As we dive deeper into 2024, the PlayStation 4 continues to surprise and delight gamers with its robust library of titles. Whether you’re a seasoned gamer looking to round out your collection or a newcomer eager to experience the best of what this console has to offer, there are games that simply can’t be overlooked.

From breathtaking adventures to heart-pounding action, we’ve curated a list of seven must-have PS4 games for this year. These essentials not only define the console’s legacy but also promise hours of engaging gameplay and stunning visuals. Get ready to explore new worlds and revisit familiar ones with our top picks for the ultimate PS4 essentials of 2024.

Crafting a list of the top seven PS4 games of 2024, complete with their unique features and a bit of their history, involves diving into a mix of genre-defining classics and innovative new titles that push the console to its limits. Here’s a detailed look at each game, highlighting what makes them a must-play this year:

The 7 Best PS4 Games of 2024: Rankings & Features

1. The Last of Us Part II

• Features: Emotional storytelling, stealth mechanics, and complex characters.

• Description: As a sequel to one of the most acclaimed games on the PS4, The Last of Us Part II continues to push narrative boundaries with its deep and emotional story. It challenges players with moral complexities and a highly immersive post-apocalyptic world.

2. God of War

• Features: Intense combat, stunning visuals, and a gripping narrative.
• Description: Revitalizing the franchise, God of War introduces players to a new Kratos, his son Atreus, and a mythological world steeped in Norse legends. This game combines breathtaking combat mechanics with a powerful story of fatherhood and identity.

3. Persona 5 Royal

• Features: Stylish turn-based combat, compelling storyline, and deep character development.
• Description: An expanded edition of the original, Persona 5 Royal adds new content, characters, and a third semester at Shujin Academy. It’s a deep dive into the psyches of its heroes and villains, wrapped in a unique visual style and dynamic combat system.

4. Ghost of Tsushima

• Features: Open-world exploration, samurai combat, and a beautiful setting.
• Description: Set during the Mongol invasion of Japan, Ghost of Tsushima allows players to explore the island of Tsushima. Featuring a blend of historical events and fictional narrative, it offers an engaging samurai story with responsive combat and stunning visuals.

5. Horizon Zero Dawn

• Features: Robotic creatures, a lush post-apocalyptic world, and dynamic combat.
• Description: Horizon Zero Dawn follows Aloy, a hunter in a world overrun by robots. Featuring a vast open world and a compelling storyline, it combines beautiful landscapes with a complex crafting system and strategic combat.

6. Spider-Man

• Features: Dynamic web-slinging, detailed environments, and engaging superhero action.
• Description: Spider-Man offers an original story that captures the acrobatics, improvisation, and web-slinging that the wall-crawler is famous for, while also introducing elements never before seen in a Spider-Man game.

7. Red Dead Redemption 2

• Features: Immersive Western experience, deep narrative, and vast open world.
• Description: Red Dead Redemption 2 sets a benchmark in storytelling with its detailed depiction of life at the dawn of the modern age. It offers players a vast world to explore, filled with complex characters and diverse landscapes.