after the first game in the series, and that decade plus in the oven really shows. Red Dead 2 is a technical marvel, and it’s rare to go more than a minute without seeing something incredibly impressive. The story is pretty great too, and the gameplay, while sometimes a bit clunky, is still very fun.
Grand Theft Auto 5
Score: 97/100
Ah GTA 5. It’s essentially the biggest game on the planet, with tens of millions of players logging on every day to partake in the game’s extensive online mode. It’s more than just an online multiplayer game though, GTA 5’s single-player mode is fantastic, with three playable characters that are all very enjoyable and Rockstar’s sharp wit is on full display here. If you somehow haven’t played GTA 5 yet, you should definitely consider checking it out.
Persona 5 Royal
Score: 95/100
Persona 5 Royal is the absolute pinnacle of the Persona series, and one of the best modern turn-based RPGs. Like other games in the series, Persona 5 Royal follows a group of teens up against a supernatural threat.
Players have to split their time between dungeon-crawling RPG goodness and a calendar-based social life, making the most of the latter to get perks and bonuses in the former. It’s an extremely clever system that forces players to think in both the short term and the long term. Throw in a very slick UI, a combat system with a huge amount of depth, dozens of creatures to collect, and a fantastic story, and you’ve got a phenomenal game that’s well worth playing.
God of War
Score: 94/100
For a long time, the God of War series was a little bit flat. It was good, of course, but it didn’t tip over into brilliance until 2018’s God of War — a soft reboot that really took the series to a whole new level. Switching over to Norse mythology was a great choice, offering up a host of storytelling and lore opportunities, and focusing on Kratos’ relationship with his son Atreus was a stroke of brilliance. It’s a lovely game that’s well worth playing.
The Last of Us Part 2
Score: 93/100
The first The Last of Us game made a huge impact, but its sequel was a marvel of storytelling and gameplay. It’s technically incredible, visually impressive well beyond expectations for the console, and has a story that to this day remains one of the best in video games. It took some controversial twists and turns, but there’s no denying the impact it’s made on both the gamers who played it and the industry at large.
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain
Score: 93/100
Hideo Kojima’s Metal Gear Solid series is legendary — they’re stealth action games that are unlike anything else on the market. MGS5 is the height of the series. It’s an almost limitless playground of possibilities, with thousands of ways to approach every single mission in the game. It’s not without its issues – it very famously fell short of the intended story, leaving it feeling a little bit unfinished – but it’s brilliant nonetheless.
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Score: 93/100
The Uncharted series is uncomplicated — it’s a straightforward series of action-adventure games that have you acting out the Indiana Jones fantasy of traipsing through ancient ruins for hidden secrets. Uncharted 4 is the series’ climactic end, and it’s fantastic. It’s got wonderful writing, a satisfying ending for all of our favorite characters, and some of the best action set pieces in gaming.
Journey
Score: 92/100
Journey is a gorgeous online multiplayer game that has you relying on a stranger as you journey through a desolate wasteland. Relying on a stranger in a video game is usually a nightmare scenario, but Journey is so beautifully designed – with no communication beyond very basic emotes – that there’s no way to really mess up anybody else’s experience. The result is an experience that has you making fleeting bonds with strangers and memories that will last a lifetime.
Bloodborne
Score: 92/100
There’s a reason Bloodborne fans keep asking for a remaster… or a remake, or a port, or anything that brings the game back. Arguably one of From Software’s best games, Bloodborne takes a dark and stylish approach to storytelling and worldbuilding, while introducing a fast-paced combat system that keeps you on your toes and keeps you coming back for more.
Undertale
Score: 92/100
Undertale is a decade old at this point, but it remains one of the best and most popular RPGs of all time. Fans love it for its quirkiness and its willingness to break the mold, with multiple different ways to approach every encounter — including in ways you might not expect. It’s weird, wonderful, and memorable, which is why it’s stuck in the minds of the public for so long.
