10. SoulCalibur VI (PS4)

Price
$59.99/£54.99
Players
2
Why Play It
An approachable yet deep return to form, SoulCalibur 6 delivers fast, flashy weapons-based fighting with robust single player modes and excellent character creation, making it both easy to pick up and rewarding to master.

9. Injustice 2 (PS4)

A visual tour-de-force, with a stunning cinematic campaign that actually felt worth a damn: Injustice 2 saw NetherRealm Studios on top form. With dynamically changing ladders introducing new challenges every hour and a neat loot system which added real replayability to the game, this fighter will go down in history as one of the biggest, most graphically stunning efforts ever to release on consoles at the time.

8. Mortal Kombat X (PS4)

Mortal Kombat X has become something of a fan favourite over the years — a typically gory and charmingly daft entry in the long-running series. On a mechanical level, X gets a lot right — it's like a melding of older Mortal Kombat titles, spruced up for modern times. Whatever your skill level happens to be, it's great bloody fun, capped off by a comprehensive character roster and loads of engaging game modes.

7. Mortal Kombat 11 (PS4)

Mortal Kombat 11’s spectacular presentation and crunching combat make it a headline entry in the long-running franchise. With an absolute mountain of single player content to get through, as well as an active competitive scene, this is one of the best fighters you can find on PS4.

6. Street Fighter V: Champion Edition (PS4)

It took a little time for Capcom to knock Street Fighter 5 into shape, but the Champion Edition is the most complete version of the brawler available, featuring many of its subsequent content packs and updates in one bundle. You’re getting the full game here alongside 40 fighters, 34 stages, and over 200 outfits. Street Fighter 6 is the better and more active option these days, but there’s still a ton of game to enjoy here.

5. Guilty Gear Strive (PS5)

The PS5's first native fighting game has set the bar very, very high. Guilty Gear Strive is a superb brawler, bolstered by jaw-dropping visuals and the best online netcode that we've ever experienced in a fighting game. A relatively small but brilliantly diverse character roster allows for a deep and hugely rewarding experience, while accessible gameplay mechanics on a base level pave the way for new players. A stunning beat-'em-up backed by an incredible heavy rock soundtrack.

4. Street Fighter 6 (PS5)

Street Fighter 6 puts the series back on the map. Following the comparably dismal launch of Street Fighter V, this iteration of Capcom's fighter is the most robust package yet, catering to both competitive and casual players brilliantly. New mechanics add more strategy to fights, different control schemes level the playing field for newcomers, and the online play is seriously smooth. Add to that the incredibly high-effort single-player World Tour mode, in-depth tutorials, a multitude of fun ways to fight, and a vibrant roster of familiar and new characters, and you have one of the best fighting games in recent memory.

3. Tekken 8 (PS5)

Arguably the most explosive Tekken game yet, Tekken 8 is a truly bombastic fighter. Fundamentally, it builds on the already fantastic foundations of Tekken 7, but the new Heat system brings so much aggression to the series' trademark 3D gameplay. Featuring a healthy list of modes — both online and offline — a rock solid character roster, and the promise of many memorable battles, Tekken 8 is probably the franchise at its peak.

2. Dragon Ball FighterZ (PS4)

One of the greatest anime-based fighting games ever, Dragon Ball FighterZ is a masterclass in adapting an existing franchise. Bandai Namco wanted a Dragon Ball title that could stand on a tournament stage, and so it recruited the fighting game geniuses at Arc System Works. The result is a downright stunning, but also brilliantly deep team-based brawler. It has a few too many Gokus in its character roster, perhaps, but that's a minor criticism when the game's in full flow. A joyous, competitive celebration of Akira Toriyama's timeless creation.

1. Ultra Street Fighter IV (PS4)

Though it launched in a fairly rough state, Ultra Street Fighter IV's PS4 port eventually cleaned up its act, and now punches as hard as you'd want it to. The fighting game remains fun and stylish, and there's a simplicity to 2D fighters that makes this a go-to for local multiplayer sessions.