Since the best games of the PlayStation 4 without even knowing they existed.
For every stunning ,big-budget release, there are dozens of PlayStation 4 games that flew under the radar. These range from indie games from small studios to games with huge backings that failed to take off. Some of these titles even saw critical or commercial success at the time, only to quickly be forgotten.
The games below are each unique in that they provide an amazing gameplay experience but are not discussed often. As studios focus on the next big game, and players look forward to the next generation of gaming, these PS4 hidden gems still deserve some attention.
Best PS4 Hidden Gems: Infamous Second Son
As an early PlayStation 4 game and the third entry in the Infamous series, Infamous Second Son enjoyed a lot of publicity when it launched. Unfortunately, it was quickly forgotten, once more titles were released for the PlayStation 4. With a huge city to explore and new powers to experiment with, as well as a "Karma" morality system that tracks players' decisions in-game, Infamous Second Son still holds up to this day.
Infamous Second Son is one of the few instances of a good superhero game not based on a major comic book property. While the game suffers from a slightly weaker plot than its predecessors, tearing across the city with smoke- and neon-based powers is a blast. Developer Sucker Punch Productions launched Ghost of Tsushima earlier this year, which may open the studio up to developing a new entry in the Infamous series.
Best PS4 Hidden Gems: Gravity Rush Remastered
First released on the PlayStation Vita handheld, Gravity Rush Remastered is an upscaled version of the innovative action-adventure game. Players control Kat, a young woman with amnesia who can control how gravity affects her. With complete influence over how gravity affects the player character, Gravity Rush Remastered forces players to experiment with perspective and to rethink how they interact with the environment.
Players who enjoy Gravity Rush Remastered will be happy to find that Gravity Rush 2 was released for the PS4 in 2017 and improved on the mechanics of the first game. Kat was also recently seen in Astro’s Playroom, a free PS5 game that features a ton of references to PlayStation’s history.
Best PS4 Hidden Gems: Donut County
Donut County takes something very simple - controlling a moving, item-swallowing hole in the ground - and turns it into a full-fledged game. Players follow Mira and her raccoon boss, BK, as BK tries to win a sweet quadcopter by playing an app game. Unknown to BK, the game is swallowing up the down and leaving people and their homes stuck underground.
Fans of the popular Katamari Damacy series will enjoy the goofy dialog and puzzle-solving mechanics that come from consuming everything in sight. Donut County is a little on the short side, but it's a charming and fun puzzle game.
Best PS4 Hidden Gems: Child of Light
Ubisoft is well-known for producing games like Assassin’s Creed, For Honor, and Watch Dogs. But many may not be aware that the publisher also released a little action-RPG called Child of Light back in 2014. The game follows Aurora, a child who wakes up in the magical land of Lemuria and teams up with a wide cast of characters to save the kingdom and her home.
Child of Light has a beautiful art direction, and its entire script plays out in rhyming verse, giving the game a feel of whimsy as players explore. But despite its fairy tale setup, Child of Light also tackles issues of death, hopelessness, and betrayal.
Best PS4 Hidden Gems: Odin Sphere Leifthrasir
Odin Sphere Leifthrasir is a tragically beautiful game that, like Child of Light, also gives players the feeling of controlling a fairy tale story. Based loosely on the 1874 music drama Der Ring des Nibelungen, composed by Richard Wagner, Odin Sphere Leifthrasir follows five characters as their lives are drastically changed by a war between nations.
Originally developed by Vanillaware for the PlayStation 2, Odin Sphere Leifthrasir improved on the issues of the original game, while keeping the aesthetics intact. Between the gorgeous, hand-drawn art style and unique leveling system, Odin Sphere Leifthrasir is one of the greatest hidden gems on the PlayStation 4.
