As with most evolving online shooters these days, the original Destiny has been replaced by its superior sequel. Still, the original game laid down the framework for modern multiplayer, and it's inspired many games to try and capture some of the magic. Featuring varied sci-fi landscapes, addictive loot based progression, and best-in-class shooting, Destiny 1 was a real cornerstone for Bungie and for modern gaming.

Respawn Entertainment’s attempt at cashing in on the Battle Royale craze is Apex Legends, and it's a good one. A squad-based first-person shooter, the Titanfall spin-off combines elements of Fortnite and Overwatch to make for an addictive arena-based experience. Playing in teams of three you must work together to gather supplies and see off enemy factions. A unique ping system makes communication a breeze, while tight gunplay elevates it above its peers. The only question mark hanging over this Hunger Games-esque experience is whether its developer can iterate quick enough to keep its player base engaged.

The act of shooting had always been nothing more than serviceable in Gearbox titles, until Borderlands 3 came along. Bringing with it over a billion guns to loot and shoot, the sheer variety on offer sky-rocketed off the charts, coupled with an all-new feel that added weight to every bullet a Vault Hunter loaded. Throw a huge open world campaign into the mix along with online co-op, and you and your friends have the recipe for an FPS experience you won't forget in a hurry.

Resident Evil 5 was divisive when it released and continues to split opinion today, but co-op shooters don’t really get much more satisfying than Chris Redfield and Sheva Alomar’s shuffle through West Africa. While the game lacked the atmosphere of its immediate predecessor, its PS4 port runs at a silky smooth framerate in 1080p, and bundles in all previously released DLC, making for a lengthy and undeniably entertaining entry in the series.

The last major, numbered entry in the series, LittleBigPlanet 3 is just as adorable and innovative as its predecessors. It introduces three brand new playable characters, each with their own unique gameplay and abilities, leading to lots more possibilities in the level editor. And while that's the main draw for some, the game also comes with a full length campaign you can play solo or with some pals. It didn't make as big a splash as the previous main game, but it's a perfectly fine entry — and there are literally millions of community levels to play.

The Division 2 started life as a solid looter shooter sequel, but as with most of Ubisoft's service-based games, it's blossomed into something bigger and better. Through large content updates, this intense, open world third-person shooter continues to evolve. However, it's always been a great tactical game to play with pals as you traipse through a run-down Washington DC, offing enemies and gradually gaining better gear.

To be honest, Ghost Recon: Wildlands is not a particularly interesting game if you're playing alone. However, if you can get a few pals to join you in this sandbox world of military ops, you're in for a good time. Synchronising your actions and helping each other out, there's a fair bit of fun to be had here. The action is solid, the map is large and varied, and it mixes in just enough strategy to satisfy.

If you're after some co-op FPS action, the Borderlands games offer some top notch shooting and looting. Borderlands: The Handsome Collection is a great deal, giving you access to Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, along with all the accompanying DLC. With a ludicrous number of possible weapons, some great sci-fi environments to explore, and some daft storytelling to pull you along, this series is a highly entertaining way to get your co-op FPS kicks.

Despite later versions improving upon the formula, the original Overcooked is still a wonderful multiplayer game. It kicked off a trend of simple, accessible co-op games, and it's not hard to understand why. This cooking game may look friendly and straightforward, but if you and your friends aren't careful, chaos can quickly take over the kitchen. Communication is key in this fantastic co-op game, and if you want a bit of spice, there are some competitive multiplayer levels too.

Ubisoft's checklist open world formula wears a bit thin in Far Cry 5, but there's still good fun to be had in this fairly dense FPS (especially if you're partaking in some co-op action). The story tackles some interesting themes and it's got a memorable moment or two, while the often chaotic gameplay can be addictive if you can look past the repetition. A solid shooter, all told.

A Way Out can only be played in two-player co-op, and because it's designed around that restraint, it's an excellent multiplayer adventure. Playing as a pair of convicts, the game takes you and a buddy on a wild ride as they escape from prison and look to get revenge for those that did them dirty. With an interesting story and lots of co-op focused gameplay, this is a great game to play with a pal.

Marvel is obviously big business these days, and LEGO Marvel Super Heroes aims to pack in as much Marvel as you can handle. Telling a sort of Avengers-like story involving many well-known heroes and villains, it's otherwise your typical LEGO platformer. Drop-in local co-op means it's a great game to play with friends and family, and there are hundreds of characters to unlock as you progress and collect Cosmic Bricks and more.

Arguably one of the most culturally significant releases of modern times, Minecraft is up there with Super Mario and Space Invaders in terms of its impact on the industry. It also happens to be an absolutely superb game that’s ever-expanding thanks to Mojang’s live service model, which sees new content packs and gameplay mechanics added relatively regularly. With the boundless creative energy of LEGO and a genuinely engaging survival core, this is a title that can be almost whatever you want it to be, which helps underline its overall longevity.

Overwatch has been superseded by Overwatch 2 now, but it was one of PS4's tightest and most kinetic first person shooters. Blizzard's team-based multiplayer FPS combined excellent gunplay with top tier character design to deliver an endlessly entertaining experience. Each hero was totally unique, and they all complemented each other with crazy abilities that were easy to learn but hard to master. Pretty much everything great about this game has carried over to its successor, but many will fondly remember the original and how it evolved people's expectations of multiplayer shooters.

Developer Drinkbox Studios struck gold with Guacamelee, a side-scrolling Metroidvania with a comical Mexican wrapper. The Super Turbo Championship Edition is that same great game along with all its DLC bundled in and some extra content for good measure. Playing as Juan, you explore a vibrant, interconnected world that slowly opens up as you earn new abilities. These luchador powers double up as combat and traversal mechanics, with the game leaning into fights and exploration equally. It's great fun solo, but you can also play with up to three friends in co-op, which adds to the colourful chaos.

The Monster Hunter series has always been popular, but it never properly resonated with a Western audience. That is, until Monster Hunter: World arrived. This action RPG puts the focus on defeating larger-than-life creatures, creating better gear from the loot they drop, and repeating this forever, and it's an incredibly compelling formula. World streamlines the process a little, lowering the barrier to entry just enough that it was an enormous hit worldwide. With a wide selection of weapons to master, a near endless gameplay loop, and super fun co-op excursions, this is an incredibly addictive, consistently satisfying game.

Supersonic acrobatic rocket-powered battle-cars take to the field in Rocket League, a chaotic clash of arcade racing and the beautiful game. Slick controls ensure that its simple premise scores with Messi-like precision, providing a multiplayer experience that's easy to pick-up but almost impossible to put down. Nifty netcode keeps you on the pitch as much as possible, while unlockables allow you to kit out your car with sombreros and other similarly silly garbs.

A retro style platformer, Shovel Knight exceeds the genre's usual expectations with its imaginative characters and cool story moments. It's a colourful, rock solid adventure, and is now enormous thanks to multiple free updates. These have brought co-op play, a VS mode, and new playable heroes with their own campaigns, making Shovel Knight an easy recommendation if you're looking for an old school adventure with modern sensibilities.

PS4 fans had to wait a little longer to play Cuphead, but it was worth it. This is a side-scrolling platformer/shooter with one major trump card: its unbelievably good presentation. The game looks like an animated cartoon from the 1930s, and it's incredibly effective. Combined with rock hard boss fights and a superlative soundtrack, Cuphead is a challenge you won't mind enduring thanks to all that style.

When it comes to endless character progression and loot, very few games measure up to Diablo III: Reaper of Souls - Ultimate Evil Edition. An action RPG that offers what is in theory an infinite amount of stuff to do, it's a blast whether you're playing with friends or you're grinding through the demon hordes all on your own. Supremely polished and intuitive, it's hands down one of the tightest titles on PS4.

Elden Ring may not be at its best on PS4, but that doesn't take away from what is an utterly essential trek through The Lands Between. Far and away FromSoftware's best game to date, the developer has expanded on the Souls formula with an open world setting that almost feels like three of its past titles all jam-packed into one gigantic offering. With hundreds of locations to explore, numerous bosses to beat, and build lists off the charts, Elden Ring is the Dark Souls swansong as FromSoftware raises its game all over again. You absolutely must play this.

There's nothing quite like Journey. A game that everyone should experience at least once, thegamecompany's emotional tale is shockingly cohesive, and is destined to provoke a different response from everyone that plays it. Its simplicity is its real strength, and it's a perfect example of how several brilliant ideas can fuse to form an uncompromising, definitive whole. Flawless visual and audio work help make the release feel effortlessly elegant, while its accessible controls mean that anyone can enjoy it.

Dark Souls has earned a rabid, loyal fanbase with its uniquely weighty combat, richly realised worlds, and challenging (but fair) gameplay. Lordran is beautifully realised on PS4, its foreboding architecture and often terrifying denizens forcing players to learn from trial and error. Dark Souls isn’t for everyone, but those that persevere will forever praise the Sun.

Starting life as DLC for Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy ditches Drake for a badass lady double act in Chloe and Nadine. Their adventure through India to find the Tusk of Ganesh is up there with the series' best, with some brilliant set-pieces dotted throughout its well paced story. What it lacks in Nate's witty banter, it makes up for with a great relationship between the two leads that ebbs and flows as they figure each other out. Excellently acted and written, as is par for the course with Naughty Dog these days, this is a great offshoot that fans of the series will love.

Originally planned as a Wii U exclusive, the death knell to Nintendo’s ill-fated home console proved positive news for PlayStation fans when it went multiplatform. Building upon the stunning UbiArt Engine of its predecessor, Rayman Legends is a sublime side-scroller from start-to-finish. While not all of the touchscreen gimmicks translate optimally to the DualShock 4, you’ll be hard pushed to find a better platformer than this on PS4.

Refining the tone of its writing and delivering a much better paced story, Divinity: Original Sin II is a huge improvement on an already great role-playing experience. Character creation is meaningfully in-depth, and every action throughout your adventure further defines your hero. As far as player choice goes, Larian's sequel is one of the very best titles on PS4, and the many paths that you can take make it a brilliantly replayable package.

A game so popular that it’s existed through three console generations, GTA 5’s unstoppable commercial success makes Los Santos the most iconic open world game ever made. Its ambitious multi-pronged campaign – starring downbeat middle-aged gangster Michael, witty wannabe Franklin, and bonafide psychopath Trevor – is littered with memorable moments, including a bank heist and a jewellery store robbery. But it’s online where the title has earned its longevity, offering a multiplayer suite unlike anything else available.

The spiritual successor to FromSoftware's supremely popular Dark Souls property, Bloodborne fuses the lip-smackingly satisfying combat of its predecessors with a frighteningly fast pace, resulting in the most intense action on the PS4. Harrowing Lovecraftian-like fiends and larger-than-life bosses vie for the attention of your Saw Blade, as the dingy districts of Yharnam intertwine. A steep difficulty curve can make this occasionally putrid escapade appear off-putting, but soldier through the skin and sinew and you'll find a bloodbath worth submerging in.

Sucker Punch has crafted one of the best open world games on PS4 with Ghost of Tsushima. A supremely atmospheric adventure that tells the story of a fallen samurai named Jin Sakai, it's bolstered by immensely satisfying, slick combat and a dramatic story. In many ways, this is the first party studio's Horizon Zero Dawn moment — it's a project that goes beyond what Sucker Punch has previously attempted, and sets a new bar for the team in terms of quality and vision. Ghost of Tsushima sees off the PS4 in serious style.

A fitting end to one of PlayStation's finest franchises, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End spins a more mature yarn without losing any of the bombast that has defined the brand over the past decade. Naughty Dog proves yet again that its lightyears ahead of all other developers in the story-telling stakes, and while some slow pacing may put off adrenaline junkies, the Californian company deserves kudos for allowing its latest to breathe, building towards a crescendo that feels both final and fulfilling.