If you've just finished playing God of War, then you may very well have conquered 2018's game of the year. While that's not a total foregone conclusion just yet, it's safe to say that the game will at least be in contention. Don't believe us? Take a look for yourself:
Told ya so. Once you've come down from the high of being the old, angry version of our favorite self-made god, Kratos, you should check out some other PlayStation 4 games to keep the thrill going. These titles likely won't be able to reach the lofty bar set by God of War, but they all deserve a look of their own.
Dark Souls 3
Comparisons between God of War and Dark Souls 3 ran rampant leading up to its launch. The games are more alike than ever, with the biggest difference being Dark Souls 3 is slightly less forgiving in difficulty. If you can get over that hurdle, you're in for a treat.
Dark Souls 3 continues the franchise that's known for its rich, deep lore, satisfying yet tough combat, gorgeous design, and bone-crunching boss battles. This is the kind of game that doesn't hold your hand, and turning the wrong corner at the wrong time usually spells your immediate death.
Horizon Zero Dawn
Need more evidence that the best exclusives live on PlayStation? Horizon Zero Dawn should remove all doubt. This open world game has mechanical dinosaurs. That's all you should need to know to get excited.
But that's only one part of what makes it awesome. Aloy — the protagonist you'll control from her days as a wee lad onward — is a deadly archer with a knack for survival. She'll take the hunks of metal she kills and use their parts to make even stronger weapons and traps. Of course, finding out how these hulking metallic monsters came to be will be the main plotline that keeps you interested.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
This is one of the rare games that can tell a story through combat alone. Sometimes that's all you'll get, as you'll have a tough time figuring out what's going on inside the head of Senua.
Hellblade challenges you to witness the inside of a schizophrenic's mind. She has to battle her inner demons, all the while struggling to keep it together on the outside. As the player, it's up to you to keep her from having a breakdown, because if you die enough times then it's game over for good.
God of War 3
There's a remastered version of God of War 3 available for PS4 and you owe it to yourself to play it if you haven't already. It's a fair bit different compared to 2018's God of War reboot, as young Kratos's original trilogy ends not with him fighting the gods of Norse mythology, but those in the Greek pantheon.
Beyond a different setting, God of War 3's gameplay is a lot different, with free-flowing action combat and the most devastating boss finishers you'll ever execute.
Darksiders 1 and 2
These gems from the previous generation are available on the PS4 as remastered titles. In Darksiders, you're in control of War, one of the four horsemen. He and his brothers play a key role in the fallout of the holy war between the angels and the demons.
Darksiders is one of gaming's most prolific attempts at retelling this classic religious story. Post-apocalyptic mayhem sets the tone for a dreadful world bursting at the seams with conflict. You'll wield powerful weapons to drive one of the most sophisticated combat systems of modern gaming.
Devil May Cry
I can't lie - I still don't know what's going on in the Devil May Cry universe sometimes. Part of that has to do with Capcom's chronological release order being all out of whack, as well as the game's general plot and theme being a nightmare straight out of hell. No, really, you're almost always fighting demons (and, in some cases, becoming one).
The story goes: Dante wants revenge for the murder of his mother, and he blames these demons for his ultimate loss. There are a ton of these demons for some reason, and Dante's taken it upon himself to dispatch of them with dual-wielding pistol badassery.
Devil May Cry's gameplay can be a bit frantic at times, but if you can keep up with the breakneck pace, you'll find it's one of the most exhilarating combat-oriented games out there. A big part of this series is being scored on your gunplay, so don't be surprised if you find yourself spending alarming amounts of time trying to reach that coveted S rank in all your missions. Anyway, the HD collection for PS4 is a good place to start.
Where will you do battle next?
If God of War somehow failed to fully satiate your bloodlust then you can see there's still a whole mound of quality games to feed you. Which one will you play?
