Best PS4 PlayStation 4 Games 2015

In just under four months' time, the staff of Push Square Towers will descend into a nuclear bunker in an effort to convince editor Robert Ramsey that Toukiden: Kiwami is not one of the best titles of 2015. Seriously, though, we're already starting to discuss our favourite releases of the year here internally, and seeing as we're currently locked in the slow summer months, we thought that it would be fun to pad out our features column with a look back at some of 2015's best PlayStation 4 forays. As the holiday season approaches like a runaway steam train we're confident that this lineup is going to change before we hit Christmas – but even in the unlikely event that it doesn't, this little lot proves that it's been anything but a bad year for games.

Batman Arkham Knight Best PS4 PlayStation 4 Games 2015

Batman: Arkham Knight

Tank missions aside, Batman: Arkham Knight is the best Arkham game, period. The story is phenomenal, the combo system is more addictive and fluid than ever, and driving around Gotham at high speeds in the Batmobile is a delight. It seems as though new-gen consoles finally gave Rocksteady the power that it needed to fully realise the Batman story that it wanted to tell. Even each side mission tells an interesting narrative, and the main campaign is the best Batman tale that we've seen in the Arkham games. The third installment in Rocksteady's superhero franchise gives Batman the swansong that he needs, but maybe not the one that he deserves.

Bloodborne Best PS4 PlayStation 4 Games 2015

Bloodborne

A game that should need no introduction: Bloodborne is not just one of the best PS4 games of the year so far, it's arguably one of the best exclusives on any new-gen format to date. Hidetaka Miyazaki's gloomy Lovecraftian lash-'em-up repurposes the punishing gameplay loop from the popular Dark Souls property, but augments it with a pace seldom seen in the series before. The combat is swift and rewards risk, making the action heart-pounding from the title's brutal beginning right the way through to its very bloody end. Meanwhile, the world itself – the layered city of Yharnam – is flush with secrets and exposition, ensuring that combing its cobbled corridors never really gets old. With dozens of horrific apparitions to annihilate and a varied roster of weapons and equipment to use, this is one role-playing release that has life long after the credits roll.

Dying Light Best PS4 PlayStation 4 Games 2015

Dying Light

Yeah, maybe the zombie genre is a bit trite these days, but nothing came out of left field quite like Dying Light did. While some may think that the hype is a bit overrated and unwarranted, there's no denying the joy in grappling across the fictional city of Harran with a weapon in hand, like a zombie-slaying Spider-Man. The story wasn't great and the characters weren't memorable, but the blend of parkour and the first-person perspective done right is something that we haven't seen since Mirror's Edge and is a mechanic that more games should take note of.

Rapture Best PS4 PlayStation 4 Games 2015

Everybody's Gone to the Rapture

As unsettling as it is sumptuous, The Chinese Room's look into rural English life harbours a distinctly sinister side. While the glacial pace and limited interactivity of Everybody's Gone to the Rapture means that it's unlikely to be everyone's cup of Earl Grey, the very human dramas found at the flatlining heart of this so-called walking simulator help it to stand out from the crowd. This is a game where both observation and exploration are the headline attraction, and the developer rewards those willing to lap up every nugget of narrative with ample insight into the lives of everyday people who find themselves at the nucleus of some very extraordinary circumstances. Pristinely presented and rapturously written, this is one apocalypse that shouldn't be avoided.

Galak-Z Best PS4 PlayStation 4 Games 2015

Galak-Z: The Dimensional

Any game with a bad pun in its name deserves a place on this list in our eyes, but Galak-Z: The Dimensional offers more than lousy wordplay. Harkening back to a time when Saturday morning cartoons employed actual artwork rather than cheap CG, this punishing rogue-like sees you piloting a space craft through enemy infested locales. With supremely intelligent AI and cunning level design, you'll need to have your wits about you if you intend to mech it to the end of this intensely satisfying outing. And the eighties-inspired presentation – which includes VHS filters and all sorts of other nostalgic nonsense – is just the icing on the top of its very tasty sponge cake.

Life Is Strange Best PS4 PlayStation 4 Games 2015

Life Is Strange

If you can get beyond the John Green-esque teenage angst, then Life Is Strange – the latest from Parisian developer DONTNOD Entertainment – is hella impressive. Presented through an Instagram bloom filter, Max and Chloe's coming of age story is unlike anything that you've ever played. Inspired by the episodic output of Telltale Games, this is a title that's more concerned with conversation trees than complex gameplay. However, by putting you inside the Chuck Taylors of a fledgling photography student in a very unorthodox fishing town, the game draws you in with twist upon twist upon twist. The dialogue's as cringe-worthy as a 15-year-old's Tumblr diary, but there are more than enough engaging narrative threads here to get a thumbs-up from us – in Emoji form, of course.

N++ Best PS4 PlayStation 4 Games 2015

N++

The biggest game on this list by far, N++ comes packing no less than 2,000 handcrafted levels for you to butt your platforming chops against. The title may not necessarily be a looker, but tight controls and even tighter level design serve as a reminder that you should never judge a book by its cover. And with some truly compelling co-operative and competitive options, as well as a fully fleshed out level editor, there's enough on offer here to keep you wall jumping until the end of time. Oh, and we should probably mention the soundtrack, which – in a single word – is frankly sublime.

Rocket League Best PS4 PlayStation 4 Games 2015

Rocket League

If gameplay is king then Rocket League is Augustus Caesar. Not only is it incredibly fun to play, but it also goes to show that a multiplayer game can be successful without a carrot being waved in front of a player to keep them engaged. There are no level-based unlocks and there are no item upgrades or prestige levels, just the addictive rush of scoring goals, making acrobatic saves, and the genuine feeling of improvement. The five-minute games are just long enough to get a solid cadence with your team going and just short enough to think you can fit in another game in before bed. Not only does it solidify friendships, but it also goes to show that for the case of longevity, all roads lead to gameplay.

Shovel Knight Best PS4 PlayStation 4 Games 2015

Shovel Knight

Sure, technically it came out last year for the Wii U, but since this is a PlayStation list and Shovel Knight came out only in April for PlayStation consoles let's count it as a game that launched this year, shall we? No game in this current console generation has nailed the old-school vibe quite like Shovel Knight has. Want call-backs to retro icons like Mega Man, Duck Tales, or Castlevania? This is the game for you. Not only does it act as an ode to some of the best NES classics, but it also functions as a game that can stand on its own as one of PlayStation's best platformers. Nothing about Shovel Knight is groundbreaking, but the formula proves that there's still a place for traditional gameplay in the swath of first-person shooters and RPGs.

The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt Best PS4 PlayStation 4 Games 2015

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

If you own The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt there's a good chance that you're still playing it. Given that it came out in May, that statement alone gives you a pretty good idea of what kind of RPG this is. Of course, quantity does not always indicate quality, but the game's excellent writing, stellar cast of characters, and refined combat proves that CD Projekt Red's Geralt finale has a place in both camps. The beautiful world of Skellige, Velen, Novigrad, and more show how an expansive world can be engaging without needless filler and fetch quests. And even when you are sent to find a lost sword or a missing person, the Polish developer does a fantastic job in masking the task with gripping storytelling.

What's your favourite PS4 game of the year so far? Do you agree with our list, or are we missing something big? Speak up in the comments section below.

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What's your favourite PS4 game of 2015 so far? (131 votes)

  1. Batman: Arkham Knight15%
  2. Bloodborne24%
  3. Dying Light3%
  4. Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture4%
  5. Galak-Z: The Dimensional1%
  6. Life Is Strange5%
  7. N++1%
  8. Rocket League11%
  9. Shovel Knight3%
  10. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt35%

Please login to vote in this poll.

[ Words: Michael Passalacqua and Sammy Barker ]