COVID-19 is arguably the worst thing that the world has seen in the past hundred years and that is saying a lot because two world wars, several major global economic depressions and last but not the least Nickelback. However, the coronavirus curse brought with itself a blessing in disguise: time to yourself. While a lot of self-help gurus would ask you to finish reading 9 books a day and sites like Skillshare would bombard you with ads to learn a new ‘skill’ you should also allow yourself some space to relax and not exert yourself too much (COVID anxiety is real enough). So we’ve compiled a top-5-list (not in any particular order) of PlayStation games that you should play during the lockdown, if you have not already.
1. Last of Us Part II
The Last of Us Part II is the much anticipated sequel to the original Last of Us which was released in 2013 for PS3 and then remastered for PS4 later on. The sequel continues the story of Joel and Ellie but this time with Ellie as the protagonist along with Abby.
Without revealing much about the story, we can assure you that the story is just as dark, gritty, gut wrenching and based in reality with no happy endings as the original Last of Us. This series really showcased the potentials of this interactive gameplay format in 2013 and with Part II, the developers Naughty Dog outdid themselves again.
The setting of the game in a post-apocalyptic world where a fungal infection took out most of humanity especially resonates given the current COVID-19 context of the world. However, we highly recommend that you play through the original Last of Us before you start this game to true appreciate the storytelling and the character arc.
2. Red Dead Redemption 2
Rockstar Games are the unrivaled king of the open world genre with their Grand Theft Auto, the Bully and the Read Dead series. The Read Dead Redemption 2 is undoubtedly their best work yet with the super realistic graphics, the details in the world design, the depth of the story and the next level AI for the NPCs.
Read Dead Redemption 2 is technically a prequel to the original Read Dead game. While the main character from the original game John is present in the prequel’s story, the game follows Arthur, a hardened outlaw with a conscience struggling to get along with a changing world. Unlike other open world games, the story mission in Read Dead Redemption 2 does not put the story missions front and center and instead really revels in the 1900 open world universe with a diverse wildlife ecology and interactive NPCs and side missions.
We recommend that you start the game and really test its limits instead of just racing through the story. The level of detail that Rockstar has gone through the trouble to develop in the game is truly revolutionary and warrants exploration by the players.
3. MARVEL’S SPIDER MAN
Spider-Man might not be the best game out there technically, it is however, arguably the best superhero game out there. If you are a Spider-Man fan you will definitely love embodying spidey in all his web-slinging glory swinging through the game’s version of New York City. The story features supervillains like the Rhino, Scorpion, Electro, Kingpin, Doctor Octopus and a few more.
Spider-Man is truly a fun filled entertaining experience which can be a great escape from all the woes of the world right now. If you play and like Marvel’s Spider-Man, we believe you might also like Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales.
4. GOD OF WAR (2018)
God of War is the eight game of the series chronologically and is a sequel to God of War 3 released in 2010. This is a cinematic action adventure game with a great story for a change for the series. The combat gameplay remains one of the best out there, as is expected from the series.
While the stories of the previous installments of the series were hinged around Greek Mythology, the story of God of War finds Kratos (a Greek God) in the Norse Mythological world of giants, gods and elves. The gameplay shows glimmers of brilliance in how gameplay and cinematic cutscenes melt into each other making this game an interactive marvel.
With God of War Ragnarok out there on the horizon, we highly recommend you finish this game if you haven’t already. It is truly an epic journey.
5. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
The second Naughty Dog entry in the list and indeed is up there with The Last of Us in terms of clout and fandom. The Uncharted series is the first Naughty Dog series that took players by storm, before there was any Last of Us.
Uncharted 4 is the capstone edition of the series which nicely brings the journey of Nathan Drake to an end. With classic Naughty Dog focus on storyline, cinematic and beautiful graphics, Uncharted 4 is definitely one of those games you will be totally engrossed in and will leaving you feeling empty after you’ve finished it.
We recommend that you finish the Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection before starting this game as this will make the game twice as enjoyable.
Honorable Mention- Call of Duty: Warzone
If you are into first person shooting, battle royale mode & want to team up with your friends, Call of Duty:Warzone should definitely be one of the games that should kick out the boredeom in you if you are at home.
There’s no story of course like the ones explained above, you jump into a map and start shooting down opponents till you win. It’s captivating but not easy to win for sure. 150 players compete to finish off & come out as the top squad in the shrinking circle to get the shiny ‘Warzone Victory’ label at the end. You either play solo or join duos, trios or quads squadmates in different modes which keep updating in a month.
With Season 3 in progress, the original Verdansk map has already been nuked with a new map in place. i.e Verdansk 1984. It’s pretty much the same, has the same layout with a change in the color tone & buildings here and there. Apart form Verdansk, you have another mode called Resurgence where if you die, you can come back to play if one of your squads is alive. However, in the new Verdansk map, if you die once, you have a chance to come back alive or else someone will have to buy you back to the game. All in all, one fun and intense game to play!
Well, these are our list of the PS games to play during the pandemic but most importantly, please stay safe, wear your mask if you are going outside & maintain social distancing.
Have any other games that you think missed the list here? Put it down in the comments below
