Article by Kirk McKeand Former Deputy Editor
Published on
There’s always a lot of speculation around the best video games on each platform, but now we’re coming to the end of this generation, let’s look back on the games that defined PlayStation 4 according to r/PS4.
You can always go to Metacritic to look for discrepancies between users and critics, but Metacritic is a platform without naunce, where users often tank games and score them 0 because of bugs or political differences. Likewise, there are people who vote games 10 to try offset these scores. Basically, the user score on Metacritic is often useless, but I'll pop it in here for comparison's sake.
So let’s have a look at what an actual PS4 community thinks of the games and see how that compares to critical reception.
1.God of War: mean score - 9.48 based on 2,261 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 94
- Metacritic user score - 91
- VG247 God of War review - one of the best games of the generation
2.Astro Bot Rescue Mission: mean score - 9.35 based on 84 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 90
- Metacritic user score - 89
3.Hollow Knight: mean score - 9.31 based on 155 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 87 (PC)
- Metacritic user score - 90 (PC)
4.Resident Evil 2: mean score - 9.16 based on 306 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 91
- Metacritic user score - 88
- VG247 Resident Evil 2 Remake review - Capcom casually drops GOTY material in January
5.Persona 5: mean score - 9.11 based on 497 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 93
- Metacritic user score - 87
- VG247 Persona 5 review - the best JRPG in a decade
6.Red Dead Redemption 2: mean score - 9.1 based on 1,359 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 97
- Metacritic user score - 80
- VG247 Red Dead Redemption 2 review - a genre benchmark
7.Nier: Automata: mean score - 9.09 based on 842 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 88
- Metacritic user score - 89
8.The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt: mean score - 9.09 based on 635 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 92
- Metacritic user score - 92
9.Bloodborne: mean score - 9.06 based on 813 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 92
- Metacritic user score - 89
10.Marvel's Spider-Man: mean score - 9.04 based on 1,222 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 87
- Metacritic user score - 86
- VG247 Marvel’s Spider-Man review - at last, a Marvel game to match DC’s efforts
11.Bloodborne 2nd Poll (PS+): mean score - 9.0 based on 433 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 92
- Metacritic user score - 89
12.Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds: mean score - 8.92based on 220 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 83
- Metacritic user score - 78
13.Devil May Cry 5: mean score - 8.92 based on 266 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 88
- Metacritic user score - 84
- VG247 Devil May Cry 5 review - Capcom is a master of the genre it spawned
14.Yakuza 0: mean score - 8.9 based on 221 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 85
- Metacritic user score - 84
15.Dragon Quest 11: mean score - 8.89 based on 167votes
- Metacritic critic score - 86
- Metacritic user score - 87
16.Judgment: mean score - 8.88 based on 59 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 80
- Metacritic user score - 82
17.Spyro Reignited Trilogy: mean score - 8.87 based on 102 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 82
- Metacritic user score - 81
18.Rayman Legends: mean score - 8.86 based on 77 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 90
- Metacritic user score - 84
19.What Remains of Edith Finch: mean score - 8.84 based on 379 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 88
- Metacritic user score - 83
20.Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice: mean score - 8.84 based on 224 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 90
- Metacritic user score - 80
- VG247 Sekiro review - FromSoftware at its most unapologetic
21.Monster Hunter World: mean score - 8.83 based on 460 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 90
- Metacritic user score - 76
- VG247 Monster Hunter World review - a barnstorming series best
22.Sonic Mania: mean score - 8.78 based on 155 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 86
- Metacritic user score - 83
23.Uncharted: The Lost Legacy: mean score - 8.77 based on 162 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 84
- Metacritic user score - 79
24.Shadow of the Colossus: mean score - 8.77 based on 174 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 91
- Metacritic user score - 79
25.Stellaris: mean score - 8.76 based on 70 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 77
- Metacritic user score - 67
26.Detroit: Become Human: mean score - 8.75 based on 1,171 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 78
- Metacritic user score - 87
- VG247 Detroit: Become Human review - a pretty but hollow interactive movie
27.Final Fantasy 10 HD Remaster: mean score - 8.73 based on 145 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 84
- Metacritic user score - 87
28.Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy: mean score - 8.71 based on 400 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 80
- Metacritic user score - 85
29.Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition: mean score - 8.68 based on 132 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 75
- Metacritic user score - 82
30.Dragon Ball FighterZ: mean score - 8.65 based on 118 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 87
- Metacritic user score - 81
31.Shenmue 2: mean score - 8.65 based on 40 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 75
- Metacritic user score - 80
32.Yakuza Kiwami: mean score - 8.63 based on 113 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 80
- Metacritic user score - 81
33.Borderlands: The Handsome Collection: mean score - 8.63 based on 180 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 82
- Metacritic user score - 78
34.Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled: mean score - 8.63 based on 122 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 83
- Metacritic user score - 65
35.A Plague Tale: Innocence: mean score - 8.62 based on 100 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 91
- Metacritic user score - 86
- VG247 A Plague Tale: Innocence review – great characters make the Middle Ages worth living through
36.God of War 3 Remastered: mean score - 8.61 based on 376 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 81
- Metacritic user score - 81
37.Detroit: Become Human (PS+): mean score - 8.6 based on 126 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 78
- Metacritic user score - 87
38.Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice: mean score - 8.58 based on 138 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 81
- Metacritic user score - 80
- VG247 Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice review - it has something to say, but listening is not an easy experience
39.Pyre: mean score - 8.56 based on 48 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 85
- Metacritic user score - 79
40.Everybody's Golf: mean score - 8.55based on 237 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 78
- Metacritic user score - 78
41.Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen: mean score - 8.54 based on 165 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 78
- Metacritic user score - 81
42.Ratchet & Clank: mean score - 8.54 based on 300 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 85
- Metacritic user score - 86
43.Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown: mean score - 8.52 based on 102 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 80
- Metacritic user score - 83
44.Nex Machina: mean score - 8.51 based on 73 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 88
- Metacritic user score - 79
45.Little Nightmares: mean score - 8.5 based on 64 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 78
- Metacritic user score - 79
46.Dragon Quest Builders 2: mean score - 8.5 based on 28 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 86
- Metacritic user score - 78
- VG247 Dragon Quest Builders 2 review - a masterpiece, no joke
47.Salt and Sanctuary: mean score - 8.49 based on 69 votes (nice)
- Metacritic critic score - 84
- Metacritic user score - 81
48.Cities: Skylines: mean score - 8.47 based on 100 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 81
- Metacritic user score - 75
49.Final Fantasy 12: The Zodiac Age: mean score - 8.44 based on 107 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 86
- Metacritic user score - 84
50.Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain: mean score - 8.43 based on 353 votes
- Metacritic critic score - 93
- Metacritic user score - 82
I think the most surprising thing on this list isn’t how closely critics and the audience are actually aligned when it comes to the top tier games, I think it’s in how many damn remasters and remakes made the list - 17 of the top 50 games. That’s a good percentage and perhaps hints at the fact we haven’t had much new this generation.
Let us know your top picks.
