So you woke up on this past Christmas morning and Santa just happened to bring you a new video game console. Congrats, and welcome to the club. Of course, now that you have a new, slick piece of hardware, you likely only have one question on your mind: what games should I be looking to pick up?
Well, fear not, because we here at DualShockers have got you covered. If you weren't already aware of it, we run an ongoing series here called DualShockers Definitives where we list the must-have titles for every major platform. So whether you scored a new PS4, Xbox One, or Switch this holiday season, here are the best games that we believe you should be looking to get for each platform.
PS4
If you finally netted yourself this generation's most popular console this holiday season, then there are a whole lot of options to choose from when it comes to picking which games you'd like to buy. Since the PS4 has now been on the market for over 5 years, the system's library has grown to a point where it includes a little bit of everything from all sorts of genres.
If you find yourself privy to action adventure titles, then the PS4 has arguably the best lineup to choose from. From classics like Bloodborne, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, and Horizon Zero Dawn to this year's release of God of War (which won our 2018 Game of the Year award), the PS4 boasts some of the best action titles in the history of the gaming medium. Not to mention, Marvel's Spider-Man, which may have even come with your own PS4 if you happened to score one of the elusive bundles.
The PS4 isn't too shabby when it comes to RPG games, either. Dragon Quest XI, Persona 5, and Nier: Automata are just a handful of the many phenomenal role-playing games that any fan of the genre should immediately look to add to their own PS4 library sooner rather than later.
For our money though, these are the 10 must-have titles that anyone with a PS4 should be looking to pick up:
- God of War
- Marvel's Spider-Man
- Persona 5
- Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
- Bloodborne
- Horizon Zero Dawn
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- DOOM
- Nier: Automata
- Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age
Xbox One
Whether you ended up with an Xbox One S or the higher-end Xbox One X under your Christmas Tree this year, there are a ton of great games to pick up on Microsoft's console.
Even if the Xbox One does noticeably have fewer first-party games compared to that of the Switch and PS4, there are still a ton of great experiences you can only have on an Xbox. Some of our own favorites that are console-exclusive to Xbox One include Cuphead, Halo 5: Guardians, and Gears of War 4 just to name a few.
If you did happen to also specifically get an Xbox One X, then you should immediately make this your new home for third-party releases. Games like The Witcher 3 and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain are just a handful of the third-party titles you should immediately add to your own library. Plus, if you subscribe to Xbox Game Pass, you'll get a litany of other fantastic games that are both from first and third-party companies.
At the end of the day though, these are the 10 games that all new Xbox One owners should be looking to pick up, according to us:
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Cuphead
- Halo 5: Guardians
- Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
- Gears of War 4
- Ori and the Blind Forest
- Sunset Overdrive
- Titanfall 2
- Rare Replay
- Halo: The Master Chief Collection
Switch
While it might be the most recent console to have released out of this bunch, the Nintendo Switch isn't short on great games in the slightest.
Standout titles that you've likely heard of already such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe are all so synonymous with the console because, well, they're all fantastic games. Not to mention the system's newest cornerstone release in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, which may be part of the reason why you finally picked up a Switch this Christmas season yourself.
Perhaps the best element of all with the Switch though is its plethora of indie games. Celeste, Dead Cells, and Stardew Valley are just a few of our personal favs here at DualShockers, but you can be sure that there are dozens of other indie gems to play on Nintendo's platform. If you haven't engrossed yourself in the indie scene much before, now owning a Switch should ensure that you change those habits.
Even though Smash Ultimate currently isn't slated on our Definitives list due to the time when it came out, these are the other 10 games we think everyone should look to buy for Switch:
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Super Mario Odyssey
- Splatoon 2
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
- Xenoblade Chronicles 2
- Dead Cells
- Stardew Valley
- Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle
- Octopath Traveler
- Celeste
It's worth noting that each of the lists you see in this article were determined a few months back by us here at DualShockers. As such, some noteworthy releases that have come out within the past month or two--most notably that of Red Dead Redemption 2 on PS4 and Xbox One--weren't taken into account before we made each Top 10.
Regardless of whether or not a few recent titles may not have made each of our lists though for one reason or another, you can be sure that each game we mention here is worthy of your time and attention whether it be on PS4, Xbox One, or Switch. If you've got a new console, load that thing up with some great games and enjoy yourself.