The PS4 logo.

10 Best PS4 Games Released Last Year

There were a ton of spectacular games released for Sony’s PlayStation 4 in 2017 that are worth adding to your collection for 2018.

And if you’re here, you only want to know the best games for the PlayStation 4 – that’s why you clicked on the article, right?

This list of games defines what it means to be a video gamer in 2017 and includes the best from all genres. There’s a little something for everyone on this list.

In this post you will get:

  • A definitive list of the best PS4 games released in 2017
  • Quick highlights of each game
  • A list of related games so that you can get some idea of whether or not the game is right for you

Without further delay, here are the top 10 best games for the PlayStation 4 released in 2017.

10. Sonic Mania

Sonic Mania is the kind of game you would have expected to see at the height of the Sega Genesis-era: A side-scrolling extravaganza with bright lights, beautiful music, spot-on sound effects, and the titular blazing blue ball of speed, Sonic the Hedgehog himself.

Instead, it is 2017 and Sonic Mania not only represents the best of classic Sonic remade for the modern era, but also is itself the product of a labor of love between longtime fans and Sonic modding community members like Christian Whitehead and Sonic Team themselves.

The graphical fidelity was geared towards something between the Genesis and the Sega Saturn while the gameplay is pure classic 16-bit Sonic with dashes of Sonic CD thrown in for good measure.

This game not only met community expectations, but it also received near universal acclaim from critics and the video game press.

If you love Sonic the Hedgehog, or you simply have a nostalgia for days long past, you owe it to yourself to check out Sonic Mania.

You’ll probably like this game if you also like:

  • Super Mario Odyssey
  • Shovel Knight
  • Blaster Master Zero

9. F1 2017

From famed UK development house Codemasters comes the official game of the 71st season of the Formula 1 world championship, F1 2017 includes 20 circuits, 20 drivers, and 10 teams competing during a season.

The game also puts players in a racing team management role, giving customization options over the research and development of race car parts.

The game also features classic cars from bygone eras of F1 racing. A true must-own game for fans of racing and F1 in particular.

You’ll probably like this game if you also like:

  • Gran Turismo
  • Nascar HEAT
  • MotoGP 17

8. Injustice 2

A fighting game developed by NetherRealm Studios, Injustice 2 is the sequel to the wildly successful Injustice, a game noted for its use of DC Comics licensed properties in a dark, gritty setting with relatively accessible yet deep gameplay mechanics.

Injustice 2 is known for its competitive scene and robust online experience, but it is also unique among fighting games in that it incorporates an RPG-like progression system that rewards players with better gear and stats as they make their way through the game.

The story involves Batman and his Insurgency attempting to restore order to a devastated world left in a power vacuum following the fall of Superman’s regime.

If you’re a fan of DC Comics, why are you still reading- you need this game!

If you love fighting games in general, you can’t do much better than Injustice 2.

You’ll probably like this game if you also like:

  • Injustice
  • Mortal Kombat XL
  • Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite

7. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

Wolfenstein is a game series that has been with us for quite some time. While it has undergone a number of iterations, the last entry (a total reboot by many standards) really brought the series into the modern era.

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus completes this transformation, and boy is it one hell of a ride.

If you’re a fan of the old story-based, World War II Call of Duty games but need just an extra touch crazy story, then Wolfenstein II has you covered.

The game opens with one of the most visceral scenes from gaming in a while, and it doesn’t let up from there.

The whole experience is quite a bit to take in but every second proves to be worth its purchase price. Some of the stories may throw you for a loop but once you let go of the need for grounded logic, all of it starts to fall into place.

Plus, Nazis do make great enemies.

You’ll probably like this game if you also like:

  • DOOM 4
  • Prey
  • Assassin’s Creed Origins

6. Horizon Zero Dawn

It’s not often that an action role-playing game makes a huge impact but Guerilla Games Horizon Zero Dawn has done just that.

Presenting players with one of the most compelling worlds with gameplay to match, Horizon Zero Dawn stars Aloy, a hunter living in a world filled with robotic life.

Portrayed as a social outcast, Aloy decides it is time to leave her confines and venture into the broader, more dangerous world outside.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRQDqurZJNk

In terms of defense, players have ranged weapons as well as Aloy’s stealth tactics to help them overcome obstacles they encounter in the environment.

Like many open-world video games, Horizon Zero Dawn has loads of places for Aloy to explore as well as numerous side quests and missions in addition to the main storyline.

The graphics are beautiful and captivating and the world itself is compelling – more than enough here to keep even the savviest gamer entertained for hours on end.

You’ll probably like this game if you also like:

  • The Last of Us
  • Uncharted 4
  • The Last Guardian

5. Nex Machina: Death Machine

How long has it been since you last played a good shoot ’em up videogame?

Too long, probably. Well Nex Machina: Death Machine from Housemarque looks set to satisfy your needs with one of the best entries in the genre to come around in years.

The game takes place from a top-down perspective and puts players in charge of a gunner moving from room to room, mowing down hordes of enemies and saving humans in the process.

Designed in consultation with arcade gaming giant Eugene Jarvis (Defender, Robotron: 2084, and Smash TV), Nex Machina: Death Machine recalls an earlier time in video games but presents it in the guise of a modern masterpiece.

You’ll probably like this game if you also like:

  • Masterfall
  • Hellblade
  • Observer

4. NieR: Automata

Another action role-playing game that made waves on the PlayStation 4 in 2017 was Square Enix’s NieR: Automata, developed by Platinum Games.

Itself a spinoff of Square’s Drakengard RPG series, NieR focuses on the war between machines sent by mysterious beings and the remnant of humanity that resists their rule.

The storyline follows a combat unit, her companion, and a robot fugitive prototype. Deep and engaging gameplay mechanics combine with a marvelous tale to deliver one of the most cinematic experiences in gaming in 2017.

While the color scheme may seem a bit muted by some standards, the graphical fidelity and attention to detail in this game are second to none.

You’ll probably like this game if you also like:

  • Yakuza 0
  • Tales of Berseria
  • Gravity Rush 2

3. Nioh

A dark fantasy action role-playing game inspired by Sengoku period Japan, Nioh is for gamers longing for Onimusha with a touch of Dark Souls.

The first thing gamers will probably notice about this title is its lush, beautiful graphics and dark, twisted art style.

Indeed, in aping the best of Dark Souls or Bloodborne, Nioh shows them how to do it. One change players may not like is that, unlike most games, Nioh is not open world, but rather each mission is self-contained and selected from a menu of options.

This in-and-out style is reminiscent of another time, but is totally appropriate in the context of Nioh’s often punishing gameplay, which vacillates between difficult and grueling.

The mastery of the game is in its ability to keep the player constantly engaged – there’s never a dull moment. Nioh is the perfect game for fans of action RPG’s who like heavy doses of dark fantasy mixed in with their intense action sequences.

You’ll probably like this game if you also like:

  • Dark Souls
  • Bloodborne
  • Ninja Gaiden

2. What Remains of Edith Finch

This game is one of the more unique entries on this list – a story-focused, first-person drama about the titular Edith Finch as she returns home and discovers stories about her dead relatives.

Sounds a bit maudlin and ridiculous for a game until you experience it yourself. Deeply moving as well as completely compelling and engaging, What Remains of Edith Finch demonstrates how the interactive element of video games separates it from film or still art.

The game is presented as a sequence of rooms within which the player uncovers more information about the family’s past.

In some ways, it recalls games like Myst and the point-and-click editions of Zork, but What Remains of Edith Finch transcends those genres and becomes, in and of itself, an experience gamers need to have.

You’ll probably like this game if you also like:

  • Cuphead
  • Little Nightmares
  • The Witness

1. Persona 5

You may or may not be familiar with Atlus long-running Persona (and related Shin Megami Tensei) series, but now is the time to acquaint yourself with one the titans of JRPG’s. Persona 5, like entries before it, places you in the role of a Japanese youth seeking to discover himself while in the midst of some local or global drama.

Persona 5 differs from previous entries in that the focus on the protagonist’s relationships is more pronounced than before and the protagonist himself is somewhat more fixed indisposition.

You were given the benefit of the doubt in previous games, even if people never stopped treating you like a stranger in their town, but Persona 5 moves the action to bustling Tokyo, where regionalism is less pronounced than in Persona 4, and the character is a bit of a “bad boy” already so there is no need to wonder.

It’s interesting to see how society treats your character based on this information, and the many possibilities it opens up from the get-go.

While the Persona games were always a bit much when it came to discussing coming-of-age issues, Persona 5 kicks it up a notch and delivers on every level.

Of course, this game is so stylish it hurts sometimes, with menus more painstakingly crafted than many games, and the soundtrack is second to none.

Every Persona game has its awesome experience to offer, but Persona 5 may be the one that beats them all.

If you have not already played a Persona game, you need to get Persona 5.

Trust me, you won’t be able to put it down and its world will stay with you long after you have completed the game.

You’ll probably like this game if you also like:

  • Final Fantasy XV
  • Persona 4 Golden
  • Kingdom Hearts

Do you think there are other games that should be on this list? Share your thoughts!

If you agree with this list, share it on Facebook and Twitter. If you don’t, share your own list in the comment section.

Visit ProFanboy for more lists like this.

By Reza W.

Reza is the owner of ProFanboy, a video game website that focuses on lists of the current best games.