Sony kicked off 2015 with impressive PS4 games like The Order: 1886 and Bloodborne. We already played a variety of must have titles, and the rest of 2015 looks even better. In the coming months, Kratos wages war against the gods, a killer stalks his prey in the mountains and the Rebellion squares off against the Galactic Empire.
If you don’t own a PlayStation 4 (or Xbox One) by the end of 2015, you’ll have missed out on quite a few epic adventures. With that in mind, here’s a look at what PlayStation 4 owners can look forward to. In fact, some of these games are already available!
Rocket League (Released)
Soccer is already a fun sport. Add cars to the mix and you have Rocket League, the game that took the PlayStation community by storm. Instead of controlling players on the field, you steer a variety of cars around the pitch, crashing into adversaries and sending the oversized ball into the goal. We hope you downloaded the game while it was free, though it’s definitely worth $19.99.
Journey (Released)
The beloved PS3 adventure finally arrived on PlayStation 4, and anonymous gamers the world over now have a chance to team up and explore a mysterious world while listening to a beautiful soundtrack. Despite being a port, Journey is one of those titles everyone should experience, so definitely make a point to carve your own path through the sand.
Fallout 4 (November 10)
Explore post apocalyptic Boston in Bethesda’s brilliant-looking open world adventure. Leave Vault 111 and embark upon a grand journey through the Wasteland with your canine companion. Use the VATS feature to target enemy body parts, create your own base and interact with a variety of non-player characters. On top of that, the Pip-Boy Edition comes with a real Pip-Boy that lets you manage in-game stats!
God of War 3 Remastered (Released)
Kratos makes his PS4 debut in a reboot of the popular PlayStation 3 adventure. Even if you played God of War 3, the fact that the PS4 version runs at 1080p and 60 frames per second warrant another look. If you need a bit more than that, the Photo Mode lets you snap pictures of the most gruesome scenes, then share the carnage with the world.
Until Dawn (August 25)
Hayden Panettiere stars in this survival horror adventure, where players control eight characters as they attempt to outwit a mask-wearing killer. Every decision impacts the outcome of Until Dawn, and gamers won’t know if they accidentally doomed one of the hapless vacation goers until it’s too late. With multiple endings, high production values and a movie-like presentation, we can’t wait to see how the story unfolds.
Star Wars Battlefront (November 17)
Perhaps the biggest console game of the year, the long-awaited Battlefront sequel will appear on PS4 starting November 17, just in time for the theatrical release of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. The 20 versus 20 Walker Assault Mode pits the Rebels against the Empire on Hoth and other locations, while Survival Mode is for solo players who need to practice their shooting skills against Stormtroopers and other enemies. With the ability to pilot TIE Fighters and X-Wings, then fight alongside Darth Vader or Luke Skywalker, we expect Battlefront to sell incredibly well this holiday season.
Learn how to win Walker Assault Mode in Star Wars Battlefront!
Tearaway Unfolded (September 8)
The original Tearaway on PlayStation Vita developed a cult following, but the larger number of PS4 owners means this charming title will receive the respect it deserves. This magical retelling of the handheld title casts players as a messenger out to make a delivery. Odd premise, but the gameplay is what makes Unfolded shine, with beautifully animated papercraft characters and environments. What’s more, this game uses not only the PlayStation Camera and all of the DualShock 4’s features (touchpad, light bar, motion controls), it also comes with a companion app that lets gamers design their own creations.
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain (September 1)
Snake returns in this final Metal Gear Solid game from Hideo Kojima. Players explore open world Afghanistan on foot or inside a number of vehicles; they also have the option of riding a horse. You can attack enemies guns blazing or sneak into camps undetected to silently take down guards. This freedom of choice, combined with outstanding visuals and quality voice acting should make this one of the most entertaining MGS titles yet.
Destiny: The Taken King (September 15)
We hope you finished House of Wolves, because the next Destiny expansion is only a few months away. The Taken King pits Guardians against Oryx, a powerful alien attempting to raise an army to destroy humanity. Thankfully, there’s a new subclass for each of the main classes, and this means new abilities, weapons and equipment. Throw in new strikes, a new raid and more Crucible maps, and Destiny will take up even more of our time as we head into 2016.
The Taken King Collector’s Edition comes with cool stuff!
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (Released)
Witcher Geralt of Rivia returns to crack some monsters’ heads. This time around, he sets off to protect the Northern Kingdoms from Wild Hunt, a mysterious and powerful army threatening to crush his world and all those who live in it. Much of your time will be spent exploring the gorgeous environments and completing side quests, the first of which involves dealing with a nasty Griffin terrorizing villagers. Geralt can use his Witcher Sense to locate key objects of interest, while horseback riding is the best way to get around. If things become too hectic, relax and enjoy a round of Gwent, The Witcher 3’s collectible card game. Suffice to say, May 19 can’t get here fast enough.
Master Gwent and defeat the Wild Hunt with Prima’s free The Witcher 3 walkthrough.
Bloodborne (Released)
Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls redefined what makes a game challenging. While Namco Bandai and From Software have yet to announce a next-generation sequel to that series, PlayStation 4 owners will see the release of Bloodborne in early 2015. The game is a spiritual successor to the Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls games, with faster gameplay and a significant upgrade to the graphics, thanks to the power of the new hardware. Bloodborne is also much faster than Dark Souls. You’ll still need to engage enemy encounters with a solid strategy, but the enemies move faster and your character moves faster. Agility has been improved as dodging and general evasion have also been sped up. If you’re looking for an epic challenge, there’s no better game than Bloodborne.
It’s one of the toughest games around, but you’ll defeat every boss with Prima’s free Bloodborne walkthrough.
Everybody’s Gone to Rapture (TBA)
The spiritual successor to Dear Esther looks to be one of the more unique PlayStation 4 exclusives coming in 2015. Developed by The Chinese Room with assistance from Sony Santa Monica, Everybody’s Gone to Rapture will be one of those gaming experiences that’s hard to duplicate. This isn’t another shooter or fighting game, but something fresh for gamers. Very few details are available, but the post-apocalyptic game is based around six characters telling their own story that’s connected to landmarks around the world.
Batman: Arkham Knight (Released)
Batman: Arkham Origins wasn’t developed by the original Arkham Asylum team at Rocksteady Studios. Rocksteady had to step away from Origins to begin work on Arkham Knight, and in 2015 we’ll finally get the Batman game that fans have been waiting for. New Batmobile gameplay mechanics are a big part of the adventure. The vehicle plays an integral role in combat and has a special battle mode which equips it with various weapons, including a cannon, riot suppressor, vulcan gun, and missile barrage mounted on the top of the car. It’s also more agile in battle mode, allowing for epic battles against enemies and vehicles. Arkham Knight looks to be the best Batman game yet.
Final Fantasy 15 (TBA)
What began as Final Fantasy Versus 13 evolved into Final Fantasy 15 and looks to take the aging series in a new direction. The visuals of Final Fantasy 15 are some of the best we’ve seen on the PlayStation 4, and the action will be much faster-paced than previous entries in the series. In fact, Final Fantasy 15 plays more like a cross between Final Fantasy 12 and Kingdom Hearts. It retains the AI-controlled party system of Final Fantasy 12 while adding the action-based combat system of Kingdom Hearts to create what could be one of the best Final Fantasy titles in recent memory.
No Man’s Sky (TBA)
No Man’s Sky is probably the closest players will get to exploring the universe. It features a procedurally generated open universe, which means that there are literally 18 quintillion (yes, that’s a real number) possible planets for players to explore in their custom ships. Each planet has a unique eco system, along with dangers and treasures to explore. It’s arguably one of the most ambitious titles we’ve seen, and it will be a timed exclusive on the PlayStation 4, coming later to Windows platforms. We just hope it appears in 2015.
Battlefield Hardline (Released)
After spending an ungodly number of hours with Battlefield 4, we’re ready to finally eject the disc from our PS4 consoles and settle in for some Battlefield Hardline. The newest title pits cops and robbers against each other in a thrilling battle for control. On the single player side, you are Nick Mendoza, a Miami detective looking to make a name for himself busting bad guys. In multiplayer, you choose a side and either arrest criminals or make off with the cash, using super cars, zip lines and plenty of gadgets to gain the advantage.
Beat the game with Prima’s free Battlefield Hardline walkthrough.
