Since the dawn of video games, sci-fi has been one of the most dominant genres. From Space Invaders and Galaxian arcades, all the way up to today’s high-tech consoles, sci-fi games haven’t skipped a beat. All these decades later, gamers continue to relish the opportunity to explore an alternate reality, one which is usually far advanced from our own.
As PlayStation 4 gamers, we are absolutely spoiled for choice when it comes to science fiction. Narrowing down these titles into a small selection is a tough task, but we’ve done our best! Without further ado, here are some of the best PS4 sci-fi games across several different sub-genres.
The PS4 has been around for almost a decade, and in that time, it has developed a fantastic library of games. Let’s take a look at some of the best Sci-Fi games you can play on the PS4.
Titanfall 2
Developed by Respawn Entertainment, Titanfall 2 has some of the most satisfying movement systems in any FPS, and also one of the best single-player campaigns.
Doom
The Doom reboot from 2016 reinvigorated the series in a big way, and it remains one of the best examples of a modernized classic FPS.
The Surge
This gritty, violent action game is what happens when you combine Dark Souls with a heaping helping of sci-fi themes. Exosuits? Yes, please!
XCOM 2
Humans. Aliens. Turn-based tactical action. These are the cornerstones of the XCOM series, and XCOM 2 combines them in the most successful way yet.
Observer
There are plenty of horror/thriller walking simulators out there, but only Observer has a gritty sci-fi world and stars Blade Runner actor Rutger Hauer.
Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth
The Digimon anime was always deeply entrenched in sci-fi themes, but Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth ups the ante with a more mature story worthy of an older audience.
Star Wars: Battlefront 2
This sci-fi battle simulator puts players in the boots or chassis of infantry in the Star Wars universe. Fight on the ground or in intense dog fights in outer space to claim your victory.
Neon Chrome
If you miss the days of top-down action, then maybe Neon Chrome is what you’re looking for. Explore procedurally generated levels in this awesome sci-fi twin-stick shooter.
Destiny 2
After Bungie gave up the Halo franchise, they went on to create Destiny. This MMO-like FPS has been incredibly successful, and its sequel continues to add content and features worth playing.
Mass Effect Andromeda
Return to the world of Mass Effect after the valiant acts of Commander Shepard in Mass Effect Andromeda. New Characters, new worlds, and an entirely new adventure awaits you.
Fallout 4
This irradiated sci-fi RPG is a classic Bethesda game: an absolutely massive map, hundreds of quests, and gameplay that will keep you sucked in for hours and hours.
Detroit: Become Human
Quantic Dream’s sci-fi adventure game follows several characters from different backgrounds to show how the conveniences of a far-future life don’t apply to all.
Warframe
Sci-fi ninjas? Over a decade of content and support? FREE?!?! Warframe checks all of these boxes, and it’s a seriously awesome way to spend time on your PS4.
NieR: Automata
Yako Taro’s NeiR sequel is set in a far future where humanity has been completely wiped out. While there are no more humans, the game uses two replicant protagonists to show the hardships that come with humanity, even if it is simulated.
Prey
Prey immediately became a critical darling upon its release in May 2017, and it’s easy to see why. From start to finish this was simply a sci-fi masterpiece, and easily one of the genre’s best entries in recent years.
We really don’t want to give away too much of the plot, so we’ll just say that you are tasked with exploring a space station – Talos I – which was inhabited by humans before a devastating alien attack. From that point forward, you’ll unravel a fascinating, engrossing narrative which shifts on you relentlessly. This really is story-telling of the highest order, and genuinely belongs in the conversation with Bioshock and Half-Life 2 in this regard.
Throw in some surprising and original enemy types which always keep you on your toes, and a solid skill tree-based progression system, and Prey is an inarguable modern classic of the sci-fi genre.
Alien: Isolation
The setup in Alien: Isolation isn’t dissimilar to that in Prey, at least in the sense that you’re creeping around an abandoned ship/station, and are almost entirely alone. Isolation, however, places a much greater focus on the scares.
You only have minimal equipment with which to survive, with a motion sensor being the object on which you most heavily rely. That motion sensor can go off at any moment as you’re going about your tasks on the ship, signaling the arrival of the dreaded alien. There really is no fighting your enemy, meaning your only option is to find some shelter as quickly as you can and… hide, basically!
Few games manage the levels of tension which Alien: Isolation does. Its simplistic mechanics are perfectly executed, and above all it perfectly captures the general atmosphere and appearance of Alien, which itself is one of the most celebrated sci-fi movies ever made.
Destiny 2
The original Destiny – developed by Bungie, of Halo fame – was an enormous smash hit. In fact, based on sales figures it was the most successful new franchise of all time. It also happened to be a brilliant game, of course.
Destiny 2 arguably surpasses it in almost every meaningful way. It’s set in the same brilliant (and gorgeous) sci-fi world, in which humans and various alien species battle for control of the solar system. In the first game, however, the plot unfolded in quite a laborious way, whereas Destiny 2 has a much more engaging story.
The real meat of Destiny 2, however, is of course to be found in its multiplayer. Few developers have nailed multiplayer mechanics quite so expertly as Bungie: there’s a seemingly endless supply of XP to be gained, and weapons and power-ups to unlock, and yet it never feels like you’re having to grind for any of it. The missions are varied, thematically and logistically, ensuring that this is a game with formidable longevity.
Helldivers
Here we have another multiplayer-focused title… albeit one which takes itself a bit less seriously than Destiny!
The plot in Helldivers is generic sci-fi stuff – a futuristic Earth is beset on all sides by hostile alien races – but the joy of this title is all to be found in its gameplay. It’s a top-down shooter, in which up to four players choose from a variety of classes and loadouts before doing battle with endless hordes of enemies.
You can certainly play this game online, but the action – which quickly descends into madness – is even more enjoyable in a classic couch co-op setup. The shooting feels weighty and satisfying, the game moves at a fantastically quick pace, and rewarding elements of teamwork are sprinkled in nicely throughout. In short, it’s essentially impossible not to have fun playing Helldivers! It’s undoubtedly one of the best casual sci-fi games on the market.
No Man’s Sky
It’s fair to say that No Man’s Sky received a panning when it originally launched, from players and critics alike. A large part of this came from the ridiculous volume of hype it received pre-release, which it was never going to live up to. Another part, admittedly, came from the fact that there were a lot of problems with it. Regardless, developers Hello Games have put an incredible amount of work into their game since it was released, and it has truly come on leaps and bounds.
No Man’s Sky essentially tries to make one of the oldest dreams in sci-fi come true: it gives you your own ship, and then lets you loose on an entire universe which is ripe for exploration. The procedural generation system ensures you never stop finding fascinating, bizarre alien planets, and post-release updates have also granted the ability to put down roots on a planet of your choosing, courtesy of some decent base-building mechanics.
If sandbox games are your thing, or you simply crave a game filled with enticing yet relaxing exploration, No Man’s Sky is well worth checking out.