Gravity Rush 2
Best PS4 Exclusives of 2017
We’ve finally passed the halfway mark of 2017 and it’s time to take a look at the best that the year as offered us so far. The first six months have brought a ton of major releases across all platforms, with some particularly great highlights. For this list, we’ll be taking a look at the best PS4 console exclusives of the year so far. This means you may find a few of these on PC, but not other consoles (at least not yet anyway). So without further ado, let’s kick things off with the PS4’s first major exclusive of the year: Gravity Rush 2 (check out our review here).
After the first entry dropped jaws on the PS Vita before eventually making its way over to the PS4, it was only a matter of time before Kat returned with her gravity-bending antics. The result was one of the most beautiful games currently available on the console. The gameplay can be quite challenging, and sometimes a bit repetitive, but it’s the narrative that sees Kat working to save a world and some new friends from a dangerous mystery that is the real draw. The story keeps you invested even while navigating the massive worlds can seem like a huge task.
The sheer act of falling through the sky is breathtaking, as is the 360-degree combat that, once mastered, turns into an aerial art form. If you’ve been looking for something different from all the other action games on offer, and you happen to own a PS4, this should definitely be on your list.
Nioh
Best PS4 Exclusives of 2017
After Dark Souls III released last year, many fans of the brutal action-RPG wondered where they’d get their next fix. While many fingers were crossed for a new FromSoftware title, it didn’t seem to be on the cards, at least not so soon. But then Team Ninja (Ninja Gaiden, Hyrule Warriors) stepped out with their own take on the brutal formula which traded in knights and dragons for samurai and demons. Nioh, a brand new IP from the studio places players in the shoes of William, a man seeking to save his Spirit Guardian in Sengoku and Edo Period Japan.
At first glance, it looks like nothing more than a Dark Souls clone, and in some ways it is. The regenerating foes every time you leave an area or rest at a shrine, the strict management of the soul-like Amrita, gear system, enemies with very specific patterns, and maze-like areas with unlockable shortcuts are all present and accounted for. Where Nioh stands out, though, is in its combat system which is more reminiscent of Team Ninja’s own Ninja Gaiden than FromSoftware’s series. Where Nioh’s inspiration had defense at the forefront, Team Ninja’s game is all about Ki management and powerful combos as well as using potent spirits to gain an edge. Also, blood stains on the ground, which are used in Souls games to show you how others died so you won’t repeat their mistakes, offer challenging fights against the spirits of other players, adding to the more aggressive gameplay.
Throw in the rewarding co-op experience, and a long list of replayable missions and side quests and you have a seriously solid game. It’s a cross between Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Ninja Gaiden, and just another reason to go grab a PS4.
Horizon Zero Dawn
Best PS4 Exclusives of 2017
When it was revealed that Guerrilla Games would be putting down first-person shooters to try their hand at an action-RPG, not many knew what to expect. Guerrilla has proven its talent in the FPS space with the entire Killzone series, but that one-track record made the sudden shift a surprise that could’ve easily ended in disaster. Instead, we got one of the most breathtaking and enjoyable PS4 exclusives not only of 2017, but of the console’s life cycle so far. Horizon Zero Dawn hits so many of the right notes that it instantly became a Game of the Year contender and yet another feather in Sony’s illustrious cap.
Players take on the role of Aloy, an outcast from her tribe since birth, but also humanity’s last hope as a machine threat grows ever stronger. This isn’t your grandfather’s robot game, though. While your various mechanical enemies are equipped with powerful guns, lasers, and even missiles, you’re left with hunters tools: bows, traps, makeshift bombs, grappling hooks. This adds an interesting dynamic as you stalk your prey and rely more on wits and hunting prowess than just sheer brute force. Helping to make it all gel together is the backdrop, a world that has been reclaimed by nature after the fall of humanity so many centuries ago. The remnants of old cities are shrouded in vines of ivy and lush forests. You can find messages and holograms of people that experienced technology before your time, and you’ll even uncover dark truths about the world and the people within it.
Horizon Zero Dawn is an emotional rollercoaster set in a beautiful world filled with action and intrigue. If you have a PS4, there’s no reason not to pick up what will go down as a classic for the console.
Nier: Automata
Best PS4 Exclusives of 2017
Nier: Automata is a sequel to a spin-off of the Drakengard series, and it wears it all on its sleeve. From its often confusing plot (which all ends up making sense if you put in the time) to its interesting take on how an action-RPG should be played, Nier: Automata is not afraid to step out of expected molds and provide something that is both thought-provoking and insanely fun all at once. Fans of Yoko Taro (the game’s director) will find the different approaches familiar, yet on the PS4, it’s an altogether unique experience that shines through in a year full of stellar titles.
You’ll play as several different androids as you seek to save humanity (which now lives on the moon) from a robotic threat on earth. While that’s fairly straightforward, the way in which Nier: Automata approaches an android coming to the realization that it can be something more will tug at your heartstrings, while always giving you unexpected doses of humor. This is all wrapped in some tight, fast gameplay that is just as flashy as the story is deep and engaging. When you throw in the bullet hell segments and fast-changing viewing angles, you’re left with one of the most interesting PS4 exclusives out there, and a really good time.
Persona 5
Best PS4 Exclusives of 2017
Persona 5 was a long time coming. There hadn’t been a brand new entry in the Persona series since the PS2 (seriously) and fans were chomping at the bit to see what Atlus could come up with next. The delays added to everyone being on edge, but it turned out that what the studio was working on was well worth the wait, and one of the best exclusive games and JRPGs on the PS4 right now.
As always, players take on the role of a high school student who has more than enough reason to go against the adult establishment. Persona 5 doesn’t shy away from adult themes, so situations running the gamut of abuse, thievery, lying, murder, and more are present in the game’s world. It all stems from the inner hearts of the game’s protagonists and antagonist and the player must enter those hearts in order to bring justice to fruition. Each heart presents its own unique, stylized world with different puzzles and obstacles to overcome. The game shines in its story as you meet new, fully fleshed out individuals to help and fight against, all the while uncovering the mystery that got you here in the first place.
MLB: The Show 17
Best PS4 Exclusives of 2017
You would think that with Sony having the only AAA MLB game on the market that they’d rest on their laurels and just rinse and repeat the same game. Instead, when it comes to MLB The Show 17, the newest entry on the PS4, SIE San Diego Studio once again went above and beyond to build as accurate a baseball experience as they possibly could.
First are the visuals. Catch a person walking by who doesn’t realize you have a controller in your hand and they’ll swear that you’re watching a bona fide Major League game. The gameplay has been refined to near perfection with every play on the field looking and feeling just as it should. Plus, you have no shortage of different game modes to keep you enthralled as you create your own player, build your own teams, or just play as your faves.
Nex Machina
Best PS4 Exclusives of 2017
Housemarque is no stranger to twin-stick shooters, having provided some of the best on Sony’s platforms over the past few years – Resogun, Super Stardust, and Alienation just to name a few. You would think that they were all shmuped out having seemingly perfected the formula with no more room for improvement, but then Nex Machina came along just last month and the studio has shown that they aren’t done just yet.
Nex Machina goes for the top-down approach like Dead Nation and Alienation, but plays more like Resogun than anything, which is perfect. The result is an insanely fast-paced game that sees the player jump from level to level as countless voxels explode around them. You have humans to save, high scores to strive towards, bosses to beat, and all the frenetic action you could hope for. It’s pure arcade fun that is quite challenging yet almost impossible to put down, constantly providing that “just one more go” sensation as you explode into a flash of color upon death.
Night in the Woods
Best PS4 Exclusives of 2017
Looking at Night in the Woods you may have the urge to quickly write it off as just another cutesy indie game. All of the characters are animals that live in a small town called Possum Springs, and the main character, Mae, is a cat that dropped out of college. But don’t let the art style fool you. Night in the Woods is not what you’d expect. It’s a deep story that covers some heavy themes as you explore your hometown and take in all that’s changed.
Players are thrust into a world of twisted entities, a silent society, and monstrous nightmares. While everything seems separate at first, they all tie together to form a meaningful experience that is sure to hit you with all the feels. The decisions you make as you navigate the town of Possum Springs and its surrounding areas, as well as the people you meet, will stick with you long after the credits roll.
What Remains of Edith Finch
Best PS4 Exclusives of 2017
“Walking simulators,” games that are more about walking around and taking in a story than action-focused gameplay, have risen in popularity over the last few years. The latest to use this particular style is What Remains of Edith Finch from Giant Sparrow (The Unfinished Swan). While it follows the conventions of games that came before it, it manages to be its very own captivating thing, and a must-play on the PS4.
You play as Edith as she explores her childhood home which has all of these wonderful additions tacked on as the family grew. She’s come to revisit the history of her family, which is done by reading journal entries and reliving the final moments of each and every one of them. What makes the experience shine is that they’re all unique, offering a different gameplay style, and new ways to view the life of your family such as being a cat, or flipping through the pages of a comic. All in all, What Remains of Edith Finch is a beautiful, emotional game and one of the best on the PS4 this year.
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
Best PS4 Exclusives of 2017
It has been years since Crash Bandicoot came into our lives through a PlayStation console. When it was revealed that the pleas of fans would finally be answered back during E3 2016, a wave of nostalgia washed over the gaming community, and now that it’s finally available, Crash is once again reigning as one of the best platforming games out.
The Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy may just be a timed exclusive – we’re all still waiting on concrete details on other platforms, but Sony did state that it was first to PS4 – but as it stands right now, the PS4 is the only place you can dive into the fully remastered games. All of the tight platforming, challenging bosses, and obstacle avoiding antics are present and accounted for and they look stunning. Plus, there are some new time trials to really show if you’ve got what it takes to master a celebrated classic. If you loved the original games, here they are again, only better, and if you’ve never played, they’re among the best the PS4 has to offer right now.
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