Category: IGN

Now in its tenth year on the market, PS4 — the second-best-selling home console of all time — has amassed an all-time great catalog of games. With a PS5 price bump outside of the U.S. and many publishers still releasing games on its last-gen console, it’s still a great time to play on PS4, and so we’ve created this list to highlight the best games the console has to offer.

The games below weren’t chosen lightly; this list was compiled by the entire IGN content team and — after plenty of internal debate — represents what we believe to be the best that the PS4 has to offer. Without further ado, these are our picks for the 25 best PS4 games.

More on the Best of PlayStation:

• Where to buy a PS5
• Best PS5 Games
• Best PSVR Games

25. Nier: Automata

Nier: Automata delivers a ridiculously entertaining journey full of awesome ideas that is equal parts strange and beautiful. There are few games like Automata, which bounces between game genres and styles with aplomb. Taking place in a futuristic dystopia, this “action-RPG” offers a roller coaster of different gameplay opportunities, wrapped up in a fascinating story that has many multiple endings that encourage poking into every corner of this engrossing world. There are few games that attempt what Nier: Automata does, and it’s absolutely worth checking out this Yoko Taro-directed adventure.

Nier: Automata has been adapted into an anime titled Nier: Automata Ver1.1a, which came out in Japan on January 8, 2023. Three episodes of the series have been aired so far, but it went into hiatus with the fourth episode due to COVID-19.

24. Monster Hunter World

The long-running Monster Hunter series broke through with the 2018 hit Monster Hunter World, which not only impressed us with its rewarding gameplay but also with how accessible the game proved to be. For a series that can take some learning to get the hang of, Monster Hunter World produced a fully realized, expansive world.

Monster Hunter World made our list of the 10 best co-op games. Series fans will be happy to hear Monster Hunter Rise is now available on PS4 as well. Also, Monster Hunter World: Iceborne has sold over 10 million copies as of January 19.

23. Apex Legends

Amid the rise of the battle royale genre, Apex Legends manages to stand out, even as a later addition to the fray. Set in the universe of Respawn’s Titanfall series, Apex utilizes similar gameplay mechanics which give it a unique edge over other battle royale games. In addition to its faster pace, Apex incorporates the use of specific “Legends” who all have different skills and abilities that create the need for teams to work together and synergize between the different characters. Similar to how Overwatch operates, the roster of different heroes allows players to constantly change their playstyles in order to secure the win. With constant updates and new limited-time game modes being switched in and out, Apex Legends is a high-octane game that constantly leaves you wanting to go for “just one more match.”

The Sun Squad Collection Event, which brings a new battle royale mode called Heatwave, is running in Apex Legends until April 11.

22. Yakuza 0

Yakuza 0 is the high bar for SEGA’s long-running open-world series, packed with an extraordinary amount of things to do and centered around a genuinely compelling crime story.

Since it’s a prequel, it’s also unburdened by the series’ increasingly intricate backstory and thus supremely approachable for newcomers. While its melee combat may lag slightly behind modern genre standards, Yakuza 0 still hits far more than it misses and is a big, bold and bruising tour through the Japanese underworld.

Like a Dragon: Ishin! is available now, and Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name will be released later in 2023.

21. Tetris Effect

How do you make Tetris, one of the best-selling and arguably perfect games, even better? You add in dazzling light shows, music that reacts to your moves, and one of the most blissfully zen gaming experiences of the generation. Tetris Effect, even without its PSVR component, is a transcendent experience, making a stalwart of the video gaming medium fresh.

Its Journey mode includes a couple dozen stages of memorable music, which melds to the blocks you move and place, with backgrounds that, quite literally, take you on a journey from the ocean depths to jungle and desert terrain to the reaches of space. There’s something almost spiritual to the experience, which doesn’t do anything to majorly twist the Tetris formula, but enhances it in a memorably powerful way.

Tetris Effect: Connected, the multiplayer-enhanced version of Tetris Effect, received four new modes as part of its Winter update, including the single-player version of Classic Score Attack, Zone Marathon, Purify Mode, and Master Mode.

20. Dreams

Dreams is unlike anything else: an ambitious project that has been expertly brought to life by Media Molecule, and an audacious experiment in game design that gives you endless ways to enjoy your time with it. An incredible creative suite made up of tools that allow for and encourage ultimate expression, all inside of your PS4. The vast range of experiences on offer via Dream Surfing means that no two sessions playing it are ever the same, offering fresh ways to have fun every time you start it up and see what community creations have popped up while you’ve been away. Whether you just want to create, purely play, or get involved in a bit of everything, Dreams offers it all to you.

19. Final Fantasy 7 Remake

After a long wait, the 2020 remake of Final Fantasy 7 revitalizes one of the most beloved JRPGs of all time in a (mostly) successful and engaging way. This new version of Midgard probably isn’t just how your brain remembers it looking – it’s much better, with a stunning, detailed, and immersive exploration of the steampunk city.

Since part one of ‘Remake’ (subsequent releases will cover the rest of the original story) takes place entirely within Midgard, Square Enix is able to really spend time with the city’s ensemble cast, giving them more nuance and screentime to round out the adventure. And that’s on top of its stellar combat system, a marriage of real-time and more tactical, turn-based systems to create something that’s wholly unique and a joy to master. Part 2 can’t come soon enough.

FF7R Part 2, officially titled Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, is due out “next winter.” Before that, Square Enix will release Final Fantasy 16 on June 22 as a PS5 exclusive.

18. Overwatch

Overwatch is a brilliant multiplayer shooter brimming with Blizzard’s charm and detail, and it’s one that Blizzard has impressively continued to support with new heroes and updates since its launch in 2016. Overwatch earned Game of the Year from IGN in its launch year, sweeping the IGN offices with multiplayer matches after work and at lunches (and sometimes during the workday) that have continued in the months and years since.

Blizzard’s rock-solid gameplay allows players in whatever role they play on a team to matter. And Blizzard’s impressive attention to detail has created a rich world of lore that permeates the experience, allowing those who just want a fun multiplayer experience to enjoy the action but offering those who want something more a wealth of character and location information to delve into.

Overwatch has now been replaced by Overwatch 2. Our review said the sequel “breathes new life into what was once the sharpest shooter around.” Overwatch 2 collaborated with One-Punch Man to bring Legendary skins inspired by Saitama, Genos, Mumen Rider, and Terrible Tornado — available until April 6.

17. Ratchet & Clank

The iconic PlayStation franchise Ratchet and Clank only got better on PS4 with a beautiful, funny update of the duo’s first adventure. More a remix of the original PS2 game than a straight remaster, there is a gorgeous level of detail to the lombax and robot’s adventure, which also makes some noted story improvements.

The titular duo’s initial meeting and budding friendship feels more fully formed and smartly written, while the series’ signature humor is in full force throughout. Veldin, Rilgar, and other worlds are beautiful, Pixar-like environments with plenty to explore, and modernizations made to the gameplay make the adventure as fresh as ever. And of course, Insomniac’s signature knack for wacky weapons is on full display in HD, from Mr. Zurkon to the Groovitron. Insomniac has obviously put its recent focus on VR and Spider-Man, but this latest iteration proves Ratchet and Clank has plenty of life left in it.

16. What Remains of Edith Finch

One of the most heart-wrenching and visually dynamic adventure games of the generation, What Remains of Edith Finch is a must-play. While a game about recounting the death of each of Edith’s family members by exploring their bedrooms (turned memorial shrines) may sound like a bummer, the creative ways each memory gets explored keeps you entertained while the mystery of how this person died creates eerie suspense that will entice you to keep going. Each remembrance transports you to their stories and subsequent deaths, with moments ranging from playing on swingsets to, quite literally, bouncing between comic book panels. Striking, stylish, and hauntingly beautiful, What Remains of Edith Finch is one of the best experiences to be had on PS4.

Giant Sparrow’s next game will “focus on interactions between humans and urban wildlife.” It’s currently in early development.

15. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

Uncharted 4 is Uncharted all grown up; an examination of what happens when Nathan Drake’s Indiana-Jones-style antics come face to face with his adult responsibilities. It manages to reckon with this and then some, juggling delicate relationship dynamics with ridiculously fun action sequences and breathtaking vistas ripe for exploring and pillaging. Though it gets a little bogged down by an overly long final act, Uncharted 4 is still one of the best action-adventure games of all time, and one of the best PlayStation 4 games ever.

On February 1, Sony announced it will be removing the PlayStation Plus Collection, a perk for PS5 owners since the console’s launch, from the subscription service on May 9. Uncharted 4 is among the PS4 games that will be removed as a result.

14. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is without question the most ambitious entry in the Metal Gear series. So ambitious, in fact, that it’s something of an unfinished masterpiece. While a lot of hardcore fans of the series were disappointed by the game’s scattered story, it’s hard to deny that the moment-to-moment gameplay is absolutely phenomenal. On top of rock-solid movement and a huge, sometimes literal, sandbox to explore, The Phantom Pain gives players a huge arsenal of weapons, vehicles, gadgets, and AI companions to approach missions creatively. As always, stealthy tactical gameplay is rewarded heavily, but if a mission goes sideways (or if you’re feeling squirrelly) the game doesn’t punish you too hard for getting get loud and messy. Even if you’ve never played another Metal Gear game, this is a hell of an experience. If the plot leaves you with a big question mark over your head, don’t feel left out. That’s part of the fun.

MGS 5 earned a spot on our list of the 10 best open-world games.

13. Resident Evil 2

Resident Evil fans were begging for a remake of the much-beloved Resident Evil 2 for over two decades. After the original RE1 received its stellar GameCube REmake all the way back in 2002, fans waited, and waited… and waited. When it eventually came, it was everything they dreamed of and more. The Resident Evil 7‘s RE Engine was reworked into a third-person tour de force, showcasing intensely realistic gore with blood dripping from mangled zombies. Mr. X returned as a force to be reckoned with, its shooting mechanics were pitch-perfect, and terror was palpable throughout.

Next up for the franchise is Resident Evil 4 Remake on March 24, 2023. For more on the franchise, see where RE 2 landed on our list of the best Resident Evil games. Resident Evil 4 Remake is available now.

12. Ghost of Tsushima

Sucker Punch’s latest adventure is dense with moving stories and striking visuals that make exploring its expansive take on 13th-century japan a joy. Its cast – across the English and Japanese languages – does an excellent job bringing Ghost’s complex tale of honor and loss to life, both in its 30+ hour main campaign and all the side quests that eloquently mirror thematic aspects of your main journey.

While the stealth may be simple (and enemy AI less than stellar), combat is spectacular – a simple but nuanced exploration of Japanese swordplay that is still fun right up to your very last duel. Add all of this on top of one of the best (and most addictive) photo modes we’ve seen, and Ghost of Tsushima more than makes up for its late addition to the PS4’s library by being one of its best games.

Sucker Punch’s next project is another open-world game with stealth and action elements — perhaps Ghost of Tsushima 2? What has been confirmed is a Ghost of Tsushima movie. Directed by Chad Stahleski (John Wick), the movie will be a retelling of the game’s story.

11. Red Dead Redemption 2

Both a stunning technical achievement and a gold standard for video game storytelling in an open-world setting, Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the greatest games Rockstar Games has ever made, and one of the greatest games ever, period. Red Dead Redemption 2’s world is a sprawling and stunning recreation of the wild west, packed so full of detail and activity it’s almost daunting; getting from A to B is virtually impossible without going off the beaten path to some other distraction. Said distractions are incredibly accomplished, too – side quests, mini-games, hunting, and gathering are all deeply considered parts of Red Dead 2 in their own right.

But of course, it’s Red Dead 2’s characters that stick in the memory most: Arthur Morgan, John Marsten, Sadie, Dutch, et. al. are vibrant, multi-faceted characters, their complex dynamics always shifting and changing, even if their trajectories are set in stone. Red Dead Redemption 2 is nothing short of a masterpiece.

In just four years, Red Dead 2 has earned a spot on the list of best-selling video games of all time.

10. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy

While Nathan Drake established himself as a compelling lead over the course of the four core Uncharted games, 2017’s Uncharted: The Lost Legacy proved that the same was true for Drake’s supporting cast.

Lost Legacy moved the spotlight to the unexpected duo of treasure hunter Chloe Frazer and mercenary Nadine Ross, and discovered there is a verve and chemistry in the cast even without Nate. Not only does Lost Legacy open the door for any number of spinoffs that focus on other characters in the Uncharted universe, it features some of the best gameplay sequences the series has to offer.

9. Control

An exceptional third-person shooter with a trippy supernatural twist, Control is not only our Game of the Year for 2019 but stands out as one of the most unique adventures of the generation. The seasoned team at Remedy Entertainment brought their years of experience to bear on one of the coolest ability/weapon sets in recent memory, which made for some of the most satisfying and frenetic telekinetic combat ever put to pixels. On top of its excellent super-powered gunplay, Control features some truly inspired environmental design, its Oldest House a shape-shifting labyrinth-like something from a fever dream shared by Stanley Kubrick and David Lynch. Throughout its monster-filled halls, you’ll undertake memorable side quests, hunt for upgrades to your abilities and gear, and hunt down a litany of collectibles that all help flesh out the eerie bureaucracy that’s at the center of Control’s impossibly unique experience.

Remedy is officially working on Control 2 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The studio is also developing a Control multiplayer game, the long-awaited Alan Wake 2, a free-to-play co-op shooter codenamed Vanguard, and remakes of Max Payne 1 and 2.

8. Marvel’s Spider-Man

Marvel’s Spider-Man is a masterclass in comic book joy, an expertly built world that perfectly encapsulates the child-like wonder of looking up at the looming, inspiring skylines of New York City and the superhero-like triumph of effortlessly scaling the tallest buildings in the Big Apple. It’s a game about Spider-Man made by people who deeply, truly, genuinely adore Spider-Man, from his costumes to his friends, foes, and family.

The simple act of soaring and flipping through the city is so satisfying and addictive that you’ll likely want to explore every corner of it and nab every collectible before even finishing the story. Once you do decide to settle down and move the narrative forward, you’ll find a heartwarming story of love and loss, awkward adolescence, and tons and tons of ass kicking. Along the way, you’ll unlock iconic Spider-Man suits, take down nefarious villains in gigantic, explosive setpieces, and bask in the realization that the modern comic book movie renaissance that we’re all so gleefully enjoying has finally, finally made its way back to video games.

A sequel, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, is coming to PS5 in Fall 2023. Insomniac and Marvel are also collaborating on a Wolverine game.

7. Horizon Zero Dawn

Horizon: Zero Dawn is one of the most beautiful open-world games ever crafted. Grass sways in the wind beneath blooming sunrises while towering cities formed from the ashes of a once prosperous society loom in the distance. And, most importantly, giant, awe-inspiring mechanical dinosaurs outfitted with a terrifying array of pseudo-natural weaponry roam the land, roaring, gnashing, and trampling their prey. When iconic PlayStation developer Guerrilla Games revealed they were pivoting away from the Killzone franchise to make an open world robot dinosaur hunting game starring a warrior redhead outfitted like a space cake dealer at Burning Man, the world was cautiously optimistic.

The end result, thankfully, was a vast, wondrous, and unique open-world action game with just the right amount of RPG elements that come together to create a brilliant first entry into what we hope will become a pillar franchise for PlayStation Studios. Taking down a gigantic boss with an active strategy of well-placed melee strikes and projectiles is one of the most thrilling experiences on PlayStation 4, and looting the shrapnel of a downed robot for much-needed upgrade parts afterwards is equally satisfying. Horizon takes some of the best elements of existing open world games and weaves them together to make something wholly original, wonderfully refreshing and wildly fun.

Sony is reportedly working on a Zero Dawn PS5 remaster, as well as a Horizon multiplayer game. If you liked Zero Dawn, be sure to check out the excellent sequel, Horizon Forbidden West.

6. Grand Theft Auto 5 / GTA Online

Rockstar’s latest and greatest open-world felony simulator made its debut at the tail end of the last console generation, handily breaking records as the fastest-selling entertainment product in history, so it’s no surprise that it got ported to current-gen. What is surprising, perhaps, is just how much of an upgrade it got in the process. Uprezzed textures, totally overhauled lighting effects and a fully-functional first-person option were just some of the litany of updates and tweaks to the series’ biggest and best game yet.

Whether you’re after a sprawling single-player campaign that provides a ruthless skewering of 21st century American life, or a multiplayer component with years of big free updates and an extremely active community, or just a sandbox where you can do crimes either alone or with friends, Grand Theft Auto V and GTA Online really does offer something for everyone. Seriously, is there any other game where you can play the stock market, jump in a Mad Max death card and then trip on peyote so hard you turn into a bird?

Rockstar has officially confirmed GTA 6 is in development. It will reportedly feature a return to Vice City and star the series’ first female playable character in a Bonnie & Clyde-inspired adventure — details that were seemingly corroborated by a massive GTA 6 leak.

5. Persona 5 Royal

A massive, gorgeous JRPG, Persona 5 set a high bar for the genre, and 2020’s Persona 5 Royal re-release pushes that bar even higher. An engrossing adventure brimming with style and flair, Persona 5 sees you navigating school life by day and descending into the corrupted minds of Tokyo’s more villainous citizens by night in order to coerce them away from their corrupt endeavors.

The students who make up Persona 5’s ensemble cast leave an indelible mark as they are introduced and further become embroiled in the exploits of the Phantom Thieves. Persona 5 does a great job of balancing the two facets of its gameplay, letting players really dive into the social connections in the real world and allowing those to influence the dungeon exploration and turn-based action of its massive and varied mind palaces. Coupled with a continually engaging combat system, a soundtrack full of earworms, its twisty, wild story, and plenty of additional content on top of the base game, Persona 5 Royal delivers one of the deepest JRPGs of the generation, if not of all time.

On February 9, Sega reported that Persona 5 Royal Remastered (PS5) sold over 1.3 million copies worldwide as of the end of December 2022. Black Wings is developing a new Persona 5 spin-off mobile game, The Phantom X, which will follow a new group of Phantom Thieves. Playtests are already underway in China.

4. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

CD Projekt Red’s sprawling fantasy epic has become one of the most noteworthy games of all time, one that set a new standard for open-world RPGs. With a grim-yet-gorgeous world that stretches across the better part of an entire continent, every corner, cave, swamp or city street of The Witcher 3 has something to discover.

It’s 60+ hour main story is a great adventure, full of mystery and intrigue that draws from the deep lore of author Andrzej Sapkowski’s books, but its Geralt’s expertly-crafted side stories, monster hunts and off-beat adventures that really make The Witcher 3 and its two huge expansions truly exceptional. It’s a game where you can easily get lost for hundreds of hours and still not see everything it has to offer – but every one of those hours will be absolutely worth it.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt recently got the 4.02 patch, improving Performance Mode and adding refraction to ray-traced water reflections, among other quality-of-life changes especially for the PS5 version.

3. Bloodborne

Bloodborne is a brutally difficult, immensely terrifying action horror game that will immediately kick your ass. You’ll spawn, die, and repeat until you throw your controller, swear at your television, and vow to walk away forever. Once outside the dim confines of Bloodborne’s dense, evil, snarling network of contorted beasts, wretched howls, and stark-raving murderous lunatics, you’ll enjoy a quiet, cheerful walk amidst the sunshine in the real world, free from Bloodborne’s punishing ways.

But a voice in your head will begin to ring and linger, calling you back, urging you to return, push forward, and conquer. And when you do, you’ll find yourself improved and fueled, patient and energized, ready to tackle it’s gristled, hairy bosses, rotting cathedrals, and wet, corrupt catacombs. Then you’ll die again, but this time you’ll be stronger, wiser, and older and prepared for the foulest of beasts to leap from the shadows and tear you apart all over again. Bloodborne is a horrible, vile world where every reward brings risks and fear is palpable. And while its challenges feel insurmountable and out of reach, your skill and determination will eventually prevail and you’ll press forward through the night. Death is frequent. Frustration is certain. But ultimately, victory is possible, and when achieved, becomes one of the greatest feelings in the world.

FromSoftware’s latest is Elden Ring, one of the best-reviewed games in modern history. Both IGN and The Game Awards named it 2022’s Game of the Year.

2. The Last of Us Part 2

The follow-up to 2013’s The Last of Us is the pinnacle of Naughty Dog’s storytelling ambitions during the life of the PS3 and PS4. Part 2’s ambitious, uncompromising story delivers at nearly every unexpected turn, with character arcs that are poignant, risky, and devastating. Naughty Dog asks you, the player, to do your best to reckon with morally ambiguity in ways that have evoked some of the strongest across the board reactions that we’ve seen from any game, ever.

It’s also perhaps Naughty Dog’s most mechanically complex game to date, and its stealth and action systems delivers moment after moment that feel like they should be scripted but are instead entirely dynamic. It may be one of the more divisive games of the generation, but it’s also one of the best; an absolute haymaker of a game we still can’t stop thinking about.

The Last of Us Part 1, a PS5 remake of the series’ first game, is now available. Our review called it “the best way to play – or replay – Naughty Dog’s esteemed survival classic.” Elsewhere in Naughty Dog’s post-apocalyptic universe is HBO’s Last of Us TV series Our review of The Last of Us: Season 1 called it “a stunning adaptation that should thrill newcomers and enrich those already familiar with Joel and Ellie’s journey alike.”

1. God of War

2018’s God of War shows an obvious level of care that went into crafting its world, characters, and gameplay, evolving a longstanding PlayStation franchise into a testament to the power of storytelling in games and making it our choice for the best PlayStation 4 game, period. Every aspect of God of War feels intentional, interconnecting with every other major aspect of the game, making exploring every inch of its world a rewarding opportunity. Everything from the main story to side missions and seemingly innocuous collectibles factor into your understanding of this new Aesir-inspired world and its major players.

It somehow never makes any of that feel like a dry history lesson, though, and God of War is constantly making smart, economical use of storytelling. It’s also just such a fun experience, with the new Leviathan axe being one of the most satisfying game weapons we’ve used since we originally picked up the Blades of Chaos back in 2005. Bundled with smart progression, fascinating environments, and an impactful story that offers an insightful exploration of one of gaming’s most notorious antiheroes, God of War is undoubtedly one of the best experiences of the generation as a whole, and a shining example of what the PlayStation 4 has to offer.

The highly anticipated sequel, God of War Ragnarok, is now available. It took home six of IGN’s end-of-year awards, including Best Action-Aventure Game and Best Game Story.

Best PS4 Games FAQ

Are There Upcoming PS4 Games?

The first half of April 2023 will bring Meet Your Maker on April 4, and Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened, which combines Lovecraftian horror and Victorian-era crime-solving, on April 11. Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection comes out on April 14.

What Is the Most Popular PS4 Game?

Although it can be difficult to accurately measure popularity, it stands to reason that the most popular PS4 game is going to be a PlayStation exclusive game. The top titles in this category are The Last of Us, God of War, and Horizon Zero Dawn — which have all recently made their way to PC.

What are the Best PS4 Exclusives?

Although many of the best PS4 exclusives are now available on PC, titles like God of War, The Last of Us, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Marvel’s Spider-Man rank as some of the top exclusives on the last-gen console.

What are the Best Games on PS Plus?

If you happen to have PlayStation Plus Extra or PlayStation Premium then you have access to some of the best games on the console. A few of the best PS Plus games include Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Bloodborne, Ghost of Tsushima, God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, Marvel’s Spider-Man, and Red Dead Redemption 2.

Those are our picks for the top PlayStation 4 games of all time. Let us know in the comments what’s on your list that didn’t make ours!

With contributions from Cristina Alexander

Hello Games is releasing the Interceptor update for No Man’s Sky today, which adds a new universal threat in the form of corrupted worlds.

That’s not all, of course, as the update also adds a new Starship, improvements to the PlayStation VR2 mode, new enemy types, new technology, and a range of other performance and visual improvements.

“Many worlds have succumbed to corruption, with strange crystals sprouting from the earth, and sentinel guardians twisted into bizarre new forms,” reads the update synopsis. “Explore these purple-hazed worlds to find new buildings, crashed interceptors, secret equipment and more.”

These corrupted worlds can be explored using a new ship class, which is promised to be the “most varied Starship to date”.

Players will also have to deal with new enemy types include huge spider-like enemies and their crab-like children, plus corrupted drones to match the new planets. These are some of the most dangerous enemy types in No Man’s Sky and come armed with stealth tech, flamethrowers, and explosive weaponry.

There will also be new technology for players to discover and create and sentinel capital ships that grant new rewards. Custom wonders have also been added to the Wonders Catalogue from the previous update, letting players curate their own collection of discoveries.

The changes to the PSVR 2 version include improved visuals, wrist interface controls, and more, while Hello Games has promised “a renewed focus on Xbox consoles” to improve performance and visuals across the board.

The developer has released several updates for No Man’s Sky already, making Interceptor the 25th major free expansion since the game launched. One recent update, Waypoint, was said to be the game’s “biggest generational jump so far”, Leviathan added time loops and space whales, and the Outlaws update let players live out their own Han Solo-esque adventure.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer and acting UK news editor. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.

Explosive, colorful, and punchy, Everspace 2 combines the looter-shooter RPG treadmill with arcade space dogfights to build an interesting combo that has surprising diversity in how you can play it. While it looks like a space sim on the outside, and it has nods to the stuff you do in that genre like fight pirates, mine asteroids, and build reputation, Everspace 2 shouldn’t be mistaken for one. To its benefit and its detriment, this is a through-and-through lootin’ and shootin’ beast that’s much more interested in entertaining you with flashy fights and reconfiguring your fighter in a mind-boggling number of ways rather than simulating – or stimulating you with – anything else.

That right there should probably tell a lot of you whether you want to play it at all. The other bit is that this is technically a sequel, but… not really. The first Everspace is a roguelite where every mission is procedurally generated, while this one is a more traditional action RPG about taking on a main story quest and side missions, solving open-world puzzles, and blowing through randomly generated contracts for the 50 or so hours it takes to finish the main story. Or 100 hours to play all of it. Then a few dozen more optimizing your builds to bash away at the randomly generated endgame bits, if you like those.

That’s all to say Everspace 2 is pretty different from the original, though it is a direct sequel in terms of story: You’re one of those clone pilots you played as in the first one’s roguelite framework, but there’s no more coming back from the dead. You might be happy about that if you loved the story in the first one, and you might be a bit confused at times if you skipped it, but there’s a cache of really thorough – if largely forgettable – log entries to bring you up to speed on the story and world you’re dumped into. The writing and characters are something between stiff and disposable – though there are a few winners and good gags, my favorite among them being a broken garbage-disposal robot.

It’s kind of a shame, really, because you do spend a lot of time in this world. Characters have conversations as you jump at high speed from encounter to encounter within systems, and you pick up missions from the same people over and over. There’s even a great “story so far” log for those who take big breaks between game sessions—so it feels like a waste that characters spend so much time on empty dialogue or redundant explanations. But honestly, you’re not playing Everspace 2 for the dialogue, you’re playing it for the spaceships blowing up – which it does pretty dang well.

Flying around is smooth, with nary a technical hitch or slowdown in sight delivering a classic adaptation of generally short-range dogfights where you rock-paper-scissors your equipped damage types to optimize against enemy shields and armor. Enemies are numerous, and on most difficulties can overwhelm you if you’re not careful – it’s all about positioning and approach. Picking out priority targets early is important, knocking down enemies like snipers or ensnaring web drones before they can strike and leave you vulnerable, all while choosing to take the fight somewhere you can dodge behind asteroids to get cover between your lone fighter and heavier enemy ships. It’s combat that didn’t get old for me, and even when I had outleveled a mission I found it pretty relaxing to jump on and take down squads of baddies.

It’s good that it didn’t get old, because combat – and preparing for more combat – is really all that Everspace 2 has going for it. The vast majority of missions are either “go somewhere and have a fight” or “retrieve something from people after you fight them.” The rest of the time is spent hopping between ports, docking, fetching, and listening to all of that rambling dialogue. The other thing to do is figuring out environmental puzzles. Most locations have some hidden hatches to discover and blow open, a timed challenge to carry something from one spot to another, or one of many, many hunts through random debris for whatever generator core or battery you need to open a door to some loot. Those are nice in the early hours when you’re still encountering bits of debris you haven’t seen before, but by the end they’re just repetitive hunts among familiar bits of broken space station and asteroid.

Those maneuvering challenges might’ve been more interesting if Everspace 2 had more sim chops than it does, where piloting your ship is a challenge and first-person perspective is encouraged. As it is, the controls are good for arcade spaceflight, and they feel reactive and crisp on both mouse and keyboard and controller, and are fine for a flightstick. However, those who prefer a more “traditional” Newtonian spaceflight experience will be disappointed in Everspace 2’s version: The ship controls just aren’t fine enough to let you execute tight maneuvers without frustration when the ship doesn’t automatically correct its motion for you.

Which is a missed opportunity, because experiencing the different ships and how they fly is a strength of Everspace 2. Sure, the 30-some enemy types might get stale by the end, but that’s where the looter part of this looter-shooter comes in. There are three ship classes: Light, Medium, and Heavy – all fighters. Each has three further classes, all of which play quite differently. Ships can equip any of an array of modules like boosters, armor, and shields, of which there are variants that meaningfully change your combat style. Do you want a shield that’s tougher, or one that’ll recharge faster after it breaks? Do you want a big boost of speed for a short time, or a small boost that can be sustained for longer than you’ll ever use? Then there are 10 primary weapons, from beam lasers to autocannons, and a bevy of missiles, mines, and rockets to use as secondary armaments.

And did I mention devices? That’s stuff like a localized EMP generator, viral attack programs, an invincible frontal shield, a teleporter, and more, all of which you can level up.

And you tweak all of that stuff with boosts to range or damage or energy capacitors or speed, and you can put it on every one of those nine ship types. There are more ways to build a cool space fighter in this game than I could even begin to try out in one 50-hour playthrough. It’s exactly the kind of customization I want from a loot-driven, class-based game like this one.

Take the Interceptor, for example: it’s a Medium fighter class that focuses on absolutely never having to stop shooting. It laughs full-auto at energy-hungry guns other fighters can only fire in bursts, and once equipped with a fast-charging capacitor it’ll never disappoint. Alternatively you could try out the light ships, like the Vanguard, which boosts its shields when the afterburner is on and does extra damage when striking enemies from behind. Kitted out with high-damage, low-range weapons, it’s a nightmare for enemies who can’t keep you off their tail.

That’s not all: one of the Heavy class ships is basically a necromancer that makes drones out of enemy wrecks, and another is a bomber that has unlimited missile ammunition. My favorite Heavy, though, is the Gunship. True to its name, it just has literally twice as many guns as any other ship available. Does that mean it drains its batteries twice as fast? Yes. Did I care? Not one whit.

That array of options does come at a cost, of course: you’re constantly shuffling new loot and consumables through your inventory. It’s a lot of busywork that comes with the genre, but the barrage of new gear in Everspace 2 is constant because you level up a lot, which means gear gets outdated fast. That’s especially true if you’re plowing into new storylines rather than taking your time on random jobs or side missions. You need to break down loot for crafting materials, which you use to upgrade the loot you actually want to keep or to make new loot, but you also set some materials aside to pay for perks from people you meet. You need a high tolerance for picking through new numbers or you’ll go cross-eyed fast.

The upshot, however, is that I always felt like I could try new things. That was a blessing when there were so many new guns and ships to play with. I didn’t feel penalized for never picking a “main” ship and sticking with it, or for repeatedly changing weapon selection and devices to experiment with.

EA is currently the most popular games publisher across PlayStation and Xbox by monthly active users (MAUs), according to new data from Ampere Analysis. But Xbox stands to surpass it if the Activision Blizzard acquisition goes through.

According to Ampere Analysis, EA has consistently been the top publisher across PlayStation and Xbox based on share of MAUs since September, which is when Ampere Analysis started tracking. Speaking to IGN, analyst Piers Harding-Rolls says he suspects EA’s dominance has gone on “for some time” prior.

There are around a million games about the Second World War for every one about the First, and The Great War: Western Front serves as a pretty good illustration of some of the reasons for that. The brutal, grinding, attritional conflict spanning from 1914 to 1918, as interesting as it is from a military history standpoint, is difficult to turn into a fun video game with any sort of authenticity. This RTS adaptation tries to find a satisfying balance point between historical reality and enjoyable gameplay. And while I think it did about as well as anyone could have hoped, it can’t fully smooth out the challenges of gamifying these shell-pocked battlefields.

The Western Front, with its teeming trenches and relentless artillery bombardments was an excruciating stalemate that took years to resolve, only breaking with the advent of new technologies and tactics much later. And The Great War: Western Front doesn’t do much to sugar-coat that, both for better and for worse.

The first big adjustment I had to make was to the sheer deadliness of even a modest defensive position. One regiment of standard infantry stationed in a trench can hold off three times as many attackers, and maybe double that number again if they have the support of a machine gun nest. This is certainly historically accurate, as so much of the early war was spent with commanders on both sides fooling around and finding out why you shouldn’t do things like this. And of the ways Western Front errs on the side of history, this one didn’t bother me so much.

If you want to play a bit more offensively, artillery can be used to suppress enemy trenches, rolling barrages can kick up smoke and earth to give your advancing troops concealment, and if you have enough supplies, you can casually shell the living daylights out of an enemy position from complete safety until there’s no one left to defend it. This latter strategy could sometimes feel a bit cheesy, since the AI will keep trickling men in to replace the ones blown sky high. But again, it’s not necessarily inaccurate to how this war played out.

Put together, this encourages thinking about each battle as a very precise concert, which I came to mostly enjoy. Coordinating my advances to minimize casualties felt great when it worked. It can be very frustrating when it doesn’t, though, as even a small mistake in timing or routing can lead to entire regiments evaporating before your eyes. And it’s not helped by sometimes wonky unit behavior. Especially when entering and exiting trenches, it’s not uncommon for your doomed soldiers to stall or shuffle around a bit before going where they need to go, with deadly consequences.

Green Fields of France

The First World War certainly wasn’t a pretty affair, and Western Front isn’t always visually stunning, either. In particular, the infantry models are fairly low in detail, and you can’t really zoom in enough to get a sense of what they’re feeling down there in those muddy, bloody trenches. At times it’s more like you’re watching a bombastic ant farm rather than dealing with the lives of real young men, as the well-narrated cutscenes are quick to remind you.

That isn’t at all to say that these battlefields aren’t eye-catching and effective in other ways, though. They’re very readable, which is a huge plus in the heat of a complex engagement. Vibrant colors and high contrast between units and terrain make it easy to keep track of troop movements. The sound and visual effects for different shell types are distinct and easy to spot. And the devastation left across the battlefield, with smoldering craters and charred forests, effectively tells the story of a conflict that tore the world apart in more ways than one.

The interface also does a good job, both in battles and the campaign, showing me the information I really need without ever feeling too busy or cluttered. So it’s a shame that the controls don’t do you any favors. Even going through and rebinding all of the keyboard shortcuts, which I found to be absolutely terrible by default, I could only do so much. To give one representative example, you can’t bind Pause and Unpause to a single toggle key. I ended up having to assign each of them to one of my mouse thumb buttons.

March of War

The Great War: Western Front features an in-depth dynamic campaign that begins in December 1914, and here more than anywhere the realities of gamifying this particular part of this war become obvious. The basic idea is that each space on the map has a number of stars that must be depleted to capture it, and only an overwhelming tactical victory can remove a star. Practically, this means that the front lines don’t move very often. The object of many battles simply becomes to bleed your opponent more than they bleed you, as losses subtract from each side’s National Will. It’s a clever and historically resonant set-up: you can win without ever getting near the enemy capital simply by depleting their side’s fighting spirit. All the while you have to manage cash reserves and supplies, making difficult and meaningful decisions about where to reinforce the line and how many shells it’s worth using to break a dug-in position.

At least, in theory. In practice, since even modest victories can top up the other side’s National Will, it often feels like your gains in one area are undone by setbacks in another. This is a pretty accurate portrayal of what the war was like on the Western Front, and to a large degree, I can respect that. But as I mentioned before, it’s not especially rewarding from a gameplay standpoint. It’s hard to feel accomplished or triumphant when you’re fighting a war of inches. The more you make The Western Front feel like, well, the Western Front, the more it turns into a total drag.

There are mechanics that kick in later to alleviate this, like gas attacks and air support – the latter of which I feel is a bit too effective, by the way, with the ability to wipe out entire infantry regiments with one biplane making strafing runs. These aren’t Stukas, for crying out loud. And, of course, tanks change things dramatically later on as head-on assaults suddenly become much more viable. Still, I never so much as brushed up against the enemy capital. It was a slow grind to sap their National Will, and I ended up fighting a lot of similar or nearly identical battles to do so.

You do get to see some neat dynamic elements as trenches you build and terrain you destroy between two hexes will persist every time you fight there. But defending Ypres for the tenth time can get tiring. There is an auto-resolve option, but I was usually nervous about using it unless the forecast showed my side with an overwhelming advantage, as there’s a pretty wide range of random results.

I also found the Allies faction to be significantly more fun to play than the Central Powers, as they need to balance morale penalties from the language barrier with the huge variety of interesting perks infantry of different nationalities can bring to the table. British troops are crack shots with a rifle, for instance, while the Americans are adept at advancing with armored support.

The Central Powers have two main advantages, the first being conscripts – weaker infantry with worse accuracy and morale who cost almost nothing. This allows for some very cost-effective strategies, but just isn’t as fun as the multinational menagerie the other side gets. They also have access to their iconic stormtroopers in the late game, but these guys don’t really fight like modern infantry, and I’m not sure the battle engine is really set up for them. At best, they’re specialists at trench fighting, lacking the ability to quickly take ground using cover and suppressing fire that historically made them so game-changing.

Activision Blizzard settled a lawsuit with the U.S. Department of Justice over allegations that the publisher imposed a limit on esports players’ salaries paid by the Overwatch and Call of Duty leagues.

The department filed the complaint in the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. on Monday, saying that Activision Blizzard, which owns the Overwatch League and the Call of Duty League, and the independently owned teams agreed to impose the Competitive Balance Tax. As its name suggests, the tax was designed to limit competition between the teams by suppressing the wages of esports players and fined teams for paying players above a certain threshold set by Activision Blizzard, which the department said violated the Sherman Act.

The DOJ added that Activision Blizzard dropped its salary limit rules in October 2021 following its investigation into the Competitive Balance Tax.

“The tax was never levied, and the leagues voluntarily dropped it from our rules in 2021,” Activision said in a statement (per Reuters). “We have always believed, and still believe, that the Competitive Balance Tax was lawful, and it did not have an adverse impact on players.”

The complaint said that the tax affected every esports player since the inception of each league — the Overwatch League started in 2018, while the Call of Duty League began in 2020 — especially players with larger salaries. This is because, unlike other professional esports players who agreed to salary restrictions through the collective bargaining process, players in the Overwatch and Call of Duty leagues were not part of a union nor did they negotiate wage rules.

Per the settlement, Activision Blizzard agreed not to impose any salary limits on the esports players in its leagues nor fine the teams for paying high salaries to certain players. However, the settlement still needs to be approved by a federal judge for it to take effect.

The settlement is the latest in a series of legal issues facing Activision Blizzard. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) filed a complaint against the publisher last Friday over allegations of illegal surveillance of employees and other labor law violations, including threatening to shut down communication channels.

Cristina Alexander is a freelance writer for IGN. She has contributed her work to various publications, including Digital Trends, TheGamer, Twinfinite, Mega Visions, and The Escapist. To paraphrase Calvin Harris, she wears her love for Sonic the Hedgehog on her sleeve like a big deal. Follow her on Twitter @SonicPrincess15.

Pokémon Stadium is coming to Nintendo Switch Online next week but without arguably its biggest feature: the ability to transfer Pokémon from Game Boy titles Red, Blue, and Yellow.

Snuck into its reveal trailer (in tiny font for no more than five seconds) was the statement: “Please note you cannot transfer Pokémon from Game Boy titles in this version.” This means players will have to rent Pokémon instead, leading to what’s generally considered a less enjoyable experience.

“The first video game I’ve ever played,” said Zodyrus on Twitter. “One huge issue though. The question is will this be compatible with… anything? Cause you really cant get full enjoyment out of this game without using the Game Boy games alongside it.”

Other Pokémon Stadium fans are still optimistic though. “The lack of transfers is a massive shame but I feel like there’s still a bunch of stuff to tinker around and have fun with regardless,” said another user FizzaClips.

While fans didn’t expect their Nintendo Switch consoles to connect directly with a Game Boy, the issue has once again sparked debates around the lack of classic Pokémon games on modern consoles.

Following the 3DS eShop being shut down last week, the most recent console where players can enjoy the original Pokémon Game Boy games is 2001’s Game Boy Advance, and this is despite Nintendo releasing a collection of Game Boy games on Nintendo Switch Online in February.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer and acting UK news editor. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.

When it comes to fighting games, Arc System Works is at the top of the food chain. Between Guilty Gear Strive, BlazBlue, Dragon Ball FighterZ, DNF Duel, GranBlue Fantasy Versus, and others, ArcSys is the most active developer of quality fighting games in the business right now, and as such, there’s no shortage of dream games that fans would love to see the developer tackle. At the Arc World Tour grand finals, I got a chance to sit down with Arc System Works CEO Minoru Kidooka to talk about some of those potential dream games, the future of BlazBlue, and his commitment to pursue new IP collaboration opportunities.

IGN: I believe we spoke at EVO last year and you mentioned that you wanted to be more aggressive about pursuing opportunities to collaborate with new IP owners. Is this still a major priority for you and in the intervening months, do you feel like you’ve made some progress in that regard?

Kidooka-san: I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s a priority at this point, but what we did say at Evo about trying to create more IP collaboration games is… Before EVO, during EVO, and after EVO, we’re still making steps towards that goal. So as a goal for ourselves and for our company, we really want to make something that makes the fighting community happy. So whether that’s using other IP or using our own games, we are just going to keep pushing forward to continue to make the members of the FGC satisfied.

For example, our previous games were with Bandai Namco, CyGames, as of today Nexon and [we are] in talks with other people about possibilities. We’re continuing to push forward so that the community can enjoy. So, I can’t go into details obviously at this point, but essentially that is the answer to your question.

IGN: Reflecting back on two years of Guilty Gear Strive, how do you feel about the performance of Strive and the future of the Guilty Gear series as a whole?

Kidooka-san: So regarding just Guilty Gear Strive, it both hit and kind of exceeded all of our projected expectations. Along with that, of course, we’ve put out the two seasons that we have already and we want the game to continue on and continue strong. So we plan to continue making those seasons available. But in terms of planning for the next game, in the Guilty Gear series, for now, we’re sticking to the seasons.
So of course, there’s still a lot to be done for the game. But once that is finished then they can start thinking of other things. But that’s a long ways to go.

IGN: Another thing that we talked about back at EVO was BlazBlue. Where you said that you have a plan, but that your first priority was to expand Strive. With Strive now being on every major non-Nintendo platform, cross play being implemented, and we’re now going through season two, are there any updates to your plan regarding BlazBlue?

Kidooka-san: We’re very proud of how the community has interacted with [BlazBlue]. One thing that we’re concerned with, one thing that we’re thinking about right now is that we don’t want to really have Guilty Gear and BlazBlue competing with each other. So we are focusing mainly on Guilty Gear. But of course BlazBlue is a title that the community loves. The community has put so much effort into making it what it is today, and keeping that in mind, we do want to touch back on the series at some point. So it is definitely not the case that BlazBlue is done. It is something that will be in the future. But for now, Guilty Gear is the main.

So if you think about the Guilty Gear series, when we moved into 3D, Xrd and Strive, that had a really strong impact and really strong reaction from the fans and that’s something we’re always pushing forward to. So when we make the next BlazBlue, we want to take a look at the technology of the time and see how that can create as equally strong an impact for the players. So as always, Arc System Works motto is to keep pushing forward and to keep having something new, exciting, and impactful for the users. And that’s something we’re going to be considering eventually when we do put out BlazBlue, something that has an equally strong impact as when you move to 3D with Xrd.

IGN: Switching gears to DNF Duel. You collaborated with Eighting, who is a very beloved fighting game developer themselves. Can you talk a little bit about that collaboration? Is that something you’re interested in continuing, both within the world of DNF Duel and beyond DNF Duel?

Kidooka-san: So something to keep in mind is that Arc System Works is not actually a very big company. We have around 200 members under our house, and with that limited amount of people, it’s a limited amount of resources we can put towards games. So working together with companies, like Eighting and other companies as well, really allows us to put out the games that we put out. Even Guilty Gear Strive was not 100% in-house. We had a lot of collaboration with artists and programmers outside of the company to help put that forward. So yeah, of course moving forward into other titles, into other games, we plan on continuing working with other developers to help us out and create those great games that Arc System Works is known for.

IGN: Finally, I’m going to bring up a game that is, I think a dream game in the idea of fighting game fans and it’s something that often gets brought up as something that they want to see Arc System Works do. Do you have any thoughts about potentially ever doing a One Piece fighting game?

Kidooka-san: As I said before, I want to work with other people and use what resources we have to create a fun game for the FGC to really rally behind. However, One Piece is something to think about. I can’t say whether we’re thinking about One Piece specifically. I can’t say, “oh yeah, One Piece, yes or no.” I can’t say either way, but it doesn’t mean it’s decided or doesn’t mean it’s outside the realm of possibility.

You really have to understand that we’re a small company. We can’t take up any project that comes across, we have to consider resources.

Mitchell Saltzman is an editorial producer at IGN. You can find him on twitter @JurassicRabbit

Layla was there when Redfall was pulled into darkness by the vampire scourge now consuming the island. And, when it all went down, she wasn’t alone. In the new character trailer above you can take a look at where Layla’s fight with the vampires began – and see how her ex-boyfriend got pulled into the mess too.

If you haven’t seen, Layla’s ultimate ability is summoning her vampire ex-boyfriend to help her destroy the enemies before her. As she says, their relationship is complicated. Here’s Layla’s kit:

• Power 1: Umbrella – Summon a psychic umbrella to block enemy and friendly projectiles.
• Power 2: Lift – Summon a psychic lift that launches you into the air.
• Ultimate Ability: Vampire Ex-Boyfriend – Call in a favor from your ex-boyfriend, Jason, who happens to be a vampire.