Ghost of Tsushima releasing brings an end to the exclusive games for the PS4. I honestly can't remember a generation that has had this many amazing exclusives games on one console. Sony really focused on the single player story driven games and they let devs kinda go nuts and take a lot of risks. Like I can't believe that Death Stranding and The Last of Us Part II came out back to back years and both took as many risks as they did! My personal favorite kind of games to play are third-person Action/Adventure games and that's pretty much what Sony gave me to play over the past 7 years! So a few ground rules before I get into the list: I'm not counting Final Fantasy VII: Remake as an exclusive because it literally said timed exclusive on the box, I'm not counting any remasters, I am counting games that have recently or will soon be releasing on PC since those were exclusives at launch. Alright, let's talk PlayStation games!
10. Bloodborne
It took me forever to actually finish this game. I'm really bad at these kind of games and the only other From Software game I had beaten before this one was Dark Souls 3. I got this game when it came out and dropped off like 3 times. I finally decided to sit down and play the entire thing start to finish last year and I'm glad I did! I love the atmosphere in this game. The blend of action and horror is so well done and every environment feels different but fits in with the world. The story is also F'ing crazy with one of the most memorable endings in gaming in my opinion! Even if you are like me and find these games tough I'd still give this one a shot since it's $20 now and on sale a lot!
9. Uncharted 4: A Theif's End
Such a perfect ending for Nathan Drake! I thought introducing his brother this late in the series might be a whole thing but I ended up liking Sam and his story is just as important as Drake's in this game. A thing I like about this game is it laid the groundwork for Naughty Dog to play with open world areas with the Madagascar level. It was kind of a pain trophy wise in that area but gameplay wise it was cool to do something different in an Uncharted game. The story in this game is so good. Nate not being able to let go of his past and risking his marriage to pursue it is so well done. There were several moments that I had to wipe away tears because the performances and writing were so good. The lasting impression of this game is that it has a happy ending and that was the right call!
8. Days Gone
Boy I feel like this game should have gotten more recognition! I think fans liked it cause it sold really well but games media really showed it's ugly side with this game. Gamespot's review is particularly awful and the example of an agenda review if I've ever seen one. Alright, let's talk about the actual game. I know this might seem like a generic open world but it's story and characters are all so good. There were multiple times that I got way more emotional than I thought I would. Like right out of the gate it's emotional. I liked the bike mechanics and shooting the weapons all felt good. Yeah the hordes that the trailer were hyping up ended up not being a huge thing but they were still cool. I'll remember this game for it's story and characters and highly recommend it cause of those! Plus Oregon is a unique setting for an open world game.
7. Death Stranding
What an incredible piece of entertainment this is! I'm a big Metal Gear Solid fan and was very hyped for Kojima's new game but I didn't expect to fall in love with it like I did. The world he created is unlike any other you have ever seen and the gameplay is the same. Yes you are basically a FedEx guy in a dystopia future but it's so much more than that. The performances in this game rival any movie I've ever seen and the story is deep and takes you on a ride that blew me away! The final hours of this game was some of the greatest gaming cinematics I've ever seen! Yeah I know I have just praised this game to a point that it's prob annoying but God I liked this game a lot! With this game only being 7 on this list it says a lot about how strong my final 6 games are!
6. Persona 5/Royal
If this isn't the best JRPG I've ever played it's dame close to it! Yeah this game has a reputation for being extremely long and it is, it took me like 100 hours to beat it. As much as I love the story and characters the gameplay and style are what makes this game special and I would lose myself in it for like 6-7 hour chunks. This might be the most stylish game ever made. Everything is so colorful and pops! Even the menus move in a way that makes them look cool. The combat in the Persona games is all about exploiting weakness and it's so satisfying to down like 4 enemies and do an all out attack! I'm also a sucker for turn based RPG combat and this is that that its finest! And also the music is fucking amazing in this game! I haven't played Royal yet but I've heard it has new characters and adds on about 30 hours of new gameplay. Either version is worth your time, especially since the original game is $20 now.
5. The Last of Us Part II
I know that this game is surrounded with hot takes and controversy and there are a lot of people that hated the direction this game went in but I loved it! I always like when games take chances and this game took huge ones in the story and gameplay. I'm not gonna spoil anything here but the change in play halfway through the game was great and I now have a new favorite character in this series. It's nuts that this game looks as good as it does on a PS4 Slim! I did play in HDR but still, it's 7 year old tech and this is one of the best looking games I've ever seen and the frame rate was solid as well. This isn't my favorite game of 2020 but I don't think I'll play a game or see a movie with a better told story this year! Everything worked for me with this game and I was worn out by the time I finished it!
4. Ghost of Tsushima
You know when you see a game and you hope it's gonna be the thing that you want it to be? Well that's what this game was for me. I thought this game might end up being special and was so happy I was right cause this game is amazing! Not only does it nail the combat side of things but its approach to the open world is something new and really fits into the world. The wind system as a navigation is so smart and works prefect. I never once felt the need for a mini map and that's big as someone who is so used to seeing them and using them constantly. This world is also just so damn gorgeous! The way nature just kind of happens around you and you interacting with animals to find locations is awesome. I'm in love with the foxes in this game and I want one! So last but not least, the story is so good! I heard before release from some reviews that the story was kinda meh but man, I have no idea how you could feel that way! Jin is such and interesting character and the side characters are all great and written so well! The final hour or so of the game is amazing and the ending is epic as fuck! Awesome way for the PS4 to go out!
3. Horizon Zero Dawn
I think Aloy is the best new character of this entire generation and her journey in this game is something that will stick with me for a long time! She's so fully realized and is such a strong personality that you kinda forget she's a video game character and not just a person. And the world is so interesting and different than anything I'd played before. Fighting the machines in this game was so cool and seeing all the parts fall off of them as you rip them apart with your bow and spear...good stuff! The story of this game really got to me by the end. It does that thing were the questions are pretty much answered but also wide open for a sequel and that's prefect! This game is also damn pretty and really showed what the PS4 could do and with the Decima engine not only with this game but a few years later with Death Stranding. I played this game on a PS4 Pro and a Slim and it looks so damn good on both!
2. Marvel's Spider-Man
Spider-Man is my second favorite comic character of all time and I have been waiting on a game like this for a very long time. I actually sold my PS4 Pro the year this came out to get an Xbox One X in hopes of getting another PS4 later that year to play this but it didn't happen for financial reasons. So this past Christmas I got a PS4 Slim and this game and I cried Christmas Eve night when I finally got to play it. I got the platinum in less than a week. I love this game so much! It captures Spider-Man the same way the Arkham games captures Batman. The city is so beautiful and all the suits you can unlock are awesome. Seeing an older Peter deal with relationship problems and everything else he does in this game got me in the feels. The ending was beautiful and set up a sequel perfect. Seeing all the villains and the Sinister Six on the screen at once was a "wipe a tear from my eye" kind of moment. This is my favorite version of the character across all mediums and I can't wait to play Miles on PS5 and the eventual sequel!
1. God of War
To me, this is perfection. I liked the old God of War games cause they were just dumb fun with extreme violence and it was cool to see Kratos kill some gods. This game gave me a side to that character that I never thought I would see and it was prob the biggest payoff in gaming history since Mario 64 or Ocarina of Time came out. Everything in this game is so so good and drips with emotion thanks to the incredible graphics and performances. The opening to this game sets the tone perfectly and it keeps it the entire game. The revamped combat is so good and they did such a good job giving each hit you connect with have a kind of impact that you can see. I love the axe and getting my hands on the blades of chaos again was a moment that I had to pause the game and wipe away tears. I also like the gear system and light RPG stuff they added, it felt like a fit for this world. Seeing Atreus's journey felt so real and seeing Kratos come to show emotion was so beautiful. I loved the ending and the twist was so good to setup a sequel or who knows, maybe even another 3 or 4 games. This is my personal game of the generation and can't wait to play more with these characters!
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