As another generation of home console reaches the end of its cycle, it’s the ideal time to reflect on thePlayStation 4’s best selling games.
Sony had the gaming industry in the palm of its hand in the early 2000s, with the PlayStation 2 breaking sales records left, right, and center. The PlayStation 2’s success made the PlayStation 3 one of the most highly anticipated consoles in gaming history. Sony, almost impressively, managed to turn the tide in Xbox’s favor, however, as the PS3’s numerous delays and excessive initial price tag gift-wrapped an audience for the Xbox 360.
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Sony learned from their mistakes with the PS3 though and enjoyed lucrative success this generation, exemplified by their console’sexcellent sales figures that eclipsed its Xbox One counterpart. Microsoft has recently responded to this by including EA Play in its Game Pass service andpurchasing ZeniMax Media.
Microsoft’s $7.5 Billion purchase of ZeniMax Media is undoubtedly in response tothe PS4’s impressive line-up of exclusive titles. Aside from a few blunders along the way, the majority of the PS4’s exclusives were excellent AAA games that ensured the console continued to sell more and more units. It wasn’t just the console that sold well either, as Sony’s ten best selling games moved an eye-watering amount of units.
10Gran Turismo Sport (75)
Long-time PlayStation fans won’t be surprised to see aGran Turismotitle on this list, as every one of Sony’s consoles thus far has featured at least oneGran Turismogame among its best-sellers. Unfortunately though,Gran TurismoSportwas a significant step down from many of its predecessors and is the only main seriesGrand Turismogame to be scored less than 80 on Metacritic.
Interestingly,Gran Turismo Sportis the only game on this list that isn’t a third-person action-adventure.
9Infamous Second Son (80)
The streak of third-person action-adventure games begins withInfamous Second Son. The third entry into theInfamousseries is the lowest rated in the series, withthe firstandsecond gamescoring 85 and 83 on Metacritic respectively.
The game differentiates itself from other action-adventure games with its morality system. However, it was this morality mechanic that held the game back, as it had little depth and consequently felt like a missed opportunity.
8Spider-Man (87)
Marvel’s most recognizable superhero has unsurprisingly had numerous tie-in video games. Unfortunately, the majority have been disappointing, with multiple developers trying and failing to create a compellingSpider-Manadventure. Because of this, the 2018 game had its fair share of skeptics before release, despite being developed by the capableSpyroandRatchet & Clankcreators Insomniac Games.
Thankfully, PS4’sSpider-Mandidn’t disappoint. The game offered one of the best single-player campaigns on the system and accompanied by a fantastic web-slinging mechanic that let players quicklyexplore the game’s impressive open-world.
7Horizon Zero Dawn (89)
One of the many exclusives on this list, Guerilla Games took players to the 31st century and put them in the shoes of female protagonist Aloy. Despite taking place in a post-apocalyptic world,Horizon Zero Dawnfeatured some of the beautiful environments in modern gaming.
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Unconventionally,Horizon Zero Dawndropped its exclusivity and became available on PC in August 2020. A sequel,Horizon Forbidden Westis set to release in 2021 on the PlayStation 4 and 5.
6The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (92)
CD Projekt Red shot themselves into the limelight of the gaming industry in 2015 withThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. The game raised the bar for modern adventure games with its visually stunning open-world thatwas filled with intriguing side-quests to complete.
The developer’s success withThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunthas led tothe upcomingCyberpunk 2077being one of the most highly anticipated games in recent years.
5Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (93)
Naughty Dog put players in the shoes of Nathan Drakefor one last time with 2016’sA Thief’s End.The game differentiated itself from its predecessors with the increased implementation of free-roaming and a heavier focus on the relationship between Nathan and Elena.
Uncharted 4won numerous awards includingOutstanding Achievement In Video Game Writing from The Writers Guild of AmericaandVideo Game of the Year from SXSW.
4God of War (94)
The iconic hack and slash seriesreceived its eighth installment in 2018 withGod of War. The game made numerous changes to the series' formula. Most notably the inclusion of Atreus, a less-linear level design, and a switch in focus from Greek to Norse Mythology.
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God of Warearned its whopping 94 score with its incredible visuals and world presentation, enjoyable combat mechanics, and well-written dialog. A sequel,God of War: Ragnarok, is set to release in 2021.
3The Last of Us Remastered (95)
The Last of Us Remasteredimpressively lands on this list despite the original game initially releasing on the PS3 only one year prior. Naughty Dog’s game took the gameplay mechanics of theirUnchartedseries and put it in an immersive post-apocalyptic world. The game’s amazing setting was accompanied byone of the most well-written stories in modern gamingthat was excellently portrayed by its cast of voice actors.
The game’s sequel, The Last of Us Part 2,narrowly missed out on this list. To say that the second game divided opinion would be an understatement, exemplified by its93 Metacritic Score and 5.7 User Score.
There may not have been a newGrand Theft Autogame on the PS4, but there was a sequel toRed Dead Redemption.
As would be expected in a Rockstar game,Red Dead Redemption 2offered players an incredible open-world that is densely populated with detailed environments and side activities. A feature ofRed Dead Redemption 2that is uncommon with most Rockstar titles, however, was the emotional and fleshed-out story.
Furthermore,Red Dead Redemption 2differentiated itself from itsGTA 5counterpart with an incredible level of realism, predominantly seen in the game’s weather effects and wildlife.
1Grand Theft Auto 5 (97)
Grand Theft Auto 5re-released on the PS4 a year after its initial PS3 release with improved visuals and a new first-person perspective.
GTA 5lived up to its high expectations by offering one of the most impressive open-worlds in gaming, an engrossing online mode, and an excellent single-player campaign.
Rockstar having two games on this list with the same near-perfect Metacritic score is an incredible achievement.GTA 5is placed higher thanRed Dead Redemption 2as it sold more units than its wild west counterpart.
