The Best PlayStation 4 Games of 2016

Dec 21, 2016

By: Max Cannon

It's been a great year for PlayStation 4 exclusives. Some of the highest profile releases of the year were only on a PlayStation 4. Some of their games had been struggling in development for a long, long time. Seeing these games actually release and run on a real PlayStation felt unreal. The highest of highs and the lowest of lows have been on PlayStation 4. Which ones did we like the most?

The new PlayStation 4 Pro.Courtesy of PlayStation

1. The Last Guardian

Gamers all around the world couldn't wait to get their hands on The Last Guardian - the follow up to Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. But I didn't really care too much, I knew I would play it but I wasn't impatient when it came to actually playing it. That may have made it all the sweeter. I loved this game. Loved, loved, loved.

A game about the growing bond between you and your pet may have had frustrating camera controls and a finicky dog partner, but the latter actually added to the final product. Never before had a character felt so alive in a game I was playing. I actually found myself cheering at the scream, shouting "NO!" when I felt my friend was in danger, and feeling emotional during the game's climax. It's a flawed but fantastic experience. My biggest surprise and favorite game of 2016.

The Last Guardian is one of the most heart-warming games I've ever played.Courtesy of PlayStation

2. Ratchet and Clank

While not everyone was blown away by the accompanying movie, Ratchet and Clank made a great return to form on the PlayStation 4. This game was a semi-remake of the original game that released way back on the PlayStation 2. Some of the levels had new additions and rooms but the overall layout was similar, if not often identical, to the first game.

Better camera, higher fidelity graphics, and a tighter story improve the original game in almost every way. During the PlayStation 3 generation, Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction had a back of the box quote claiming that the game was as gorgeous as a "Pixar movie." This game hits those high marks that were painted on the previous games and leaps over them. Gameplay nails the mix of third person shooting, platforming, and melee combat. And it's a family friendly adventure. I couldn't reccomend this game enough.

Ratchet and Clank is as goregous as you would expect.Courtesy of PlayStation

3. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

As the year went on and the dust settled, I became less and less in love with Uncharted 4. It was probably my most anticipated game of all time and I had spent years fantasizing how the story could've played out, those are some heights that no game could reach. But that still doesn't take away from the stellar production quality throughout the game, the satisfying ending for Nathan Drake, or the quality dialogue that Naughty Dog fills in the small moments you spend exploring the gorgeous worlds.

The game's closeness to Nathan Drake feels earned, especially to veterans to the series. Every snide comment, subtle joke, or reference feels close to me as a player. I grew up with Uncharted in middle school, I shot my way through the sequel in high school, I walked 3 miles to a GameStop in the middle of winter during college to pick up Uncharted 3. And to be reunited with Nathan Drake, for one final time in my adulthood, felt cathartic. Even disking elements of the game lends to its personal importance to me. I've grown as a critic, a gamer, and a lover of art with Naughty Dog growing alongside me.