The eighth generation of consoles is retiring: the last exclusives have already died down, the era of crossgen releases has begun. The first ninth generation console, the Xbox Series X , is out now; before the launch of the second, PlayStation 5, there are only a few days left. It’s time to take stock of the past seven years. What were the best games on PS4 and Xbox One ?
In order not to be biased, we looked at the Metacritic rankings for this compilation: all games featured here have an average score of 90 or higher. We also did not rank this top: there are no first or last places, all 20 games from the list are winners. And so that this material does not come out painfully long, we split it into two parts, 10 games each. The second part will be released in the coming days.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
The Ori Dilogy has unexpectedly become one of the trump cards up the sleeve of Microsoft Studios . Ori and the Blind Forest turned out to be one of the most entertaining, challenging and beautiful platform metroidvania. And its sequel, Ori and the Will of the Wisps , added Hollow Knight – esque action elements – and achieved even greater critical success. Probably not least due to the fact that in addition to spectacular chases, beautiful locations and intense battles, he was also able to offer a touching story.
Sequels often follow the “faster, higher, stronger” track, or “let’s give the audience what they loved in the original, only twice as much.” Ori and the Will of the Wisps were clearly cut according to the same formula: the map – more, abilities – more, bosses and deadly catch-ups – more, and the ending can knock out of the player not just tears – streams.
From the review of Igromania on Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Divinity: Original Sin 2
No one knows how to make RPGs the way Larian Studios does them – and Divinity: Original Sin 2 is a direct proof of this. This monumental work secured the title of true masters of the genre for the Belgian developers, whose handwriting cannot be confused with anything, because it simply cannot be faked. “RPG from Larian” is hundreds of hours of content, insane replayability, a world that is responsive to the player’s actions, and the comfort inherent in home gatherings in Dungeons & Dragons . Gary Gygax and Terry Pratchett can sleep well: Larian Studios continues their work.
It’s funny, but with its exorbitant size and tons of content, Divinity: Original Sin 2 respects the player’s time. She understands that the energy invested in the passage should pay off and bring dividends in the form of pleasure. She elevates to the status of a credo a simple truth: “Nobody wants to waste precious time on boring nonsense.”
From the review of Igromania on Divinity: Original Sin 2
Overwatch
After the success of Team Fortress 2, many developers tried to jump on the train of the newfangled hero shooter genre. And pretty much everyone has broken their teeth – except Blizzard . She not only created a benchmark multiplayer sandbox for people who prefer a riot of colors and crazy skills of heroes to gray realism, but also ensured her success long before release. A well-developed setting, bright characters, biting phrases – the audience fell in love with Overwatch and not only because it is genuinely fun to play. And although since then the game has lost some ground in the eSports arena, it is still quite popular among ordinary players.
The sleekest, most focused, and cohesive of all the new multiplayer shooters, yet the foundation for something disproportionately larger. But whatever happens next, it looks like Overwatch will be compared to all competitive games from now on.
From the review of Gambling addiction on Overwatch
Inside
Back in 2010, the Danish studio Playdead gave the world Limbo : this small black-and-white platformer was one of the first to show that video games can be considered complete and full-fledged works of art. Inside was released six years later – in a completely different climate, where no one had to prove the artistic value of games anymore – but that did not stop her from repeating, if not overshadowing, the success of her predecessor. Limbo wrote the name Playdead into history, but Inside made him immortal. Sometimes innovation is not as important as emotion.
Having held on tightly to the very end, Inside breaks off – not halfway through, but rather on the last syllable. Abruptly looses his grip and leaves staring at the end credits, regaining his lost breath and trying to realize what the hell has happened now. You still won’t find a definite answer, but that’s the beauty of this story. Or a nightmare.
From the review of Gambling addiction on Inside
Nier Automata
Taro Yoko is a master of PR: he skillfully spread his networks and caught a separate segment of the audience in each of them. Some fell for the sexy heroine in a stylish suit, others for the names of the philosophers after whom the bosses are named, others for the drama that regularly reaches hysteria, the fourth for the game memes, the fifth for the action from the designer of Metal Gear Rising , the sixth on the eccentric behavior of Yoko himself, walking in the mask of one of his heroes, yelling in a commercial for “Shit Square Enix” and kissing the thighs of cosplayers. Nier Automata is a game as unusual as its creator and never gets bored.
Yoko Taro’s new game is the “Name of the Rose” from the world of games: fans of slashers will find in it a high-quality (albeit not perfect) representative of the genre, connoisseurs of visual aesthetics will be delighted with the design of characters and the world, and a bunch of madmen who play this for the sake of “Multi-layered” history will be rewarded a hundredfold for hundreds of hours spent in the world of Nier.
From the review of Gambling Addiction on Nier Automata
Monster Hunter: World
Until 2018, Monster Hunter was a series of highly niche monster hunting games that were hugely popular in Japan; in the West, as if no one had heard of her. But since the release of Monster Hunter: World in January 2018, the franchise has not only thundered around the world – it has become the most profitable project in the history of Capcom . It turns out that gaijins also love safaris: all they had to do was move to modern platforms and start keeping up with the times. Monster Hunter: World has delighted both veterans who have followed the series since the days of the PlayStation 2 , and newcomers who have taken up the power blade for the first time.
The game is based on the same grind mechanics, but it is honed to perfection and conquers with a combination of apparent simplicity and depth. For those who like to defeat the other boss in the evenings with friends, Monster Hunter: World is just perfect: there are tactics, and vigorous action, and always worthy opponents.
From the review of Igromania on Monster Hunter: World
Celeste
Celeste is arguably the most creative (and challenging) platformer since Super Meat Boy . The game would have gone unnoticed if it hadn’t been for word of mouth: those who accidentally bought it on Steam quickly realized they had found something truly special. The story of how young Madeline conquers Mount Celeste to cope with the inner demons is not amazing, but clings to the living. And at the same time it serves as an excellent background for extremely inventive gameplay that never ceases to throw surprises until the very end. The mountain top offers a gorgeous view – but getting there without breaking the gamepad will not be easy.
All those who value gameplay in games will not forget the ascent of Celeste soon.
Results of the year 2018
God of war
To take the story of an overly cruel and, perhaps, vile ancient Greek antihero and continue it with a restrained and sometimes emotional journey through the Scandinavian expanses – the decision, to put it mildly, is not obvious. Sony has reinvented its “God of War” with humanity. And the new Kratos – a caring father – has gained much more fans than the old one, tearing the gods apart.
For its franchise, the current God of War is a landmark evolution. The developers took a serious risk, radically changing the order of things. The formula freshened up, prepared surprises and allowed the player to feel like a pioneer again, to see, feel and do something unusual.
From the review of Igromania on God of War
Resident evil 2 remake
The merciless flywheel of remakes and rethinks has ruined many once-good games, and even entire episodes, but Resident Evil 2 narrowly escaped this bitter fate. The remake of the legendary zombie horror of 1998 turned out to be exemplary in every sense: beautiful, expensive and smart. He grasped the essence of the series and perfectly adapted it to modern realities. Old-fashioned enough, but without unnecessary nostalgia – and we didn’t ask for anything else.
If the HD remaster of Resident Evil 1 was the best way to get to know the first part, then Resident Evil 2 is the best way to understand why the second is so loved and respected. It doesn’t matter if you are familiar with the series or not.
From the review of Gambling addiction on Resident Evil 2
Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers
The reborn Final Fantasy XIV became one of the most successful MMORPGs of the 2010s. She borrowed from World of Warcraft the know-how of maximizing player-friendliness, and from the Final Fantasy series, the emphasis on strong central narrative and storytelling that she skillfully weaves into her own lore . And with each addition, it became more and more beautiful. This development culminated in the release of Shadowbringers , an add-on that rivals the best JRPGs in terms of script quality and adventure. In addition, over the seven years that have passed since the release, FFXIV has been so filled with a variety of content – both cooperative and single – that now we can confidently say that almost everyone will find something for themselves in it.
this article, we have listed half of the Metacritic list of the best games of the outgoing console generation. And here are the remaining ten projects that every PS4 and Xbox One owner should get acquainted with .
Bloodborne
Bloodborne ‘s contribution to the success of the PlayStation 4 as a platform cannot be overestimated: in anticipation of big blockbusters from Sony’s internal studios, the long-term FromSoftware was a strong argument in favor of buying the console. And over the years, this argument has not lost weight – and will not lose even after the release of the PlayStation 5 . On the contrary, with the release of a new generation of consoles, people will start even louder to ask Hidetaka Miyazaki to take on a sequel – well, or at least re-release the original game for PC.
Bloodborne is a mystery game. It’s like the classic Silent Hill and Resident Evil trilogies that don’t leave their niche, keep their brand and stay true to tradition. As befits good, creative games, Bloodborne has its own unique idea and inimitable charisma. This is the deepest, longest-lasting PlayStation 4 exclusive to date, and possibly for years to come.
From the review of Gambling addiction on Bloodborne
Shovel knight
Of all the games on this list, Shovel Knight is definitely the most sincere. The Yacht Club Games studio did not have colossal creative ambitions – the team just wanted to make a good game like in childhood: with sprites, chiptune and other dearly forgotten relics of the NES era . However, the project, which started as a joke, has grown into a great retro platformer that does not parasitize on nostalgia, but pays tribute to the classics of the genre. This is a quality, lovingly made game that has no higher purpose – it just entertains. Just like in childhood.
Shovel Knight is not a simple imitation of the classics, but a real interactive museum. Studio Yacht Club has collected a mountain of memories from the golden age of the NES and turned them into a chic platformer about a knight with a shovel.
From the review of Gambling Addiction on Shovel Knight
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Polish studio CD Projekt RED has achieved the impossible: in just three games, it turned from an unknown Eastern European office into a world-class developer with an impeccable reputation, having thrown off the legendary BioWare and Bethesda from the pedestal . Thanks to dynamic battles, deeply worked out quests, lively dialogues and, of course, the unique Polish flavor, The Witcher 3 became the main RPG of the 2010s – and the standard of the genre for many years to come.
The Witcher manages to create the same mood that distinguishes The Elder Scrolls and Gothic: it seems like a lot of time has passed, and you again go to a weekly marathon, although there is no sensible social life here.
It’s too rare for the stars to converge to create a game of this scale and a system of similar complexity. For the third time, a dream game with all understandable consequences came out of the hands of CD Projekt RED – sleepless nights, affection for geese and a wolf hunting its tail).
From the review of Igromania on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Persona 5 Royal
Persona 5 Royal is undoubtedly worthy of the title of one of the best JRPGs in history. The fifth installment of the iconic series has already exceeded all expectations, but in the “director’s” version, Atlus has managed to make it even better – just like in the case of Persona 4 Golden for the PlayStation Vita . Phantom thieves will playfully steal not only your heart, but somewhere two hundred hours of free time. And the worst thing is that you will definitely want to spend at least the same amount on it – just to be in the company of the characters who have become relatives again.
Persona 5 is difficult to compare with anything: yes, it is a JRPG, but it bears little resemblance to its colleagues in the genre and set of mechanics, and plot construction. Dungeon Crawler? School harem? An unexpectedly sincere and detailed social commentary on a whole list of problems in modern Japanese society? Everything at once, and even in impeccably stylish anime art, with a jazz soundtrack and a couple of dozen well-written characters.
From the Persona 5 Royal review of Igromania
Forza horizon 4
While other Microsoft hits in the Xbox One era dwindled in quality and popularity, the Forza series only got better over the years. The fourth part of the Horizon arcade lineup did not bring anything revolutionary, but it collected everything that players loved the previous editions. A colorful open world, different seasons, changing weather conditions, a bouncy soundtrack, a wide fleet of vehicles, countless challenges and prizes … Forza Horizon 4 embodied almost everything that gamers appreciated in arcade racing games.
Forza Horizon 4 will delight those who, in their childhood, did not play enough with cars: it is car entertainment in the most incongruous and varied versions. What if we took this pickup truck and tried to drive it on the ice of a winter lake? Or maybe you can race with a friend in the mud on this racing car? But this pretty one – to throw off a cliff right into a ravine?
The only thing that can be blamed for the project at the moment is the luggage from the previous parts that lingers behind. Those who have not played the Horizon series for the first time have long remembered the local atmosphere of the vibrant car festival, and it has changed little from previous releases. But is this really such a serious reason for claims?
From the review of Gambling addiction on Forza Horizon 4
The Last of Us: Part II
No modern blockbuster has generated such a controversial response as The Last of Us: Part II . Continuing the story of Joel and Ellie with equal regularity is called Naughty Dog’s best game and its worst mistake – and in this fierce debate, both sides have strong arguments. For sure, one thing is clear: in the AAA industry, no one but Naughty Dog would dare to challenge audiences so openly. But whether it is good or bad – everyone decides for himself.
A game-event, which, like the first part, will surely be loved by some for years and fervently hated by others. Only this time there will be even more reasons for disputes.
From the review of Igromania on The Last of Us: Part II
Red dead redemption 2
Rockstar is one of the few studios that invests astronomical sums and millions of man-hours into each of their games. Close attention is paid to the insane amount of minute detail that makes Rockstar’s virtual worlds so much alive. And this is especially important for such exotic settings as the Wild West. Red Dead Redemption 2 conquered so many players with both the story of Arthur Morgan and the most believable world in which you just want to live.
At any new place, you are guaranteed to get new impressions, and when you get to the swamps, you just want to stop and examine each crown from which the lichen hangs: is it not repeating itself? But you shouldn’t slow down too much: the swamps are full of alligators.
In cities, a similar picture: it seems that houses do not have two identical planks, and in forest huts there are no two identical logs. Every damn flower in the meadow, every bottle in the trash heap, every stagecoach on the road – everything in this game is unique and therefore looks extremely real. And what are the effects of the weather! Sunrises, sunsets, fogs, night sky, clouds around mountain caps, torrential rains – by the end of the passage, you can rub a corn on your finger, which you use to take screenshots.
From the review of Igromania on Red Dead Redemption 2
Undertale
This generation has brought us a lot of great indie games, but the Undertale release is a cultural phenomenon. Toby Fox’s project skillfully pretends to be a cute story about how even the most different, at first glance, creatures can find a common language if they want to listen to each other. Behind the homages to the JRPG classics and innocent humor, however, there is an unexpectedly postmodern deconstruction of video games as a medium. Witty, perceptive, gloomy and even a little infantile – in a good sense of the word.
Undertale does not try to justify good or evil, does not hide anything and does not preserve until the very end. She is as honest with the player as possible. She is the true manifesto of creative freedom.
From the review of Gambling addiction on Undertale
What Remains of Edith Finch
It was in the eighth generation of consoles that the so-called walking simulators flourished – short narrative games devoid of cutscenes and almost all gameplay. Some of them achieved a lot in the storytelling through the environment, others flirted with the player. But, perhaps, What Remains of Edith Finch showed itself best : it consists of several interactive vignettes in which the player does not express himself, but performs simple actions, as if synchronizing with the hero, experiencing the last minutes of his life. Each mini-episode is unique both in art design and in interactive elements – and each of them is firmly etched into the memory. While AAA releases struggled to become Citizen Kane , Edith Finch brilliantly brought Hundred Years of Solitude into play .
What Remains of Edith Finch tells about a dozen deaths, but manages to remain light, beautiful and magical. And the unfading bloom of sadness from so many losses only gives the history of tragic failures a touch of serene peace. After all, from everyone, whether a baby, or a deep old woman, something remained, including us: love of life, caring for a family, the courage to step beyond the ordinary, memories, finally.
What will be left of us?
From the review of Igromania on What Remains of Edith Finch
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Good-natured Nathan Drake, by the second part of his adventures, eclipsed his predecessor Lara Croft and became a kind of face of the PlayStation (both in a good way and in silly memes ). In Uncharted 4, the developers set out to finally say goodbye to Drake – and gave him a gorgeous send-off. The fourth installment of the adventure cycle set the highest bar in terms of entertainment (just remember the chase to Madagascar!), Gave players the best gameplay in the series, and Drake – a great ending, after which the witty adventurer really does not want to ask for an encore anymore. Better not to do it.
Before the epilogue, one of the main characters says the most important thing: “No matter how cool the adventure is, after it an emptiness remains in the soul.” Uncharted 4 is one of those games, after the finale of which you sit for another ten minutes in complete silence, until you gather your strength to finally say: “Wow.” The one-of-a-kind work of a talented studio, accustomed to go beyond the boundaries of what is permissible and do things that leave no one indifferent. And at the same time, it is just a luxurious adventure, which in 2016 has no equal.
From the review of Gambling Addiction on Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
This concludes the list of the 20 main games of the outgoing generation. Fortunately, you don’t need to rush to catch up before new consoles are released: thanks to backward compatibility, they will all be available on both Xbox Series and PS5.
