Why the PS4 is the best thing to happen to gaming in a long time.

[kupomogli]

So there's been a recent thread about losing interest in modern gaming and while I agree that last gen was the worst in overall quality, there's a few genres that last gen was better than all others, and that's just about anything third person or first person. The reason I'm not including the Xbox One and Wii U is because the PS2 was so dominant and had so many great games, whether they were exclusive or multiconsole it doesn't matter, and the PS4 seems to be picking up where the PS2 left off, something the PS3 failed to do. Don't get me wrong, PS3 was a quality system, but it doesn't seem like it lived up to the PS2 the way that it seems the PS4 is going to.

Speaking exclusively of retail titles, the PS4 has had a slow start if you compare it to the Xbox One, as most of the games on the PS4 for the first year are also on the Xbox One, and between both system, there are some games that are on the PS3 and 360, but if you ignore that and focus on what the systems did have during that time, they've so far fared far better than the PS360 of last gen in the same period of time. The popularity of the PS4 seems to have uplifted Japanese developers to put more faith into console titles again, where many of these games were pushed towards the wayside and developed exclusively as handheld titles that never made their way west. Additionally, many of these developers are not only developing console titles(and handheld versions, yay for Vita,) but these developers are also localizing these titles by the boatload.

The thing about the PS4, just like the PS3 before it, is that the quality of third person games for the PS2 in comparison weren't very good at all. You did have games like Shadow of the Colossus, Devil May Cry 3, and God Hand that are timeless, but then let's use other games for example. I like King's Field 4, Evergrace, and Forever Kingdom, but compare them to the Bloodborne or the soon releasing Dark Souls 3. Compare the Max Payne 1 and 2 to Stranglehold and Vanquish on the PS3. Compare Just Cause 1 to Just Cause 3, etc.

Another thing is, the quality of the average game right about now is pretty high. Your average RPG now days isn't as bad as some of the worst RPGs on the PS2 in most cases, even if they're not the quality of some of the best, while racing games and shooters, regardless of what quality they are, they're reasonably good if you can purchase them at retail, if not great, and better than much of what the PS2 has to offer in the same genre. Destiny, Battlefront, Siege, The Crew, etc, games that push what's pretty much an online only focus is hopefully not the direction that gaming is headed to, even for these genres, specifically because Destiny, and from what I've heard of The Crew, are both excellent games. Destiny could have and should have been a offline solo only experience for when online servers are shut down, but it's not, and that is one thing that I am disappointed about in this genre, same goes for what I've heard of The Crew seeing how much I really love the Test Drive Unlimited series and this is from the same developer.

For those of you who think gaming is dead at this gen for collector's, I just want to point out just a few games that could easily make you change your mind.

Helldivers. If you're a fan of top down shooters like Smash TV, Total Carnage, etc, then you should definitely look into this game. This is easily one of the most enjoyable and best in the genre and has had a retail version released for the PS4 with all of the content included on the disc as well as a voucher that includes a PS3/Vita version of the game and all of the DLC digitally. The game has online cross play for all three consoles and it has four player local co op. Additionally, it's playable offline even if it doesn't seem like it is. Similar to Smash TV and Total Carnage, this game is also brutally hard and there are 12 difficulty levels to turn it up even further.

Divinity Original Sin. This isn't really a game that you wouldn't expect to hit consoles and it's a bit better on PC due to mouse control, but it works well and is an amazing game. Local and online co op were actually added into this game, both PC and console versions, to two different people to control part of the party, each doing their own thing in the world. One person might be shopping and collecting quest details around town while the other person is exploring a dungeon or completing a story event. This is a very good, very difficult game, with a bit of a steep learning curve, and takes a bit to get into the game due to the massive amount of quests you can pick up early on. The quests within this game have well written dialogue and the player actually has to put forth an effort to complete them rather than the mundane fetch quests of an MMO.

Shovel Knight. As a fan of platformers I feel this one is pretty overrated, but it is a fairly good game as well. Has a decent amount of stages and does a fairly good job at mimicking classic platformers of the past. Apparently there's more content to be added later, but the retail version of the game includes the original story as Shovel Knight and an additional story as Plague Knight as well as a bunch of challenge modes.

Bloodborne and Dark Souls 3. As a fan of FromSoftware, I should be glad that Demon's Souls is the breakout game that put this developer/publisher on the map for the more mainstream hardcore audience. Most games that they develop are great games and now people are finally seeing how good of a developer they are, even if they still aren't for everyone.

Transformers Devastation and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutant's in Manhattan. I've only watched gameplay of Transformers Devastation and haven't purchased it because well, it's an Activision title and I guarantee I'll get it for $20 or less sometime soon. I missed a sale on it during Black Friday so I'm still waiting. Anyways, it's clear that this game is a hidden gem and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will be as well. If it wasn't obvious with Platinum Games developing it, it's DMC with Transformers with a loot drop system like Diablo.

Earth Defense Force 4.1. If you've ever played an Earth Defense Force game with a friend you'll know how enjoyable these games are. This is another I haven't played, but this is a remake of EDF2025 for the PS360.

The list above is just some hidden gems of the console with how long it's been out. It's not counting the more mainstream titles like The Witcher 3, Just Cause 3, Mad Max, Assassin's Creed Black Flag, Batman Arkham Knight, Dying Light, Watch Dogs, WWE 2K16, Dragon Age Inquisition, etc.

Finally, the PS2's first couple of years were pretty slow too. Most of the stuff was exclusive and not multiconsole between the competitors, but still a very slow start. I'd say the current line up on the PS4 or the Xbox One has more quality than we saw in the first two years of the PS2. Give it a bit longer, especially when the Japanese really start pushing out releases once they finally completely pull away from last gen.

[Tanooki]

Your Helldivers suggestion if you have PS Plus is the free game of the month for February, in case anyone was curious. I am, and currently have another 30 day waiver going due to getting Destiny Taken King pack about a week ago stupid cheap so I could play with my nephews online. It kind of reminds me in the few images of what the Wii and PSP got in that remake of Alien Syndrome which while maybe not the prettiest was pretty damn run and gun fun.

I have to thank you for reminded me of that Transformers game, the only generation of that stuff I ever thought was good and trust me I've watched a few open minded was Gen1 in the 80s and that game is all 80s. The TMNT stuff is fairly well the same thing too. I liked the 80s (but it hasn't aged as nicely in episodes) then the 90s wasn't awful but not great, and the newest is like a love letter to the old comic, IDW newer comic but also down to some references and puns of the decade long 80s cartoon and it's awesome. That latest upcoming PS4 game looks like they finally found people who aren't morons to make a TMNT game so it looks like it strongly could be good, not another case of a decade ago where reviewers took much into praising the add-on of old arcade/snes games as unlocks if you can tolerate the new GC/PS2 game long enough to get it. Hell of a review to do that, but speaks volumes rating the bonus material higher than the game.

Bloodborne I don't think is for me, Lout Souls is that fury inducing death to learn type game, won't get it, can't afford buying $60 controllers. I never did get around to that EDF game I think Wii got but PS3 definitely had. You did leave out that PS2 did have the Odin SPhere game that's redone shortly on the PS4 (can't wait) and on PS3 same guys with their Dragon Sphere, I miss that game. They also did the Wii/Vita Muramasa which was solid.


I'm not entirely sure you're on point ripping on the PS2 for its quality (lack of) third party games. You're looking at a massive downgrade in scale of system capability and DVD storage from 15 years ago compared to now. In all that time far more room has been given to really flesh out more realism, more AI, more attention to detail in a cute/non-serious game. Sure some people have learned with a decade or two experience, but to say there was a lack of third party goodies that didn't blow or were mediocre is unfair. The PS3 was a huge jump over the PS2 in quality, the PS4 as so far looks like a lesser jump, perhaps in part due to all the stupid cross (PS3/4) porting shenanigans, but still you know what I mean.

Each system started slow for a good couple years going into it. I'd dare say the PS4 is on par for advancement of quality unique games, even if some of them are remasters so far (FF10, GOW3 and Uncharted) but to say that it has had less unique games to it than the ONE is a lie if you look up the wikipedia and check currently released US (or US+JP) releases on physical media. The list is longer on the PS4 and the variety of that length is a wider support of various games as Sony has always has a wider scope than MS has in stuff either by choice or force (JP dev's not as keen on MS, nor do buyers there care to support it either.)

[CDiablo]

You just named a bunch of multiplat games. 2 exclusives, 1 being a remake. I guess your argument is this is the best gen for games, which I disagree. It's a lot more of the same with slightly better graphics thus far. I haven't found anything that is this gen only that has really sucked me in.

PS4 did save physical gaming. That is a big deal, but thats about it.

[kupomogli]

You just named a bunch of multiplat games. 2 exclusives, 1 being a remake. I guess your argument is this is the best gen for games, which I disagree. It's a lot more of the same with slightly better graphics thus far. I haven't found anything that is this gen only that has really sucked me in.

PS4 did save physical gaming. That is a big deal, but thats about it.

I knew someone would bring this up, and I pointed it out in my post that it's not to start a console war. It's that I'm presenting the PS4 as being what I'm expecting, the next console to have more quality releases than the PS2. Whether the games I'm listing are multiconsole between the PS4/PS3/Vita, the PS4/Xbox One/PC, etc, is a moot point. The point is, the PS4 has all of these releases alongside it looking to be that they're going to be heavily supported by the Japanese industry in the coming years with exclusives like Ni-Oh, Nier 2, and Yakuza 6 being a few that come out this year in Japan.

I'm not saying that it's the best gen for games, as it's not. I expect the PS4 to surpass the PS2, and the gen itself will be better than that gen as well, but I don't know if the PS4 will surpass the PSX in terms of quality and has a lower chance of having more quality content than that gen as well, especially when, as you pointed out(and I did prior to you) most games this gen are going to be multiconsole.

[PreZZ]

Ps4 is a great system, but IMO the weakest first party offering from sony of all the systems they released. Im not sure i understand your reasoning of why the ps4 is the best thing just because its on pace to match ps2 sales? too many remasters for my tastes, and cant name one first party I enjoyed since infamous second son. Wii u and xone have better first party offering, sales is not a thing i judge for a system being good.

[Tanooki]

I follow, and it is moot to whine if it's a multiplatform game or not. The fact it is there is the point and that point is a crap load of quality variety. It's all pieces of a puzzle that would lure someone in, but just not in over another system, that's what the uniques are for. And yes, they are a bit of the savior of the physical given they keep taking some bitchin stupidly only download games and allowing a pathway for them to be released in small batches as budget priced physical releases for those who don't download, can't download, or won't download(because they like to own their games and control them.) Look at all the stuff that has popped up that had a tangible copy, some are uniquely and stupidly rare given the low runs, smallest I think being the 2000 copies of Retro City Rampage DX. We have a guy popping in here who I think runs that one company that started publishing some games on Vita which is also Sony on a physical card that started as a download.

I don't buy it has the weakest given time on the market allowance of unique titles for the system, and physically by numbers I'm fed up with the lie that it has the least games between it and the one when fact show otherwise on wikipedia and elsewhere. There's plenty of reasons to consider it being the best thing to happen to gaming in a long time for just those reasons. Variety, bringing the digital back to physical, their own IPs others will never have (ie: first party mainstays out and coming), and it's clear there's only ONE system the Japanese are in love with anymore in a development side and as such will always get the most releases and even when ports exist the preferential treatment in the better version or the better perks to a (or exclusively to a) version and that's Sony, and the PS4. You can chock it up to classic Japanese xenophobic behaviors(racism to some), the classic support the home team stuff anyone really does, whatever it is, but MS can't crack shit for sales with any system over there. That alone makes a Japanese developer leery releasing a game on the American box, especially outside of non-Asian areas. Due to those feelings of cold support and Nintendo living off in its own little world inside a magic box it created for itself along with the 1st party only sheep, there's nowhere else to turn.

[kupomogli]

Ps4 is a great system, but IMO the weakest first party offering from sony of all the systems they released. Im not sure i understand your reasoning of why the ps4 is the best thing just because its on pace to match ps2 sales? too many remasters for my tastes, and cant name one first party I enjoyed since infamous second son. Wii u and xone have better first party offering, sales is not a thing i judge for a system being good.

Did you even read the op before replying? I don't think it's going to be better than the PS2 "just because it's matching the sales." I think it's going to outpace the PS2 with the quality of the titles released and with the Japanese not yet fully supporting the PS4, I do think that the PS4's first two years are somewhere between being on par or being better than. Now there are a lot of good PS2 games that released in the first and second year, especially the PS2 which is where the library really started to pick up, but there's a lot of good releases on the PS4 as well.

This is a classic gaming site sure, but being a gaming site regardless, I'm sure everyone here follows what's coming out in the future, so I don't think I should have to make a long list of games that are coming out from Japan that look like they're going to be quality releases. I mean this isn't list wars or anything, this is just a personal opinion based on information we've seen. If you don't agree then that's fine, but there's no need to spin words to degrade the content of someone elses explanation rather than explaining yourself and getting your own point across.

Additionally the first party offerings on the PS2 sucked for the first two years. First party takes awhile to pick up with Sony regardless what gen it's been. But what does first party matter, even though it's a third party game, does Helldivers not exist on the PS4 because it was a multiconsole release with the PS3 and Vita, and later announced to be ported to the PC? Does Tales of Zesitiria not exist because of the same reason? Does the Witcher 3 not exist on the PS4 because it's on the Xbox One and PC?

[Leo_A]

PS4 is shaping up great I think. Just on my want list for titles out now or with a confirmed release date, I count 30 retail releases, 8 of the Arcade Archives line, Pinball Arcade, and 10 digital exclusives.

For barely two years in, it's going to be a long road to experience half of what I want to check out on the system when I acquire it hopefully later this year. It might be lackluster in the 1st party area with remasters of Naughty Dog titles the biggest entries to date, but with excellent 3rd party support, does it really matter?

[Ryudo]

3 years later I own 5 games for PS4. 3 years later I own 25 games on Wii U. Not the best thing at anything . Just popular on hype and marketing. I like my PS4 just fine but it's not groundbreaking in anyway. Only real difference between it and Xbox is marketing.

[Tanooki]

So says you, it's not hype, you're just not into what's there. The most fan hyped up thing out there is what you're buying the most for. The difference is the unique games now and coming this year that'll set it well apart from what MS has aside from superior hardware for those into getting into that junk but it does hamper ports unfortunately between the two.

[kupomogli]

3 years later I own 5 games for PS4. 3 years later I own 25 games on Wii U. Not the best thing at anything . Just popular on hype and marketing. I like my PS4 just fine but it's not groundbreaking in anyway. Only real difference between it and Xbox is marketing.

The PS4 for has really been out two years and three months, so not really three years :P. And after four years I probably own around 25-30 games for the Vita. Doesn't mean it's not one of the worst systems I've ever owned because I own literally every retail title that I have even the slightest interest in. I have to purchase games I have an even slight interest in to actually fill out my library it has so few games. The same goes for the Wii U which I have even less. The only other system that I have less games for is my Sega CD. That's an add on though, so I'm not as disappointed in it than I am those consoles.

But on that note, the PS4 has only been out two years and I have 25 games for the console(26 if you include a second copy of Bloodborne because of The Old Hunters edition.) Unlike my Wii U and Vita collection, that number is going to grow exponentially for the next five years. So right now I own less games for the PS4 than I do the Vita, but there are games I'm interested in that I don't own that are currently out(and not just so ever so slightly interested) and there are games that are going to be released in the future that I'm interested in eventually picking up.

[kupomogli]

Gundam Breaker 3 is getting an English localization. It might not release west, but atleast we can now import it in the English language. Like Gundam Vs Force which was announced for the US a short time after the Asian version was announced to have English subs, this may get a US announcement sometime soon.

Similar to the Wii U with EA, PS4s popularity has gathered unprecedented support from Japanese developers and publishers.

http://www.play-asia.com/gundam-brea...subs/13/709u4r

[megasdkirby]

I'm an odd one...I purchased it because I wanted it. In no way, shape or form, did I purchase it for the same games people list over and over as "the best for the system".

For instance, none of the games (sans Shovel Knight) that Kupo mentioned interest me one bit. The games I have been playing are the quirky, odd, silly games that no one would give a second thought. Same as the Vita. And I have a blast.

I never quite understood why people list games as to reason why a console is great. Isn't that just a variable that depends from person to person? None of the games interest me, yet I purchased one anyway. Because "I just wanted it". Nothing more, nothing less.

I had a Xbox One fanboy piss me off at work only because I had a PS4 and not an Xbox One. He kept spewing games that I could give a rats ass about...Titalfall, Halo, blah blah, and his "godly" reasoning of why I am wrong and got an "inferior" system. Risking a reprimand, I pretty much told him to shove his suggestions up his ass, enjoy his damn console, and to fucking get laid...FAST. I love attending customers, but this guy...this guy...UGH

Basically, a list of popular games should not be a reason why getting a console is a necessity, or from choosing one from the other. Just get what you really, REALLY want.

[Tanooki]

I never quite understood why people list games as to reason why a console is great. Isn't that just a variable that depends from person to person? None of the games interest me, yet I purchased one anyway. Because "I just wanted it". Nothing more, nothing less.

You list games because you want people to know what you like and why you qualified the purchase, nothing more or less other than to the extreme of just listing, to the extreme of begging someone to buy it indirectly trying for shock value and cool points. It all varies, no matter what game gets ignored or blown by the media. We've seen enough of thoe flash back 2nd look back things where a game got 9s/10s and then someone gets an honest streak after millions sold and go...yeah it's a 7. As far as that xbox tool I didn't quote -- point out Titanfall isn't exclusive as it looks and is overall better on PC, and Halo is made for Halo fans, you either like it or ignore it, but it's no system seller persay, it's a Halo seller that sells halo to halo fanboys. And remind him once you get beyond an inferior PC port, and Halo, what does MS have alone Sony and PC never will have that makes it special? Guarantee you a small list of Gears, Forza, and a couple others get listed and then blank stares or going into third party stuff hoping someone doesn't notice, or lying about Tomb Raider like it's exclusive(not timed.) Good for you telling off the troll and having the balls as an employee to do it as the putz probably figured he'd get away with it.

I don't buy many games anymore, just a few for the 3DS and PS4. I got Mega Man Legacy the other day for 3DS, and I think the last NEW one I bought was Shovel Knight and before that probably LInk Between Worlds which underwhelmed me into forgetting to play it. It's been out years now, I have 19 games for it. The PS4 I've had like a couple years now too, I think I'm up to 12, and even there the last 3 games I bought were all remaster packages (Uncharted, GOW3, FF10/10-2) and the game before it 'unique' was Godzilla. Everything else is multiplatform more or less. I don't have a huge budget, rather blow it on older gameboy(any) and genesis games lately instead as I get more value for the money and that's about as quirky as you can get fishing back for something you never played before. It's not cool, it's not trendy, and it's not a me-too thing, it's personal choice and that's what really matters.

[BlastProcessing402]

I've got several gripes about the PS4. One, yes it's great they turned the tide when MS tried to force online all the time, but PS4's interface is garbage, and moreso when you're offline. Tons of wasted space with everything all trying to get you to go log in to PSN. I don't want to log in unless I'm actually going to download something (I don't play online, and I certainly am not going to play online now that Sony charges for it). And not that I care about trophies, but what the hell is up with not being able to see your trophies while offline? Also, I'm pretty pissed that I had to convert my offline account into a PSN account (I prefer to keep a separate account for online and offline) just to be allowed the privilege of copying a game save from the system to a USB drive.

It's a good system but it seems to go out of its way to be anything but the "best thing to happen in a long time". Most needlessly annoying thing in a long time, maybe.

But that's just my opinion, I suppose all the cool kiddies that stay online all the time and play all the Call of Booty games or whatever don't share a single concern of mine, and probably don't even know any of the annoyances of the interface in offline. (I don't intend to paint anyone here in that light, just a lot of gamers in general)

Honestly, other than the power of the system, I like the PS3 a lot better, and I really never liked the XMB interface in the first place, but it was still preferable to what PS4 uses.

[Tanooki]

I agree, don't much like the forced online. Call of Booty? I take it that's not a FPS but a FAP right?