This Year’s Exclusives!

Now that 2016 has arrived, it’s time to take a look at all the big exclusive games coming to the PS4. From larger releases like Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and Horizon: Zero Dawn to smaller games like Firewatch and Alienation, there’s a lot to look forward to. Join us as we run you through all the upcoming games in Sony’s lineup. Keep checking back as we’ll update you further on more exclusives as they get announced.

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

The conclusion to Nathan Drake’s saga draws near. New to this entry is an added flexibility in combat towards stealth and the introduction of dialogue choices. While it was initially announced for release in 2015, its development cycle had been hit by multiple delays to better refine and polish the experience. Currently, the game is now slated to release this April.

Release Date: April 26

Horizon: Zero Dawn

Guerrilla Games’ new open world action-RPG Horizon: Zero Dawn grabbed our attention when it was announced at E3 2015. With its fantastic blend of pre-historic and modern post-apocalyptic visuals, the game’s world is one that we can’t wait to transport ourselves to.

Release Date: TBA 2016

The Last Guardian

The much-anticipated The Last Guardian is finally hitting PS4 this year. Originally announced as a PS3 exclusive during E3 2009, the game suffered numerous delays over the years due to technical challenges in its development. It was also consistently absent from events and trade shows, leading gamers to question if the project was still in-development. However, that all changed when Sony re-announced the game for the PS4 at E3 2015. It’s currently being worked on by SCE Japan Studio and genDESIGN, a studio consisting of staff that worked on the critically acclaimed and iconic PS2 games: Ico and Shadow of the Colossus.

Release Date: TBA 2016

Gran Turismo Sport

Racing simulator fans have a new game to look forward to in the upcoming Gran Turismo Sport. The latest entry stands outs out from its predecessors, featuring two official FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile) online racing championships where players can compete to be awarded special prizes. The game will also feature PlayStation VR support.

Release Date: TBA 2016

Gravity Rush 2

The sequel to 2012’s Gravity Rush won’t be defying gravity on PS Vita this year; rather, it’ll be doing so on PS4 instead. Developed for the console, it’ll feature new combat upgrades and power-ups, as well as a Tag Battle System that allows you to switch between protagonist Kat and a new character named Raven.

Release Date: TBA 2016

Drawn to Death

Drawn to Death is the newest project directed by Twisted Metal and God of War creator David Jaffe. It’s a four-player third-person arena shooter that features a distinct visual style inspired by juvenile drawings found inside a teenager’s composition notebook. It’ll launch as free-to-play sometime this year.

Release Date: TBA 2016

Ratchet & Clank

To coincide with the upcoming animated film release, a new Ratchet & Clank game is set to ship this year. As a reimagining of the 2003 original, it’ll put you back in the shoes of both its titular characters as you travel the galaxy and fight to thwart the plans of Supreme Executive Chairman Drek.

Release Date: April 12

The Tomorrow Children

The Tomorrow Children is an online, open world sandbox adventure where you and others must cooperate to build a town and defend it from giant monsters. It takes the collaborative building mechanics from Minecraft and fuses it with cartoonish visuals inspired by a Soviet Union-themed dystopia.

Release Date: Q1/Q2 2016

Street Fighter V

The upcoming Street Fighter V is aiming to change up the series’ classic formula, featuring a roster of 16 playable characters with both new and revamped move sets. It’s worth noting the game will be an exclusive to PC as well as PS4.

Release Date: February 16

Firewatch

Firewatch is a first-person adventure that puts you in control of Henry, a volunteer fire lookout working at the Shoshone National Forest who is drawn towards a series of mysterious occurrences in the surrounding wilderness. Unique to the game is its use of a walkie-talkie–Henry’s only form of communication with his supervisor and the outside world–to deliver narrative and initiate dialog choices.

Release Date: February 9

Dreams

Dreams is an ambitious open-canvas sandbox game where you can play, create, and share “dreams,” user-generated levels that can be anything, be it games, films, music, or something in-between. Developer Media Molecule, also responsible for Little Big Planet and Tearaway, is working to ship the game’s beta this year. Whether the final game releases in 2016 has not been confirmed.

Release Date: TBA 2016

What Remains of Edith Finch

What Remains of Edith Finch is a first-person adventure game that takes place in a towering house owned by a family that has lived there for generations. It puts you in the role of Edith–a member of this family–as she explores and discovers its numerous secrets.

Release Date: TBA 2016

Hellblade

If you’re a fan of Ninja Theory’s Heavenly Sword, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, and DmC: Devil May Cry, then you’ll want to keep up with its latest project, Hellblade. It’s a narrative-focused action game based on Celtic myth, and it puts you in control of Senuna, a goddess on a personal journey through a hellish underworld.

Release Date: TBA 2016

Nier Automata

Platinum Games is developing the sequel to the cult classic Drakengard spin-off Nier. Subtitled Automata, the game takes place in a world where humanity is forced to flee to the moon after an invasion of machine-like beings from another world. It focuses on an elite android that is sent to Earth by humanity to help drive off the invasion and end it for good.

Release Date: TBA 2016

Shadow of the Beast

Shadow of the Beast is a 2.5D remake of the classic 1989 Commodore Amiga side-scroller of the same name. You play as monstrous warrior named Aarbron as he embarks on a quest to seek revenge against an evil lord that murdered his father. The game is aiming to expand on the classic platforming and action mechanics seen in the 1989 original by introducing an in-depth combat system.

Release Date: TBA 2016

Alienation

Alienation is an isometric twin-stick shooter by Housemarque, a studio best known for its recent work on Resogun. It’s a spiritual successor to its previous game Dead Nation, placing you and up to three others in an intense battle against an alien invasion.

Release Date: March 2

Boundless

Boundless–formerly known as Oort Online– is a Minecraft-inspired survival game with a procedurally generated world where up to four players can join up to explore and craft resources. It features a unique mechanic where you can freely lay down a portal that grants easy access to other worlds. The game is currently already available in Early Access on Steam.

Release Date: TBA 2016

Persona 5

After the positive critical reception of Atlus’ RPG Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4, gamers have been eagerly waiting for the next entry in the series. Luckily, it’ll finally be arriving this year. It puts you in control of a group of teenagers that moonlight as supernatural cat burglars to explore The Palace, an otherworldly castle created from the warped desires in people’s hearts.

Release Date: TBA 2016

No Man’s Sky

After nearly three years of waiting, No Man’s Sky is finally releasing in June 2016. The game is an open world adventure where players can explore and discover uncharted planets across a massive procedurally generated star system. It will launch on the same day as its PC version.

Release Date: June 2016

The Witness

The Witness is the long-awaited project by Jonathan Blow, the creator of the critically acclaimed Braid. Inspired by Myst, it has you exploring an open world island, solving numerous puzzles spread across its various areas and structures.

Release Date: January 26

Paragon

Epic Games, the studio behind Gears of War, is developing a new MOBA called Paragon. Similar to Smite, the game plays from a third-person perspective and retains many of the iconic conventions the genre is known for, such as lanes, jungles, towers, etc. It was previously announced only for PC, but was confirmed to launch on PS4 as well during Paris Games Week 2015.

Release Date: TBA 2016