My First Two Weeks With My PlayStation 4

I wanted to write a 24 hour, instant, from the gut, opinion piece of my time with my PS4. It would have been easy, I would have written about how good/meh/good again Killzone Shadow Fall is, and how I’m afraid of playing Knack because of the reviews, and it would have totaled a paragraph or two in length. But I decided that I needed more time with this new beast from the house of Sony, so I held my thoughts, only for me to regurgitate them now. Side note; still afraid to play Knack, maybe after some… a lot of… whiskey.

Still don't know why I dropped $60 for this.

Let’s start with the most important part of any console; it’s controller. The PS3’s DS3 was fine. It fitted the mold that had been established since its introduction on the PlayStation, but Sony always seemed afraid to do anything major to it. The DS4 on the other hand is a great step up. It reminds me of the old PS3 boomerang concept controller, but you know, a serious effort this time. It’s really comfortable, fitting in my hands nicely. I also am fond of the touchpad, which so far in Killzone and Assassin’s Creed IV has been implemented nicely, but nothing revolutionarily. When it comes to live streaming from the PS4 I am genuinely surprised at how easy it is to just tap a button, choose my service of choice, and just go. I plug in the headset and begin talking. It’s really intuitive, and something I intend on using more once the holidays have passed.

On second thought, disregard everything I said about this controller.

The L2/R2 triggers have been given a vast overhaul this time. They are really comfortable to rest my fingers on, and I never feel like I am wrestling to keep them in place. The joysticks too have been vastly improved. I’m no longer having to readjust my thumb placement on them mid game and risk loosing a life due to a momentary lapse in concentration. I just haven’t had to think about the DS4, it’s just sat between my hands and has worked well, unlike the DS3 which upon reflection I was constantly battling with. Finally, the DS4 has a built in mic, which has been great when I played through Sound Shapes and Killzone, listening to various in game sounds/audio logs. Pro tip, its volume can be adjusted in the settings section under controller. The DS4 is great, comfortable, and feels solid in my hands.

Finally some triggers I can use.

Let’s move on to the user interface of the PS4. I’m surprised at how clean it looks and how easy it is to navigate. The shadow of the PS3’s XMB is still there, with the basic tabs you would need such as settings and friends list, but the meat and potatoes is a level below, where all your media is kept. First on the list is the recent games you’ve played/downloaded. Moving along you have various tabs that contains apps such as Netflix or Music Unlimited. It’s grouped smartly, and once you’ve logged on, it’s a simple click and you’re off. On the games front, once you’ve made your selection, the game loads up quick (Killzone very much so), allowing you to jump right in and begin the campaign/multiplayer without much effort. Want to take a quick break and check some messages, load up Netflix, or sync trophies, just hit the PS Home button and it flips you back to the main PS4 interface. All this points to an interface that feels like it was designed with ease, for a gamer who might change his/her mind halfway through a game and want a change in scenery. A vast improvement over the PS3.

It makes me feel so relaxed.

Now let’s talk some games. I’m going to start with Killzone Shadow Fall, which started great, dragged in the middle, only to bounce back in the final third. I’ve always found Killzone a little odd, mainly because I’ve always thought a far more interesting storyline would involve some alien force invading to kill off the Vectans/Helgans, forcing these formally two enemies to be allies. It would be interesting see how a fragile alliance works, with a lot of research going into battling aliens and keeping the former advisories from taking advantage of any lapses in security. However, we got the cold war this go around, which was fine, but I get the impression that Gurrilla took this far more seriously than they should have. If they had had a little fun with it, I might not have laughed at the end when The Flower Duet (Lakme) played. Overall, Killzone is very pretty, controls well, but like that stupidly hot girl from high school, would have been better served doing porn than attempting Shakespeare.

Sadly, no shiny Batnipples anywhere in this game.

Moving onto Assassin’s Creed IV. I bought the game on the PS3 and spent the $10 upgrade price to get it on the PS4. I’m a big AC fan. It’s my third favorite franchise of all time (after MGS and Uncharted), so barring it being an AC Revelations clone, there wasn’t much that was going to disappoint me. Thus far (I’m not even close to complete because I keep distracting myself by following the shiny objects here and there) I’ve had so much fun. I briefly compared my PS3 and PS4 version, and though I’m no expert, I could barely tell a difference in graphics between the two versions (Killzone does have it beat graphics wise). However, its story has been so much fun, and the lead, Edward, has so much charisma it really forces me to question why Connor did his best Harry Potter from The Oder of the Phoenix impression throughout ACIII. ACIV is great, but you can get a very pretty version on the PS3/Xbox 360, and outside of some controller enhancements, there is no need to get a PS4 just for this.

You can hear the dub step, and now that it's in you head, it will never leave.

Now it’s time to move on to the true killer app for PS4, and no, I’m talking about Sound Shapes or Resogun. I’m referring to remote play via PSVita. Now obviously, this would require you to have invested in a PSVita, something I did on its day one, and boy have I been glad. Gravity Rush and Tales from Space notwithstanding, the Vita has been a great little handheld, and definitely needs a price cut, but is a worthy addition for any gamer. However, when I put down the money to get one, I had no idea that I would be using it to stream my PS4 when others in my house want to use the TV. But you know what, I’ve been using it so much, that at times I’ll just find myself remote playing my PS4 through Vita while having Netflix on in the background via PS3. It’s a great little extra that I never thought I was going to use. It doesn’t hurt that Ubisoft released a companion app for ACIV that allows me to use my iPad as my in game map. I wouldn’t recommend streaming a first person game, let alone online multiplayer, but if you need to run around and collect items, why use the TV when you could watch some good old Legend of Korra or Star Trek? The PS4/Vita combo is great, and I can’t wait for the possibilities of the PSVita TV (if my daydreams are to be believed, it will be able to do everything!).

Killer app indeed!

So where do I stand with my PS4? I’m loving it. Just like I love my PS3, my PS2, and my PlaySation before it. But could I recommend it to someone who isn’t just looking for a new piece of kit? No. Wait a year. See how the PS4 does compared to the Xbox One. See if there will be more games that tickle your fancy, and if not, see if the Xbox has them. Look at the services offered by both companies, and see if there is something that you prefer over the other. Ultimately, your choice should be personal, so do the research, see if a friend or two has one or the other console, and compare. Figure out what you want, and don’t be afraid of spending some money. The PS4 is very good, just not good enough if you aren’t a gamer who needs to play Killzone, and eventually InFamous, The Order 1886 (incidentally the year the great Arsenal FC was founded as Dial Sq) and of course, Uncharted. Oh, and if you do get a PS4, do yourself a favor and invest in a Vita, it’s worth the price. 

One box to rule them all?

Xbox One80

Something interesting happened after the E3 press conferences. That arrogant company that released a console a hundred dollars more expensive than the competition with the assumption that everyone would buy their expensive product, well just because, and then for the proceeding years after they continued to try and tell their consumers what they wanted, instead of listening. It cost them a huge portion of the market share, and took them 8 years to finally catch up to the install base of their closest competitor. Remember them? Well it looked like Microsoft was copying their playbook, right down to the fan outrage. Then sh*t got real.

The curse of the 3rd console is real!!!

Microsoft, the champion of always online and used games restrictions, changed their tune and reversed their stance on both policies. Sony, with their chests puffed out, went on stage at E3 and declared that the PS4 will play used games, and that the console doesn't need to be always online. Fans cheered, the internet went mental over it, and some Xbox’ers claimed that they were switching allegiance to the Playstation nation. However, when the internet gets ablaze because of issues like this, it rarely causes any significant, if any, change to occur (Kony 2012 anyone?). So just why did Microsoft change their tune?

Sony be like, what? Block used games? Oh hell no. 

It’s all conjecture from here on out, but the nice thing to think would be that Microsoft heard all the people’s cry and decided that the masses were right, and gave the people what they wanted. Another, and more likely, angle is that Sony’s pre-orders were eclipsing that of Microsoft’s, and they couldn't afford to stumble out of the gate like that. The PS3 suffered from a very poor strategy, coupled with it being released a year after Xbox 360, so it’s no wonder that it took them 7 to 8 years to reach and edge out the 360s install base. Regardless of the decision, it was smart, because right now all that stands between the PS4 and the Xbox One is $100.

We are so sorry. Please, just buy the damn thing.

It’s going to be interesting to see what happens to both consoles a year after launch. No doubt Sony has the best first party studios in the industry, but Microsoft has stupid amounts of money to the point where they can literally buy exclusives from third parties. They seemingly have already done that with the very cool looking Titanfall. But for every Titanfall, Sony can conceivably answer with an Infamous, an Order 1886, and unannounced Naughty Dog project, which can go against Xbox ‘exclusives’. It’s been a while since two major consoles have launched side by side, and with both seemingly coming this November, only time will tell which console wins the hearts and minds of not just the hardcore gamer, but the general consumer. Begun, the console wars have!!!

E3 2013 - Sony

Sony showed the PS4 a while ago. For 2 full hours. Some great looking games were shown. A neat looking controller was used. Features like Gaikai and the ‘share button’ were touched upon. They set themselves up for an E3 that was theirs to loose, and with Microsoft already done, and Nintendo bowing out of the spotlight, they really had the last word, and holy sh*t what a last word they had.

Finally we got to see what the console looked like. It’s angular, slanted, a two toned black console, with an upgradeable 500gb HDD. It looked cool, something that would look slick sitting right next to my TV, and I liked seeing the architect. Its silly throwaway moments like that which stick with me; letting some guy who probably sits in a cubicle getting his moment in the sun. I like how the PS4 looks (a hell of a lot better than the Xbox One), and am glad they waited until E3 to show it off.

Now onto games games games. That’s what it’s all about. We already knew about Knack, Killzone, Infamous, and Drive Club, but what were the other Sony studios working on? Well, other than The Order 1886 (by the excellent Ready at Dawn studio; don’t let them go like Insomniac Sony), there wasn’t much else. What’s Santa Monica working on? How about Sony Bend? Media Molecule anyone? Where was NAUGHTY DOG??? There was a bunch of third party stuff, but Sony easily has the best first party studios, so I was hoping for more. What was shown was great, but like a beast that constantly wants more, I demand you feed me.

Killzone Shadowfall

Well here it is. The moment they won E3. Used games? Go ahead. Always online? Hell no. Price? $499? $599? Nope, $399. This was something special for the end, and sure the last game they showed was the cool looking Destiny, and sure there was no Uncharted tease, but it was this moment that sticks. It felt like that cool kid on the playground sticking up for some of the younger kids. It was a moment so purposely directed at Microsoft, going blow for blow eventually flooring them, you can’t help but see their girlwood rising. It’s what we wanted, and after years of mixed messages, Sony got their sh*t together and managed to not f*ck up!

How sharing games work on PS4.

So how could I give this anything less than an A? If there was a Naughty Dog tease, it could have been an A+. It was a solid show; a lot of fun with people who seemed excited to be showing their console. Sony did a good job, and there wasn’t much more they could have done to make it better. Sony got their swagger back.

Click for my thoughts on Microsoft, and stay tuned for what I thought of EA, Ubi later today, and Nintendo tomorrow.

E3 2013 - Microsoft

When Microsoft first unveiled the Xbox One, I didn’t know what to write. The presentation was focused less on games and more on entertainment which I didn’t care for. By the end of their hour long presentation, it felt incomplete, so I decided to wait till E3, as I had a feeling Microsoft got all that unpleasantness out of the way for the games. And you know what, I was right. Microsoft had a great E3, that was until a certain unnamed elephant in the room stepped up to the plate (but more on that later).

Metal Gear Solid 5 opened up the Microsoft presser, and boy does it look good. An open world Metal Gear, something they have been promising since Snake Eater, looks to be finally coming into fruition. From there, they went from game to game to game, each looking interesting. There really wasn’t anything extraneous. The biggest surprise, Insomniac Games are making an exclusive for Xbox One! I never thought I would see the day. That was huge. Game-wise, Microsoft had a great lineup of games.

Going into E3, we knew some disappointing things about Xbox One; there will be a used games limit, the console will have to log on once within a 24hour period, and it will come packaged in with an fixed 500gb HDD (you can have an external HDD for more space). All we needed was price, and for all its offering, I expected it to be a little high, but to lower the entry cost, I was waiting for a version with a subscription base. However, we are getting it for $499 this November, which is fine (a little high), but at least not of the astronomical levels of the PS3.

So how did they do? Not bad. They didn’t blow anyone away, but they had a solid (Snake?) showing. And it was the best presser until Ubi went later in the day (and of course Sony), but it failed to wow. I’d have to give it a solid B+. If Halo had been in playable form, would have been bumped up to an A-, and sadly, they ended up getting hurt by being first. 

My thoughts on Sony, EA and Ubi will be up later today.