If you’re after an incredibly memorable story-driven experience on the PlayStation 4, check out our list below. While these titles are based on the opinions of the Gameranx staff, we’d like to think that at least one of these entries will make your narrative dreams come true. (Of course, we’d like to hear your picks as well.)
Narrowing the list down to ten was a challenge, given the wide variety of genres and styles of story available. Let us know your thoughts!
#10 Firewatch
PC | Xbox | PlayStation | Nintendo
Thanks to the developers at Campo Santo, now owned by Valve, we have the iconic adventure game Firewatch. This game is a walking simulator, meaning that the gameplay consists of exploring, picking up items, and solving puzzles. As a result, the game is more relaxing than most as players are fully focused on the narrative or mission at hand. In Firewatch, you’re taken back to 1989 and placed into the shoes of protagonist Henry, who has become a forest fire lookout. Back then, these jobs were isolated, forcing people to leave behind loved ones for long periods of time.
Henry really only has one means of communication in the form of a walkie-talkie. Through this dated technology, Henry is able to keep in contact with a nearby forest fire lookout, a woman named Delilah. As the game progresses, we learn more about Henry and why he decided to take this tough job. It also seems that there is someone else in the area causing mischief. This is a title that can be completed quickly, with only four hours needed to complete the main story.
#9 What Remains of Edith Finch
PC | Xbox | PlayStation | Nintendo
What Remains of Edith Finch is a title from developers Giant Sparrow, the team behind The Unfinished Swan. The game follows our protagonist as they explore a colossal house owned by her family. As players learn more, they begin to discover what happened to each family member during their last day alive. It’s up to you to fit the puzzle pieces together, revealing the family’s complicated history.
What makes this game fun is the small bite-size storylines you can play through. As you progress through the house and find different rooms to access, you’ll get transported to that character’s memories, playing as them for a short while. These mini-stories are often pretty diverse in terms of gameplay mechanics as well–you’ll be playing as everything from an animal to a tiny baby.
#8 Detroit: Become Human
Quantic Dream has been around since the late 1990s. The team has delivered some incredible cinematic titles, bringing the studio quite a bit of notoriety. Specifically, the last three installments released from the studio–Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls, and Detroit: Become Human–have captured quite a few fans. The latter was dubbed a masterpiece when it was released on the PlayStation 4, and for good reason.
Set in a futuristic Detroit, Michigan, players take control of three different android characters; Kara, a female android on the run from an abusive owner; Connor, a male android tasked with hunting down deviant androids, and Markus, another male android who has begun an android revolution.
This game is all about choices, with each chapter having many different endings to discover. Be forewarned–the wrong choices can lead to some of the most heartwrenching moments you’ve ever seen in a video game.
#7 Gone Home
PC | Xbox | PlayStation | Nintendo
Within Gone Home, players take the role of a young woman who heads home during break. Expecting to see her family and familiar faces waiting, the house is empty. This is where your journey begins as you investigate the home in the hopes of finding your parents and sister. Similar to Firewatch, this walking simulator game appears to be a horror title from the visuals–but fear not. This is a mystery sans any jump scares or monsters.
Gone Home has players searching various rooms from top to bottom, picking up scraps of paper and piecing together a narrative of the events that transpired before you arrived. A short title, this title will only take about two hours to complete the narrative.
#6 Until Dawn
Until Dawn is a PlayStation 4 exclusive and a horror adventure title. Developed by Supermassive Games, the game follows a group of eight characters who decide to hold a holiday retreat at a cabin within a fictional mountain resort in western Canada.
However, their holiday retreat quickly turns sour as they learn that a psycho killer is on the loose, forcing the group to survive until sunrise. If you enjoy choice-based video games then this title will be a must-play. Gamers will be able to control the characters at various points in the narrative while making critical choices along the way. Depending on the choices made, the narrative will change and result in certain characters not making it through the night. If you’ve ever wanted to know what it feels like to hold someone’s life in your hands, this is a perfect choice.
#5 Life is Strange
PC | Xbox | PlayStation | Nintendo
Dontnod Entertainment released an instant classic with Life is Strange. The game has gone on to receive two additional installments, but for this list, we’re focusing on the first release. In the game, players take the role of a young woman named Max who is attending a prestigious school in her hometown of Arcadia Bay. In hopes of being an iconic photographer, Max has been adjusting to her life in school when she suddenly discovers that she posses a supernatural ability–the power to go back in time. It’s through this power that she rekindles her friendship with a former best friend, Chloe Price.
The duo goes on a wild quest to discover what happened to a missing girl who happens to be Chloe’s significant other. Through the use of Max’s time-altering powers, the two slowly uncover some dark secrets from Arcadia Bay that change their lives forever. Not everything is what it seems and along the way, your choices may alter the entire narrative.
#4 Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
The Uncharted franchise has been immensely popular with Sony fans. 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 retired from fortune-hunting. This all changes when he’s reunited with his older brother Sam and partner Sully. The three must search for clues to find the location of Captain Henry Avery’s long-lost treasure in order to save Sam’s life. This game will also take players to a variety of different locations and even different periods of Nathan’s life.
The game was developed by Naughty Dog who has brought us some iconic Sony exclusives over the years. If you want a more cinematic gameplay experience then this is certainly one franchise installment not to miss.
#3 Red Dead Redemption 2
PC | Xbox | PlayStation
Rockstar Games has delivered some iconic titles in the past, with the obvious choice being Grand Theft Auto. However, when they first announced that they are bringing out a western timepiece called Red Dead Redemption, fans immediately labeled it as a subpar Grand Theft Auto clone, yet when it was released, fans quickly flocked to the stores and couldn’t get enough of living life in the old west. This was such a massive hit that it was clear that Rockstar Games would be delivering another installment down the road.
Red Dead Redemption 2 wasn’t just another installment to the beloved franchise, but it was set as a prequel that took place a few years prior to the events of the original Red Dead Redemption title. In this game, we got to see a younger John Marston once again, but rather than taking the role of the character, we were able to step into a new protagonist Arthur Morgan. Players are a part of the infamous Dutch Van Der Linde gang as they embark on a quest to cut out a land of their own.
Of course, in order for Dutch’s plans to have his close allies live as free people, they need money. This game takes place shortly after a plot to steal a massive amount of money goes wrong. Rather than throwing in the towel, Dutch, Arthur, and the rest of this outlaw gang go on the run. There are plenty of ups and downs along the journey, but one thing is clear–you’ll have a hard time not replaying this game when it ends. There are so many little side quests and secrets waiting to be uncovered, so don’t be afraid to go off the beaten trail and seek out the road less traveled.
#2 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
PC | Xbox | PlayStation | Nintendo
The Witcher has one of the most massive fanbases in the gaming world. What started out as a novel was eventually transformed into a video game series, and most recently given a hugely popular Netflix adaptation. In this rich narrative adventure, players take on the role of Geralt of Rivia who is dealing with both an invasion from the Northern Kingdom and the Wild Hunt.
The narrative does wonders as it blurs the lines between good and evil, making players rely largely on their gut feelings. If you haven’t played this RPG, you’re missing out on a true piece of gaming history. Going in completely blind with no knowledge of the world might be difficult, though it isn’t impossible by any means. You’ll also find yourself sinking over fifty hours into the main game, with dozens of additional hours of sidequests and additional DLC.
#1 The Last of Us 1 & 2
Naughty Dog knows how to pull off an incredible cinematic video game experience. When The Last of Us was originally released on the PlayStation 3, it was such a mega-hit that the developers were quick to bring out a remastered edition for the PlayStation 4. In this first game, players take the role of Joel who is tasked with delivering a young girl named Ellie across the country. Years have passed since the start of the apocalypse, and with a disease turning civilians into mindless zombie-like creatures, the world’s population has broken off into small factions. Joel’s difficult job is worth the risk as this young girl may hold the key to achieving immunization.
The Last of Us 2 takes place several years after the events of the first game. Players take control of an older Ellie who has taken up a normal life in a small town outpost. However, something tragic occurs that causes Ellie to go on another grand journey against all odds. We’ll refrain from spoiling anything, but both third-person action-horror titles are well worth the play.
