Top PlayStation 4 Games 2023

I didn’t expect Horizon Zero Dawn to be this good. I doubt I’ll be the only one saying they were surprised that the Killzone developer has been able to deliver a game with such breadth, depth, and consistently rewarding gameplay.

Atlus released an enhanced version of Persona 5 for PlayStation 4, Persona 5 Royal. The game’s new content and noticeable improvements are a welcome break from the daily anxieties. It began as a fantasy about the supernatural power of well-meaning individuals. Now, it’s also a dream of what’s been lost.

A true beast of an expansion, Monster Hunter World: Iceborne adds a boatload of impressive new and returning monsters and improvements to an already incredible game. It’s almost big enough to be a sequel in terms of the sheer amount of content it adds – even if it leans a little bit too heavily on Subspecies and Variants of familiar monsters at times (though that’s an issue veteran fans may not be bothered by as much). Iceborne is exciting and creative throughout, reiterating Monster Hunter: World’s place as one of the very best games of this generation.

Tetsuya Mizuguchi, creator of games like Rez and Lumines, returns with Tetris Effect, which reimagines the classic puzzle game for the PS4 and PlayStation VR.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is a resounding achievement in world building, environment, and engaging gameplay with occasional problems throughout. Its incredible recreation of ancient Greece is something I’ll want to go back to long after I’ve finished its main story, and its excellent systems mesh together in a way that’s hard to beat. While there are definite rough edges, Odyssey sets a new bar for Assassin’s Creed games and holds its own in the eternal debate over the best open-world roleplaying games ever.

With a focus on variety and replayability, this sequel has an answer to most of my complaints about 2012’s excellent XCOM: Enemy Unknown, and aside from some mostly cosmetic bugs, it comes together brilliantly. Thanks to a new spin on the same great tactical combat, plus unpredictable maps and randomized objectives and loot, XCOM 2 is an amazing game I’ll easily put hundreds of hours into.

God of War III is a great end to Kratos' console trilogy. It's not perfect, with some uneven storytelling and progression here and there, but it's still a fantastic overall package. The combat is stellar once again, it's bloodier than ever, and it is at times the best looking game ever released. I still think God of War II is the best in the trilogy, but Sony Santa Monica did a great job closing up Kratos' journey for revenge.

Doom Eternal tops its predecessor by featuring larger maps filled with secrets, more ultra-violent weapons, and a huge variety of demons to slay. It is 2020's most extreme, first-person shooter.

Nioh 2 is an impressive evolution of its predecessor, strengthening everything that was already great, while mostly leaving its already existing issues alone. Its stellar combat is elevated by the addition of Soul Cores, Burst Counters, and the ways in which those two main new mechanics affect enemy AI and how you approach battles. It’s depth is impressive, even though that can also make it feel a little overwhelming due to how much time must be spent managing Nioh 2’s many systems. If you’re up to the challenge, Nioh 2 is no doubt one of the most difficult and rewarding games of this generation.

Samurai Shodown makes a triumphant return, delivering the methodical fighting and delicious, punishing counters that made the series famous.