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Topic: A look back at the highs and lows of PS4. A generation to remember

Posts 1 to 20 of 35

TooBarFoo

I thought this would be a good time to look back over the last 7 years and how we rate this generation as it comes to a close. I have been gaming over 40 years. I still clearly remember to first time Pong played on our TV at home and the wonder of everyone in the room. My first job as a 13 year old was working for a guy who ran arcade machines in shops. Fixing coin trays, replacing blown bulbs, fixing contacts on buttons and joysticks. And of course scraping off the worst of muck and cigarette burns. Pinball machines would come in and be stripped for parts, replaced by latest Arcade hits.

At the start this generation there was much talk of how it would be the last, how the golden days of gaming where in the past and going forward it would be all about Candy crush and Angry birds. Well I for one think this generation continued to push gaming forward and the future has never looked brighter.

So some of my personal highlights, I hope you will share yours

God of War and Ghost of Tsushima. I could of picked a few of Sony's first party offerings here but these two stand out as Sony showing the way forward. Games with stories and art direction to rival the best that Hollywood has to offer combined with gameplay that made you a part of the story not an observer. A new bar has been set and next gen will have to bring their A game to match these master pieces.

Bloodborne and Hollow Knight. Two very different and yet similar games. Bloodborne was the opening hit of this generation for me. The first game that made owning a PS4 essential and will always be on my greatest hit list. And Hollow knight, a game built by just three people that matched the world building of bloodborne and feed the same risk reward loop in its own special way.

VR. I have been in a wheelchair for the last 18 years but VR has allowed me to run though fields and fly between worlds. While still in its infancy VR is beginning show how gaming could move beyond the screen and place us in the worlds build in the minds of others.

Nier Automata, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice and A Plague Tale. The Rise of the AA games. This generation smaller studios now have the tools to build games that take risks big studios just can't afford to take and a quality to rival big budget releases. Long live the AA games

I'll finish off my highs with the Witcher 3, my game of the generation. I have nothing to add that has not already been said by those for better with words than myself except I played a 100 hour game 3 times and don't regret a second of it.

As for the lows, I think these will be shared by many but the rise and fall of Loot Boxes, Games as a service and major publishers declaring the death of single player games. All things that are I hope will come to an end with this generation.

And a final High, some great company on Push Square to share our tales with along the way.

TooBarFoo

TheFrenchiestFry

Sony had some pretty killer third party exclusives this gen. Yakuza was a pretty big one until they recently went multiplatform, despite the 3-5 remasters still being PS4 exclusives, Bloodborne was the game that made me buy a PS4, and Persona 5, while not my favorite MegaTen or Persona game, still far outclassed a lot of the JRPGs I had played the previous year like Final Fantasy XV Tales of Beseria. E3 2015 in particular was also pretty freaking magical considering Sony managed to announce 2 out of the three "dream come true" games that people just never thought were going to happen with both Shenmue III and FFVII Remake. I know VII Remake is technically timed, but by the time it comes to Xbox and PC next gen would've already started so it counts as a current gen console exclusive at the very least.

If 2017 was Nintendo's year with Zelda and Odyssey, 2018 was absolutely Sony's dominating year with God of War and Spider-Man. The PS4 had a crap ton of gems and easily ended up being my favorite console of the generation even though I do love my Switch.

Edited on by TheFrenchiestFry

TheFrenchiestFry

PSN: phantom_sees

Th3solution

@TooBarFoo That’s a fantastic tribute to the generation. I enjoyed reading your thoughts and I agree with a large portion of them. I really need to get around to playing GoW and Hollow Knight though.

I think the generation will be known for its remakes, remasters, and reboots - which will serve as both a high and a low. Personally, I think it’s been great to have an opportunity to play some games that you may have missed on a prior generation, or to relive a childhood memory through new eyes. But I also value the new IPs that have graced the system and I think sometimes a few of these games that were remastered may not have needed it.

I think this generation will be known for pushing the boundaries of gaming worlds. The open worlds and narrative choices became much more varied and expansive due to the technology and this will probably advance more next generation. Again, for me, this is both a high and a low — some games became enormously time consuming and bloated at the expense of quality and there has developed a void in the mid-range solid 15-20 hour experience, which I regret.

Gaming as a social activity has been a highlight of the generation as well, and the variety of online options to interact has been developed and enhanced the experience. I don’t play a lot online but I can’t deny the effect that constant connection to the internet has influenced many games for the better.

One of the biggest lows of this generation has been the monetization and manipulative behavior of the publishers, which you alluded to through loot boxes, GAAS and the like. The free-to-play and pay-as-you-play models threatens to weaken the structure of gaming, but as long as there are those of us who enjoy single player complete products and support those efforts too, then we’ll have plenty of alternatives to the Fortnite and GTA Onlines of the world.

Edited on by Th3solution

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”

TooBarFoo

@Th3solution I think remakes are a major defining take for this gen and one I see as a plus over all. I'm 100% with you on the 15-20 hour game. It is why I enjoyed AA a lot. I would be very happy if in 7 years we are talking about all the great 12 hour games we played. And of course for many this will have been the online generation. I just to old and set in my ways to have taken to online gaming in a big way. Thanks for the share!

TooBarFoo

Col_McCafferty

Nice post mate!

The high for me (rather than talk about specific games) was deciding to move from Xbox to PS this gen. I had heard good things about titles from Naughty Dog but it was seeing a trailer for a little game called Horizon Zero Dawn that sealed the deal!

Haven't regretted my decision once and have enjoyed so many games it's untrue.

The lows are the huge number of GaaS titles that are out there and are due to be released. Often I can ignore there but despite what some might say both Gotham Knights and Suicide Squad look like they share more in common with GaaS modes than they do with the likes of the Batman Arkham games and Spider-Man. I prefer sp games to online so my expectations for GK and SS are rather low. Maybe they might surprise me!

Also, some toxic elements of the so-called gaming community. Obviously some of the discourse surrounding The Last of Us Part II springs to mind but then there are those that take things too far such as CDPR receiving death threats all because they have delayed a game.

It's just not on people!

Col_McCafferty

PSVR_lover

The PS4 is one of the greatest gaming machines ever. Great games for everyone. I have so many great games on the system, I’d play it forever if I could.

The PSVR is the best VR system on the market today.

Bentleyma

Col_McCafferty wrote:

The high for me (rather than talk about specific games) was deciding to move from Xbox to PS this gen.

Exactly the same for me. I switched in 2015 after owning an Xbox One since launch. I'm sooo glad I did because PlayStation 4 has become my favourite console. Pretty much every new game Sony releases reminds me why I love gaming.

Bentleyma

PSN: Bentleyma-

themcnoisy

@TooBarFoo great post and thanks for sharing.

I'm sticking to my trusty PS4 Pro until at least Easter. Too many great games out in the open. Gonna try to wrap GoT, FF7 remake and FF12 remastered by then. Some of my highlights;

The Sony video on sharing games (classic)

The share button

The Dual Shock 4 for comfort

The Last of us remastered

Fez

Destiny with the PushSquare crew

Rocket League with the PushSquare crew

The Witness

E3 when they announced the FF7 remake, Shenmue and The last guardian.

Yakuza zero

GT Sport design sweet and photo mode

Playing Infamous second son in 4k HDR

HZD the size of the enemies!

The Show

PSVR works! And works amazingly!

Static

Astrobot Rescue Mission

Death Stranding hikes in the countryside

Detroit Become Human

Dreams

I will reserve special praise for Astrobot, Rocket League and most of all Dreams. My 3 top highlights this gen and games that will stay with me forever;

Forum Best Game of All Time Awards

PS3 Megathread 2019: The Last of Us
Multiplat 2018: Horizon Zero Dawn
Nintendo 2017: Super Mario Bros 3
Playstation 2016: Uncharted 2
Multiplat 2015: Final Fantasy 7

PSN: mc_noisy

TheFrenchiestFry

I vividly remember sitting in English class in Grade 7 and secretly watching Sony's E3 2016 press conference

I had to actively restrain myself from losing it in front of other classmates when I heard "a guy from Queens"

TheFrenchiestFry

PSN: phantom_sees

PSVR_lover

The PS4 is the best gaming console since the PS2. I’m keeping mine until PS5 VR comes out. Then I will upgrade. For me the best game was Until Dawn.

The PSVR is the best VR system on the market today.

TooBarFoo

@themcnoisy How could I forget about "How to share games" that was a really rare moment that forced, within 48 hours, Xbox to do a total about face. Classic!

TooBarFoo

Brydontk

I'll start with lows: PS Now being blown out by Xbox Gamepass, Sony's refusal to do crossplay until its hand was forced, and lows that apply to the gaming industry as a whole right now, not just Sony (Rampant microtransactions, company crunch, etc).

The highs: Man I just feel like Sony hit its stride. They learned from the PS3 launch hubris and used this gen to just constantly knock things out of the park with exclusives. I think Sony's really figured out how to come out with quality games and just have not stopped. If it weren't for the strong strong strong PS5 launch lineup that's coming out, I'd seriously wonder how they could top the PS4.

Brydontk

nessisonett

I think the only real low I can think of in terms of Sony’s AAA exclusives this gen is that they did tend to be a little unimaginative at times. While games like TLOU2, Uncharted 4, Horizon, God of War, Spider-Man, Days Gone and GoT all did things well, they weren’t exactly reinventing the wheel and felt like iterations of game design seen 10 years ago. You could put all of those into either open-world action-adventure or linear action-adventure. Even Bloodborne was just another take on a well-established formula. The real innovation was seen with Dreams, PSVR and The Last Guardian, they were the highlights in terms of pushing forward the industry.

Plumbing’s just Lego innit. Water Lego.

Trans rights are human rights.

TheFrenchiestFry

@nessisonett Honestly if anything I didn't like Last Guardian because of that very reason

I feel like it would've actually been more refreshing from a game design standpoint if it came out during the PS3 lifespan like it was originally meant to. That game legitimately felt to me like it was brought out of cryostasis from 2006.

If anything I thought God of War was actually the big PS4 exclusive that truly matured its series past its 2000s hack n' slash action game mentalities and showed that it didn't need to be brutally over the top to still have an identity of its own within a series that grew increasingly stale after the PS2 entries

Edited on by TheFrenchiestFry

TheFrenchiestFry

PSN: phantom_sees

TooBarFoo

@Brydontk Yep, I think Sony studios have become something of a hit factory. Every game may not be to everyone's taste but Everyone should have had 3 or 4 real all time greats out of Sony this Gen.

TooBarFoo

nessisonett

@TheFrenchiestFry Yeah, God of War is a great game but I don’t think any of its mechanics were exactly revolutionary. It was just a very well polished product with a great story, which is about what you expect from a game with that budget. It might be the whole constraints deal but I feel like indie titles the last decade have picked up the slack when it comes to interesting and innovative gameplay twists. The Stanley Parable, Undertale, Edith Finch, The Witness, Firewatch, Kentucky Route Zero, Disco Elysium, Superhot, Papers Please, Night in the Woods, Hotline Miami, Oxenfree, Return of the Obra Dinn, even Gone Home and Journey way back at the beginning of the 2010s, they all stand out even today for pushing forward the industry in some way. It might be due to indie games having to stand out more to shift units but nothing I’ve seen in a big AAA game this gen has made me think that it’s truly revolutionary in the way some indie games have. Like I said, Dreams and PSVR are the exceptions but Media Molecule have consistently pushed boundaries. I hope the many new features with the PS5 like 3D Audio, the haptic feedback and the triggers are used to create new experiences, rather than shinier versions of PS4 games. It would be so easy for the new God of War to just be a straight sequel with the exact same mechanics despite being on a new console, like God of War 3 was on PS3. The same with Horizon and nothing in the trailers have convinced me that Horizon 2 isn’t just an iterative sequel with swimming and grass physics. I guess I would just like to see new and interesting IPs that wouldn’t have been possible on previous consoles.

Plumbing’s just Lego innit. Water Lego.

Trans rights are human rights.

Th3solution

@nessisonett I agree on the fact that the strength of the Sony exclusive stable is third-person, story-driven/cinematic action games with various degrees of hacking, slashing, beat ‘em up, shooting, or stealth, separating the cutscenes that drive a direct narrative. But yes, Dreams and VR are the most pioneering and progressive Sony product this gen.

Still ... Shadow of the Colossus (granted it’s not a native PS4 game, but still there’s nothing else like it on any console that I know of), Gravity Rush 2, Concrete Genie, Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, and even Erica also have some relatively innovative approaches to gameplay. Not to mention a few of the second party and other console exclusives were also somewhat trailblazing — Detroit Become Human, Death Stranding, and Persona 5. I know Sony can’t take full credit for these studios artistic and originative products, but they can take credit for supporting a platform which encourages studios to take a chance and make something they are passionate about.

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”

TheFrenchiestFry

@nessisonett Yeah I don't mean revolutionary in the larger scale of things. Compared to other PS4 exclusives it obviously follows a similar template with its own identity, but it was its ability to really make me take GoW seriously from a story standpoint to a level I didn't even get invested in II that really made it special. It felt like a game that came from a series that wanted to grow up with its player base from the 2000s and early 2010s.

TheFrenchiestFry

PSN: phantom_sees

JohnnyShoulder

@Th3solution @TheFrenchiestFry @nessisonett Yeah I think the whole all Sony 1st party games are the same is a bit trite at this point. Even the ones the are lumped together is similar don't even feel that way when played. Also think innovation is over rated. Sure it is important, but not the be all and end all. Along as the game is good, I couldn't care less about what innovation it brings. You will always have some games that are innovative so I don't really see why that should be a bat to bash some developers over the head with.

Life is more fun when you help people succeed, instead of wishing them to fail.

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.

PSN: JohnnyShoulder

MaulTsir

This gen has been pretty amazing, I left PC to go to the 360 and that trumped the ps3, I when it came to picking between the xbox one or ps4 I switched to ps4 because everything with Microsoft seemed to be leaning towards making a entertainment device rather than a gaming console and I'm glad I did switch, not having a go at xbox my daughter has a xbox one but Sony did interms of gaming won this generation, gaming has changed massively in the last 10 years, it used to be such a smaller community and seen as a little side hobby or a time filler for so many, alot more people now play games and own computers, games got better, not just graphics, frame rates and performance, but story, style and delivery.

Lots of single player games are now as captivating as movies, TV shows and books. Ps4 has some amazing titles, some of the best I've played in terms of story telling. Multi player has took off massively as well I mean yeah they has been multi player for along time I've played online games since medal of honour and World of warcraft and even earlier titles but its now an unstoppable monster, competition in the online industry has brought games like Fortnite, Apex Legends, Path of Exile and had to make the likes of COD rethink to stay fresh.

The negatives have been the micro transactions, company's like EA forgetting about the gamer and the reason why most people play as a place to relax and unwind or to escape and use peoples competitive edge to make profits, they seen a way to really extort money and make more from there product. The community as a whole is great but as its got larger the more toxic it has become or at least is more noticeable. And even though I've loved some of the remakes and I know this will be an unpopular opinion I haven't been a fan of most of the remakes and re releases, or at least how much time and effort has seemed to go in to it all. I really have loved game over the year and it is nice to reminisce and replay games some times but I like to see new games, have new experiences, try new things. Like I say there's been some really unbelievable games released this gen I'm excited to see what happens in the next gen.

Happy gaming all

MaulTsir

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