With the PS4 and Xbox One each a year old developers are really starting to hit their stride with the consoles and the selection of titles are growing. And while the last-generation consoles are slowly being put to bed they still showed they have a bit of fight left in them. The harrowing but superb Dark Souls II is solid proof of that. Peep XXL’s list of 10 games any serious video gamer should have in their collection. —written and complied by DJRhude (@DJRhude)

XXLTLOUremastered
loading...

 

10. The Last of Us Remastered – Naughty Dog

The month of July was a pretty dry month for video game releases so the news that 2013’s game of the year was coming over to PS4 was well received. A year passed has done nothing to change this simple fact: The Last of Us Remastered is still a genre-defining action game that demands your attention. The extra goodies the remastered version brings with it is needed gameplay tweaks and additional content that comes with the disc - like the Left Behind single-player prequel story. This version will pull you back into the dark and hopeless world of Ellie and Joel once again.

XXLWatchDogs3
loading...

9. Watch Dogs – Ubisoft

Watch Dogs was developer Ubisoft’s much ballyhooed game that released back in May and for the most part it delivered on its promise. While it wasn't quite the defining ‘next-generation’ game for the Xbox One and PS4 as it boasted, Watch Dogs was an addicting open world action game with some unique hacking elements. If Ubisoft can continue to build on the groundwork they laid, this title has the potential to become great.

XXLinFAMOUS
loading...

8. inFAMOUS Second Son – Sucker Punch

It took five months from its launch for the PS4 to finally yield an exclusive but inFAMOUS Second Son was worth the wait. It was the first title that made gamers feel like they were playing a legit next-gen game and it was the perfect showcase for the console. Second Son’s stunning light effects, impressive open world environment and fast paced gameplay made this game a lot of fun to play. If you are planning to buy a PS4 for the first time, Second Son is worth a look.

XXLM15
loading...

7. Madden 15 – EA Sports

The Madden team takes yearly heat from critics for what it doesn’t get right and while some of the criticism was justifiable, it’s time to give EA Sports some long overdue props. Madden 15’s biggest achievement was its dedication to improving the core systems. The result of this was a smarter playing gridiron title with much improved graphics producing a more authentic experience. Connected Franchise Mode offers something for everyone, and Madden Ultimate Team despite being a cash grab, is downright addicting.

XXLGTA5
loading...

6. Grand Theft Auto 5 – Rockstar

Originally released in 2013 on last generation consoles Grand Theft Auto 5 was as close to flawless as a title could be. So a year later it makes its debut on the PS4 and Xbox One and folks fell in love all over again. Quite simply GTA 5 looks ridiculously breathtaking running on next gen power and it matters not if you’ve already played through it on last gen, because you’ll want to play it again. Thanks to being recreated and completely remastered, Rockstar has hit gold yet again. Further sweetening the pot is the enhanced physics complete with a new first person view making this title grand in every sense.

XXLMArioKart
loading...

5. Mario Kart 8 – Nintendo

Nintendo’s Kart franchise has been running 22 years and understandably it has seen its share of ups and downs. Mario Kart 8 was the companies’ latest iteration and it will be looked back upon as one its finest editions in its history. Mario 8 is a beautiful racer filled with gravity-defying tracks and clever level design. Throw in the addictive element of racing with friends both head to head and online and this one will be hard to put down.

XXLdarksouls
loading...

4. Dark Souls II – From Software

Dark Souls II released back in March gave many heads pause to any thought of trading in their Xbox 360 or PS3 just yet. Despite it being released only on last-gen, Dark Souls II can hold its own against most games out there. The white knuckle action RPG game is unique in its way that it demands the gamer die a thousand deaths. Hands down it will be one of the hardest games you’ll ever play but if you can get through the harrowing experiences, you’ll find an action RPG that’s challenging and very rewarding.

XXLAlien
loading...

3. Alien: Isolation – The Creative Assembly

It’s just you, a deserted space station, creepy androids and one relentless xenomorph hungry for your flesh. Creative Assembly won over the skeptics and delivered a title far and away better than any Alien game we’d ever seen. Its strongest attribute is the way it faithfully pays homage to the horror classic thanks to its well-designed stealth experience. This is one AAA game that is worth the chills.

XXLshadow
loading...

2. Shadow of Mordor: Middle Earth – Warner Bros

A serious contender for game of the year Shadow of Mordor stands out from other open world games due to its brilliant Nemesis system which randomly generates each Uruk you will battle. This keeps combat fresh as each generated Uruk possess its own unique personality traits, weaknesses and strengths so you will have to change up your strategy each time to be victorious. Shadow of Mordor has firmly entrenched itself as one of 2014’s must play games.

XXLDestiny
loading...

1. Destiny – Bungie

Destiny is about evolution and because of that trait alone the title will have a long shelf. There’s so much to explore in the online only multiplayer and that every time you think you’ve unearthed everything there is, a new, wider game opens up. The absorbing character progression and the hybrid FPS/MMO mechanic work beautifully. To sum it up Destiny succeeds in creating a platform for an epic sci-fi run and gun adventure.

Related:   The 59 Best Hip-Hop Instagrams Of 2014
The 25 Best Accessories Released In 2014

More From XXL