Say what you will about Sony’s PlayStation Meeting and PlayStation 4 reveal; the event was positively littered with games. We didn’t get merely a taste of next-gen. No, we got what seems like the whole damn pie. Sony rolled out title after title – from racing to shooting, from indie beauty to cartoon antics, and every genre seems ready to captivate at or near launch.
Killzone. Destiny. Watch Dogs. inFamous. Where do we start?
As we continue delving deeper into the questions and details behind PS4, we can’t help but stop to speak on PS4’s reveal lineup, which (for better or worse) will define PlayStation gaming in just a few months’ time. Here’s what a number of PSU staff members–editors and writers alike–had to say on the games:
Steven Williamson:
"I can’t hide my disappointment that the PS4 wasn’t shown, but overall I enjoyed the show, mainly because of the games and the potential that it has to be a powerhouse of a gaming machine with those great specs. I personally couldn’t care less about sharing content with others and connectivity with other gamers. I can’t see anyone being interested in me getting my ass kicked in Battlefield 4.
I love the inFamous and Killzone franchises, so I’m pleased to see that they’ll be back and utilizing the technical prowess of the PS4. Watch Dogs looks great too, though it will be interesting to see how Diablo III translates over to console. I enjoy playing Vita so I’m chuffed to hear I’ll be able to use Remote Play to stream any PS4 game and I’m even looking forward to the convenience of Cloud Streaming, though after playing and not particularly enjoying the OnLive experience, it’s clear that there’s still a lot of work to be done in this area to ensure a smooth transition from the cloud to the T.V. screen."
Timothy Nunes:
"Leading up to the final minutes before the PlayStation Meeting, I had a looming feeling that Sony wasn’t going to announce the PS4 and the world would spiral downward into oblivion. As we all know, the apocalypse never happened, and we were graced with Sony’s next console. The spec numbers were great and all, but numbers aren’t anything without a reason to buy them. The DualShock 4 controller melds together the perfection of the DS3 controller and the touchscreen capabilities of the PS Vita into one piece of hardware, which is perfect for moving into the next generation.
What literally took my breath (ask Kyle, Steven, Paul, or Mike: they were talking with me during the conference) was in the Killzone: Shadow Fall trailer when the transport vehicle door opened to unveil one of the greatest gameplay backdrops I’ve ever seen. The next moment of awe happened when the first Helghan uncloaked and his eyes emanated that flamboyant orange.
The other titles look like great additions to the growing title library, but my intrigue finally landed on the social media aspect of the PS4 once all was said and done. With Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, etc. included on every device on the planet, it’s only natural to have a gaming social hub work in the same way on the PS4; multiplayer isn’t the key anymore, but connectivity is, and Sony nailed it."
Kyle Prahl:
"Every time I feel ready to give the crown to a single game from Sony’s PlayStation Meeting, I remember another equally impressive title. Indeed, "impressive" is a paltry word that fails to encompass my astonishment and (to some extent) disbelief at the quality of PlayStation 4’s reveal lineup. As if Bungie closing a Sony conference with a new sci-fi IP wasn’t exciting enough, Blizzard showed us that even PC diehards are enthused about PS4 development. Ubisoft showed us an exciting glimpse at next-gen open-world thrills. Capcom showed us the best-looking game ever.
Ultimately, I have to give the win to Sony’s first-party studio Guerrilla Games and its indescribably beautiful showing of Killzone: Shadow Fall. Never before has this historically dark, muddy franchise seen such vibrant pinks, greens, and blues, and the contrast formed when Helghast forces show up to terrorize Vektan high society is all the more compelling for it. Never mind the photorealistic shaders, eye-popping flame, and plentiful particle effects – there was more going on in Shadow Fall’s battle scenes than in any CGI movie I’ve ever seen. And this was running in real-time. When we finally get to play Shadow Fall on PS4’s launch day, we may find the latest Killzone doesn’t deviate much from shooter and franchise conventions. I don’t care. I don’t value graphical fidelity over creative gameplay, but there was nothing in Sony’s show that drove home the power and unrivaled possibility of PlayStation 4 more than Killzone. And in a week that’s been all about celebrating PlayStation’s history, I wouldn’t have it any other way."
Dane Smith:
“Overall the show was well done, concise, and had a clear message. It also made the move controller have an impact besides looking like someone was wanting to sing a song. However the major problem I had with the show wasn’t with Sony but with the actual developers. Everyone preached how much the PS4 was going to be dev friendly, how much of a boon it was going to be to the industry, and so on from reading the prompt cards, but aside from Sony owned developers how many of those non-Sony developers are going Sony exclusive? Isn’t it condescending to the audience to praise a system and taut it’s high potential, and then release the same game on a rival system? Companies want to make money, and that is great, but if companies like Ubisoft and Capcom do the same ass-kissing when Microsoft reveals their newest console and taut its great potential, then what is the point?”
Timothy Weaver:
“When Sony started off talking about the future of PlayStation at the beginning of the meeting, the hype from the past few weeks hit me all at once. Just like any viewer, once the name ‘PlayStation 4’ was mentioned by Andrew House, the nostalgia of every new console announcement from Sony’s history appeared in my head. What I still can’t comprehend is that we are jumping from 512MB of RAM to 8GB of GDDR5 RAM, the top of the line RAM for high-end GPU’s. What we saw on stage in terms of live demos were easily on par with Crysis 3, but that was at the very start of the PS4.
Sony also impressed me with background downloading, charging your controller in standby mode, recording and sharing your gameplay, putting PS4 games on your Vita through streaming, and putting your console in sleep mode (pause) and play from the same spot later! I will say though that I am truly disappointed that they showcased how awesome the Vita was, but didn’t cut the price for it (They cut the price in Japan, though). If they want to really get people to buy into the Vita for their PS4’s, you have to cut the price to something more affordable! Also, Square-Enix didn’t have to be there. We witnessed ‘Agni’s Philosophy’ last year and having them mention a Final Fantasy game for PS4 and walking off wasn’t a good way to present your company for next-gen.”
Fraser Miller:
"To me content is everything it is what makes me want a certain console over another. Showing off the awesome new Killzone and infamous had me jumping around like a kid in a candy store. I have loved the Infamous franchise since its inception way back and cannot wait to jump into a brand new adventure with Sucker Punch on the PS4.
Overall I’m really chuffed to see a great big chunk of content and you can be sure there is a lot more to show off in this year’s coming E3 along with what the beast looks like. Considering that such titans as Naughty Dog have yet to show off their unannounced project can only make people wonder what this system can be truly capable of."
Paul Kelly:
"This was a big day for Sony and I feel they delivered. The fact that the thing hasn’t been seen isn’t an issue to be honest, Sony wanted to focus on features and content which was the right move. On that front, the PS4 is looking to be packed full of features, and Gaikai seems to be integral to it. I felt the games shown have potential but nothing screamed true next gen to me. Killzone: Shadow Fall and Driveclub both looked great, as did infamous: Second Son, but I think we need to see more, especially new IPs. The third party stuff was a mixed bag. Capcom’s new game shows promise and Watch Dogs feels very Assassin’s Creed. The Witness looked intriguing and Destiny has pedigree. Square Enix are the losers, showing an old tech demo and then bringing on the Brand Director for Final Fantasy to announce an announcement? Come on.
The new controller looks fantastic. As someone who has no issue with the DS3 apart from the triggers this new controller should appease those who didn’t like the old design. The fact that many devs were surprised at the 8GB of RAM says that maybe Sony is taking a gamble which I hope pays off, since GDDR5 RAM isn’t cheap."
Will Robinson:
"Of all the Sony conferences that I have seen, this was by far the best. Sony went in with a plan and executed well with no awkward ‘Wonderbook moments.’ What really has me all hot and bothered in the tech department are the PlayStation 4’s sleep function and the ability to Remote Play any PS4 game on my Vita. The souped-up specs of the system weren’t bad to hear either.
My most anticipated games of the show are in order as follows: Destiny, InFamous: Second Son, Watch Dogs, Killzone: Shadow Fall, and whatever the hell Square Enix is actually working on. This leads into the biggest disappointment of the whole show. Square, you should have just stayed home and waited for E3. Don’t slap the loyal fans you have left in the face.
Alex Locher (Ghost-Rhayne):
"Sony fully met my expectations with its PlayStation Meeting earlier this week. The console is a beast, has great games in the works and is brimming with innovative technology and functions. Even before the big unveiling, it was clear to me that Sony had learned from its mistakes this generation when I got my hands on the Vita, which demonstrated functionality that was sorely lacking from the home console. I also expected Sony to repeat the strategy of communicating with developers in order to create an architecture that they could use without the technical hurdles that the CELL gave them.
However, beyond making the system structure more standard, Sony revealed a slew of features that really captivated me. The ability to record and upload gameplay will be something that I will use a lot. The sleep function is fantastic as well; I use this mode on my Vita and I am FULLY behind removing the down time between having the urge to play and getting into the game. Spectator mode revolutionizes what it means to be part of a gaming community and breaks down the barriers that previously stood between me and my gaming friends.
The games shown were simply beautiful. I don’t think anyone expected to see so many new titles, but we were treated to Killzone: Shadow Fall, inFamous Second Son and Driveclub among others. All in all Sony is in a powerful position for this coming generation of games."
Now that you’ve read our thoughts on the first set of PS4 games, how about sharing some of yours? Sound off in the comments below, and stay glued to PSU.com for the latest news on these games and more in the coming months.