Having only bought a PS4 at the end of 2019, I have had so much fun delving into the world of gaming over the past couple of years. I have played so many fantastic games, and even if I'm not the best gamer (easy mode is my friend), I absolutely love playing them and am so excited to catch up with more titles.
I have ordered the titles in rough order of when I played them, and grouped by franchise where applicable, and I plan to update this post as I play new games...
Spider-Man PS4
Description: When Mister Negative threatens to release a deadly virus, Spider-Man must confront him and protect the city while dealing with the personal problems of his civilian persona, Peter Parker.
Status: Completed (& platinumed)
Things I loved | Things I didn't love |
The combat and traversal system is incredibly fluid and addictive, and was a wonderful entry point to the PS4. | After playing other open world games, returning to the NYC map feels a little empty even if it is beautifully rendered. |
I went in as a Marvel fan and did not come away disappointed: this is a quintessential Spider-Man story complete with quips, responsibilities, iconic baddies and heart. | Some of the side quests were a little dull, and it was disappointing that the Black cat and Taskmaster stuff was there to set up DLC’s |
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
Description: On the hunt for Captain Henry Avery’s long-lost treasure, Nathan Drake sets off to find Libertalia, the pirate utopia deep in the forests of Madagascar
Status: Finished
Things I loved | Things I didn't love |
The story and characters are second to none. I am a huge fan of adventure films and believe that we don’t get enough of them, and Uncharted fills that gap for me. Nate, Elena and Sully are brilliant characters | This was addressed by director Neil Druckmann, but the climbing segments were overlong and it was a little frustrating getting stuck in one area for a long time not knowing how to progress |
The action set pieces! This is cliché but playing U4 feels like playing a blockbuster movie, and one that is leaps and bounds beyond 90% of whatever Hollywood is churning out these days. The prison escape scene, Madagascar chase and auction heist are simply brilliant | ​Also, the ludonarrative dissonance (a posh word for the difference in storytelling between the gameplay and narrative) is a minor complaint that I have heard from others and definitely has merit even if it isn't deal-breaking |
The level of craft from studio Naughty Dog, from the graphics, gameplay, small details and storytelling is unmatched and, as my second PS4 game ever, slightly ruined everything else going forward | ​ |
Horizon Zero Dawn
Description: The plot follows Aloy, a young hunter in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by machines, who sets out to uncover her past.
Status: Completed (& my first ever platinum!)
Things I loved | Things I didn't love |
​HZD is the first (and best) open world game I ever played, and its beauty cannot be overstated. This is such an interesting game world which never feels empty. The variety in biomes is stunning and it truly feels like a dangerous world, contrasted with the BBC nature documentary aesthetic | Playing this straight after Uncharted 4 made the facial animations all the more painful but I understood why they needed to sacrifice it in favour of the gameplay and world |
The combat is simply amazing. I love the freedom of choice, making you feel like a real hunter, whether you want to lay down traps and snipe or charge in and knock off components. Discovering and learning about each robot independently is incredibly rewarding, but the challenge never diminishes even late in the game | This is a personal preference but there is way too much reading and listening to messages and logs. It’s not a way of storytelling that appeals to me but I appreciate the depth of lore that Guerrilla packed into the world |
Aloy! It’s easy to take for granted but having a compellingly written female character at the centre of the game is amazing | Honestly, every gameplay complaint I had about this game seems to be directly addressed in the upcoming sequel (the simplistic melee, clunky climbing system, tacked on human combat) |
A brilliant sci-fi story, mystery and emotional arc for the main character | ​ |
Description: A 2015 remaster of the first three games in the Uncharted series. The three games follow treasure hunter Nathan Drake as he travels across the world to uncover various historical mysteries.
Status: Finished
Things I loved | Things I didn't love |
​Since I played Uncharted 4 first, it was so fun to see more of the characters I loved and where they originated | ​The first game, Drake's Fortune, is very much of its time, which isn’t to say that I didn’t enjoy it, but it definitely feels weaker than the rest |
​The one-liners in this game can genuinely be so funny, the script and ad-libs are hilarious | ​That third act turn in Drake's Fortune comes out of NOWHERE, I was terrified |
​The actions set-pieces are unforgettable and iconic- Hollywood wishes it was this good (and Harrison Ford loves it!) | ​There is a noticeable spike in difficulty in the third game, Drake's Deception, that was more frustrating than challenging |
Control
Description: The game revolves around the Federal Bureau of Control (FBC), a secret U.S. government agency tasked with containing and studying phenomena that violate the laws of reality. As Jesse Faden, the Bureau's new Director, the player explores the Oldest House – the FBC's paranormal headquarters – and utilizes powerful abilities in order to defeat a deadly enemy known as the Hiss.
Status: Not Finished
​Things I loved | ​Things I didn't love |
​The atmosphere and originality of the game is so my kind of thing and instantly compelling | ​I had to stop playing this game because the drops in frame rate and long loading screens were a little painful to sit through (especially because I tend to die a lot since there isn’t adjustment for difficulty). I am hoping to continue if I get a PS5 |
​The gameplay mechanics are just so cool- the balance between using telekinesis to make objects fly, using your shape-shifting gun and melee to fight hordes of creepy enemies is brilliant fun | ​The map and generally locating the next mission can be very frustrating and confusing |
​ | ​No difficulty adjustments for noobs like me |
The Last of Us Remastered
Description: Set in the post-apocalyptic United States, the game tells the story of survivors Joel and Ellie as they work together to survive their westward journey across what remains of the country to find a possible cure for the modern fungal plague that has nearly decimated the entire human race.
Status: Finished
​Things I loved | ​Things I didn't love |
​The story of TLoU is one of my favourites ever (including film and television). I am always partial to a reluctant protector with child trope, and this is without a doubt the best I have ever seen. The characters, emotion and story are unforgettable, and I cannot wait for the HBO adaptation starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey. | ​Zombies scary |
​This is a Naughty Dog production so the visuals, performances and gameplay are incredibly polished, especially for a PS3 title | ​ |
​One of the best video game soundtracks composed by Gustavo Santaolalla, so emotional | ​ |
​The gameplay mechanic of having to scavenge feels genuinely vital to survival and is a great blend between world and gameplay (or 'ludonarrative consistency' since I want to use the posh term) | ​ |
The Last of Us Part II
Description: The game is the sequel to The Last of Us and picks up the story of Ellie and Joel five years after the events of the original game
Status: In progress (at about Seattle Day 2)
Things I loved | ​Things I didn't love |
​This is the best looking game I have played for sure- absolutely stunning environments and creatures with incredible performance capture | ​This game is infamous for its fan backlash which I don't get so far- I plan to update this section once I complete the main story and have a better perspective on it |
​The combat and stealth mechanics are fantastic, building on the first to give a satisfying level of freedom as to how to approach a situation and leading to a masterful build in tension in every single encounter | ​ |
​(Ditto everything for Part 1!) | ​ |
God of War
Description: After wiping out the gods of Mount Olympus, Kratos moves on to the frigid lands of Scandinavia, where he and his son must embark on an odyssey across a dangerous world of gods and monsters.
Status: Finished
​Things I loved | ​​Things I didn't love |
​This is probably one of the most epic things…ever? The combination of the action setpieces and Bear McCreary's amazing music is jaw-dropping and powerful | ​I don’t love this game as much as most people, in large part because of the RPG elements which left me stuck upgrading meaningless stats in the menu system, and also the game world which I never fully connected to |
​Once again, my partiality to parent/child stories means that the Kratos and Atreus relationship is the absolute stand-out of the game, a brilliantly told story with memorable performances by Christopher Judge and Sunny Suljic | ​The middle of the story is quite meandering, mainly consisting of collecting one MacGuffin to unlock another MacGuffin which dilutes the emotion and central story |
​The Leviathon Axe is the best | ​This is more of a fault with myself than the game, but I could not remember more than three or four combat combos at any one time and I consistently wished I was BETTER ("do not be sorry be better") |
Return of the Obra Dinn
Description: In 1807, the Obra Dinn drifted into port at Falmouth with damaged sails and no visible crew. As insurance investigator for the East India Company's London Office, you are dispatched to the ship to prepare an assessment of damages. Return of the Obra Dinn is a first-person mystery adventure based on exploration and logical deduction.
Status: In progress (all memories seen, not many fates solved!)
​Things I loved | ​Things I didn't love |
​The central concept for this game is incredible, I wish I could play a dozen more games like this with different mysteries to solve each time | ​Some of the deductions you have to make are HARD and based on very insignificant details. I can see myself struggling later down the line when I attempt to solve every fate |
​I haven’t come close to solving every fate but I know that I am never going to stop playing until I do | ​The ‘structure’ of the memories/notebook is a little confusing at first |
Red Dead Redemption 2
Description: After a robbery goes terribly wrong in the western town of Blackwater, Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang are forced to flee. With federal agents and the best bounty hunters in the nation massing on their heels, the gang must rob, steal, and fight their way across the rugged heartland of America in order to survive.
Status: In progress
​Things I loved | ​​Things I didn't love |
The scope of this game is incredible- it feels like there’s lots and lots of things to do. One session you could dedicate to hunting, another to looting and another to wreaking havoc and never get bored | ​The details of RDR2 are also sometimes its curse- some of the controls and mechanics are little finnicky, especially things like traversal and the health/stamina system |
​The world is so lovingly crafted- Rockstar capture the feeling of the Old West perfectly especially enhanced by the soundtrack | ​The main missions are a very linear compared to the freedom of the open world, there’s often only one way to complete the mission |
​Lots of the missions have a great sense of humour from a drunken night out with Lenny to a side-quest involving escaped circus animals that was comedic gold | ​ |
Inside
Description: Hunted and alone, a boy finds himself drawn into the centre of a dark project. INSIDE is a dark, narrative-driven platformer combining intense action with challenging puzzles
Status: Completed
​Things I loved | ​Things I didn't love |
​The aesthetic and soft world-building of this game is one of my favourite things ever | ​This is personal preference but some of the puzzles and timing were a bit frustrating just because my mind doesn’t work the way the game wants it to- I ended up using quite a few online guides to prompt me when stuck |
​This is one of my favourite gaming ‘experiences’, going in mostly blind and being able to piece the story together without any dialogue or exposition was incredible. The intelligence of some of the puzzles is frankly thrilling to experience. | ​The ending of the game is compelling upon reflection but bizarre and anti-climactic when playing it |
Other Games Played:
Shadow of the Colossus- A PS3 classic that I had to stop playing sadly because the controls were too unintuitive and clunky (the giant Colossus' were amazing though, so I might try again sometime)
What Remains of Edith Finch - a melancholy, thoughtful storybook following the lives of the tragic Finch family
Abzu - a beautiful and meditative swimming ‘experience’
Ratchet and Clank – a fun action/adventure and my first foray into the franchise
The Witness – a stunningly intelligent and mysterious puzzler that I look forward to continuing
Favourites for:
Combat: Spider-Man, The Last of Us Part II, Horizon Zero Dawn
Story: The Last of Us, Uncharted 4, Spider-Man, God of War
Game World/Aesthetic: Horizon Zero Dawn, Inside, Control, Limbo, RDR2
Cinematic Experience: The Last of Us, Uncharted 4, God of War
Soundtrack: Horizon Zero Dawn, The Last of Us, God of War
Thank you so much for reading this post, I'm hoping to update it as I finish the games I am currently playing and also start new ones (Ghost of Tsushima is on my wish list!). If you have any recommendations for similar games, I would love to hear them.
I do not own any of the images used in this post.