The Best Upcoming PS4 Exclusive Games

No gaming system lasts forever, and the PlayStation 4 is no exception. Introduced in November 2013, the PS4 has enjoyed incredible success, selling billions of games and earning Sony billions of dollars. But the 4 is beginning to show its age and, like a technological Doctor Who, is on tap to be replaced by the five sooner rather than later.

But that doesn't mean the PS4 has nothing left to give. Gamers still have plenty of great upcoming titles to look forward to, including many that are completely exclusive to the PlayStation. Some of these titles we've known about for a while, while others were just recently introduced at E3 2018. Some of these games are set for release in a matter of months, while others will make you wait until at least 2019. Here are the remaining PlayStation-exclusive games that will happily tide you over until Santa brings you console number five.

Good news, everyone! We don't need to wait for that Assassin's Creed game set in feudal Japan anymore, because open-world veterans Sucker Punch have beaten them to the... well... punch. 

Ghost of Tsushima is the open-world samurai game we've all been craving since open-world games became popular. Set during the Mongol invasion of the island of Tsushima, this game promises an exciting world and a fearsome enemy to battle with our katana and sweet samurai skills. Not much has been revealed about this game yet, so there's not much left to say except give it to us now, please.

At first glance, Bend Studio's upcoming title Days Gone might look like a ripoff of The Last of Us, but there are some key differences that have us excited. Days Gone appears to be an open-world game, rather than a linear one. There could also be potential for some cool shenanigans with zombie hordes and gangs of humans interacting in interesting ways.

The most noticeable difference is in the World War Z-style zombie swarms, where they sprint at you like a terrifying wave of slathering limbs and jaws. This flavor of zombie seems to lend itself to a more run-and-gun style combat, where you have to constantly be on the move as you pick away at the horde whenever you find a chance to stop for a few seconds, utilizing your environment to slow the enemy down as much as possible. Pretty different from what we've seen done before in previous zombie games. 

Oh yeah, also giant zombie bears? We're in!

The original Final Fantasy VII is a timeless classic, considered by many to be the best game in the Final Fantasy franchise, with some even considering it to be one of the greatest games ever made. Fans have been eager to return to Midgar since the PS3 tech demo in 2005 teasing at a remake of Square's legendary title. At E3 2015, Sony and Square Enix finally announced that fans' decade of patience was not in vain, and that yes, this remake was actually happening. Finally, Cloud, Barret, and the gang are back–and looking amazing.

In addition to leveraging the graphical power of the PlayStation 4, the Final Fantasy VII Remake will likely feature a revamped combat system, modern style third-person camera, and what sounds like an incredible orchestral recreation of the classic soundtrack. The original aged surprisingly well, but we're all eager to experience FF7's incredible story newly wrapped in all the trappings of modern gaming.

Naughty Dog's The Last of Us took us all by surprise, managing to make the well-worn zombie apocalypse story feel fresh and exciting. Not only was the story beautifully written and acted, but the combat mechanics perfectly complemented the narrative. The ending of the game was so well done that it was the last game anyone expected to get a sequel. That's why, when The Last of Us Part II was announced, we were all a bit skeptical at first.

However, people said the same thing about Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, and that game turned out to be fantastic. If anyone can find a way to justify returning to such a self-contained world and find a new story to tell, it's Naughty Dog. From what little we've seen, we'll be revisiting Joel and Ellie years after the events of the first game, but also exploring some new characters as well.

The most recent trailer for the game has received some backlash for its use of harsh and uncontextualized violence, but we have yet to see if this was merely a marketing blunder rather than an indication of problems with the game itself. Either way, we can't wait to find out for ourselves.

Now that Michel Ancel has gone independent with Wild Sheep Studio, he seems to be pulling out all the stops. Their upcoming prehistoric game WiLD looks like it's offering a fresh take on the open-world formula. You play as a shaman with the power to befriend and control animals. There's bear-riding, eagle scouting, rabbit sneaking, and all sorts of cool-looking mystical shaman shenanigans.

All of these seem to give us a variety of interesting ways to approach danger and adversity in the world of WiLD, which is exactly what a good open-world game needs. Michel Ancel's terrific track record, which includes Beyond Good & Evil and the Rayman franchise, gives us high hopes for this unique-looking title.

Unfortunately, Sony's indie game support has been a bit lacking recently. However, they still have a few aces up their sleeve, and the one we're most excited about is Concrete Genie. Announced at Paris Games Week 2017, this charming title from developer PixelOpus looks like it has a lot to offer. Telling a story about a boy and his magic paintbrush, Concrete Genie seems to be offering a unique blend of gameplay, art, and narrative.

The fascinating painting mechanics are beautiful to behold, and also appear to be the key to solving various environmental puzzles. The hauntingly drab alleyways are just waiting to be covered with beautiful art as you clamber over rooftops avoiding bullies and bringing magical friends to life with your painting. We're eager to learn more about this one, and glad that Sony hasn't completely given up on the smaller, riskier games.

When Sony announced that they were partnering with the newly independent games visionary Hideo Kojima, we all knew that we were in for something special. When Death Stranding was announced, we were certainly not let down. Kojima had been working almost exclusively on the Metal Gear franchise for decades, and now that he has the chance to create something completely new from scratch, it's clear he's making the most of it.

We don't have much in terms of gameplay details other than that it will be an open-world game action game containing some sort of online element. The game, which will star Hollywood notables Norman Reedus, Mads Mikkelsen, and even director Guillermo del Toro, looks to be right in line with Kojima's particular blend of military and the paranormal. 

We all know from the Metal Gear series how wild Kojima can get, and part of what makes his games great is trying to make sense of it all. Death Stranding is certainly promising plenty of weirdness in that regard. The two existing trailers have included tons of indecipherable (so far) imagery, including beaches full of dead sea life, strange scars, tentacled tanks, and skull-faced demon soldiers.

We have no idea what any of this means yet. But one thing is for sure: PlayStation sure scored big this time.

If you're a gamer, there's a roughly 100% chance you've dreamed of creating your own game. Thanks to developer Media Molecule, you'll finally get that chance, as their upcoming title Dreams is part preplanned game, and part whatever you want it to be.

The game's basic premise has you taking control of an imp who can enter dream worlds and possess all sorts of objects within, both alive and not. Each dream world seems totally unique, giving you tons of chances to play as many different characters. Based on the trailer, you could be an adorable panda, an old bluesman, a spaceship, a cube, a fox, and anything else the game's designers dreamed up.

That in itself would be grand enough, but Dreams ups the awesome factor by allowing you to create virtually any level you want. While this certainly has been done before, with games like Little Big Planet and Super Mario Maker, Dreams doesn't confine you to a single style of gameplay. Instead, you can customize your levels to be adventures, puzzles, shooters, old-school 8-bit platformers, and just about any other genre imaginable (aside from maybe a soccer sim). Once you've created your levels, you can share them online and challenge friends and strangers alike to conquer your dream game's dream world.

Some games feel more like interactive movies than anything else. Flavourworks' Erica is just that, only this time you're less watching the movie and more directing it on the fly.

In Erica, the titular character attempts to unravel the mystery behind who's attempting to kill her. The plot unfolds in what's essentially a feature-length movie that you control. Utilizing the PS4's new PlayLink system (technology that lets you play the game through your smartphone or tablet), you can enter Erica's world and choose her path. Do you threaten the creepy lady calling you via payphone, or do you listen to what she has to say? Do you slash at the mysterious man handing you a letter, or trust that he's there to help? You can even use your device to turn pages of a book or wipe away Erica's tears. At that point, it truly feels like you're helping out a friend, rather than a mere character.

The game itself (due sometime in 2018) is gorgeous, as Flavourworks set out to make it look and feel like an actual Hollywood production. The result is a blockbuster thriller/mystery you'll want to watch again and again, and you'll be guaranteed a different movie each time.

Old-school PlayStation fans might remember MediEvil, a darkly funny cult classic for PS1. If you missed it back then, or were too busy not being born yet, you have another chance coming up sometime in 2018, as MediEvil is getting completely remastered for the PS4.

The macabre, yet comedic MediEvil casts you as Sir Daniel Fortesque, a cowardly weaver of tall tales who accidentally BS's his way into becoming a knight of Gallowmere. He's killed almost immediately into his first battle, but gets unintentionally resurrected a century later by an evil sorcerer named Zarok. Now a one-eyed, jawless skeleton, it's your job to stop Zarok from destroying Gallowmere, and make yourself look a little less pathetic in the process.

Like the Crash Bandicoot N-Sane Trilogy before it, MediEvil takes a classic forefather of 3D gaming and smooths out all its rough edges, making it perfect for today's gaming crowd. What's more, rumors are making the rounds (thanks to supposed reps from Target and Wal-Mart) that the sequel, MediEvil 2, might be included in the release. Whether it is or it isn't, PS4's MediEvil will be a fine purchase for any gamer into horror, spooky stuff, comedy, or all of the above.

With the PlayStation VR, you can fully immerse yourself in all kinds of worlds. So why wouldn't you want to surround yourself with one chock-full of highly trained mercenaries with fully loaded guns pointed right at you?

2018's upcoming Firewall: Zero Hour is the latest in a long line of first-person squad-based battle games, but as a VR title you're more a part of the action than ever. You join one of two teams of elite mercenaries: one tasked to hack the enemies' computer for the important data within, and the other tasked to make sure they don't do that. Up to eight people can play at once, with 3D video and audio making it seem like you're really out there, blowing your buddies to bits if they stumble into a choke point and can't escape your bullet-happy wrath.

Don't worry if your friends aren't available, as Firewall: Zero Hour also features a solo mode that doubles as training. In it, you can play up to nine different missions on your own, and successfully completing them gives you experience that will make you stronger the next time you enter multiplayer. If you're really lucky, your friends won't realize this and you'll be the only one getting better in between squad dates, and victory will be yours every time.

Easily the most ridiculous exclusive on PlayStation's list, Trover Saves the Universe is a platformer where you control a naked purple guy named Trover, out to save puppies who've been kidnapped by a "beaked lunatic" named Glorkon. Rick and Morty's co-creator, Justin Roiland, is behind Trover if that helps you understand the game's bonkers plot any.

Very little of this game will likely make sense, but just about all of it will likely be hilarious. That much was showcased during Trover's teaser trailer, where a guy playing the game while taking a bath gets electrocuted when his TV falls in the tub. Trover rushes in and pleads for somebody to call 711 because "that's the emergency dial number for — in this weird part of the g-galaxy ... see, because this is a sci-fi ... based ... thing," which says more about the game's humor than any gameplay-heavy trailer ever could.

Sony hasn't even provided a release year, let alone a date, but they've already whet many an appetite. Whenever Trover does premiere, it will be available on both PS4 and the PSVR. According to Roiland, it'll be worth playing both ways as "there's different jokes" in each version. That's not a bad way to be. Not every game has to be an epic, serious, realistic, grandiose adventure, after all. Sometimes, a game simply has to be fun and silly.

There are plenty of multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games out there, but how many let you call yourself a god after you win? Not very many, except for Megalith, where your one and only goal is to destroy your opponents and become no less than a god.

Set for release in 2018, PSVR's Megalith sends you back to the time of the ancient Titans, monstrous creatures who preceded even the Greek gods of Olympus. Of course, this being a video game, Megalith takes creative liberties with these mythical creatures, turning them into semi-robotic, gun-toting monsters the ancient Greeks would most certainly tremble with fear over. You and your friends pick your favorite Titans and battle one another with a combination of firepower and brute strength. The last Titan standing rules all the rest.

Developer Disruptive Games hasn't shown very much footage of the game beyond its teaser trailer, but that will likely change soon enough. Even without much footage, it's pretty clear that any game that's essentially League of Legends with the monsters from Shadows of the Colossus as combatants, all in glorious virtual reality, is destined to rule hard.

At its heart, Déraciné is a point-and-click mystery/adventure like many a game before it. But between the combined powers of virtual reality and human ingenuity, this game (to be released sometime in 2018) quickly become so much more than just another clicker.

There's a mystery afoot in a lonely old boarding school, and it's up to you, a magical fairy, to solve it. The only problem is, you're an invisible fairy, so you can't exactly fly up to the children in the school and start asking questions. What's more, you're frozen in time, so all you can do is observe brief snippets and snapshots of what's going on. Plus, just to make things a little bit harder, the time you're frozen in keep changing, unpredictably sending you bouncing around the past, present, and presumably future.

No matter where you are in time, though, there will always be things to investigate, like little clues and bits of evidence that will help you not only solve the overarching mystery of the school, but also understand the lives of the children within. The game itself looks beautiful and almost dreamlike, a perfect aesthetic for life as a frozen fairy living and working in a gorgeous, hauntingly quiet, ancient building. Even if virtual, visual novels aren't really your thing, you would do well to make room on your digital bookshelf for Déraciné.

3D is great. Open world sandbox is also great. But there's always going to be room for a good old-fashioned, two-dimensional side-scrolling platformer in our gamer hearts, and it looks like Star Child will be more than capable of filling that room.

What we know of the game's plot sounds almost Metroid-esque. A space-traveling woman named Spectra and her partner, King, crash-land on an alien planet whose race is in danger of being conquered and destroyed by another, much meaner alien race. It's her job to restore the planet's defense mechanisms before the evil entities can overwhelm it completely.

How she accomplishes this, however, is what separates Spectra from Samus. At some point in the game, Spectra gains the ability to control her own surroundings, manipulating the world around her to help both her and it. This sounds like it will result in not only a stronger hero, but environments that are constantly evolving and changing according to Spectra's needs.

Star Child will be available sometime in 2018 for the PSVR, which should prove an interesting choice for a two dimensional side-scroller. Virtual side-scrollers have worked in the past, though, such as with Wario Land for the Virtual Boy. Since, to put it extremely mildly, the PSVR is most certainly not the Virtual Boy, we have high hopes that Star Child will both succeed and amaze.

SIE London Studios' Blood and Truth (scheduled for release at some point in 2018) is probably the closest you'll ever want to come to crime, death, and destruction. Set in the criminal underground of modern-day London (where else would London Studios set it?), Blood and Truth is a first-person virtual reality adventure that turns you into special forces agent Ryan Marks, whose family has been kidnapped by bloodthirsty criminals. And he's none too happy about it.

Everything about Blood and Truth is designed to be as realistic as possible. If you shoot your gun, for example, your controllers will vibrate and reverb as if they were actual guns. When you need to load, you'll do so with both controllers like they were parts of a real gun. Even simple tasks like pressing a button will be done in a realistic manner, rather than simply hitting X on the controller.

What's more, the developers promise the ability to "make your own dialogue choices" that will shape both the story and your character. While we won't know exactly what that means until more details come out, it sounds like London Studios plans for you to voice Agent Marks, rather than simply choosing from preselected dialogue choices, with the game recognizing what you're saying and using it to tell the story. If so, that would make this game truly revolutionary, allowing you to become your character in a way only dreamed about before.

The above games aren't the only PS4 exclusives left. Keep your Sony-only eyes peeled for PSVR's Golem, about an injured child who can control increasingly large and deadly golems. Then there's Catherine: Full Body, a next-generation remake of the paranormal romance Catherine, with a third woman added to further tempt poor Vincent. Lucky Persona fans get two new dancing titles, in Persona 3: Dancing In Moonlight and Persona 5: Dancing In Starlight.

Tetris Effect is traditional Tetris mixed with rhythm, music, and lights. Ghost Giant is a PSVR game where you play a ghostly friend to a lonely child, lifting and moving all sorts of objects to help solve puzzles and unlock the mysteries within. Gungrave VR is a virtual-reality remake of the PS2 shooter Gungrave, as well as a lead-in to its upcoming sequel, Gungrave G.O.R.E. Astro Bot is a PSVR game that makes you an adorable robot on a mission to save your fellow bots from being lost in space. And finally, look for a slew of PlayLink party games, such as Chimparty (minigames starring monkeys), Melbits World (a cute puzzle-platform game about making the internet a better place) and UNO (you know what UNO is).

Even if Sony doesn't announce any PS4 exclusives beyond what's mentioned here, it's clear that PS5 whippersnapper won't be hogging too much glory just yet. The good old PS4 still has lots of life left.