If you’re anything like me, you don’t move at what is roughly equivalent to the speed of sound and were not able to get your hands on either of the latest consoles — the Playstation 5 and the Xbox Series X/S — before they sold out like hot cakes. Following a turbulent pre-order period, day one sales for both consoles were overrun by scalpers, bots, and, well, more bots, leaving many of us without hope of getting one before the holidays approach, if they restock this year at all.

While we wait for next-gen games over winter break, let’s take a look at some of the best games of the eighth generation. It’s worth mentioning that this list focuses on games that are either exclusive to, or that can be found on the Playstation 4. While the Xbox One has a multitude of excellent games, my experience with them is less comprehensive. Additionally, most Xbox One games can also be found on PC making them less of what I would consider to be console games.

BLOODBORNE (PS4 2015) 

For the early days of the Playstation 4’s life, many called it the “Bloodborne Box.” As the fourth game released in the “soulsborne” series, many still consider it to be the best in the group. Its dark, lovecraftian world is full of unfinished tales, strange blanks that require the player to find abstract pieces and insanely difficult combat. Though infuriating at times, Bloodborne was, for many, what made them finally click with its predecessor, Dark Souls. The beauty of Bloodborne is found in its ability to make you feel like you dropped into an 1890’s hellscape and in the way that coming out on top makes you feel like you’ve truly accomplished something incredible.

THE LAST OF US PART 2 (PS4 2020) 

If you ask most people what the best game of the last ten years was, they would agree that it was 2013’s “The Last of Us” which won hundreds of Game of the Year awards and holds a 95/100 on Metacritic. The sequel, The Last of Us Part 2, came out in June of this year and perfectly captures what a sequel should be. Though it received criticism for its unpredictable story, The Last of Us 2’s combat, story, LGBTQ representation, and world far exceed anything else that came out this year. 

RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2 (PS4, XBOX ONE, PC, STADIA 2018) 

Red Dead Redemption 2 manages to feel like a classic western without perpetuating some of the harmful stereotypes that often come with the western genre. When many people think of the genre, they think of manifest destiny, cowboys versus Indians and saloon showdowns. Though you absolutely will find a fistfight in a saloon if you want to, Red Dead Redemption 2 takes itself more seriously than its predecessor. That more serious tone serves to remind us of the importance of discovering who we want to be while struggling with the pain of abuse perpetrated by somebody you trust. Even if a long, narrative story isn’t your thing, riding around on a horse and shooting bad guys is something we’ve all wanted to do since we were kids. 

YAKUZA 0 (PS4, XBOX ONE, PC 2015)

There isn’t a single way to describe the Yakuza series. This 8-series game brought in a prequel in 2015 to help us get to know where our series protagonist Kiryu Kazuma got his start. Singing karaoke, managing real estate and distracting side enemies with literal piles of cash are just a few things you can do to keep yourself busy in between the dual-story and mounds of combat. The Yakuza series prides itself on being strange and over the top. Allow yourself to give in to the wackiness, and I guarantee you’ll not only have one of the most incredible video game experiences of your life, but you’ll find meaning in the absurd.