Now is a good time to play video games. With coronavirus cancellations mounting, I expect I’m not alone in needing to fill a bunch of newfound hours in my own home. Fortunately, video games have long been a hobby of mine, and I can’t think of a better time to catch up on titles that I’ve missed for one reason or another.
If you’re already a video gamer, you’re probably aware of popular upcoming titles like the new Animal Crossing for the Nintendo Switch and Doom Eternal coming to multiple consoles and the PC. While you wait for those, here are a handful of selections that are available now on PlayStation 4 to fill the time.
While stuck at home, why not hunt some robot dinosaurs with a bow and arrow? Horizon Zero Dawn is a great option for a little escapism.
Guerrilla Games
I’ve also included a few games for beginners. If you’re used to filling the time by watching sports or going to concerts, now might be a great time to dive into a new hobby. Video games aren’t all shooters that require twitch-based reflexes. Even if you have no experience, you can find games out there that you can pick up and play to participate in my favorite aspect of the medium — interactive storytelling.
I’ve linked to the digital versions of each on the PlayStation Store and physical copies via Amazon where available.
Read more at GameSpot: The best PS4 games
For beginners:
Gamespot
My favorite example of the recent genre of “walking simulators,” this independently made gem tasks you with exploring an old house and solving the mysterious past of an ill-fated family. If you’re brand new to video games, you can walk around and explore at your leisure. Once you’re familiar with the basics, the game whisks you away to fantastic worlds and mixes up the formula with creative but compelling minigames. It’s simple enough for beginners and it has a great story and enough twists to keep even veteran gamers engaged.
Telltale Games
This is one of the best examples of interactive storytelling out there. If you want to see what video games can do as an art form, play this. Plus, it’s simple enough to actually control that you’ll be able to get by even if you aren’t familiar with video games. The challenge comes from making tough decisions in an apocalyptic world. With that in mind, it might be too real right now, but it’s an amazing experience nonetheless and one of my all-time favorites.
A missing cargo ship drifts near the shore, and you need to hop on board and figure out what happened to all of the passengers. This simple premise leads to one of the best puzzle games out there. This game requires no reflexes, so it’s perfect for new gamers. However, it is legitimately challenging — it simply challenges your brain as opposed to your muscle memory. If that sounds good to you, hop on the Obra Dinn and see if you can figure out what happened.
For those needing an escape:
Bandai Namco
Normally, I recommend this stunningly great roleplaying game with the caveat that it’s super long. It took me over 100 hours to beat so you have to be able to invest some time. That length might be a big positive in the current situation. This game tells a great story — it’s one of the only massive RPGs that kept me engaged with the plot throughout the entire run. The combat is fun (turn the difficulty up one notch if you’re an action game veteran) and the world is a beautiful place to explore.
Sony
Yes, the name is gibberish, but this game asks you to hunt robot dinosaurs with a bow and arrow. It’s awesome. Hunting the mechanical beasts never gets old and the game imbues the fast-paced combat with a good amount of strategy. You also fight some evil humans too, but those sections do get a little dull. Nevertheless, the game has a lot going for it including a beautiful world with great graphics. Also, the story actually makes sense. Given the premise and the name, this caught me completely by surprise, but the plot is genuinely compelling.
Sony / Remedy Entertainment
I’m a fan of games with interesting combat. The