15 Essential PS4 Games Every New Owner Must Play

Spent your Christmas money and wondering where to start? Step right in.

video games ps4 playstation
Square/Yacht Club/CD Projekt RED/EA

Breathe a sigh of relief, as with 2016 behind us, it's high time we rejoiced in the one aspect of that godawful year that was truly outstanding - its video games.

Even as the year drew to a close we were seeing things like the phenomenal The Last Guardian or Final Fantasy XV finish it out in style, topping off what was easily the best month-to-month period for gaming this generation. Granted it's taken about this long for the industry to regain its footing after a disastrous 2014/half of 2015 showing, but now we're in full swing, the medium is firing on all cylinders.

But what if you're just entering this console cycle right now?

Although it may feel like developers are forever grappling with releasing games smooth and totally bug-free, the PS4 and Xbox One are entering their fourth year on the market, allowing for a huge amount of fantastic titles to be considered for any new owner.

Starting with...

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15. Rocket League

rocket league
Psyonix

Hands-down the finest multiplayer experience money can buy, both from an 'easy to pick up, hard to master' perspective, and that of local couch co-op (a somewhat forgotten aspect of gaming that nowhere near enough games implement).

A physics-based version of 'soccer with rocket-powered cars', there's something in the way developers Psyonix approach the sport that plays into how it feels to score a goal, nail a pass or work as a team in real life. You can practice and plan ahead all you like, but it's not until you actually connect foot to leather, that everything comes together.

Consequently, playing and mastering Rocket League takes you from a fumbling amateur to a mid-air goal-bursting phenom; a journey covered in fireworks, barrel rolls and roof-slide celebrations as you quick-select an insult to further goad your opponents.

Competition and the joy of video games personified? That's Rocket League.

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Gaming Editor
Gaming Editor

WhatCulture's Head of Gaming.