#5 The Last of Us Part 2
- Developer: Naughty Dog
- Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
The Last of Us was such a massive hit when it launched into the market originally that it was bound to get a sequel. Fans couldn’t get their hands on a copy of The Last of Us Part 2 quick enough and finally in 2020, we got the sequel that throws players back into the world of The Last of Us. We’re going to do our best from spoiling anything here but overall the game takes place several years after the events of the first game. Ellie is an adult and has been living comfortably in a town that’s done a great job keeping hostile threats away from the area.
Of course, something goes terribly wrong and Ellie’s thrown back into the world where survival seems slim. Players are tossed into the role of Ellie where her new journey is fueled by hate and revenge while littered with several questions leaving you guessing as to what’s going on. Again, we’re doing our best to avoid spoiling any of the fun, but if you played the first game then you can expect a lengthy game filled with large set pieces to explore.
#4 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Developer: CD Projekt Red
- Publisher: CD Projekt
Fans of western RPGs will no doubt have played at least one of the Witcher games. With its deep rich narrative journeys and fleshed out worlds, the trilogy has wrapped up with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. As expected the third installment not only saw a massive overhaul in terms of graphics but provided gamers with a much more lively world filled with quests and exploration.
While still taking the role of Geralt of Rivia, players will find that that they must deal with the invasion of the Norther Kingdom along with the growing threat of the Wild Hunt. Outside of just a massive world to explore, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt delivers campaigns and quests to keep you busy for hours on end.
#3 Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
- Developer: NaughtyDog
- Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
The Uncharted franchise has been immensely popular with Sony gamers with the fourth main installment, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End was set to be the conclusion to the Uncharted series starring Nathan Drake.
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End takes place several years after the events of Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, where Nathan Drake has been retired from fortune hunting. That is until he is reunited with his older brother Sam and partner Sully where the trio must search for clues to the location of Captain Henry Avery’s long-lost treasure in order to save Sam’s life. Just like past Uncharted titles, players will be exploring new exotic locations in search of clues and treasure while on an overwhelming force is closely behind the heels of Drake.
#2 God of War
- Developer: SIE Santa Monica Studio
- Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
What can we say about God of War that you probably are not already fully aware of? The video game franchise got its start back in the days of the PlayStation 2 and is still going strong today. However, this title, in particular, is more of a soft reboot to the franchise.
If you’re familiar with the past installments, this time around Kratos has ended his time with Greek mythology and has since moved onto Norse mythology. Likewise, Kratos will not be alone anymore as he will be looking over his son named Atreus, preparing him for the real world after the recent passing of his mother.
#1 The Last of Us Remastered
- Developer: Naughty Dog
- Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
The Last of Us saw countless awards once the studio unleashed this video game into the market.
This is an action-adventure survival horror type video game set in a world where a disease that turns people into mindless creatures similar to zombies has started to spread globally. Players take on the role of Joe who must deliver a young girl named Ellie to a group safely across the United States.
With bandits, thieves, military, and lastly infected between Joel and his objective, players will have to carefully maneuver around the levels strategically. However, the narrative journey will tug on your heartstrings leaving you begging for more.
Bonus Games
Vampyr
- Developer: Dontnod Entertainment
- Publisher: Focus Home Interactive
Dontnod Entertainment has crafted up some popular titles so far. Their debut title Remember Me sparked the highly beloved Life is Strange IP. Following up the release of Life is Strange is Vampyr, a vastly different IP then what the developers have worked.
Vampyr takes place during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic in London where players take the role of a doctor Jonathan Reid. Our protagonist is in a predicament as he is a vampire with a bloodthirsty nature, but is battling his condition with his Hippocratic Oath.
Being an action role-playing title, players can traverse parts of the world while also leveling up Jonathan in order to unlock new abilities and skills through the skill tree. But being a Dontnod Entertainment video game you can expect a strong narrative journey with some tough choices you’ll have to make along the way.
Observation
- Developer: No Code
- Publisher: Devolver Digital
Observation is an adventure thriller that puts players into the role of an AI named S.A.M. Set on a space station, players must control the AI to assist the crew though, in this particular narrative, you’re slowly uncovering what happened to the vanished crew, the space station along with the AI system itself. The game offers some of the classic style adventure titles where most of the game is based around solving puzzles in order to progress the narrative.
Life is Strange: Before The Storm
- Developer: Deck Nine
- Publisher: Square Enix
If you enjoyed the first installment to the Life is Strange franchise then you know that there was certainly some stuff that went down prior to the start of the story. Mainly the story that we learned that happened prior to Max returning to the city was about Chloe and Rachel. While we learned what happened after Life is Strange came to a close, we did get the opportunity to watch it unfold with Life is Strange: Before The Storm. We’ll of course refrain from spoilers here but if you enjoyed Life is Strange and want a bit more time to dwell in Arcadia Bay along with a chance for a better understanding of what Chloe had to deal with after Max’s departure, then this is definitely a must play.
The gameplay is again similar to Life is Strange with players being able to look around the in-game world, investigate items and speak with people. There are also some choice based options scattered about that will help direct the narrative towards a certain pathway.
Life is Strange 2
- Developer: Dontnod Entertainment
- Publisher: Square Enix
Life is Strange 2 is the second main installment to the Life is Strange franchise but does not directly connect to the first game. Instead, this narrative follows a new group of characters as they deal with a new unusual phenomenon. This is another episodic adventure that has a total of five episodes, the last two of which have yet to be released at the time of writing this. Overall, players follow two boys who are on the run from the police and a grim backstory that will likely unfold throughout the season. As it stands right now the game has been receiving overall positive reviews online and the game even has some connections to The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit, a free game demo that was released prior to the launch of Life is Strange 2.
Again just like the other Life is Strange based video game titles, players are mainly going through the game for the narrative storyline. The gameplay is mainly focused on investigating the area, speaking with individuals and making choices that could have a greater impact on the storyline.
