The PlayStation the brand has been doing very well in recent years, mainly thanks to the worldwide success of both PS4 and PS5. These two home consoles not only boast highly impressive hardware, but also a vast collection of excellent exclusives that cover all kinds of genres, from colorful platformers to cinematic action-adventure titles.
Consumers who might be interested in playing a high-quality game on their modern PlayStation system may be overwhelmed by the number of options available. In cases like this, aggregate review websites Outspoken critic is a great place to start. Its list of top-rated video games of all time includes several PS3, PS4, and PS5 exclusives that are definitely worth checking out, and the next ten are notorious for having high scores of 90 or more.
Astro Bot – Score: 95
The 2024 GOTY winner is the best PlayStation game ever made (by Open-Critic)
The highest rated PlayStation exclusive on Open-Critic is currently Astro Botwith an overall score of 95. This shouldn't come as much of a surprise considering that ASOBI's whimsical 3D platformer won Game of the Year in 2024, beating out other incredible titles (e.g. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and Black Myth: Wukong) in process.
The thing about Astro Bot is that it was the game that Sony and the PlayStation brand really needed at the time. Long-time fans were still tired of the same old cinematic adventures with hyper-realistic graphics. This 3D platformer has delighted everyone with its tight controls, adorable presentation, perfect level design, a variety of cool upgrades, and a catchy soundtrack. Yes, Astro Bot it's also filled to the brim with cameo appearances from classic PlayStation characters (given that it was released in the brand's 30th anniversary year), but the rest of the game is just so well done that it's still worth checking out, even without the fun nostalgic cameos.
The Last Of Us: Remastered – Score: 94
Remaster This landmark masterpiece is needed
With just one point less than Astro Bot, The Last of Us Remastered it also sits pretty high on the prestigious Open-Critic list. It makes a lot of sense from the original The last of us was a huge critical and commercial success that pushed the technical capabilities of the PlayStation 3 while proving just how dark, nuanced and cinematic video game storytelling could be.
This was the last great PS3 game, so it was only natural that Sony ported it to the PS4 just over a year after its initial release, with improved graphics, some much-needed quality-of-life improvements, and campaign DLC. Back leftwhich is part of the disc. The Last of Us Remastered is currently the highest-rated entry in the series on Open-Critic and should not be confused with the PS5 remake of the first game, The last of us part 1which currently has a score of 82 on the site.
God Of War – Score: 94
The reboot that brought the God Of War franchise back into the limelight
2018 God of War the reboot was a huge risk for both Sony and Santa Monica Studio. Taking what used to be a violent hack-and-slash series and turning it into a slower, more cinematic, narrative action game with RPG elements was always going to be difficult. Fortunately, this experiment became a modern masterpiece that received great reviews and sold millions of copies.
Truth be told, Kratos used to be one of the least likeable protagonists in gaming. With that in mind, this reboot brilliantly placed him in an entirely new setting based on Norse mythology, where he not only had to face a slew of new creatures, enemies, and (of course) deities, but was also forced to face the consequences of his previous actions and prevent his godlike powers from determining the fate of his son Atreus. In addition to the interesting premise, there is also a combat system God of War it's engaging and satisfying, and its realistic graphics are very impressive on PS4.
Persona 5 – Score: 94
One of the best JRPGs ever made was a PlayStation exclusive for a while
Person 5 is now highly regarded as one of the best turn-based JRPGs ever made and is directly responsible for many people becoming avid fans of the genre, but most players forget just how odd its original release schedule was. Person 5 originally launched in September 2016 in Japan, on both PS4 and PS3, the seventh generation console, which was discontinued just a few months later. However, this shouldn't come as much of a surprise, given all that has gone before Persona the titles were also PlayStation exclusives.
This means that PS3 and PS4 owners were the only people in the world who could enjoy this JRPG masterpiece until the release of its enhanced cross-platform port. Persona 5 Royalin 2022. Before then, it was definitely worth owning any of these systems just to try them out Person 5 out, as its colorful and distinctive presentation, addictive life simulation mechanics, cast of endearing characters, and fast and accessible combat system have contributed greatly to its massive worldwide popularity.
Road – Score: 93
A Quiet And Beautiful Piece Of Moving Art
In 2012, Thatgamecompany, Inc. released a fascinating digital-only game on the PlayStation Network that was simply named Wayand it immediately affected the entire industry. This is a very simple but effective adventure about a character in a robe who must travel through a vast desert. There is no combat, no enemies, and not a single word throughout the entire game.
WayThe main premise already stood out on its own in late 2010, when most mainstream studios were releasing dark and gritty shooters, but its unique multiplayer component also resonated with consumers. Two different players can find each other in the desert, but are forced to communicate exclusively through musical chimes, a mechanic that Way a magical sense of wonder and humanity that was enhanced by his beautiful art style and atmospheric music. Thanks to its influence and success Way it was later ported to PS4 in 2015 and PC in 2019.
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End – Score: 93
Nathan Drake's latest adventure has lived up to the hype
I return to Uncharted franchise has always been a tall order for Naughty Dog, especially after the unprecedented success of the studio's previous game, The last of us. Fortunately, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End not only did it not disappoint, it became one of the absolute best entries in the series.
This game felt like Naughty Dog took everything they learned in development The last of us and successfully applied it to Uncharted IP without removing the bombastic gameplay and universal appeal that have been the hallmark of the series. Consequently, the plot Uncharted 4 it's much more personal and emotional, but it's still pretty upbeat and perfectly wraps up all of its beloved characters, including Nathan Drake himself. And of course, the PS4's advanced hardware allowed the studio to create some of the biggest levels and most elaborate sets in the entire franchise.
The Last Of Us Part 2 – Score: 93
A highly controversial title that won The Game of the Year in 2020
The last of us part 2 is objectively an excellent sequel to Naughty Dog's 2013 masterpiece. After all, the graphics are much better, the survival horror/third-person shooter gameplay is more refined, and the story is much more complex and even more heartbreaking. It's also worth noting that this long-awaited sequel was released in June 2020, giving PS4 users something long and impressive to play in the midst of a global pandemic.
While The last of us part 2 is a great video game that definitely deserves to have a score of 93 on Open-Critic, some people may not fully agree with its high ranking on the list of the best games of all time. Due to some of the bold and unexpected narrative decisions, its reception was very divisive among the first game's devoted fans, and the controversy increased when it won Game of the Year at the 2020 Game Awards.
God Of War Ragnarok – Score: 92
The continuation of the story of Kratos and Atreus did not disappoint
Four years after God of War The reboot had a huge impact on the gaming landscape, and Sony and Santa Monica Studio followed it up with an incredible direct sequel: God of War Ragnarok. The game continues Kratos and Atreus' journey through the dangerous world of Norse mythology and, unlike its predecessor, actually shows them facing off against its two most powerful deities: Thor and Odin.
While the plot God of War (2018) was slower and more personal than usual, Ragnarok picks up the pace and sees both protagonists regularly engage in constant battles against gods and monsters. The gameplay and graphics haven't changed that much, but they've been polished enough to make the overall experience feel smoother and more cinematic. While the main campaign has some slow segments that can become tiresome with subsequent playthroughs (which may explain why it scores two points less than its predecessor), God of War Ragnarok is still an amazing action game that every PS4 or PS5 owner should add to their collection.
Demon's Souls – Score: 92
Best launch title for PlayStation 5
In 2009, FromSoftware released a unique PS3 exclusive called Soul of Demonswhich won critical acclaim for its atmosphere and combat, but was also infamous for its tough-as-nails nature. While the studio eventually moved to Dark souls franchise, Soul of Demons The IP still belonged to Sony, who famously used it ten years later to incentivize players to buy the PlayStation 5 on the day the system launched.
Developed by Bluepoint Games (the studio assigned by PlayStation to produce many remasters and remakes), Demon Souls (2020) is a complete remake of the classic action RPG from 2009, but with detailed modern graphics and an elaborate combat system that makes the game more accessible to new fans of the Soulslike genre. In addition, the edition Soul of Demons was extremely important to the PlayStation brand, not only because it was the launch title for the PS5, but also because for several months it was one of the few games that was 100% exclusive to the console (and wasn't also available on the PS4).
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth – Score: 92
The second part of the FF7 Remake project was even better than the first
After Squaresoft and Nintendo went their separate ways in the mid-1990s, Final Fantasy The IP has pretty much become synonymous with the PlayStation brand largely because of this Final Fantasy VII has become one of the best and most popular PS1 games of all time. As a result, almost every subsequent game in this iconic RPG series was exclusive to the PlayStation console, including the long-awaited Final Fantasy VII redo the project.
While Final Fantasy 7 Remake was undeniably great (and currently boasts an 88 score on Open-Critic), his direct successor, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthis bigger and better in every way. This sequel allows fans to relive the second part of this magical story (with its fair share of brand new twists) along with its endearing cast of iconic characters, but modernizes the entire experience with its excellent graphics, deep and addictive real-time combat system, and tons of interesting side missions. To no one's surprise, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth became one of the best-reviewed games of 2024, all despite being 100% PS5 exclusive (until the eventual release of its PC port in early 2025).
