Best Looking PS4 Games of 2016

2015 was a great year for the PlayStation 4, between a number of exclusives from Sony (The Order: 1886, Bloodborne and Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection) and third-party favorites such as Star Wars: Battlefront and Call of Duty: Black Ops III. However, if this weekend’s PlayStation Experience showed us anything, it’s that we haven’t seen anything yet, as 2016 promises to be even better.

There are a number of indie favorites and AAA titles making their way to the system, assuring there will be plenty of experiences to enjoy as the PS4 enters its third year on the market. With that in mind, we have a rundown of games you should keep an eye on.

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

Considering how long Nathan Drake’s adventure has lasted over the years, it’s a bit sad to see it come to an end. Nevertheless, the team at Naughty Dog will save the best for last, as Drake makes one final journey in the hopes of saving his brother from trouble. A Thief’s End looks like it’ll have tons of action, and the multiplayer component looks stronger than previous entries in the series.

Ratchet and Clank

You’ve seen Ratchet and his little robot pal Clank get into some galactic skirmishes before, but none have been as highly detailed as this. The pair’s debut on the PlayStation 4 is easily its most stunning to date, between its combination of beautiful environmental detail and entertaining space action. The weapons, like the pixel-shooting retro gun and of course the dance-creating Groovitron, offer a heaping dose of creativity. This game will definitely have its share of thrills when it arrives in April.

Shadow of the Beast

It’s been years since we’ve seen Psygnosis’ side-scrolling action series, which initially debuted on the PC and Sega Genesis back in 1989. Yet Sony somehow felt compelled to bring the legacy of the Beast roaring back for a new generation. While the game stays true to its side-scrolling roots, the team at Heavy Spectrum Entertainment Labs have tweaked the gameplay so it’s much more visceral, as you rip enemies apart and uncover a mystery that will put your beastly powers to the test.

Alienation

Housemarque, the developer behind Super Stardust HD and Resogun, has kept busy with its latest project, which features super-mech soldiers using a number of weapons to stave off an alien invasion. The game features some strong co-op, so others can join in the fight, and the variety of weapons should be quite staggering as well. You’ll need all the firepower you can muster – these aren’t friendly extraterrestrials.

Drawn To Death

David Jaffe, the director of Twisted Metal and the original God of War, has been keeping quite busy with his latest project, an inspired multiplayer shooter that uses entirely hand-drawn visuals to bring its world to life. You’ll select from a handful of oddball characters (dibs on the lady with the shark head) as they compete in open arenas, using a handful of specially crafted weapons to get the point across to the competition. It’s definitely a far cry from shooters like Battlefront and Call of Duty, but Jaffe wouldn’t have it any other way.

Street Fighter V

One of the biggest exclusives in the PlayStation 4 library, Street Fighter V is definitely set for game-changer status. Introducing a number of familiar favorites from previous entries in the series, alongside new characters that look to make their own impact, the sequel has plenty of gameplay tweaks to keep fighting fanatics happy, along with a fair unlock system that will add new fighters to the fray. It looks and plays great, too, which is good news for devotees to the series.

No Man’s Sky

It’s hard to believe the small team behind the Joe Danger games would choose such a wide-open exploration adventure like No Man’s Sky to develop. Regardless, when the game does finally arrive next year, it’ll bring with it a sense of scope that other developers could only dream of, as you and your friends explore a galaxy consisting of billions – yes, billions – of planets. With so much to see and do within this universe, particularly with space exploration, you’ll be lucky just to take a tenth of it in.

Dead Star

The team at Armature Studios decided to give a multiplayer space shooter a shot with the wildly entertaining Dead Star, a game that has you taking part in epic space battles using a unique twin-stick control system. It definitely has potential to be one of the biggest sleeper hits next year, and with a beta set to kick off in just a few weeks’ time, it won’t take long to see what it’s all about. We’ll see you in space, cowboy.