Top 30 PlayStation 4 Games to Play in 2015 & Beyond

Cyber Monday has arrived, which means TONS of gaming deals. It’s the perfect time to catch up on the games you missed throughout the year. 

Not sure what PlayStation 4 games you should be playing this holiday? Den of Geek has your back! We’ve amassed a list of the biggest titles and our personal picks, plus the upcoming games you should keep an eye on in 2016 and beyond.

And if you like any of the games on this list, we’ve made it even easier for you: click on the ORANGE links to go directly to the Amazon store and purchase the game

THE BACKLOG

Bloodborne

March 24 | From Software | PS4

This is about what you’d expect from From Software, but with a faster pace and a different art style. The guys behind the Dark Souls series still give you plenty of challenging monsters to slay. And yes, you will absolutely die. A LOT. ALWAYS. FOREVER. Don’t get this one if you love throwing controllers at your TV screen.

Mortal Kombat X

April 14 | NetherRealm Studios | PC, XBO, PS4

If a fighting game is what you need and you get particular enjoyment from dismembering your friends, then Mortal Kombat X is the game for you. Boasting one of the most diverse rosters in the franchise, this latest installment also features plenty of new characters to choose from. Finish him!

The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt

May 19 | CD Projekt Red | PC, XBO, PS4

This one will definitely be on the top of plenty of Game of the Year lists, and with good reason. CD Projekt Red has created the ultimate fantasy RPG experience here, full of perilous adventures, epic quests, and lots of beasties to slay. And it looks absolutely gorgeous, of course. If sword and sorcery is more your thing, this one’s the one for you. 

You can buy your PlayStation 4 bundles and consoles here!

Batman: Arkham Knight

June 23 | Rocksteady Studios | PC, XBO, PS4

We probably don’t have to tell you to get this one, right? It’s the conclusion to the Arkham trilogy Rocksteady has been building since the spectacular Arkham Asylum. Here we get the biggest, most epic, and complete Batman ever made. There’s even a Batmobile and some sidekicks to choose from. Really, this is the ultimate Batman experience, and you probably already own. Right?

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Sept. 1 | Kojima Productions | XBO, PS4, PC

There’s a reason we gave Metal Gear Solid V a perfect score: it’s an absolute masterpiece and a perfect exit for video game auteur Hideo Kojima from the series. Fusing a higher emphasis on gameplay with the convoluted plot you’ve come to expect from this series, The Phantom Pain offers tons of things to do on and off the battlefield. Acquire vital personnel and equipment to build up your Mother Base, get revenge against the villains who almost killed you nine years ago, or face off against your buddies in Metal Gear Online, the game’s online multiplayer component. All of this, while collecting cassette tapes of the best and weirdest 80s hits…There’s so much to do in this game that we recommend you start playing it during the Christmas downtime.

Destiny: The Taken King

Sept. 15 | Bungie | XBO, PS4, X360, PS3, PC

Bungie’s new IP has had quite the year. From the barrage of complaints early on to its much-improved player experience since the House of Wolves expansion, Destiny seems to be here to stay and going very strong into its Year Two experience. With bundles releasing left and right and a new expansion, now is the perfect time to drop in, Guardians. What exactly do you get with the new expansion, titled The Taken King? New story missions, strikes, raids, multiplayer modes and maps, weapons, gear, and updates to the leveling system. This is the start of Destiny Year Two.

SOMA

Sept. 22 | Frictional Games | PS4, PC

The long-awaited follow-up to Frictional Games’ fantastic Amnesia: The Dark Descent is finally here. The game is called SOMA and its a bit of a step in the opposite direction in terms of setting, but we’re still promised plenty of scares. Basically, you’re trapped in an underwater lab where machines have gone rampant and are now trying to murder you. Your mission? Get to the surface as fast as you can. Of course, you’re unarmed, so all you’ll really have in your favor is your quick wit and maybe a little prayer. If you’re looking for survival horror this season, SOMA is your game. 

Call of Duty: Black Ops III

Nov. 6 | Treyarch

You’ve probably heard of Call of Duty, and you might even know a thing or two about the Black Ops series. Futuristic warfare, conspiracies, alternate histories, secret agents, double crosses, and plenty of zombies. There are lots of guns, explosions, and cool, armored suits. You’ll probably get into an argument with at least one teammate in multiplayer. If you’re all about hardcore shooters, look no further. 

Fallout 4

Nov. 10 | Bethesda Game Studios

This one’s been a long time coming. To say that Bethesda kept this highly-anticipated sequel extremely secret is an understatement. The company didn’t even acknowledge the game until E3 2015, a few months before its release. Have we even had enough time to process the postapoclyptic awesomeness that awaits us in November? Fallout 4 looks to follow a “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” aesthetic. It looks a lot like its predecessor in terms of gameplay, character design, and backstory. And we’re completely okay with that. 

Star Wars Battlefront

Nov. 17 | DICE

Oh, what a time to be a Star Wars fan. New movie, comics, books, and video games.Star Wars Battlefront marks the return of not only the series but also Star Warsgames in general. Take on the Empire or crush the Rebel scum on foot, in an AT-AT, or high above the battlefield in an X-Wing or TIE fighter. DICE’s goal is to create the most faithful Star Wars game, capturing what it might be like to fight in the Galactic Civil War. Besides taking control of Rebel and Imperial infantrymen, you’ll also have a chance to control Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Boba Fett, and more on the battlefield. And if that’s not enough for you, Battlefront is getting a bit of free DLC in December called “The Battle of Jakku,” which tells the story of what happened on the planet before its appearance in The Force Awakens. 

FUTURE CONSOLE EXCLUSIVES

Street Fighter V

Feb. 16 | Capcom

As far as consoles go, this highly anticipated sequel to the king of fighting games is coming exclusively to the PS4. And it will even have cross-platform multiplayer with the PC version. New art style, characters, move sets, and stories are enough reasons to get Street Fighter V. If punching your friends in the face is your thing, look no further in 2016.

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

March 18 | Naughty Dog

There’s probably only two things we have to say about this game: it’s the final installment in the Indiana Jones-inspired action-adventure series and it’s a game by Naughty Dog. The only thing you should be doing right now is buying it. 

No Man’s Sky

June 2016 | Hello Games

The only thing more impressive than No Man’s Sky‘s visual is its ambition. This indie game is all about galactic exploration, as you hop into a ship to explore new worlds and go where no man has gone before. Planets are procedurally generated, so you’ll never know what to expect when you touch the ground. You’ll encounter unique species and plant life, and even have to fight off some enemies at points. This is probably the closest to a good Star Trek game as we’ll ever get. 

Hellblade

2016 | Ninja Theory

This next indie looks so stylistically cool. Based on a Celtic myth, Hellblade tells the story of a woman named Senua, who must journey into the underworld while suffering from a mental illness. While there are certainly monsters to be found in her path, her biggest enemy might be herself. Expect this one to be very dark, but beautiful. 

Horizon Zero Dawn

2016 | Guerilla Games

Horizon Zero Dawn looks insane. The first new IP from Guerilla Games, which is best known for the Killzone series, is also the developer’s first attempt at an RPG. And it’s going crazy with it. The game takes place in a postapocalyptic future in which the world is run by huge mechanized monsters, including robotic dinosaurs…Do we have to keep going?

The Last Guardian 

2016 | Team Ico

Even if you’re not much of a gamer, you’ve probably heard two names floating around on the internet for quite some time: Half-Life 3 and The Last Guardian. While we’re still not getting the former, Sony dropped a bomb when it revealed the latter was finally coming to the PS4. After being stuck in development hell for years, and without any sort of new announcements to appease fans, the game was finally re-announced at E3 2015. In The Last Guardian, a boy befriends a giant dog-cat-chicken monster named Trico while escaping guards who are chasing them around this fantasy world. And while their situation is dire, it is also adorable. 

Detroit: Become Human

TBA | Quantic Dream

Quantic Dream’s latest is based on a tech demo it released a couple of years back called “Kara,” and the story remains the same in this full-length adaptation: a robotic woman wants to be human in a world that only wants to see her as a machine. Expect a lot of social commentary in this one as well as very cinematic storytelling from the makers of Fahrenheit and Heavy Rain. 

FUTURE CROSS-PLATFORM

Just Cause 3

Dec. 1 | Avalanche Studios

In case you have space for another open-world action-adventure game or a fan of this series, Just Cause 3 offers you the chance to blow every single thing up and bring the pain to your enemies with high-flying agent Rico Rodriguez, who is on a mission to topple an evil dictator in his homeland. This is the closest you’ll get to a James Bond game this year.

Hitman

March 11 | IO Interactive

The world’s greatest assassin returns, and with all his old tricks and tech, now that he’s back with the Agency. IO Interactive is taking things back to basics in this sequel, creating levels and maps that allow players to choose their own paths and methods of taking down their targets. A little less linear Hitman: Absolution and more masterfulBlood Money, basically. We’re all for that. 

Dark Souls III

April 2016 | From Software

Known for its over-the-top action and control-smashing difficulty, Dark Souls is getting another nightmarish sequel. From Software has been on a roll with their unique brand of dungeon crawling action RPGs. Last year’s Dark Souls II was one of the best games of 2014 and this year’s Bloodborne is a promising start to a new franchise. Dark Souls IIIwill hopefully be more of the good stuff. 

Mirror’s Edge Catalyst

May 24 | DICE

Here’s another sequel that seemed too far gone until DICE announced it at E3 2014. You once again take control of fan-favorite Faith Connors, a runner who vaults across the rooftops of a futuristic city called Glass, which is under the control of a totalitarian government. The game acts as a sort of prequel to the original game, as you explore Faith’s past. And you also get to do a lot of parkour. 

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

Aug. 23 | Eidos Montreal

Deus Ex is one of our favorite series. A mix of combat, stealth, platforming, detective work, and role-playing makes up this beloved sci-fi franchise all about nanotechnology, AI, bioweapons, and dark conspiracies. Adam Jensen returns for another series of missions, this time in Prague, where mechanically augmented humans are being persecuted. All of the insane augmentations, weapons, and fight moves are back in this sequel. It’s a must-have. 

Yooka-Laylee

October 2016 | Playtonic Games

A year ago, the need for Yooka-Laylee would have been dire. With Rare, makers ofBanjo-Kazooie, a bit sidelined at Microsoft Studios, this cartoonish platformer was the return of a long-lost genre. After this year’s Rare Replay, Yooka-Laylee is the cherry on top. Playtonic has created a proper successor to Banjo-Kazooie. Look forward to this one!

Doom

2016 | id Software

Doom is responsible for igniting the shooter genre. You take control of a space marine, as he fights through hordes of demons and undead with various weapons, including his infamous shotgun. This is the series’ first outing since 2005, and it’ll be interesting to see if it holds up against other contemporary shooters. Bethesda hit a great note with last year’s Wolfenstein: The New Order, and with the help of id Software, Doom could be another hit for the publisher. 

Overwatch

2016 | Blizzard Entertainment

Overwatch is Blizzard’s first new IP in several years, and it’s the kind of game you’d least expect from the developer/publisher. For one thing, it’s an FPS, a genre Blizzard has yet to delve into. Not to mention that it’s an FPS in an industry saturated by them. But Overwatch so far has stood apart from the competition, focusing on true team-based multiplayer shooting, heroes, hope, and diversity in its characters. The closest thing to this one might be Valve’s Team Fortress 2. You’ll want to get this one. 

Final Fantasy XV

2016 | Square Enix

There’s not much to say except that this is a new Final Fantasygame, it has a massive open world, and a brand new real-time combat system that includes a sword that allows you to teleport on the battlefield. Protagonist Noctis and his group of friends are on a mission to stop an evil kingdom from conquering the world. At the same time, they’re on a cross-country roadtrip, hunting down monsters and fighting lots of armored bad guys. If there’s one JRPG you should watch out for next year, it’s this one. 

Mass Effect: Andromeda

2016 | BioWare

In 2012, BioWare closed out its Mass Effect trilogy in a fashion that could be considered less than well-received. Of course, the big issue was with the last hour of the game, although that shouldn’t be enough to erase the memories from all the previous hours spent playing through the adventures of Commander Shepard. Three years later, the hype is very high for the next Mass Effect game, which isn’t a direct continuation of the first three games, and instead takes place in the Andromeda galaxy. 

Mafia III

2016 | Hangar 13

This might not be the mob you were expecting. “The Black Mob” takes the fight to the Mafia after Lincoln Clay, a Vietnam veteran, returns home to find that many of his friends have been assassinated by the local mob. Along with his trusted lieutenants, Clay is out for vengeance in this next-gen follow-up to the open world gangster series.

Outlast 2

2016 | Red Barrels

2014’s Outlast is one of the scariest survival horror games ever made. Taking more than a couple of notes from Frictional Games’ Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Outlastwas a full-on dive into madness, as you struggled to survive in an insane asylum that doubled as a gateway to hell. We don’t know anything about the sequel except that it’s happening, and that’s probably good enough for now. 

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

2017 | Inti Creates

This game made headlines when it became the biggest Kickstarter of all-time, making millions of dollars in the process. Koji Igarashi, designer of many of the bestCastlevania games, makes his return to the gothic horror side-scroller with a new vision. And it’s just in time. With Konami’s lessened interests in console games,Bloodstained might be the closest thing to Castlevania that you get for a while.