Square Enix
While the PlayStation 4 era may not seem like it was all that long ago, the reality is that the Sony console is over a decade old. Launched in 2013, the PS4 was Sony’s main gaming platform until the release of the PlayStation 5 in 2020. The console significantly improved the technical performance of Sony games compared to the PlayStation 3, while also doubling down on online features and functionality. Many fan-favorite franchises were revamped for the PS4 and the console holds a special place in the hearts of millions of gamers worldwide.
But like any console, even successful titles from the PlayStation 4 have fallen by the wayside over the passage of time. With that in mind, we’re highlighting the PS4 games that were favorably received, at least commercially, but which feel like they’ve dropped from wider recognition. For the purposes of this list, the games that we’re considering hits are titles that sold at least one million copies during the PS4’s lifespan. These are five hit PS4 games that no one remembers today, despite their past success.
Knack
Sony Interactive Entertainment
One of the quirkiest PlayStation 4 exclusives released in the console’s launch window is the 2013 title “Knack.” Developed by Japan Studio, the Sony subsidiary behind titles like “Ape Escape” and “Patapon,” the game combines platforming and beat’em-up action. The titular protagonist navigates linear levels, battling enemies along the way, with some light puzzle-solving thrown in for good measure. Knack can use various abilities along the way, depending on the type of relics that he picks up during his adventure.
“Knack” really shows off the technical capabilities of the PlayStation 4, particularly with its textures and particle effects in the environment and character designs. While some may consider it to be one of the worst PlayStation launch titles ever, it was still successful enough to receive a sequel in 2017. “Knack” was particularly well-received commercially in Japan as one of the top-selling titles of the PS4 upon its debut. Despite how it helped usher in the PS4 era, players today largely breeze over its legacy now.
Driveclub
Sony Interactive Entertainment
Among the PS4 games that are unplayable today is the exclusive racing title “Driveclub,” which was released in 2014. Developed by another Sony subsidiary, Evolution Studios, this is a relatively realistic game with an emphasis on driving clubs, as alluded to in its title. This entails players joining or forming their own driving clubs as they race against rival organizations on tracks around the world. “Driveclub” includes a single-player campaign mode as well as more standalone races, and a myriad of online multiplayer modes were available before the title was taken offline.
Though it posted impressive sales numbers upon launch, selling over two million copies within its first two years on the market, public perception around “Driveclub” was decidedly more mixed. Players were dissatisfied with the game’s performance stability at launch, especially in regard to its latency in online multiplayer gameplay. Despite it being a hit in a commercial sense, Evolution Studios was shut down by Sony in 2016 and the game was delisted with its online servers taken down in 2020. That means unless you already have “Driveclub” downloaded to your PS4 or own a physical copy, the 2014 game is essentially lost media.
Killzone Shadow Fall
Sony Interactive Entertainment
One of Sony’s big first-person shooter franchises debuting in the wake of Microsoft’s “Halo” was “Killzone,” which began in 2004 on the PlayStation 2. The series’ most recent entry is also the only title in the franchise that was released for the PlayStation 4. “Killzone Shadow Fall” features renewed hostilities between the Vektans and the villainous Helghast as they battle for the fate of their world. The game also includes a revamped multiplayer map, with players also able to create and share their own custom maps across a variety of modes.
With previous mainline “Killzone” games unavailable on modern platforms, including the classic PS3 games that are unplayable on newer consoles, “Killzone Shadow Fall” holds a unique place in the franchise. Only “Shadow Fall” and the 2006 PlayStation Portable spin-off “Killzone: Liberation” remain playable on the PlayStation 5. Despite this, neither are particularly well-recognized by modern gamers and the series itself continues to lie dormant. A forgotten first-person shooter for the PS4, despite being a first-party title, “Killzone Shadow Fall” quietly closes out a Sony institution.
Final Fantasy Type-0 HD
Square Enix
The original “Final Fantasy Type-0” was a PlayStation Portable title released for the handheld console in 2011. Four years later the game was ported to home consoles, including the PlayStation 4, under the slightly modified moniker “Final Fantasy Type-0 HD.” The story follows a group of students participating in a war against a rival neighboring nation, discovering the true nature of the conflict along the way. The game is primarily an action RPG, but also contains real-time strategy sequences across the overworld.
Over a decade after its release, “Final Fantasy Type-0 HD” is a largely overlooked entry in the franchise’s history. Not a single version of the title made our ranking of mainline “Final Fantasy” games, relegated to its spin-off sidelines. Though successful, the game is overshadowed by other franchise releases on the PS4, such as 2016’s “Final Fantasy XV.” An under-appreciated entry in Square Enix’s long-running series, “Final Fantasy Type-0 HD” is still well worth checking out.
Tales of Berseria
Bandai Namco Entertainment
Bandai Namco Entertainment’s long-running “Tales” series has been on PlayStation platforms since its sophomore entry, “Tales of Destiny,” which was released for the original PlayStation. Among the franchise’s titles for the PlayStation 4 is the 2016 release “Tales of Berseria,” a prequel to the preceding installment “Tales of Zestiria.” An action RPG, the game’s story focuses on protagonist Velvet Crowe, who sets out to avenge her brother after he’s sacrificed in a dark ritual. Corrupted by the incident, Velvet gains demon-consuming abilities as she and her allies move to save her realm.
The wider “Tales” series feels like a franchise that’s more well-known overseas than it is in the United States, despite running for 30 years. This distinction extends to “Tales of Berseria,” though the entry has since sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide. Even with this impressive commercial performance, it does seem like nobody really talks about the game all that much, at least in North America. A sleeper hit for Bandai Namco, “Tales of Berseria” continues the action RPG series in style.