Best games
Best PlayStation 4 games of 2012
The 43 best PlayStation 4 games released in 2012, ranked from 28,042 critic and player ratings.
The best PlayStation 4 game of 2012 is Journey, with a critic score of 94/100 — updated September 2026.
How this ranking is built
- Games are ranked on the aggregated critic score out of 100 imported from IGDB and Metacritic, never on Tier's own grades.
- A game only enters the ranking with at least 80 external ratings, so a single enthusiastic review never outranks a proven classic.
- Community grades from F to S are shown next to every game, and only stated as a fact above 5 Tier ratings.
- Release window covered: 2012.
- 43 games are listed on this page, carrying 28,042 ratings between them.
- Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 28 September 2026.
Top 43
01
Journey
A third-person adventure game in which the player, controlling a robed figure, makes a pilgrimage through a desert landscape to a rugged mountain with a beacon of light in the distance while uncovering the history of their people, rescuing and cooperating with friendly creatures, avoiding predatory ones and communicating with other travelers.
94
/100
02
Ōkami HD
Experience the critically acclaimed masterpiece with its renowned Sumi-e ink art style in breathtaking high resolution. Take on the role of Amaterasu, the Japanese sun goddess who inhabits the form of a legendary white wolf, on a quest to defeat Orochi, an eight-headed demon and tyrannical monster responsible for turning the world of Nippon into a ruined wasteland.
92
/100
03
Batman: Arkham City - Game of the Year Edition
91
/100
Journey
A third-person adventure game in which the player, controlling a robed figure, makes a pilgrimage through a desert landscape to a rugged mountain with a beacon of light in the distance while uncovering the history of their people, rescuing and cooperating with friendly creatures, avoiding predatory ones and communicating with other travelers.
94
/100
02
Ōkami HD
Experience the critically acclaimed masterpiece with its renowned Sumi-e ink art style in breathtaking high resolution. Take on the role of Amaterasu, the Japanese sun goddess who inhabits the form of a legendary white wolf, on a quest to defeat Orochi, an eight-headed demon and tyrannical monster responsible for turning the world of Nippon into a ruined wasteland.
92
/100
03
Batman: Arkham City - Game of the Year Edition
91
/100
04
S
Dishonored
Dishonored is an immersive first-person action game that casts you as a supernatural assassin driven by revenge. With Dishonored’s flexible combat system, creatively eliminate your targets as you combine the supernatural abilities, weapons and unusual gadgets at your disposal. Pursue your enemies under the cover of darkness or ruthlessly attack them head on with weapons drawn. The outcome of each mission plays out based on the choices you make.
90
/100
05
Spelunky
Spelunky (also known as Spelunky HD) is a remake of Spelunky (now known as Spelunky Classic), an open source indie platformer video game created by Derek Yu and originally released as freeware for Microsoft Windows. The player controls a spelunker who explores a series of caves while collecting treasure, saving damsels, fighting enemies and dodging traps. The caves are procedurally generated, making each run through the game unique. Spelunky is one of the first examples of a roguelike-like, borrowing concepts from the roguelike genre, and was the influence for many later roguelike-like games.
90
/100
06
A
Far Cry 3
Explore an island playground as stunningly beautiful as it is diverse – from mountain ranges to swampy grasslands and white sandy beaches. Fight your way through the island’s towns, temples, river ports and more. Encounter a diverse and realistic cast of characters, including one of Far Cry’s most notorious villains: Vaas Montenegro. Dive into this deep and enriching story where morals are questionable and hope is all but abandoned.
88
/100
07
Diablo III
88
/100
08
S
Euro Truck Simulator 2
Euro Truck Simulator 2 is a vehicle simulation game and a direct sequel to the 2008 game Euro Truck Simulator. Travel across Europe as king of the road, a trucker who delivers important cargo across impressive distances! With dozens of cities to explore from the UK, Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and many more, your endurance, skill and speed will all be pushed to their limits. If you’ve got what it takes to be part of an elite trucking force, get behind the wheel and prove it!
88
/100
09
Sound Shapes
Play, Compose and Share in a unique take on the classic side-scrolling platformer where your actions make the music. Equal parts instrument and game, Sound Shapes gives everyone the ability to make music. Play through a unique campaign that fuses music and artwork into a classic 2D platformer, featuring artwork by Pixeljam, Capy, Superbrothers and more, with music by I Am Robot and Proud, Jim Guthrie and Deadmau5. Create your own unique musical levels with all of the campaign content and share with the world. Sound Shapes creates an ever-changing musical community for everyone to enjoy at home or on the go.
87
/100
10
A
Hotline Miami
A top-down slasher/shooter with unlockable gameplay-altering masks and weapons, featuring a neon-flavoured electronic aesthetic, in which a hitman receives anonymous calls ordering him to travel to certain residences and crime dens and massacre those within, as he stumbles through unreal visions and inconsistencies without any answers to how, why or who.
86
/100
11
Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward
86
/100
12
Torchlight II
86
/100
13
Fez
86
/100
14
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair
85
/100
15
S
The Walking Dead
84
/100
16
PlanetSide 2
84
/100
17
A
Diablo III
83
/100
18
WipEout 2048
83
/100
19
Yakuza 5
83
/100
20
Dust: An Elysian Tail
82
/100
21
Borderlands 2
81
/100
22
Assassin’s Creed III
80
/100
23
Chaos on Deponia
80
/100
24
B
Hitman: Absolution
79
/100
25
Chivalry: Medieval Warfare
79
/100
26
Cook, Serve, Delicious!
79
/100
27
S
Call of Duty: Black Ops II
78
/100
28
Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition
78
/100
29
Strider
78
/100
30
TRANSFORMERS: Fall of Cybertron
78
/100
31
Thomas Was Alone
77
/100
32
The Unfinished Swan
77
/100
33
A
Prototype 2
76
/100
34
Star Trek Online
76
/100
35
The Dark Eye: Chains of Satinav
75
/100
36
Nihilumbra
75
/100
37
Deponia
74
/100
38
The Testament of Sherlock Holmes
73
/100
39
Titan Attacks!
73
/100
40
King Oddball
71
/100
41
C
Resident Evil 6
67
/100
42
Long Live The Queen
67
/100
43
Angry Birds Star Wars
59
/100
S
Dishonored
Dishonored is an immersive first-person action game that casts you as a supernatural assassin driven by revenge. With Dishonored’s flexible combat system, creatively eliminate your targets as you combine the supernatural abilities, weapons and unusual gadgets at your disposal. Pursue your enemies under the cover of darkness or ruthlessly attack them head on with weapons drawn. The outcome of each mission plays out based on the choices you make.
90
/100
05
Spelunky
Spelunky (also known as Spelunky HD) is a remake of Spelunky (now known as Spelunky Classic), an open source indie platformer video game created by Derek Yu and originally released as freeware for Microsoft Windows. The player controls a spelunker who explores a series of caves while collecting treasure, saving damsels, fighting enemies and dodging traps. The caves are procedurally generated, making each run through the game unique. Spelunky is one of the first examples of a roguelike-like, borrowing concepts from the roguelike genre, and was the influence for many later roguelike-like games.
90
/100
06
A
Far Cry 3
Explore an island playground as stunningly beautiful as it is diverse – from mountain ranges to swampy grasslands and white sandy beaches. Fight your way through the island’s towns, temples, river ports and more. Encounter a diverse and realistic cast of characters, including one of Far Cry’s most notorious villains: Vaas Montenegro. Dive into this deep and enriching story where morals are questionable and hope is all but abandoned.
88
/100
07
Diablo III
88
/100
08
S
Euro Truck Simulator 2
Euro Truck Simulator 2 is a vehicle simulation game and a direct sequel to the 2008 game Euro Truck Simulator. Travel across Europe as king of the road, a trucker who delivers important cargo across impressive distances! With dozens of cities to explore from the UK, Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and many more, your endurance, skill and speed will all be pushed to their limits. If you’ve got what it takes to be part of an elite trucking force, get behind the wheel and prove it!
88
/100
09
Sound Shapes
Play, Compose and Share in a unique take on the classic side-scrolling platformer where your actions make the music. Equal parts instrument and game, Sound Shapes gives everyone the ability to make music. Play through a unique campaign that fuses music and artwork into a classic 2D platformer, featuring artwork by Pixeljam, Capy, Superbrothers and more, with music by I Am Robot and Proud, Jim Guthrie and Deadmau5. Create your own unique musical levels with all of the campaign content and share with the world. Sound Shapes creates an ever-changing musical community for everyone to enjoy at home or on the go.
87
/100
10
A
Hotline Miami
A top-down slasher/shooter with unlockable gameplay-altering masks and weapons, featuring a neon-flavoured electronic aesthetic, in which a hitman receives anonymous calls ordering him to travel to certain residences and crime dens and massacre those within, as he stumbles through unreal visions and inconsistencies without any answers to how, why or who.
86
/100
11
Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward
86
/100
12
Torchlight II
86
/100
13
Fez
86
/100
14
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair
85
/100
15
S
The Walking Dead
84
/100
16
PlanetSide 2
84
/100
17
A
Diablo III
83
/100
18
WipEout 2048
83
/100
19
Yakuza 5
83
/100
20
Dust: An Elysian Tail
82
/100
21
Borderlands 2
81
/100
22
Assassin’s Creed III
80
/100
23
Chaos on Deponia
80
/100
24
B
Hitman: Absolution
79
/100
25
Chivalry: Medieval Warfare
79
/100
26
Cook, Serve, Delicious!
79
/100
27
S
Call of Duty: Black Ops II
78
/100
28
Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition
78
/100
29
Strider
78
/100
30
TRANSFORMERS: Fall of Cybertron
78
/100
31
Thomas Was Alone
77
/100
32
The Unfinished Swan
77
/100
33
A
Prototype 2
76
/100
34
Star Trek Online
76
/100
35
The Dark Eye: Chains of Satinav
75
/100
36
Nihilumbra
75
/100
37
Deponia
74
/100
38
The Testament of Sherlock Holmes
73
/100
39
Titan Attacks!
73
/100
40
King Oddball
71
/100
41
C
Resident Evil 6
67
/100
42
Long Live The Queen
67
/100
43
Angry Birds Star Wars
59
/100
Frequently asked questions
What is the best PlayStation 4 game of 2012?
Journey currently tops the ranking with a score of 94/100 across 1,142 ratings. Ranking updated September 2026.
How is this ranking built?
Games are ranked on their aggregated critic score out of 100, with a minimum vote threshold so a single glowing review never outranks a proven classic; the Tier community's own F-to-S grades are shown alongside each game.