PlayStation Now, Sony’s cloud game streaming service for PlayStation 4, currently boasts a collection of more than 140 games. Since most of what I’ve been playing in recent months comes from titles available from the subscription-based service, I’ve put together a list of the games that are still worth revisiting in this latest generation, and certainly worth checking out if you’ve never played them before.
Without further ado, here are my top 10 picks from the PS Now collection.
Final Fantasy XIII
This PS3 entry in the popular RPG series is a ‘must play’ title. It may not be the best Final Fantasy game out there, but it provides a compelling story, gorgeous visuals, fun mechanics, and an interesting cast of characters led by the toughest girl around.
Gameplay is pretty easy to get the hang of too. Square Enix mixed the battle system styles from X and XII, so combat feels like traditional turn-based action; however, you can still see enemies from the main screen. The “Paradigm Shift” control model lets players fight with their party leader while assigning other party members into roles designed for tanking, healing or damage. Playable summons and three-way battles were other fun additions for XIII.
The Last of Us
Possibly one of the best zombie stories out there, The Last of Us is a tale with believable characters struggling to make their way in a realistic post-zombie world. At times it feels like a stealth game, with lots of sneaking and throwing bricks and bottles as distractions. Other times it’s more of a shooter, when you’re running, gunning, and throwing bricks at people instead of walls.
I liked The Last Of Us so much, I stopped playing it… so I could buy the remastered version and get an even better experience.
God of War (HD,2, 3 and Ascension)
As always, God of War is just pure unadulterated fun. And PS Now has four of the games from the series available. Follow the Spartan Kratos as he metes out justice and vengeance to gods and men in this third-person action series. Unleash those “Blades of Chaos” and cause some… chaos. The mechanics are smooth and enjoyable. Upgradable weapons, unlockable moves and hidden collectibles add a bit of variety to this arcade-style brawler. Bone up on your Greek mythology (sort of) and get your action fix all at the same time!
Resident Evil 5
One in a long line of solid zombie shooters, Resident Evil 5 doesn’t exactly stand out as one of the best, but it does provide some good gameplay and story elements. This time, you’re hunting terrorists in Africa, and zombies – lots of zombies! It’s not perfect – I did have some issues with the controls, for instance.The lack of “run and gun” style typical to Resident Evil games, for example, didn’t quite fit some of the content. It’s pretty embarrassing to be forced to lower the difficulty on a shooter just to avoid getting swamped in one of the first levels.
Bioshock Infinite
The third Bioshock title took the series in an excellent new direction after a slightly repetitive second installment. This game featured the bright, flying city of Columbia, a stark contrast to the dank darkness of Rapture. The characters are interesting, the story is compelling, and the twist at the end is one of the best I have seen since the first game.
The protagonist doesn’t have a giant arm drill, unfortunately, but with all the new weapons you probably won’t miss it. Upgrading your gear is enjoyable and intuitive, and as always there are plenty of collectible audio files (known here as Voxophones) to round out the story. If you haven’t played this game yet, you should check it out.
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Batman: Arkham City
The second in an outstanding trilogy, Batman: Arkham City lets players brawl, glide and punish evildoers as the caped crusader. The story for this installment follows the escape of all your favorite villains from Arkham Asylum. Now they’re terrorizing an entire city, and Batman has to put them in their place.
Lots of gadgets and upgrades let you personalize your fighting style, whileultiple vision modes allow players to see enemies through walls and examine crime scenes for clues. He is the world’s greatest detective, after all. Tons of side quests and collectibles (the Riddler got a little carried away) add some depth and prevent the story from being too linear. Become the Batman (or Nightwing, Catwoman, or Robin) with some of the excellent extra content.
Uncharted (Drake’s Fortune, 2 and 3)
The first three titles of the adventure series (the fourth game releases 3/18/16), Uncharted follows the rugged explorer Nathan Drake as he pursues fables, myths, and hopelessly lost cities. El Dorado, Shangri-La, and Iram of the Pillars are up for grabs in the first three games: I was hoping for Atlantis for the fourth game, but it looks like they went with a pirate city in Madagascar instead. Each entry boasts solid gameplay mechanics, intricate puzzles to solve, and enough hidden collectibles to awaken the treasure hunter in all of us.
If you really enjoy these titles, they are being repackaged for PS4 next month, in Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection. The bundle will also include beta access to the multiplayer of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. Stay up to date here.
Super Street Fighter IV
Chronologically set after Street Fighter II, IV also carried over a lot of the controls and mechanics from II. Focus attacks, taunts, throws, blocks, special moves: Super Street Fighter IV has everything you would want in a 2D fighter. The game maintained the Ultra Combo from the original Street Fighter IV, in case you get bored crushing your enemies with punches, kicks, energy blasts, and Super Combos. Super Street Fighter IV boasts 35 playable characters, including all 25 from the original title. “Shoryuken!”
Resistance 3
The third and final installment in the Resistance trilogy, Resistance 3 chronicles the survival of humanity in the post-apocalyptic 1950s. Set four years after Resistance 2, the game follows the protagonist of the series, who must defeat the fearsome Chimera once and for all. Resistance 3 retained the gameplay mechanics from the second installment, implementing a few elements of the first game and including upgradable weapons. This PS3 exclusive first-person shooter includes split-screen co-op for the campaign, so you can play with a friend. You might need the emotional support.
Shadow of the Colossus
Shadow of the Colossus is one of the most unique titles on the list. A funky combination of action, adventure, and puzzle-solving, this game is more of a mind-bender than a button-smasher.
The protagonist must find and defeat sixteen colossi, each with different weaknesses, in order to save a girl introduced at the beginning. Very little story content is shown initially, but is revealed piece by piece as the colossi are defeated. Shadow of the Collosus is an excellent example of minimalist mechanics and visuals. It may not be one you replay every year, but it is definitely an important one to try out.
Several other excellent games are available to stream, including big names like Saints Row, Ratchet & Clank, Sonic, Sly Cooper, inFAMOUS and Darksiders. Check out the full PS Now collection here.
Try the PlayStation Now service out for free for a week, after which you can pay $20 for a month-long subscription. I’m still a little disappointed that the PS4 doesn’t offer backwards compatibility, or one-time digital purchases for games like this, but at least we still have access to some PS3 content with PS Now. If you didn’t see your favorite game from the collection, comment below and tell me how wrong I am!