Top PlayStation 4 Games 2023

Hitman 3 is a fitting conclusion for IO Interactive’s World of Assassination trilogy. The game features many of the advancements of the previous two, with even more player-friendly accessibility features for helping turn even the most novice players into the most skilled assassins.

There is no shortage of good Metroidvanias these days, but Bloodstained does show that Koji Igarashi’s particular brand of “Igavania” still has teeth. Exploring the castle’s many secrets is a delight, and there is a dizzying array of weapons and powers waiting to be bent to your will. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, one of the greatest games ever made, finally has a worthy successor on consoles and now on PC.

LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the most gaming fun I’ve had with either series in years. The story is great, the levels are dense with fun puzzles, and unlocking all of the secrets is a blast. Whether I was going through it solo or playing alongside a buddy, LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens proved to be an adaption worthy of its incredible source material.

With Resident Evil 5, Capcom has broken away from many of the survival horror conventions it pioneered. The creepy suspense of the earlier games has been replaced with an action-packed intensity that will instantly appeal to some gamers and disappoint others. As an action game, RE5 is a success, and there’s a wealth of replayability through item collection, weapon upgrades, score chasing and the unlockable Mercenaries mode. But this is no gentle nudge to the formula of the previous main RE games; it’s an evolution. And if you can accept it as that, you just might love Resident Evil 5.

I’m very pleased to say that Bandai Namco has hit the mark in reinvigorating the 26-year-old Tales RPG series. Tales of Arise brings to life a beautifully realized world with a story that isn’t afraid to tackle heavy subjects and knows when to take its foot off the gas for a bit. Its characters feel real and relatable even in fantastical situations, and a fresh and fun combat system livens up their battles. Combined with plenty of quality-of-life improvements ironing out some of the series’ long-standing frustrations, this is an easy recommendation to not just fans of the long-running series but anyone interested in diving into an expansive action-RPG.

Resident Evil Village takes the series to new heights, balancing the action of Resident Evil 4 with the deeper narrative approach of Resident Evil 7. This, combined with a brilliant use of audio on PS5 and an array of memorable characters, makes it the best modern Resi entry. That said, anticlimactic boss fights and less of a focus on scares - plus a poorly paced ending - mean that while it starts strong, it struggles somewhat towards the end.

Capcom proves once again that, when it comes to modern horror, it's the master. Resident Evil 3 is testament to the fact that a good horror game needs to be more than just scary, offering skilful urban level design, stunning visuals, a formidable foe – and lots and lots of zombies. If you liked the Resident Evil 2 remake then you're going to love Resident Evil 3.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 could have been a mismatched jumble of ripped-off game elements, but developer Treyarch has instead reinvented the franchise in a way that may have lasting effects on how people play Call of Duty well into the future. None of that would really have been possible without Blackout, Treyarch’s take on battle royale that borrows heavily from Fortnite and PUBG.

Project CARS 2 is, overall, a success. There are a few elements of the game that we’d like to see improved in future, but it’s a great successor to the first in the series. The wide range of vehicles and tracks provide a range of accurate driving experiences, replicated to the finest detail using test drivers from real-life car manufacturers. The addition of Rally Cross brings a whole new element of the game too, especially for fans of drifting. While we couldn’t quite get the hang of the game with a controller, the experience with a steering wheel was thoroughly enjoyable and we can’t wait to get back behind the wheel once again!

Despite the frustrations its upgrade system often caused me, I had a good time navigating Nex Machina’s array of twin-stick shooter challenges. The appealing art, energetic soundtrack, and pixel-perfect gamepad controls made me own every failure and look forward to whatever might come next. Arena mode seems to be where most of the lifespan on this one will come from, and I look forward to seeing people who are better than me at it pull off some crazy runs to climb the rankings. Nex Machina is not for the faint of heart, but a recipe to delight those looking for an attractive, arcadey challenge to overcome.