Shack Chat: What was your favorite game of the XB1/PS4 generation?

Welcome to the dawn of a new console generation. The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X (or Series S, if you prefer the digital route) are here to usher in the future of console gaming. While everybody is getting their hands on the next-gen hotness from games like Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Tetris Effect: Connected, it's time to take a step back and look back at the generation that was.

For this week's Shack Chat, the Shacknews staff reflects on our favorite game from the last console generation. (That's PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, as Nintendo is off in its own universe.) These are our picks.

Question: What was your favorite game of the XB1/PS4 generation?

Marvel's Spider-Man - Ozzie Mejia, With Great Power Comes Great Video Games

This is rapidly becoming a Spider-Man space for me. This is yet another Shack Chat where the answer is Marvel's Spider-Man. There isn't much more I can say about it that I haven't already. It's the absolute peak of Spider-Man games, capturing every essence of the comic character, his world, his powers, and the drama that goes into being both Spider-Man and Peter Parker. Superhero games don't get better than this.

(I haven't played Miles Morales yet, so don't hold me to this.)

Marvel's Spider-Man - Donovan Erskine, bitten by a radioactive spider

I tried to come up with a different answer just to add a little bit of spice in my Shack Chat, but I keep coming back to Marvel's Spider-Man. One of my greatest accomplishments here at Shacknews was being a key player in Spider-Man taking home Game of the Year in 2018, as it rightfully deserved. It’s simply the most fun I've had with a game over the last generation.

Warframe - Blake Morse, Tenno till I die

I've been playing Warframe on and off since the day I got my PS4, and I’ll be playing it even more on my PS5. I feel like Warframe was ahead of the curve when it comes to games as a service and it’s been a real treat to see the game evolve from its humble beginnings to where it is now. Back in the day there were no open-world environments, you only had one kind of companion creature, and the library of Warframe suits and weapons available was nothing compared to the massive library there is now. I can’t think of another game that I’ve been playing for seven years straight, so I've really gotta give it up to the team at Digital Extremes for making such an immersive, expanding, and enthralling game. I’m looking forward to continuing my journey on the PS5 as well, all those fancy lighting effects and explosions are gonna look dope AF on a next-gen console (I hope).

Uncharted 4 - Chris Jarrard, Can't hear you over the PS4 fan

I'm not sure if we are allowed to pick any game from this generation or if it had to be on consoles only, so I’ll stick to consoles. I never had a PlayStation till the PS4 so I missed out on some stuff over the years. Thanks to the era of remaking everything, I got to fiddle with the Nathan Drake collection and worked through the first three Uncharted games. Part 2 was the only one I really had fun with and I had no real ambition to play Uncharted 4, but I gave it a try out of boredom. I'm glad I did.

It fixed every issue I had with the older titles in the series and was a blast from front to back. It has everything — pirate stuff, fancy water tech (second only to Sea of Thieves this generation), rope swinging, and older brother that looks like Luke Perry-tech. It looks like a million bucks and is slightly less depressing than Naughty Dog’s other PS4 games. Two thumbs way up the butt for this one!

Sea of Thieves/Bloodborne - Sam Chandler, The Wandering Reaper

The Xbox One and PlayStation 4 console generation was a great one, to be sure. Though the Xbox One had some launch problems and growing pains, the team at Xbox managed to turn that ship around and set it sailing in the right direction. Meanwhile, Sony managed to release some truly incredible titles.

For the Xbox One side of things, I must say that Sea of Thieves has been, hands down, the game I have enjoyed and played the most this generation. It has soothed my soul and provided me with a wealth of entertainment. I can't wait to get in and play some more with my partner. Pirate life!

As for PlayStation 4, I can't look past Bloodborne. It’s simply the greatest game on the PS4 and one of the best Soulsborne titles. The gothic atmosphere and Lovecraftian story are superb.

I can't wait to see what lies ahead with Series X and PS5. Bring on the next seven year cycle.

God of War - Bill Lavoy, Viking Warrior

The most recent God of War game is the first I've ever played, and it remains one of the best games I’ve ever played. To me, it's an example of near flawless game design both from a storytelling standpoint and in gameplay. It was beyond satisfying to smash my way to my objective with Kratos, then enjoy a quiet moment or two to take in what the developers were able to do with the PS4 hardware. I’ve thought about going back for another run in God of War soon, but I think I'll take it for a spin on my PS5 to see just how much better it looks and players.

The Last of Us Part 2 - Josh Hawkins, Guides Editor

There's no arguing. No doubting. No second thought in my mind that The Last of Us Part 2 was my absolute favorite game of the Xbox One and PS4 generation. Though it came at the end of the generation, Naughty Dog’s storytelling and beautiful visuals made it one of the best games I’ve ever played. Sure, it was divisive. It made a lot of people angry. And, yeah... we probably didn’t need a sequel, but damn. It was so good.

Guilty Gear Xrd - TJ Denzer, Heaven or Hell, Let's Edit News

When the first announcement trailer for Guilty Gear Xrd came out, I actually cried tears of joy. I still get misty eyed when I watch it. It was Arc System Works and director Daisuke Ishiwatari taking back the reins on the series he made a compelling competitor in the fighting game market. I couldn’t be happier to see it happen after years of waiting, and when it finally launched, it delivered everything I expected.

Since Guilty Gear Xrd - SIGN first released in 2014, it has remained my gold standard bar for what fighting games ought to be. The animation, the mechanics, the tutorials, the music… there is still no fighting game that delivers the whole package better than Guilty Gear in my opinion. Arc System Work has their fighting game development down to a fine science and they have had a wealth of characters through an increasingly lengthy franchise history to draw from. Each new edition ofGuilty Gear Xrd just made it better and better where other fighting games were still trying to come into their own and figure it out.

From the time Guilty Gear Xrd was announced, bringing the franchise firmly back under Arc System Works’ control to the end of Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2, I have never had a better time with a game on the PS4, and it gives me tremendously high hopes about what Guilty Gear Strive will do when it finally arrives on the PS5 in 2021. Heaven or Hell, Let's Rock.

Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin- David L. Craddock, long reads editor

You may be surprised to learn that an enhanced re-release of a last-gen (er, last-last-gen) game is my favorite game of this console generation. Or, if you know me, maybe that’s not so surprising. I’ll be honest: PS4 and Xbox One didn't do much for me.

The 360/PS3 generation brought so many new franchises. Assassin’s Creed, BioShock, Resistance, Batman: Arkham, Soulsborne, Gears of War, Uncharted, The Last of Us--the list goes on. With new worlds and characters came new gameplay modalities. Moreover, the 360 and PS3 machines felt like leaps forward from PS2 and OG Xbox: Free games through PS Plus and Xbox Live Gold, video streaming, and more ways to stay in touch with old friends and make new ones.

PS4 and XB1 didn't move things forward. At least, not for me. Sequels, remakes, and remasters galore--and I love remakes and remasters. But Sony and Microsoft never managed to find a balance between old, new-old, and new. Obviously, your mileage will vary. Maybe you’ll remember the PS4 and XB1 as hosts to some of your favorite gameplay experiences. I almost forgot about them before they started. I’m much more excited about PS5 and Xbox Series X--and Switch, technically the vanguard of our current crop of consoles--than I ever was their older, blander brothers.

Dishonored 2 - Steve Tyminski, Contributing Editor

The PlayStation 5 has launched but it gets you thinking what was your favorite game on the PlayStation 4? If I had to pick one, I would go with Dishonored 2. It was one of the first games I got to attend a launch event in New York City for. The style and gameplay really spoke to me as I was a big fan of the “steam-punk” styled tools. The special attacks were pretty cool too as well as the game giving you options if you wanted to attack people or just sneak by.

Those are our picks. If you're dressing up as one of gaming's greats, who's your pick? Join the conversation and let us know in the comments.

Shack Staff

Shack Staff stories are a collective effort with multiple staff members contributing. Many of our lists often involve entires from several editors, and our weekly Shack Chat is something we all contribute to as a group.