With Uncharted 4 looking like the next PlayStation exclusive to escape its console shackles, we're republishing this article from 2020. Hopefully someone from Sony is reading.
Death Stranding and Horizon Zero Dawn were the first big PlayStation exclusives to hit PC, but they won't be the last. Sony just said so itself. While "We will explore expanding our 1st party titles to the PC platform" may not sound like a slam dunk, that's as direct as corporate reports ever get to spelling out unannounced plans. After the success of Horizon, more ports seem inevitable as Sony looks to "promote further growth" in its profits.
PlayStation 5 exclusives may not come to PC anytime soon to keep interest high in the new console, but Sony has a hell of a PS4 back catalog to explore for future PC ports. Here are the PS4 games we really want to see on PC—plus a few that, honestly, we'd take with more of a contented shrug.
S-Tier
The best of the best.
God of War
What is it? A cinematic action game about a father and son journeying through a fantasy world based on Norse mythology.
Fraser: Of all the bad dad games, not only is this one the best, it also features the baddest of the dads. Kratos is a grumpy god with a beard and a penchant for murder, but he’s also found himself in possession of a precocious kid. Thus begins another extremely bloody romp, albeit this time with heart and a more nuanced take on mass deity murderer. I was gripped. By a God of War story! I’m still not sure how it happened. The combat’s pretty good, too.
Bloodborne
What is it? A dark, atmospheric action game from the developer behind Dark Souls, with a focus on fast, challenging combat.
Tom: An astonishing action horror game from the creators of Dark Souls. Bloodborne fuses gothic horror with Lovecraftian influences to forge a grim and unforgettable world full of crazed scientists and rampaging deities. The combat system asks you to take a hyper-aggressive approach to fights that can end your life in just a few blows. As the world descends into madness and the plot eventually, gradually reveals itself, the extraordinary vision behind Bloodborne becomes apparent—it's a game you will be thinking about for years afterwards, and a game so detailed that it takes several playthroughs to get the measure of it. It's simply one of the best games ever made, and it deserves to be on PC.
Emma: Just stop for a second and imagine Bloodborne running at 60FPS. Let’s be honest, that’s every Hunter’s dream. Skulking through the streets of Yharnam as the plague devours its inhabitants fills you with an equal sense of awe and dread at the hideous creatures you encounter. Aggressive manoeuvres are encouraged, rewarding you for taking brave, calculated risks against foes. Bloodborne’s relentless action conditions you to become a ruthless killer in a nightmarish world. Some of its lore is just tragic enough to permeate your hardened exterior, though.
Everybody's Golf
What is it? A colourful, accessible, and light-hearted golf game that's easy to pick up and play, but full of hidden depth.
Tom: Don't be fooled by the bright, cartoon graphics. This is a detailed golf sim with some fiendish courses. Everybody's Golf pushes aside the perceived stuffiness of the real sport and gives you golfing caricatures to control. You can race around the open world lobby getting into contests with strangers, or line up alongside some friends for friendly competition. It's a brilliant multiplayer game to play while chatting away, and there's surprising nuance to the golf itself. Master the special types of spin to really impress your mates. Watching a friend make a superb drive is just as fun as making one yourself.
Andy K: If I could only choose one game from this list, it would be Everybody's Golf. It's the perfect game if you fancy something quick to play for half an hour; but equally, there's a remarkable amount of depth to uncover in its slapstick simulation of the sport. The stylised, cartoony visuals are misleading, because this is a hardcore game, and powerfully addictive too.
Phil: Sorry Uncharted, Everybody's Golf is secretly the PlayStation's best series.
Shadow of the Colossus
What is it? A shiny remake of a PS2 game about battling giant, beautiful monsters in a mysterious, haunting open world.
Fraser: This is what I wish most open-world games were like—huge, beautiful spaces peppered with mysteries, not side quests and collectibles. Shadow of the Colossus's map is a stage for titanic boss battles, which almost feel like discrete levels themselves. You climb, you kill and then you get on your horse to find your next target. You're always moving towards the next incredible encounter, not pissing about trying to find 100 herbs. If it's even possible after so many years—SoC originally came out on PS2—try to go in blind. You won't want to spoil the Colossi.
Andy K: Even though I've explored every corner of it, I still find Shadow of the Colossus's melancholy world incredibly beguiling. It's a place laced with mystery and ancient, forgotten history: which provides an atmospheric backdrop for the game's sparse, morally ambiguous tale of monster-slaying. It still looks beautiful on PS2, but the remake released for PS4 in 2018 gives the game a nice visual overhaul without impacting the original's distinctive art direction.
The Last of Us
What is it? A post-apocalyptic survival game set in a world ravaged by a fungus that turns people into zombie-like mutants.
Harry: The Last of Us is one of few games that properly gives its digital murder weight. Melee combat is a frantic fight for survival. You don't just hit your target, pick up ammo, and move on: rather you brutally bludgeon your foes to death, and the screams and whites of their eyes never quite leave you. In the upcoming sequel, friends of those you've killed will call out their companion's name, which may well leave you even more disturbed.
Andy K: There's some stunning environment design in The Last of Us that would look great on PC. I've explored a million videogame post-apocalypses, but there's something about this one that really stuck with me. Nature has rapidly reclaimed the cities and suburbs, which makes for an unusually green and pleasant apocalypse. The punching feels really good too.
The Last of Us Part 2
What is it: A lavishly told, emotionally overwhelming rumination on violence and revenge.
Morgan: The Last of Us Part 2 was never going to be as crowd-pleasing as its predecessor. Where The Last of Us is a comparably safe tale of an apocalyptic road trip with emotional weight, Part 2 stews on its themes of hate, violence, and mourning in a single city for the majority of its story. Part 2's ambition ruins its pacing, but that's balanced out by expanded stealth-action combat that I never got tired of. The combat loop gives you a ton of tools to ambush, break away, lick your wounds, and form a better plan. Its unrelenting high standards in graphics, sound, and animation (fueled by reported crunch at Naughty Dog) sells its brutality more than any game I've played. That's why it's exciting that we've already seen hints that a PC version is in the works. Maybe knock it down a tier if the first game doesn't come to PC too; it's important to play before Part 2.
I'm especially hopeful that Part 2's followup to Factions multiplayer, which is still in development, will also make it to PC. Factions was a ton of fun and legitimately worked as a competitive stealth game. With the precision of a mouse and higher frame rates, it'd be even more intense.
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
What is it? A fun, gorgeous Indiana Jones-style adventure starring a cocky treasure hunter on the trail of lost pirate booty.
Andy K: The Uncharted series has been hit-and-miss for me—I really hated Drake's Deception—but this one? I loved every damn minute of it. It's a lively, fast-paced, atmospheric adventure, with some stunning environment design, natural acting, and an intriguing, mystery-laced story. It's not particularly smart, and there's a little too much combat for my liking, but as a digital expression of an Indiana Jones film, or an old adventure serial, it's basically note-perfect.
A-Tier
Great games, fully deserving of a PC port.
Judgment
What is it? A spin-off from the Yakuza series, shifting the focus from a gangster to a private detective operating in Kamurocho.
Andy K: Personally I'd put this in the S tier, but PC Gamer is a democracy and it was determined that it probably belongs in A. Fair enough. This is a spin-off from the Yakuza series, starring a ridiculously cool, leather jacket-wearing private detective called Yagami. It's great seeing the seedy Kamurocho district of Tokyo from a different perspective, and the twisting plot kept me hooked all the way through. Aside from that, the game features the usual Yakuza-style mix of highly entertaining cutscenes, a compelling story, brilliantly cathartic combat, and daft minigames. I've never wanted a sequel to anything more.
Phil: I'd take this over The Last of Us, but I've been informed that opinion is "wrong" and "bad".
Ghost of Tsushima
What is it? An open world stealth-action where you, a lone samurai, try to wrestle control back from an invading Mongolian fleet.
Jorge: There aren't many games that can capture the cinematic badassery of a wandering samurai getting into tense duels with bandits, ronin, and bloodthirsty generals. The Island of Tsushima is vast, colorful, and deadly, and it's fun to get lost while exploring. Shutterbugs will lose their minds at how stellar the photo mode is here—it gives you an unparalleled level of control in framing a scene, including setting time of day and even making it rain cherry blossoms. This game was so inspired by samurai movies that you can play the whole thing in B&W "Kurosawa mode." Considering the surprising rarity of good samurai games on the PC, Ghost of Tsushima would be welcome, especially running on a crazy powerful graphics card.
Marvel's Spider-Man
What is it? An original Spider-Man story set in an open world Manhattan, with classic Spidey villains appearing as bosses.
Chris: Is it weird that I just want to play this just so I can take Spider-Man selfies? I love taking photos in games and I have fun with any game that includes some sort of photo mode, even if I'm not completely in love with the game itself. I'm a Spidey fan in general and I'm up for web-slinging and city-swinging, too, but mostly I just want to take cool photos of myself in New York, even if J. Jonah Jameson doesn't put them in the Daily Bugle.
Tom: The web swinging feels incredible. It's one of the best traversal methods in any game. The studio even recorded two versions of every Spidey voice line so he could sound slightly out of breath as he swings around New York. Combat is a light, fast take on the Arkham games that's entertaining enough. There are some rubbish boss fights and the story missions get dull after a while, but overall it's a great realisation of the Spider-Man fantasy, and the best since those ancient PS2 games.
Until Dawn
What is it? A tense Telltale-style adventure game inspired by teen slasher movies, starring future Oscar winner Rami Malek.
Fraser: A bunch of terrible teens (all in their 30s) visit an extremely large, isolated house—lots of murder ensues. Until Dawn is a spot-on slasher flick in videogame form, complete with recognisable actors, and it utterly embraces the tropes and tricks inherent in the genre. If you think you can outsmart serial killers, then this is a great place to test your theory.
Tom: A hilarious tongue in cheek adventure with some shocking, gory moments and facial animations from the deepest crags of the uncanny valley. You can lose characters in completely arbitrary ways, but that's part of the fun. It's a perfect game to play with a pal. Hand off control between scenes and try not to get everyone killed.
Gran Turismo Sport
What is it? The latest in Polyphony's long-running motorsport series, with 324 cars to drive and a focus on competitive racing.
Andy: When it comes to realistic driving simulators, my heart belongs to Forza. But I've always liked the cool minimalism of the Gran Turismo series, so I'd love to see this one—which is very good by all accounts—on PC.
WipEout Omega Collection
What is it? A collection of reimaginings of the classic anti-gravity racing series, including WipEout HD, Fury, and 2048.
Fraser: Confession: I’ve yet to play the Omega Collection sober. Conveniently, this has given me a pretty solid excuse to explain why I’m so very, very shite. Containing Wipeout HD and 2048, it’s bursting with eye-popping, breakneck races for people with excellent reflexes. I crash and burn a lot, but god damn do I still love this futuristic racer. Maybe one day I’ll get good again.
Tom: Zone mode is a great way to play. It's a survival mode that gives your ship more speed with each lap you complete. The rules are simple: keep going until you explode. As you shift between gears the track pulses with different neon colours. It's exciting, trippy, and extremely fast.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
What is it? A self-contained Uncharted 4 spin-off set in India, with treasure hunter Chloe Frazer stepping into the protagonist role.
Robin: This spin-off may have started life as DLC for Uncharted 4, but the resulting stand-alone game feels like a fully-realised adventure. Anti-hero stars Chloe and Nadine are a refreshing break from Drake’s testosterone-fuelled capers, and make for a compelling odd-couple over the course of the breezy story. Equally, the focus is primarily on one big open area, beautifully crafted and full of treasures and secrets to discover at your own pace. It's a fun change from the series’ usual breathless globe-trotting.
B-Tier
Good, but not essential.
Killzone Shadow Fall
What is it? The sixth game in flagship PlayStation FPS series Killzone, with more open-ended missions than previous entries.
Harry: I'll never forget the invasion of Helghan that kicked off Killzone 2. It was graphically stupendous, with weighty guns and excellent sound design really putting you on the frontline. It was fitting that Killzone Shadow Fall was the launch FPS to properly show off the PS4 computing chops, then, and this beautiful world riven with an uneasy peace between the Vektans and the space Nazis didn't disappoint. It was held back from greatness by an under-developed story, DualShock 4 gimmicks, and unresponsive platforming sections, but it still started the current console generation off with a bang.
Phil: Wait, people actually played this?
The Last Guardian
What is it? Another atmospheric adventure from the makers of Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, featuring a giant bird… cat… thing.
Robin: The only thing I hate more than this game is people telling me I’m heartless for hating this game. Your experience really hinges on one overriding factor: whether or not you fall in love with feathery monster dog Trico. If you do, it’s a magical, emotional adventure alongside a virtual beast so convincing he’ll finally bring you closure over the death of your childhood pets. If you don’t, it’s an enormously frustrating exercise in trying to coax a giant idiot to walk through the right bloody door for the 500th time, while condescending friends tell you it’s just because you haven’t bonded with him correctly. Bitter? Nah, not me.
Tom: I fell in love with the giant dog-bird thing, Trico. I understand the complaints people had about The Last Guardian. Trico can be wilfully unhelpful, but for me that's part of the point. You're working on a friendship with a wild creature that isn't there to please you. The game plays with this tension in smart ways, turning Trico against you in key moments to keep that sense of mutual respect strong. The game is absolutely beautiful, too. Team Ico are experts at creating worlds that feel lonely and beautiful at the same time. A must-play for me, even if you do end up swearing at Trico a bunch.
Ratchet & Clank
What is it? A lavish remake of a colourful 3D platformer, which features a large arsenal of absurd, imaginative weapons.
Harry: As was the case across the world, the Xbox 360 dominated the lives of those at my secondary school. For those that could inveigle their parents into buying them the 18-rated Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, they would invariably play it on Microsoft's box. Not me. I was one one of the few who bought a PlayStation 3, and it cost a lot of pocket money. The reason? Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction. I've loved the Lombax furball and his diminutive robot companion as long as I can remember, and 2016's 'reimagining' of the 2002 original caught me right in the nostalgia. Just a shame the film tie-in tanked.
C-Tier
Fine, but we can take or leave 'em.
Tearaway Unfolded
What is it? An effortlessly cute mix of action, adventure, and platforming set in a vivid storybook world made of paper.
Andy: Tearaway is an impossibly lovely adventure from Media Molecule, whose world is made entirely out of paper. It started life as a PS Vita exclusive, which is where I first played it, but has since been rejigged for PS4. The LittleBigPlanet developer is great at giving you ways to be creative in its games, and Tearaway is no different, letting you draw and design objects to solve puzzles, complete quests, and make people happy. We need more of this sort of thing on PC.
Infamous Second Son
What is it? An open world superhero game where you choose to be good or evil, which directly affects the powers you can wield.
Harry: Like Killzone, Infamous Second Son was intended to show off what the PS4 could do, and it succeeded in that. Its lighting remains impressive, and basking in the chaos unleashed by new protagonist Delsin Rowe's bright neon powers was consistently fun. Its map marker-filled open-world design will fatigue PC players today, grown weary by the likes of Far Cry, Watch Dogs, and Ghost Recon Breakpoint, but it's the Troy Baker-voiced Rowe that'll aggravate the most: rather than choosing between good and evil responses, your answers were often either annoying or... annoying.
D-TIER
No thanks.
MediEvil
What is it? A slightly modernised remake of a classic PlayStation game, starring a sword-wielding skeletal warrior.
Andy: MediEvil is one of those games I remember loving back in the days of the first PlayStation, but I can't say I'm that jazzed to play it again—new graphics or not. According to reviews of this PS4-exclusive 2019 remake, the game is still rife with unfair instant deaths and stingy checkpoints, which I don't know if I have the patience for anymore. Some things aren't worth reviving.
The Order: 1886
What is it? A third-person action game set in an alternate history steampunk London, with werewolves and vampires.
Andy: There's no denying The Order is a looker, but that's all it really has going for it. Look past the ludicrously high production values and you find an immensely shallow game, with an abundance of QTEs, tedious combat, and a general feeling of not really being involved in anything that's happening on-screen. A nice visual showcase for the PS4 in 2015, but not much else.
