2. Bloodborne

If one thing is clear, is that Japanese designer Hidetaka Miyazaki’s games, like his earlier Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls series, can be frustratingly difficult but are always a joy to play. And this year’s Bloodborne was no exception, as it encouraged an aggressive and fast-paced playstyle that de-emphasized the use of the shield when dealing with the game’s monstrous enemies in the plague-infested, Lovecraftian city of Yharnam.

And while Bloodborne is no doubt as hard as earlier Miyazaki titles, getting to that elusive checkpoint after hours of frustrating deaths was always rewarding, as was dealing with the game’s bosses like the towering Cleric Beast and the horrifying Pthumerian Queen, which each required a different combat strategy to tackle. In the end, and despite the game’s unremitting difficulty and oppressive atmosphere, Bloodborne is certainly one of the year’s top PS4 games, as well as one of the best exclusives to grace Sony’s machine.

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Next: 1. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt