The PlayStation 4 has had a pretty sizable influx of exclusives during the first half of 2016. In fact, the list for PS4 exclusives dwarfs that of those released on the Xbox One. Even better is the fact that there is a lot of variety on display, ranging from point and click adventures to blockbuster action games with everything in between.
With that many different games on offer, it can be hard to choose what’s best. While genre and preference will definitely play a part in your selection in the long run, we decided to rank the entire lineup as a whole.
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
The Witness
Ratchet & Clank
Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir
MLB The Show 16
Valkyria Chronicles Remastered
Day of the Tentacle
Gravity Rush Remastered
Street Fighter V
Enter the Gungeon
Grand Kingdom
Firewatch
Alienation
Invisible, Inc.
Hitman Go: Definitive Edition
Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth
Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book
Amplitude
Stories: The Path of Destinies
Megadimension Neptunia VII
Senran Kagura: Estival Versus
Shadow of the Beast
Dungeons 2
Umbrella Corps
Let’s be honest for a moment, did you not expect Uncharted 4 to be at the top of this list? Naughty Dog outdid themselves once again to bring a fitting end to one of PlayStation’s greatest series.
The Witness is every bit as intriguing as it is beautiful. This PS4 console exclusive will have you scratching your head at first, but those moments of discovery deliver some of the greatest feelings of elation this generation.
Who would’ve thought that one of the greatest games on the PS2 would also be one of the greatest games on the PS4. The stunning visuals, humor, and intense action will leave Ratchet & Clank as one of the best games in the entire year.
Vanillaware couldn’t just leave this amazing game in the past. With new visuals and features, Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir is a must-have on the PS4.
MLB The Show 16 is one seriously good baseball sim. SIE San Diego never cuts corners with this yearly release, and the series just keeps getting better with time.
Intense strategy in a fictional world based on World War II Europe? Sign us up.
Dungeon crawling and bullet hell shoot-’em-ups are a match made in heaven. Enter the Gungeon is a platform exclusive indie that sends players on a quest to steal a gun that can kill the past. It’s fun, fast-paced, and will test your skills through every step.
The wilderness of Wyoming can be rather beautiful. It’s serene visuals are perfect for discovering one’s self. Firewatch uses this setting to deliver a heart-wrenching story where your choices affect the outcome. The masterful deliver makes the fact that this is one of the PS4’s best games of 2016 so far no surprise.
Stealth is a game mechanic that isn’t always nailed, but Invisible, Inc. gets it just right. Using a similar gameplay setup as X-COM, players use the turn-based format to commit acts of espionage. The randomly-generated levels, and ease of learning help make this a strong indie in the PS4’s solid library.
Amplitude is a classic rhythm game from Harmonix that combines cool visuals and fast gameplay to keep you engaged. The remake maintained a lot of the nostalgia that fans were hoping for, reigning the need to keep to the beat.
Shadow of the Beast is a remake of a 1989 classic. While it captures a lot of what made that original so memorable, it doesn’t do much else.
Set after the events of Resident Evil 6, players join different corporations seeking the secrets of the Umbrella Corporation. This pits them against other mercenaries as well as zombies as they fight to uncover everything Umbrella has hidden. Unfortunately, the idea, while it sounds good on paper, didn’t exactly translate well to paper. It completely disregards what made Resident Evil so great, and has very little in terms of content to keep players engaged for long. It’s the only PS4 exclusive that has released in 2016 to have a rating in the red on Metacritic.
32. Dino Dini's Kick Off Revival
31. Umbrella Corps
30. Shadwen
29. Dungeons II
28. Shadow of the Beast
27. Rocketbirds 2: Evolution
26. Deadstar
25. Senran Kagura: Estival Versus
24. Megadimension Neptunia VII
23. Amplitude
22. Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book
21. Stories: The Path of Destinies
20. Push Me Pull You
19. Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth
18. Hitman Go: Definitive Edition
17. Invisible, Inc.
16. Score Rush Extended
15. Downwell
14. Alienation
13. Firewatch
12. Grand Kingdom
11. Guilty Gear Xrd - Revelator
10. Enter the Gungeon
9. Street Fighter V
8. Gravity Rush Remastered
7. Day of the Tentacle
6. Valkyria Chronicles Remastered
5. MLB The Show 16
4. Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir
3. Ratchet & Clank
2. The Witness
1. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
About the author
Ishmael Romero
Just a wandering character from Brooklyn, NY. Fan of horrible Spider-Man games, anime, and corny jokes.