Playstation 4 Launch – First Impressions
Sony’s new machine is right at our doorstep, and here at bone-idle, we could not be more excited!
As many of you may know, the PS4 is being showcased in the Playstation Rooms on St. Stephens Green in Dublin City.
However, if you can’t make it up, or just want a general gist of what to expect on launch day, we’ve got you covered!
Even before the Playstation rooms were open to the public, we were granted special access to try out their new console and some next-gen titles (and even got to see the PS4 in delicious cake form).
And while not every game showcased the potential of the PS4, the general feeling was that Sony had done a pretty impressive job in blasting their way into the next generation of gaming.
Here are the titles we played and what we thought:
Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag:
The graphics in Black Flag are amazing. The series, as a whole, has been consistently impressive. And the gameplay, though same-y throughout, is consistently fun and engaging.
With our positions on the Assassin’s Creed franchise now firmly established, it may come as a shock to some that the presentation for the fourth installment was largely underwhelming.
It isn’t that the game itself was bad…but there seemed very little difference between this version and the one we had seen on previous gen consoles.
Yes, the water effects are beautiful. Yes, the integral sea combat is a great new feature. And yes, free-running and climbing the masts of your ship are as much fun as ever.
But it’s just not as a major a jump as we’ve come to expect on new consoles.
Considering our time spent with the game was a paltry 10 minutes at best, it is very possible that we simple need more time to fully appreciate the new chapter in this franchise. That is certainly what we want to believe.
However, given that we were thrown into a random point of the game with little contextualization (or explanation on how to swim), the only things we could give an honest opinion on were the typical free-running mechanics, which were as solid as ever, and the graphics. And, to reiterate the point, the game really is beautiful. Just not staggering, as we had hoped.
Octodad: Dadliest Catch:
Few games grab your attention like Octodad grabbed ours. A sequel to the critically acclaimed freeware game, Dadliest Catch presents itself as a hilarious physics playground in which the goal is not nearly as important as the fun you have trying to reach it.
If you have ever played the free online game Qwop, imagine a 3D version of that, with tighter controls and less consequences for failure.
Among the first titles we played, Octodad was an impossible title to ignore, due to it being surrounded by a ring of players clutching their sides with laughter.
You play as the titular Octodad, an Octupus posing as a human being. Naturally, life isn’t easy being undercover in the human world, as he must acquire a family, home and job to avoid suspicion. Naturally, the demo we played featured Octodad on his wedding day, flailing about, desperately trying to put his suit together and walk down the aisle without knocking anything over.
As bizarre a story as this is, it truly is the gameplay that shows off how wonderfully creative this title is. Each of Octodad’s four (visible) limbs are controlled by a shoulder button and you must delicately maneuver this slippery rag-doll type character through a number of obstacles.
An incredible amount of fun can be had by simply abandoning your current mission and just watching Octodad stretch and dance haphazardly around. This is a game that really has to be played to be fully appreciated.
Undoubtedly a favourite game among us here, at bone-idle, the consensus among all the players present at the launch was that this was an instant buy on launch day. As an indie title, it typically shows off creative design and original concepts rather than high quality graphics. The cartoon-y style is well suited to the game, but it won’t blow your socks off.
However, this shows great promise when taken alongside Sony’s promise of PS4 embracing the indie game wave. If this is the quality of unadulterated fun we can expect from their collaboration with independent developers, then the future looks very bright indeed for Playstation.
And speaking of which…
Resogun:
While Octodad was the fan favourite due to its blatant silliness, Resogun deserves special mention for being the surprise star of the show.
A typical space shooter at first glance, this is the game that had everyone at the launch hesitating before putting down the controller, eventually giving in so that they could have “just one more go…”
Like Super Stardust HD before it, Resogun seems bland in concept. One would certainly feel that the space shooter is a genre that has explored from every angle and been done to death.
But what makes this title so furiously addictive is the impeccable balance between being both frantic and fair, a duality that most games in this genre tend to fumble.
Moving along a cylindrical playing field, you must defeat wave upon wave of enemies while saving the remaining humans that wander about in the chaos.
You should never stop moving!
Idle players will find their ship obliterated in a matter of nanoseconds, but those who keep their fingers on the trigger will find that Resogun offers a perfectly challenging experience that adjusts it’s difficulty depending on your style of play.
Each ship starts off with a number of power-ups (bombs, speed boosts), which can also be picked up in the arena. However, while these bonus items can save your life, a wealth of points is offered for those who complete the level without them, adding a delicious layer of depth.
On a side note, if there was one title that Sony could enlist to show off the incredible processing power of the PS4, we would not have expected them to pick Resogun.
But after seeing the simply astonishing fireworks display that is constantly flowing and adapting to your actions, there can be little doubt that this is one of the most visually arresting games in the next gen line-up. Many of the shapes you are blasting at onscreen are little more than that, but it has a beautiful synchronicity that is just hypnotic. Hundreds upon hundreds of things are happening on screen at once, in both the back- and foreground, showing everyone at the launch that, yes, the PS4 has got quite a kick.
Killzone: Shadow Fall:
For better or worse, Killzone seems that the most stereotypical launch title one might imagine to see on launch day.
This is not to say that the game itself was uninspired, just that we recognized all the motions it was going through. There was less gameplay on offer in this demo, and a lot more set-pieces to showcase the graphical potential and cinematic flair that the Playstation 4 had to offer.
And it certainly was impressive. The demo we played saw us trying to resolve a hostage negotiation…with bullets.
It takes place atop a massive skyscraper, with plenty of opportunities for us to gaze out over the incredibly intricate city in the background. Tiny, individual cars could be seen moving in the distance and everything was coated with a sleek polish.
As mentioned, there seemed very little going on for the most part. We shot the occasional bad guy, found and then untied the hostages. There was a definite emphasis on sightseeing rather than game interaction.
And this would have been damaging for the overall experience if it weren’t for the action-packed climax of the mission, which really gave the game a sense of intensity and 80s action movie style melodrama (a rare and wonderful quality with modern FPS’s, in this writers opinion).
It feels like a very finely crafted and well presented demo, on Sony’s part, giving the players exactly what they want. It has just enough gameplay to tease consumers into buying the game, and it’s wrapped up in a visually impressive package. Whether it will actually deliver remains to be seen, but there is no doubt that this is next gen defined.
Contrast:
A delightful reassurance that Sony are appeasing gamers from all walks of life, Contrast is an indie game that looks like it was extracted directly from the mindset of Tim Schafer and Ron Gilbert.
A puzzle-platformer, you play as the imaginary friend of a young girl called Didi. By manipulating light and shadows, you must assist Didi in reuniting her bumbling father with her showgirl mother in 1920s burlesque Paris.
Taking its cue from games like Limbo and A Shadows Tale, you have the ability to become a 2D shadow while navigating the carnivalesque setting, allowing for some very creative graphical innovation. From what we saw in the demo we played, the art design itself is simply gorgeous, and assisted terrifically by a jazz soundtrack that really lends an absorbing atmosphere to the game.
Aside from conveying a distinct sense of variety at the PS4 launch, Contrast also suggests a strong emphasis on smart, interactive storytelling in Sony’s next gen console.
By focusing on the plight of a young girl and with a theme of loneliness pervading throughout, there is definitely an emotional heartbeat running through this game. Like Braid, Limbo and The Unfinished Swan, Contrast feels very specific to the videogame medium, letting the mechanics compliment the story, rather than hinder it.
A charming title that sparks creative interest, we can only hope that Contrast lives up to the promise it made to us here.
Driveclub:
Like Forza 5 on the Xbox One, Driveclub is the go-to game when it comes to showing off graphical power.
We barely got any time at all to play with this title, but no one can say it isn’t a visual feast. Just like Motorstorm on the PS3, a quick look at this game plants the thought in your mind that, graphics just can’t get any better than this!
(But let’s wait until the PS5 before we write that off, shall we?)
In terms of gameplay, it is very similar to Gran Turismo and accessible enough for anyone to play, though it may take newbies some time fumbling with the controls before you can jump right in.
Once figured out, however, the controls are exceptionally tight and, when you are on a long stretch of road, pulling off the occasional fast turn without crashing, there is an undeniable sense of euphoria.
A real treat for all the speed freaks out there.
Hohokum:
Utilizing a similar graphical style to Sony’s LocoRoco franchise, Hohokum seems intent on taking the quirkiness of that game and taking it just one step further.
Unfortunately, this may not be a good thing because very few people seemed to have any clue what the heck was going on in Hohokum.
Presenting itself as some sort of interactive screensaver, Hohokum places you in the role of a flying arrow/worm that changes colours and seems to interact with it’s environment. You could pick up little miniature penguins to take you on your little journey and, by using a giggle-worthy ‘wiggle-boost’, get a burst of speed while flying around. Despite the cartoon-y visuals, the game it put us most in mind of was Flower.
Instead of having a clear goal, the aim of the game seems to simply lose yourself in the colours and movements on screen.
Unlike Flower though, this is a graphically standard rather than beautiful game, with very little present that ‘wowed’ us.
One wouldn’t expect to pay much for this because, while fun enough to pass a few minutes, it isn’t particularly engaging.
It’s a fine little title, it functions, and while there is little to complain about, there is little to recommend it either. Less bland than, say, Call of Duty, but not by much.
Just Dance 4:
Sony’s own foray into motion controls isn’t much better than Microsoft’s.
Making the decision to ape Nintendo’s remote control design rather than come up with anything original, the Playstation Move was a pretty lackluster peripheral, with few, if any, notable titles attached to it.
However, Sony made the decision not to upgrade the Move for the PS4, and this was evident in the fact that Just Dance 4 didn’t pick up our moves as easily as the Kinect 2.0 did at the Xbox One launch.
Despite this, their decision not to upgrade is actually a very promising sign. The fact that they are still exhibiting the Move means that Sony hasn’t given up on motion controls just yet. However, in not sinking more money into it suggests that they are aware that the Move is not their most valuable asset.
Like Kinect and Wii Sports, the PS Move is a party piece and nothing more. It does the job adequately but there is little to recommend it for single players. Sony seems to realize this by only showcasing Just Dance 4, the most stereotypical party game.
But it’s going to be a while yet before this piece of hardware is laid to rest.
Knack:
Sony’s kid-friendly launch title has a little something for everyone, but the most important word in that sentence is ‘little’.
Reaching out to as broad an audience as possible, Knack is a confused, standard and fairly unimpressive title. The demo we played had us leaping back and forth to different chapters in the game. And while the potential the game has was evident, it just did not sell itself well at the launch.
The major issue with the game is that it was so uninspired. Locations were dull and blocky, not at all what we’ve come to expect on a next-gen title. The gameplay was a simply-styled side-scrolling beat-em up with little variety and almost no complexity to it.
Even the biggest selling point, the ability to grow and shrink in size, felt like a tacked on gimmick that just failed to impress, even when were towering over tanks and flinging helicopters. Admittedly, it was impressive when you looked closely and could see each individual piece of his body floating around.
But as our mothers always used to say, “Don’t get too close, you’ll ruin your eyes”.
The developers boasted that “players who liked Crash and Spyro will really enjoy Knack”. The connection between those games is vaguely evident, but it just has none of the charm of those PS1 classics.
There was a determination among the bone-idle crew to beat the demo, based largely on the desire to see something impressive in the demo, but the game ultimately ended with a small of puff of wind rather than a bang.
It’ll entertain the kids, sure, but there really isn’t much here for more sophisticated players.
And there you have it folks, the Playstation 4 launch line-up in a nutshell!
The focus on indie titles proves to be ultimately beneficial to Sony’s plan for their next gen console, with Resogun and Octodad proving to be massive hits and perfect examples of what developers are capable of on this new machine.
As well as this, there are a number of impressive triple A titles that offer great graphics and cinematics which compliment the line-up nicely. And hopefully, there will be more games of even better quality to follow.
So remember, when trying to decide which console to buy for the next gen, Xbox may have the most triple A titles, but Sony’s indie wave packs a hell of a punch.
Written by Stephen Hill and David Hill
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