We all love the feeling of starting a brand new PlayStation 4 game, don't we? You've either waited until midnight to play it thanks to a digital pre-order or hung around the post box and immediately ripped the shrink wrapper off the case once it arrives. That's all well and good, but what about times such as these when the release schedule has all but dried up? The Last of Us: Part II is still more than two weeks away, and if you've already cleared your backlog, you might be itching for something to play to pass the time. That's where replaying games come in. These are the PS4 titles we keep coming back to time and time again, no matter whether it's through complete playthroughs or just a few hours of play to bathe in sweet nostalgia.

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Sammy Barker, Editor

This era of subscriptions and heavily discounted digital games has left me with a bulging backlog, but I do occasionally find the time to replay titles I like. Shenmue has been a constant source of entertainment for me since I was a teenager; I used to replay the Dreamcast titles on an annual basis, but I’m on a bi-yearly schedule at the moment, which means I’m due a return to Yokosuka time permitting in 2020. The remasters are always installed on my PS4.

Sports games are my go-to, though, and I only delete them from my hard drive when the next entry arrives. MLB The Show 20 is probably my favourite; it’s condensed season mode March-to-October is brilliant for pick-up-and-play sessions, while I prefer its Diamond Dynasty card collecting campaign to EA Sports’ efforts in Ultimate Team. That said, the ever-growing list of challenges in MUT means Madden NFL 20 is a title I’ll always have time for; the same is true of NBA 2K20's weirdly addictive PlayStation Home-style MyPLAYER mode.

Outside of the simulations, I still haven’t really tired of Everybody’s Golf yet, and often set aside time for a trip to the links. And while I don’t play it anywhere near as much as I’d like to, I’ve had Rocket League installed on my system since the day it released; I doubt I’ll ever remove it. I know not everyone agrees, but I do think we’re in a bit of a golden era for games; I love that some of my favourites get a steady stream of content – I just wish I had more time to play them all!

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Robert Ramsey, Deputy Editor

In between reviews, I feel like I've always got an RPG on the go, even if I'm just replaying The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt for the thousandth time. But we're all sick of hearing me ramble on about that one, so I think it would be more interesting to detail the handful of games that have always given me a reason to keep playing.

First up, Diablo III. I've lost track of how many characters I've made and how many times I've ran through the story. God knows how many hours I've sank into it over the years, but there's something about the endless grind that keeps me entertained without fail. The same logic can be applied to Monster Hunter: World, which is easily one of my favourite games of the generation. But with Capcom's masterpiece, it's less about the mindless loot-hoarding and more about the sheer satisfaction of the title's immaculate combat. I doubt I'll ever get enough of it.

In contrast, there are a few games that I just like to relax with. The most prevalent is probably Assassin's Creed Odyssey. Back when I first played it at launch, I had no idea that it would become an evergreen experience. While the daily and weekly quests certainly offer an incentive to keep playing, it's actually the open world that appeals to me over and over again. The map is so vast that I just love getting lost in it, taking in the sights and soaking up the atmosphere.

I would be willing to bet that I've spent more time with my PS4 than any other console I've ever owned, and that's largely down to these evergreen games. Here's hoping that the PlayStation 5 can top it.

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Stephen Tailby, Associate Editor

I don't tend to make a habit of replaying games, these days. When I was younger, I'd do it all the time, but once I started buying every game I wanted with my big grown-up money, the idea of revisiting a game went out the window. That's not to say I never do it, though.

Just recently, I played through The Last of Us Remastered. It was a joy to reacquaint myself with Joel, Ellie, and the journey they endure. With the story fresh in my memory, I feel ready to tackle the sequel head on. Funnily enough, it's not the only Naughty Dog game I've replayed on PS4; ahead of the arrival of Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, I played all three previous entries via the Nathan Drake Collection.

Examples of replaying games are few and far between in my case, but there are definitely one or two titles I'll flick on fairly regularly. One is Dreams, which never fails to provide me with something new and interesting to play. Rocket League has also been a relatively constant companion through most of the PS4's life — I'm not sure I'll ever completely grow tired of it. Finally, sometimes I like to throw on Sonic Mania. Every now and again, I want to be taken back to the 90s, and it delivers that nostalgia hit like nothing else.

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Liam Croft, Senior Staff Writer

I've made it quite clear on the site that I'm currently a good chunk of the way through a replay of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. However, I actually very rarely go back to games I've already finished. It's certainly a rare occasion when I do because I always like to be experiencing something new over a title I've already beaten. Although, due to the current barren release schedule, I have the time to dip into the games I feel like I need to put more time into.

And it's led me down the line of thought where I should probably also replay Red Dead Redemption 2. Sure, I beat Rockstar's open world epic when it first came out in late 2018, but again, it's a title I feel like I need to experience a little bit more of. I didn't complete every stranger mission and I hardly took the time to really walk in a pair of cowboy boots. Maybe that's the next PS4 game for the replay list.

Call of Duty: Warzone is another title I play a lot of at the moment, except I don't think you can really categorize that as something you replay over and over again due to its Battle Royale nature. Although, when I had a PlayStation console with backwards compatibility features hooked up to my TV, I would always play a bit of Metal Gear Solid a few times a year. I never felt the need to finish the whole game there and then, but it's always nice to dip into your favourite game of all time here and there. Hopefully, the PS5 allows me to do that again. I know, I know, it's not going to happen.

Is there a particular PS4 game you enjoy replaying over and over again? Which title do you want to go back to in the near future? Share your thoughts in the comments below.