Sony's PlayStation 4 is one of the most successful consoles ever, being ranked fourth in terms of sales, and the reason behind its success is the plethora of exciting and engaging games that were released on the system. From first-party exclusives to third-party gems, the PS4 has been the home to some of the best games ever developed. This console dominated the eighth generation of gaming with its capabilities and wonders, truly bringing forth a new sense of immersion for gamers. The games developed for the PS4 were some of the best ones in terms of quality and quantity, pushing the industry beyond its limits.
From smash hits like God of War, Ghost of Tsushima, and Marvel's Spider-Man, to smaller but still notable games like Celeste, and Dreams, the PS4 had no shortage of genre-defining games for players to delve into. Many of the games released for the PS4 had commendable gameplay and a well-written narrative to really solidify them, but some stood out even more due to their deep lore. Such games left fans wondering about the worlds they had experienced long after the credits had rolled and left them wanting more. Here are four PS4 games with simple stories on the front but a deeper lore underneath that truly resonated with gamers.
4 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is considered one of the best role-playing games of all time. Developed by CD Projekt Red, The Witcher 3, on the surface, sees the brooding Witcher, Geralt of Rivia, go on a monster-slaying journey in order to find his missing adoptive daughter. But in reality, the world of the Witcher series contains one of the deepest fictional lore seen across all fantasy games. From monsters, elves, witches, and humans to even demonic summons, the Witcher saga has one of the most enriched casts of characters to get to know and understand.
The story of the Witcher Saga truly originates with a multiversal phenomenon known as "The Conjunction" which gave rise to the merging of many worlds, thus bringing together beings from different worlds into a single one. Each Witcher game has a self-contained story that is very enjoyable in its own right, but the characters and world-building span across not just the games, but books, comics, animations, and even a TV series.
3 NieR: Automata
NieR: Automata is an action-adventure game set in a post-apocalyptic future where humanity has been exiled to the moon by machines created by an invading race of aliens. NieR: Automata is a game that mixes up many gaming genres and excels in all of them. Developed by PlatinumGames, NieR: Automata tells the story of man-made androids as they wage war against the invading alien machines on behalf of the remaining humans.
The story of the game seems simple at first, but with time, new revelations come to light expanding upon this basic premise. The lore in this game is so deep in fact, that it takes multiple runs of the game to fully comprehend it. NieR: Automata delves deep into the philosophical side of humanity questioning the existence of everything.
2 Horizon Zero Dawn
Numerous games present an open-world setting, but few enrich them with as much history and lore as Horizon Zero Dawn. Developed by Guerrilla Games, Horizon Zero Dawn is an action-adventure game that stars a young venturer named Alloy, who takes it upon herself to rid her world of imminent danger. The story of Horizon takes place in a future where machines roam wild and humans are scarce and on the brink of extinction.
Not knowing the true nature of her world, nor her own origin, Alloy sets out on an adventure to uncover the mysteries of her world. What sets out to be a seemingly simple journey, soon reveals itself to be riddled with a mysteriously dark past involving an event of catastrophic proportions that occurred ages ago. Zero Dawn is the first entry in the Horizon series, and it succeeds in carefully laying out the groundwork for its planned sequels.
1 Final Fantasy 7: Remake
Every entry in the Final Fantasy franchise has had a deep lore and a heavy focus on narrative, which truly sets them apart from all other JRPGs. Among the many games of the Final Fantasy franchise, Final Fantasy 7 is regarded as one of, if not the best, installment in the series, and the Remake of the original only took this installment to new heights. Final Fantasy 7 Remake goes out of its way to expand upon the lore of the original game, turning the first few hours of Final Fantasy 7 into a fully fleshed-out adventure.
Players take control of Cloud Strife, an ex-soldier, as he and his group of eco-terrorists go up against a power-hungry corporation known as the Shinra Company. But by the time the credits kick in, it is revealed that this game is more than just a remake. Instead, it is set in an alternate reality that may or may not be colliding with the story of the original game.
