The Best PlayStation 4 Games of 2023

The year is almost at an end, and for game enthusiasts out there, what better way to recount the games that were worth buying and playing than to read a list on the best games released for that year. If you are one of those game enthusiasts, then you may find this article amusing since it lists down ten of the best games ever released on the PlayStation 4 in the year 2017. So go ahead, check out if the games below are on your own list or not.

For those who prefer the retro games, we also have a separate article listing down the best Super Nintendo games of all time.

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

Genre: Survival Horror, First Person Shooter

Developer: Capcom

Publisher: Capcom

Release Date: January 24, 2017

Though the title contains the number seven, which seemingly makes this the seventh game, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is actually the eleventh main entry and the 24th entry overall in the Resident Evil franchise. Same as the previous titles, this game was both developed and published by Capcom, but for the first time in the series, the game is now played from a first-person perspective.

During the first generation Resident Evil titles, the game consoles and computers had limitations with the rendering of graphics, which is why these titles opted for fixed camera angles with pre-rendered backgrounds. When the second generation titles were developed which started with Resident Evil 4 and ended with the infamous Resident Evil 6, these titles made use of an over-the-shoulder third-person perspective. Because of the critical and commercial failure of Resident Evil 6, Capcom decided to take the series back to its roots and have it focus more on puzzle-solving and horror elements rather than just shooting enemies. This is how Resident Evil 7: Biohazard came into existence, with in-your-face scares because of its perspective, not to mention, this game can also be played entirely in virtual reality.

For the game’s plot, it follows an average civilian named Ethan Winters as he travels to Louisiana in search for his wife, Mia, who he believed has been dead for three years already. Prior to this, Ethan received a video message from Mia revealing to him that she is alive but asks him not to come for her. But even after her plea, Ethan still decided to go after her, and this is where things start to become out of control. In Louisiana, Ethan finds a seemingly abandoned house, and after exploring it for some time, he encounters its hostile residents, the Baker family. Ethan must now fight for his and Mia’s survival and get out of this hellish place before it’s too late.

If you want to fully immerse yourself in the game, you may want to check out some of the best gaming accessories in 2017 that you would want to use.

The Evil Within 2

Genre: Survival Horror, Third-Person Shooter

Developer: Tango Gameworks

Publisher: Bethesda Softworks

Release Date: October 13, 2017

Produced by Shinji Mikami, the person who started the Resident Evil franchise and directed 2014’s The Evil Within, comes its sequel simply titled, The Evil Within 2, which was developed by Tango Gameworks and published by Bethesda Softworks. Because of the success of its predecessor, the developers decided to make a follow-up entry to the game, which was also the best thing to do considering there is still so much to explore on the game’s storyline.

After the shift in the tone of the Resident Evil titles, with the release of Resident Evil 4 which was the first to use an over-the-shoulder camera angle, there was also a major change in the way the game was played. This shift paved the way to shooter game rather than the survival-horror genre that people loved from the early Resident Evil games. After Shinji Mikami decided to part ways with Capcom, he worked on a new game that focused more on stealth and ammo conservation, this game will later be released as 2014’s The Evil Within. Three years after that release, another title was developed and released that carried on the nature of the first game but was able to bring more to it. Since it’s release back in October, The Evil Within 2 has been positively received, with many critics and gamers agreeing that this sequel proved way better than its predecessor.

For it’s plot, it continues a few years after the first game, where protagonist Sebastian Castellanos has left the police department to uncover the hidden secrets behind a mysterious organization called MOBIUS. This organization was partly responsible for the incidents of the first game, when it was working on a project that would unite multiple minds into one. Years have passed and Sebastian is still being haunted by all the nightmare he had experienced at the Beacon Mental Hospital, along with the disappearance of his wife, and the death of his daughter, Lily. Until one day, he gets a visit by one of his former partners who happened to work for MOBIUS telling him that his daughter is still alive, but can only be saved if Sebastian agrees to go under another STEM project.

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy

Genre: Platformer

Developer: Vicarious Visions

Publisher: Activision

Release Date: June 30, 2017

Twenty-one years since the world has been introduced to one of the most loved video game characters of modern times, a new addition to the franchise has been developed for the PlayStation 4 console. Crash Bandicoot has been around since the first game came out in 1996, and though the most recent game is not entirely a brand new title, it is still able to bring something new to even those players who were able to play the original versions.

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is a remastered version of the first three games that were released by Naughty Dog for the original PlayStation console: Crash Bandicoot, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, and Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped. Speaking of being remastered, this game contains basically the same gameplay mechanics as their original counterparts, but with remade and fully enhanced graphics, better sound effects, new voice acting, and a smoother gameplay experience. The game was released in June 2017, and was received with highly favorable reviews from both critics and average gamers, addressing most of their praises from the game’s faithfulness to the original game trilogy.

For those who enjoy platform games, you may also be interested in reading some of the best platformers on the Super Nintendo here in our list of more of the best Super NES games of all time.

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy

Genre: Action, Adventure

Developer: Naughty Dog

Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Release Date: August 22, 2017 (North America) ; August 23, 2017 (PAL Region)

From Naughty Dog, the game developers responsible in bringing to us the previous game on this list, Crash Bandicoot, comes a spin-off title from one of PlayStation 4’s greatest game series, Uncharted. After the culmination of the series protagonist, Nathan Drake’s storyline at the end of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, it was time to introduce a new arc to the franchise, but with someone who has connections to the previous protagonist, and this character is Chloe Frazer.

Chloe was first introduced in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, as a fellow treasure hunter alongside Nathan who also happens to have a romantic history with him. For Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, it is the first game not to feature Nathan Drake as the lead character, with Chloe Frazer taking his place. Similar to its predecessors, this game is an action-adventure game that is played from a third-person view. Players will be allowed to use firearms, melee weapons, hand-to-hand combat, and also stealth to defend themselves against enemies.

A new character to this game is a mercenary named Nadine Ross, who aids Chloe in her journey to recover the tusk of Ganesh, the son of the Hindu god Shiva. With the help of another new character by the name of Meenu, a young merchant whose father is in the Indian army, Chloe meets up with Nadine and together they begin their adventure in recovering the legendary artifact.

Tekken 7

Genre: Fighting

Developer: Bandai Namco Studios

Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment

Release Date: June 2, 2017

The fighting game series Tekken has been around since 1994, and it has been regarded as one of the first fighting games to make use of 3D character models and a 3D-rendered background, with the other one being Sega’s Virtua Fighter, which was released one year prior. With over nine titles in the franchise, the Tekken game series has been ranked as the best selling fighting game franchise in history. In Tekken 7, Namco has definitely taken the bar higher with the added features and gameplay mechanics thrown into the game, but we will get to those later.

Though Tekken 7 was originally released in 2015 for the arcade platform, it was only on June 2, 2017, that it finally made its way to consoles, including Sony’s PlayStation 4. Just like its predecessors (excluding the Tag Tournament spin-off titles), Tekken 7 focuses on one-on-one battles. For the new gameplay mechanics added to this game, one of two is the Rage Art, which allows a player with critically low health to execute attacks that deal greater damage than normal. During this phase, a character in Rage will have a red glow enveloping them. The other new mechanic is the Power Crush, which allows players to continue executing their attacks even while being hit by the enemy.

The plot of the game takes place shortly after the events of Tekken 6, still centered around the battles between Heihachi Mishima and his son, Kazuya. But this story is told from the perspective of a reporter whose family is killed in a crossfire between the Mishima Zaibatsu and the G Corporation. This has led the reporting into writing an article to expose the two organizations.

Injustice 2

Genre: Fighting

Developer: NetherRealm Studios

Publisher: Warner  Brod. Interactive Entertainment

Release Date: May 16, 2017 (North America); May 17, 2017 (Australasia); May 19, 2017 (United Kingdom)

What started out as a crossover fighting game that featured characters from both Mortal Kombat and DC Comics with Midway’s Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, which was released in 2008. In 2013, NetherRealm Studios—the company that replaced Midway Games in the development of Mortal Kombat titles—developed and released Injustice – In Gods Among Us, which primarily focused on characters from DC Comics, with the addition of Mortal Kombat’s Scorpion appearing as a DLC guest character.

In May 2017, NetherRealm Studios released a follow-up title to Gods Among Us with Injustice 2, which featured most of the same gameplay mechanics as the first, but with minor enhancements to some of the mechanics that have made a return. A new feature of this game includes an RPG-inspired character progression system, which allows players to customize their player’s outfit, as well as their stats and abilities. These can be done with the help of the game’s new Gear System, which is a loot-dropping system that rewards players with costume pieces and equipment.

The game’s storyline centers around Batman in his attempt to restore society after the end of Superman’s rule when the latter was defeated at the end of the first game, which happened five years prior. However, a new faction called The Society has been organized, comprising of supervillains led by Gorilla Grodd, in plans of dominating the world. It is now up to Batman to recruit allies to form a new team to go against The Society.

Injustice 2 has also been released for mobile devices, and if you want to see more outstanding games that you can download on iOS or Android devices, check out our separate list of the best mobile games released in 2017.

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

Genre: Action, Adventure, First Person Shooter

Developer: MachineGames

Publisher: Bethesda Softworks

Release Date: October 27, 2017

From the video game series that started way back in 1981 with Castle Wolfenstein comes the latest addition to their Nazi war game, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. While the first two Wolfenstein titles, Castle Wolfenstein and Beyond Castle Wolfenstein, featured 8-bit graphics and a top-down perspective, it was only until the third game, 1992’s Wolfenstein 3D, when the game shifted to the first person POV that it is now widely known for.

Wolfenstein 3D has been known for being one of the first ever games to have used the first-person camera angle in shooter games, and this was later polished with the development of the first Doom game with the existence of multiple floor and ceiling levels. In 2001, Gray Matter Interactive and Activision, under the supervision of id Software, developed and released Return to Castle Wolfenstein, which served as the reboot to the series. This was then followed up by Wolfenstein, which was released in 2009 and is the last game that was overseen by id Software.

Finally, in 2017 came the release of its latest entry with The New Colossus, which is still played from a first-person perspective and with most of its predecessors’ features making a comeback. Aside from the new weapons introduced to this game, there is also a new cover system that players can use to defend themselves from incoming gunfire. Another new feature is the ability to simultaneously wield two weapons, which can be used with most weapons. Lastly, the morality choice at the game’s prologue can be used to alter the entire storyline of the game.

Middle-Earth: Shadow of War

Genre: Action, Role Playing

Developer: Monolith Productions

Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

Release Date: October 10, 2017

For people who enjoyed Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor, which was released in 2014, they will surely enjoy its sequel, Middle Earth: Shadow of War, which was released worldwide on October 10, 2017. In fact, this game has been included as one of the most anticipated games of the year, especially to those who have played (and loved) the first game.

As many of you may know, Shadow of War is the sequel to Shadow of Mordor and takes place after the events of the latter. It is based on the writings by J.R.R Tolkien that formed the background to the entire Lord of the Rings universe. The game’s plot is set between the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and takes heavy inspiration from the film adaptations by director Peter Jackson.

Continuing where Shadow of Mordor left off, the protagonist Talion, along with the spirit of the elf lord Celebrimbor who is infused in his body, went on a journey to Mt. Doom in an attempt of forging a new Ring of Power that they can use to gather an army to battle against Sauron.

During its release in October, though the game received some criticisms due to the story and some changes that were made to established characters, it was still met with generally positive reaction from critics and gamers alike due to the enhanced gameplay and the improved nemesis system. A free-to-play companion game for iOS and Android devices was released together with the console version.

South Park: The Fractured But Whole

Genre: Role Playing

Developer: Ubisoft

Publisher: Ubisoft

Release Date: October 17, 2017

Based on the adult animated television series South Park comes to South Park: The Fractured But Whole (a play on “the fractured butt hole”), which is actually a sequel to South Park: The Stick of Truth that was released in 2014. This role-playing game was both developed and published by Ubisoft, in collaboration with South Park Digital Studios, and was released on October 17, 2017.

Taking place only a day after The Stick of Truth, the game once again follows a new kid referred to in the game as the “New Kid.” This New Kid has just recently moved to South Park and right away gets in the middle of a town-wide role-play that involves two rival factions of superheroes fighting their way to create their own media franchise.

Just like most role-playing games that make exploration one of the main features, players here can take the New Kid around the town to explore and interact with different characters. These interactions often lead to tasks and quests that players may need to accomplish to be able to progress through the game. The game was positively received during its release, with most of its praise aimed toward the improvements and creativity in the combat system, as well as its faithfulness to the source material.

If you are into casual mobile games, do you know that you can play such games on a big screen? If not, you may want to get your hands on an Amazon Fire TV box and check out our list of some of the best Amazon Fire TV games.

Horizon Zero Dawn

Genre: Action, Role Playing

Developer: Guerilla Games

Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Release Date: February 28, 2017 (North America) ; March 1, 2017 (PAL Region)

Here is a good example of a video game that took a lot of years to develop. Guerrilla Games started developing Horizon Zero Dawn back in 2011 after the release of their first-person shooting game, Killzone 3. According to the game’s director, the idea for this game was “the riskiest” among all that were pitched during the time. The concept of the game allowed players to see both the beauty and the dangers in the environment, and placed emphasis on making trials and errors.

The game itself is a third-person action RPG, with players taking control of a hunter named Aloy as she travels through a post-apocalyptic world filled with robotic creatures. To be able to defend herself from enemies, Aloy can use a variety of traps, weapons, and explosives that she can scavenge in the environment. Components from the robotic creatures can also be looted and used for survival. With these resources, players may be able to craft ammo, pouches, health potions, and traps.

Horizon Zero Dawn was well-received by critics during its release, and it even won an award for Best Original Game at the Game Critics Awards. The praises of this game were aimed toward the open world mechanics, the storyline, visuals, combat system, and the voice acting which was provided by Ashly Burch. In just three months after it was released, Horizon Zero Dawn sold over three million copies making it the second best-selling game on the PlayStation 4, second only to Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End.

To enjoy the game even more, you may want to use good gaming headsets while playing these games. Lucky for you, we may just have a list of the best gaming headsets on the market.