The editorial team and collaborators of FreeGameTips choose the most outstanding titles from the Sony platform.
With the present generation of consoles nearing completion, all the cards are on the table when it comes to PlayStation 4. The Last of Us Part 2 and Ghost of Tsushima are the last two major exclusives that Sony Interactive Entertainment has released to the market. Beyond those titles, the company has promised that the console still has a lot of life, although all its studios are already immersed in the development of projects for PlayStation 5, a platform that will go on sale in late 2020, still without a specific date. . Perhaps this is a good time to take stock, to bring to the fore all those exclusive video games that have accompanied us throughout these seven years.
They are not all who are, nor are all who are, but this list has been configured through the votes of FreeGameTips editors and contributors. In total, 15 of the exclusive PlayStation 4, a number that is even more extensive, as some titles have been left off the list. It should be noted that we have made the decision to include those products that are also available on PC. This is the case of Death Stranding, Horizon Zero Dawn and Detroit: Become Human, projects that for one reason or another have become console exclusive. Without further delay, these are the best exclusives chosen by the team.
15. Death Stranding (bonus: Final Fantasy VII Remake)
- FreeGameTips Reviews (Death Stranding)
- FreeGameTips Review (Final Fantasy VII Remake)
Two of the most anticipated works, although for different reasons. Death Stranding was a kind of litmus test, the return of one of the top creatives in the video game industry. Hideo Kojima, who for years had been focused on Metal Gear Solid, was finally going to develop a completely original production. The result is Death Stranding, a very peculiar title, to the point that the argument of “it is not for everyone” has spread more than the stranded entities in the post-apocalyptic United States in which the action is located. Sam Porter Bridges, the protagonist, acts as a freight forwarder and will have to save the human being from extinction by delivering packages and connecting the entire territory. The gameplay invites the player to use all kinds of gadgets to move around an immense world, while helping other versions of Sam managed by other users thanks to its asynchronous online features.
The problem with expectations is that everyone has their own. There are those who want the same experience with improved graphics; others prefer new graphics accompanied by a slight facelift, just enough to make it through the cut of the current era; those that remain opt for a new visual aspect and a completely renewed gameplay, which is capable of balancing the new and the old, the essence, after all. Final Fantasy VII Remake stands as a reimagining of the classic, a version that follows the guidelines of the original, but is not afraid to deviate at certain points. Its controversial ending has been the subject of debate, although the battle system, which is no longer in turns, has managed to adapt the classic system of matters with special care to action battles. How will it evolve in the following installments? For now, only Square Enix knows that.
14. ASTRO BOT: Rescue Mission
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There have been several attempts by virtual reality to make its mark, but access to this technology has not always been within everyone’s reach. In a way, that is still the case, although PlayStation VR is the cheapest option, with the sacrifices that this entails in terms of power. Be that as it may, the great virtual reality titles have gone somewhat unnoticed, since not being a technology as widespread as others, word of mouth does not work as in projects that are more accessible. At FreeGameTips we did not want to leave out one of the most outstanding VR titles, which is also one of the best platforms that have been developed in recent years. ASTRO BOT: Rescue Mission uses all the capabilities of virtual reality and takes the platform genre to another level.
Developed by SIE Japan Studio, this production includes everything a good platform has to have: satisfactory levels, well-thought-out final bosses and a creativity and originality that is breathed from the moment you put on the virtual reality cases. It is one of the must-haves of PlayStation 4. In addition, the saga will continue on PlayStation 5, as all consoles will come with Astro’s Playroom pre-installed.
13. The Last Guardian
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Fumito Ueda, then leader of Team ICO, enjoyed the respect of the players and the press for the creativity of his video games, all of them author works with their own label. With ICO he dazzled a segment of the community and a good part of the press, but with Shadow of the Colossus he managed to further enlarge his name and that of the team. Armed with those credentials, fans hoped for a bright future in the form of games. It happened that The Last Guardian, originally announced for PlayStation 3, suffered from endless development issues, something that led Ueda to leave Sony and found his own studio. Still, he continued in the position of director as an outsider. The project moved to PlayStation 4, was delayed once again, and finally went on sale in late 2016.
All these vicissitudes were reflected in the technical section, but the project continued to ooze charisma through all the pores of Trico, the majestic animal that accompanies our protagonist. History puts us in the shoes of a child who wakes up in a huge fortress. There he meets the creature, with whom he establishes a very special relationship. Together they must find a way out, although the animal acts by itself and will not always attend to the young person’s requests.
12. Ratchet and Clank
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Insomniac Games is one of those studios that have been linked to the PlayStation brand even when they were independent. Under the Universal umbrella, Naughty Dog and the creators of Spyro the Dragon shared ideas, criticism and the occasional bar night. In the end, both have followed a similar path, since they have ended up being part of Sony Worldwide Studios. Ratchet and Clank, an action and platform saga starring two cute characters, has many video games behind it. With its arrival on PlayStation 4, Insomniac Games reimagined the first installment of all, hence its title without number or subtitle behind. The first thing that catches your attention is its spectacular graphic section, which emulates animation movies in three dimensions. In fact, comparisons with Pixar have been frequent, especially for the design of its characters.
This game is based on the movie, which in turn is an adaptation of the original title. In the playable, the developers took advantage of their experience with the rest of the sequels to add elements and mechanics that were not present in the classic. Now that the PlayStation 5 installment has been officially announced, it’s a good time to relive the adventure. And if you haven’t played it yet, you have a date with Ratchet and Clank.
11. Days Gone
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SIE Bend Studio was the team that designed the legendary Syphon Filter for the first PlayStation, as well as its sequels. However, later, the developer focused on portable titles. Days Gone was the way back to big budget titles on a desktop machine. The company outlined one of the many PlayStation 4 exclusives, which has also found a niche in the FreeGameTips top. This is a zombie game (they like to call them infected) built on a wild open world.
Deacon St. John biker is a happy man, but everything changes when the infection begins to spread throughout the United States. In an unfortunate incident, his wife will die, so the man will have to face this lonely situation in a period of perpetual death. The infected, beings who move in herds, maintain a certain intelligence, so that facing them directly will not always be the best idea. The Bend Studios game combines narrative, action, stealth, and survival in a production that may not be the scale of God of War or The Last of Us Part 2, but has the necessary ingredients to enjoy its world and his playable proposal. In addition, it is one of the only games that has a motorcycle that acts almost like one more character.
Detroit: Become Human
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What would happen if the technology rebelled? If androids started to feel human? If they wanted to free themselves from the chains imposed by their masters? That is the premise of Detroit: Become Human, the most recent work by the Quantic Dream studio. The creators of Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls designed their title in the image and likeness of their previous projects, at least as far as gameplay is concerned. Again, the player’s action unfolds through a story full of decisions, in which the user must constantly intervene to pull the narrative threads in one direction or another. The different characters, who embody different perspectives of the same reality, inexorably advance towards their destinies, which in all cases can be death. An action, however small, can trigger unforeseeable consequences.
In the case of this video game directed by David Cage, the most curious have the opportunity to experiment with all the story branches thanks to a tree-shaped panel that allows you to unlock and experiment with all the plausible options. Detroit: Become Human is undoubtedly one of the rounder products of the French studio, which faces its future as an independent developer, since the exclusivity agreement expired and has not been renewed.
9. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
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Nathan Drake’s story concluded with Uncharted 4: The Thief’s End, which does not mean that the saga is completely closed. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy was born as a fourth installment DLC, but ended up becoming an independent experience. The North American studio relied on Shaun Escayg and Kurt Margenau for directing, while Neil Druckmann went on to work on The Last of Us Part 2, Naughty Dog’s most ambitious project to date. What The Lost Legacy has shown is that there is life beyond Nathan Drake — not to mention that this is the umpteenth proof that titles starring women also sell well, contrary to the argument some companies hold — especially when the two main characters shine with such a brilliant charisma.
Chloe Frazier debuted in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, but she had already known Nate for years. They had been romantically involved and played the role of double agent. On the other hand, Nadine Ross, head of the Shoreline mercenary army, first appeared in the fourth chapter of the saga. His role? The one of one of the villains of the adventure. Due to circumstances, the paths of these two characters intersect in The Lost Legacy, a title that follows all the guidelines of the previous videogames of the saga: it is spectacular, in times of adrenaline, with phases of shooting and moments of more pause. Solving small puzzles or simply delighting in the scenarios are some of the pleasures that this great little work by Naughty Dog offers.
8. Marvel’s Spider-Man
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Great power carries great responsibility. That is precisely the weight that Insomniac Games had to carry on their shoulders, the responsibility of offering a product that pleased fans of the wall-climbing and those unfamiliar with the work of the late Stan Lee. Marvel’s Spider-Man marked the return of a saga that had remained in the air since Activision lost the rights (and all of its games disappeared from digital stores). The creators of Sunset Overdrive and Ratchet and Clank offered a fairly traditional open world, but one that made a difference thanks to Spidey’s scrolling mechanics. Slipping between buildings and buildings, fighting the bad guys and embodying Peter Parker himself are just some of the most notable features of the video game.
This duality between the hero and the person with their doubts and fears, allows observing the two sides of a character and knowing more deeply the human being behind the mask. Insomniac did not want to leave out Mary Jane Watson, who does not appear in this production as a damsel in distress, but as a partner in Spider-Man. Insonmiac has built a new universe that will continue to explode in upcoming games. The next stop? Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, for PlayStation 5.
7. Shadow of the Colossus
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Occasionally, the video game reserves something unforgettable, an experience so original and groundbreaking that it is difficult to classify. Shadow of the Colossus is one of those works. Fumito Ueda, father of ICO and The Last Guardian, designed this very special video game for PlayStation 2. Many years later, Bluepoint Games, a developer specialized in remastering and revamping old titles, was in charge of bringing all the charm of yesteryear to the current console. The result is visually palpable, as it is a product at the height of PlayStation 4 and without the problems of the original version, except for the camera, which sometimes is not in the right place. PS4 Pro owners have a choice between two options: prioritize resolution (4K) or framerate (60fps).
Wander is alone in the world. A woman lies dead and inert, so our protagonist will try to revive her at all costs. Shadow of the Colossus uses introspection, music, what one sees on screen to narrate a fantasy story pregnant with humanity and feelings. Killing each of the colossi will be a unique, as well as traumatic, experience. Agro, the majestic jet horse, guides us from side to side of the stage. We fight a colossus, we discover its weakness, we grab it by the hair and we ascend until we reach its vulnerable point. Once killed, start again.
6. Persona 5 Royal
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It was a cry. Fans wanted Persona 5 Royal to be translated into Spanish, a goal that had not been met until then. But the walls are to come down. Koch Media, distributor of the game in Spain, officially announced the location of the title, an improved version of the original product. As in any RPG, the lines of dialogue are very abundant, so English was a barrier to entry for certain potential players. Now, those users have been able to access and enjoy the adventure as it deserves. “How to improve the unbeatable”, we reflected in the FreeGameTips Reviews. In truth, everything can be polished, Persona 5 is no exception. We rate it as a masterpiece (10 out of 10), so its presence among the top PlayStation 4 exclusives should come as no surprise.
The RPG of Atlus and P. Studio refines, changes and modifies the original content, but also adds many more stories, new musical pieces, unpublished characters and much more. Like other games in the saga, the title mixes a social aspect, almost visual novel, with more common components of the JRPG. Persona 5 Royal is a long, very long game, a fantasy trip set in Tokyo, with real locations, but with a streaky fictional universe.
5. Uncharted 4: The Thief’s End
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After a successful trilogy on PlayStation 3, Naughty Dog set out to wrap up the story of Nathan Drake, a somewhat irreverent character who mixes pranks with bullets and who is ready for anything to get hold of treasures, even if that supposes the destruction of the historical heritage. The parallels with Indiana Jones are impossible to avoid at that point, but Uncharted is one of those sagas that has managed to defend its own identity. The Thief’s End was not a simple project, because ideas and concepts remained along the way that did not materialize. As a consequence, Amy Hennig, Creative Director for the previous three games, left the studio.
In Uncharted 4: The Thief’s End, the team led by Neil Druckmann attempted to endow Nate with other dimensions, something that had somehow already started in the third installment. After many adventures, it was time to settle down. Or at least that was what Elena, his wife, wanted, the intrepid reporter who accompanied him on several of his journeys. That being the case, the man sought honest employment and worked to start a family. Still, things changed when Samuel Drake, Nate’s brother, paid him a visit. Back to adventure, his idyllic life in danger and his head in the pillory … or almost. Uncharted 4: Thief’s End is everything from the previous games but multiplied. It introduces parts of the open world and a longer history. For all these reasons, it has become one of the favorites of the FreeGameTips newsroom.
4. The Last of Us Part 2
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Developing a sequel is never easy; Designing a second installment of a unique game is even more complicated. The Last of Us was born in the twilight of PlayStation 3, another parallel with The Last of Us Part 2, released a few months after the generation change. If the first installment narrated the journey of two characters into the unknown, towards a possible cure for the evil that plagues the world, the new chapter includes what has been sown, the consequences of the decisions made during this journey. The thematic axis of the narrative of The Last of Us Part 2 is hatred, a hatred that devours its protagonist unceremoniously. Ellie, eaten away inside, only thinks of killing, killing and killing. “I’m going to kill all of them,” he said in the first teaser trailer to Joel. I wasn’t kidding.
Naughty Dog has outlined an immense title in all its sections: the audiovisual, the narrative and the playable. It is a survival adventure measured to the millimeter and detailed to the last consequences. The sequel is heartbreaking in every way, as the player observes the progressive wear of some protagonists who gradually lose their humanity, but who, at the same time, cannot be more human. Because not everything is black and white, because adverse circumstances chisel the wounds of the soul. And some of them never heal. Its long duration, as well as some narrative decisions, have not been liked by all the players, although that does not erase its undeniable positive points. Not surprisingly, this production directed by Neil Druckmann has been among the best PlayStation 4 exclusives for FreeGameTips.
3. Horizon Zero Dawn
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Guerrilla Games was a studio specialized in first-person shooters, although before Killzone they worked on very different projects and on very different platforms, such as Game Boy Color. After several installments, the Dutch released Killzone: Shadow Fall as the PlayStation 4 launch title, but they were clear that their next project must be an original product. After ruling out Dark Silence, a video game that never made it past the prototype phase, the studio designed the play they’ve finally triumphed with, Horizon Zero Dawn. Its producer, Angie Smets, is of the opinion that a post-apocalyptic world does not have to be horrendous, it can be beautiful. And so is his open world, a place that has returned to the starting point, to that of nature. Human civilization has fallen, so plants have taken over spaces that were previously dominated by skyscrapers or technology.
Not only has the world returned to a sort of later period, but surviving humans have followed suit. The societies depicted in Horizon Zero Dawn are tribal, almost prehistoric. And no, dinosaurs never lived with homo sapiens, but in this universe contemporary man lives with huge beasts, half machines, half organic. They are dangerous monsters that do not hesitate to attack and kill anyone who comes close, so the protagonist of the video game must be very careful when traveling around the world. Aloy, who lived as an outcast in her tribe, will rise from the ashes to start a journey full of challenges and dangers. The path of heroin does not end here: in 2021 he will star in Horizon: Forbidden West, the sequel to the video game on PlayStation 5.
2. Bloodborne
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Hidetaka Miyazaki has become on his own merits one of the most influential developers in the video game industry. The Dark Souls formula has been taken by many other studios to build their own titles. From Software has continued to experiment with these mechanics. As a result, proposals such as Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice or Bloodborne were born. Although a sequel has been requested both actively and passively, at the moment there is nothing announced.
Yharman is a gloomy city topped by impressive pieces of Gothic architecture. Its walls house one of the most coveted substances: blood. Doctors have discovered an infallible method of curing disease, using this body fluid, which is why many people make a pilgrimage with the hope of healing in their minds. But not all blood is created equal. For this reason, the protagonist of this story travels to Yharman with the aim of obtaining Pale Blood, something that will not be easy for him, since there is no longer any trace of humanity in the city. The whole world has turned into a monster, so death lurks at every step. Moving forward will not be easy. Die, a process that will be repeated over and over again. Win, perhaps after many attempts.
Bloodborne is one of the brightest video games no longer for PlayStation 4, but for the entire generation of consoles. The Miyazaki team has been able to assemble exquisite gameplay, well measured, with difficult and satisfying final bosses, a must-have.
1. God of War
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More than a decade after Sony Santa Monica released the first God of War, the saga was already at a point of no return. Its hack and slash formula, fresh at the time, sold out its latest cartridges with God of War: Ascension, a game that came out at sunset on PlayStation 3 and showed that the future of Kratos had to be different. After all, they had already marketed six video games on various platforms (PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and PSP). After the remastering of God of War 3 and God of War: Ascension on the current console, the North American studio decided to create something different, but without losing the essence that the saga had exuded since its inception. Cory Barlog, Creative Director for the second installment, left Sony to pursue new professional adventures in Crystal Dynamics. The creative participated in the Tomb Raider reboot, but since they did not let him make his dream come true (create a sequence shot game), he looked for an exit, which was his way back to Sony Santa Monica.
In line with other Sony exclusives, the studio gave the protagonist a new dimension, a human touch, so to speak (although Kratos is divine in nature, the behavior of the Greek gods was always very human). This saga is the one that finally fit with the idea of the sequence shot, which could be developed successfully in combination with other profound changes in its gameplay. Santa Monica discarded the fixed camera system and adopted the shoulder camera, more in keeping with a game that embraces the genre of adventure and action. The exploration of an open world, the forceful combat, somewhat heavier, and the relationship between Kratos and his son Atreus, make God of War a whole reinterpretation of the original formula. It is not a complete breakdown, as gigantic enemies, battles against mythological creatures and other stale aspects are still alive in this new installment.
God of War treats the filial parental relationship between Kratos and Atreus very well. A brutal character like the Spartan teaches his offspring with an iron hand, but in turn, protects him from his past and from his own nature. This, naturally, ends up producing friction, but the psychology of both characters develops with great wealth throughout the entire adventure. For all this, God of War stands on Olympus of the exclusives of PlayStation 4. This has been decided by the editors and collaborators of FreeGameTips.
