Topic: The PS4 breakdown - has it been the best console ever? Discussion and Banter. Everyone Welcome.

@themcnoisy much appreciated, and to be fair you are right. I am great.

There's definitely been a lot of highs for me this gen. It was the first generation where I've actually enjoyed online gaming with Destiny (the great drunken raids of 2016 with some of you lot should never be forgotten), found some of my favourite games of all time with the new focus on Indies, and seen a huge leap in storytelling with the likes of God of War and TLOU2.

The thing is, I'm not sure I'm going to make the leap to next gen. I don't play nearly as much as I used to, and the move toward online multiplayer and live services means that a lack of time to invest is a huge barrier for me. Maybe I'll be tempted back if there's a good few games which appeal, but after 32 years it feels like gaming is becoming something I used to do.

@themcnoisy sorry I'm late to the convo, and thank you for the inclusion (people generally forget about me).

I will save this real estate, and write a much more in-depth review on the matter. But the short of it, was that it was a fantastic generation. Now I need to compare it to past generations.

@themcnoisy ah yeah didn't mean it to be a sob story or anything, I wouldn't say I'm in recovery like I wasn't about to die or anything lol but cheers! I quit smoking as a whole about 3-4 years ago, it's not something I really think about these days so I do kind of forget the transitional period which star wars battlefront helped me through so it was a bit of an after thought to add it to my run down of the PS4 generation as I guess it was quite important for my life even if I don't think about it!

I think the thing that got me about king oddball was the music. I just loved that kind of music and I played it about the same time as disenchanted or disenchantment or whatever it was called released on Netflix which had a similar sort of theme tune to the soundtrack of that game!

@Mostik I love Aladdin too! Brilliant game, I think I last had a playthrough of it about ten years ago, I was cleaning up the other day and found a notepad with all the end of level codes that I had written down from the game so I could progress from where I'd left off, those were the days haha

@Kidfried ahhh I spilt a Pepsi Max on my DS3 and Ds4 V2 the other day when I was half asleep. I opened both up immediately to clean them out but it was a right pain in the neck, especially the ds4. Way more complicated to take apart and put back together than a ds1. I did think that the way they were designed definitely protected the circuit board from spills way more than a controller for an older console. It kind of uses a thin plastic circuit board sheet for the button inputs instead of pressing right down on the board itself. It was weird and like I say, a pain in the neck to take apart and put together! Especially when I was half asleep after spilling a coke on them lol

I haven't played ff4/6, chrono trigger, earthbound and castlevania but I would probably add mario kart and mario all stars to your list. I've never been able to get into super metroid unfortunately but I think super Mario world is one of my top ten games of all time!

@ralphdibny Those codes were invaluable as those last couple of levels were particularly tought. I also seem to remember something similar with Pilot Wings as well which was hard as nails and you didn't want to be starting from the beginning again! Good days indeed

@themcnoisy The reason I haven't tried VR is more to do with disability and suffering from Motion Sickness very easily. I couldn't take advantage of it or get the full experience so its not something I think is worth investing in. I mentioned it because I still acknowledge that is one area of gaming that has provided something more than the 'same' fundamental game-play with prettier graphics.

Of course we can say that games may not have run on last gen for whatever reason, but I don't really think we had something truly groundbreaking. VR obviously changed the perspective and put you in the middle of the game, but I don't really think anything pushed the actual games beyond what was around before. Yes of course streaming in assets really helped to make worlds that bit more dynamic, don't have to wait for loading to go into a building or to travel from one section on a big map to the next by a long boring corridor or a big wall with a door between - something that can be improved on next gen of course even further.

I know its difficult to come up with something truly unique after so many years. There isn't really anything that can be as revolutionary as going from 2D to full 3D, going from Beeps to full CD quality Audio and surround sound, from 8 colours to 16million colours so I don't know that we will see too much 'transformative' gaming even in the next generation. More a iterative step up from what was possible before. Take R&C, that world hopping is 'impressive' but does it really transform gaming? I don't think so but it could lead to something unique. It could be possible on current gen if you wanted to wait 30s+ in a portal for 30secs of gameplay before spending another 30s in another portal. The Medium does look somewhat unique rendering two different worlds at the same time and again could lead to something very interesting in the future. It doesn't seem too different from that Titanfall mission that you can jump back and forth in time on and see a 'different' era of the same setting in essence. Something though that could lead to something unique in the future.

Ray Tracing could be area that I think makes a bigger difference - imagine a horror game that uses RT Shadows and Reflections. Shadows from 'enemies' behind you alerting you of their presence, a shadow on a wall or doorway, a reflection on a window or mirror. We already have surround sound but that could be 'enhanced' more too. That could be used to create a better horror game - or any game really but horror could work really well. But again, would it be iterative or transformative if its say very much like Resident Evil or Alien Isolation but with RT to enhance the horror?

Maybe I am old but I don't really see anything yet that has been more than an iteration of what's come before. The last gen brought online gaming to the masses - not just competitive of course, really gave us some big expansive worlds to explore and play around in, gave us fully realised characters as good as in any movie and stories to match, worlds with life and npc's (ok so not the most populated or most impressive AI but still had 'life') etc and this generation has been more of the same with a bit more of an iterative step up. Environments that are more populated and diverse, more 'alive'/less static, a little more dynamic. But you think of things like the Destruction in Battlefield and how many games have that level of destruction today.

As such I still think that last generation - whether you were on PS3 or 360, I think that was more of a step up and a more creative era than this has been - maybe because of CPU limitations and the emphasis more on Graphical power. As I said before, Sony themselves pushed themselves forward and delivered on games - not that they didn't before - but before, I felt that a lot were good, even great games, but not so many 'top-tier' (I know its Subjective and there was more competition from others too) as this generation but overall, I think that its 'stagnated' with more iterative 'improvements' rather than any major groundbreaking advancements - other than VR which I again acknowledge but can't really comment on - and its not exactly transformed gaming on the whole - yet.

Anyway, I am looking forward to seeing whether the massive leap in CPU and Data transfer speeds can bring about something more transformative - especially as technology too has been developed to make more use of the GPU than just pushing more pixels out per frame without a big drop off in overall visual quality. Combine that with a big improvement to lighting in particular, something that can lead to more interesting game-play mechanics, we will see if devs can be more creative and give us more of a 'leap' than I felt this gen has offered.

@TheArt well said man, hopefully we see a continuation of great games and video games is a word that's consigned to the history books.

@nessisonett come on Nes it's definitely better than the GC which I love too. I can remember the moment I had nothing to play and hardly anything was coming out for it. The best footy game was virtua striker as an example of how behind it fell. Other than some amazing games the droughts were frequent and frustrating.

@RogerRoger Thanks Rog.

@themcnoisy I think you mean RedCard is the best footy game on the Cube 😉 but joking aside, the highs on the Cube were higher than PS4 but it’s definitely more consistent in its releases. Just my personal favourite games were all on the GameCube to be honest. On that note, the Wii is probably the best console ever for me then, just because it has the BC with Cube games plus all those amazing uses of the Wiimote. If I was cheating, I’d say Wii U ironically enough because with homebrew, it can play NES, SNES, N64, Cube, Wii and Wii U games which is absolutely mad. I have loved my PS4 though, it was my first taste of AAA games at actual time of release but I’d say I enjoyed the niche Japanese game support more than the big exclusives, I’ve been burned by quite a few of them.

@nessisonett A hacked PS Vita can play all PS1 games, all PSP games, all Vita games (obviously), and a host of older systems via Retroarch. You can also use Micro SD cards for storage instead of those horrible proprietary Vita cards. It's almost the ultimate handheld.

@Ralizah looks shifty as I eye my Vita with about 20 English patched games and Crisis Core

@Ralizah great input as always bro, I think we will always come back to the UI and general defectivity of the initial PS4s and controllers which broke for me as well! The battery life hasn't been an issue as mines perma plugged in, but it is very short.

I love Japanese games, venturing West the older I get. So the regulations outside of a few articles on here, I haven't noticed. Yakuzas model photo shoot mode came as a big shock that was allowed.

What's great about Sonys own studios is you are guaranteed a great experience, even the lower rated games The Order 1886 and Infamous second son are still enjoyable.

Did you ever try PSVR?

@LieutenantFatman 4th February 2015 was when I joined a few months before your good self. Seems like yesterday. Pushsquare has definitely helped, seeing everyone chatting about a game piques my interest for sure.

@Johnnycide It's something you will always come back to mate. I had a large break during my time in the Navy so maybe its a similar period in your life (minus the dirty sea men and terrible food). And yes you are great!

@NomNom You are a top commentor. I've forgotten a ton of people in my introductory roll call but you certainly weren't one of them. Your Avatar has been an ever present since I've been here.

@BAMozzy I suffer from motion sickness but there are a number of great games when that won't be an issue at all. Until you've given it a whirl you won't know why it's so good! Not that I could convince you but if you ever get the chance go for it!

With next gen, no loading will be a god send. Even now in Watchdogs 2 its too much and often. With the loading stripped away you are straight in the game and jumping around with no waiting.

@themcnoisy Thanks for the shout out. This truly is a great community, I stumbled upon pushsquare after I bought my PS4 Pro in January 2016 but didn't sign up till a year later and it's the only place I go for my gaming news/previews.

I have fond memories of all the machines I've ever owned but I have sold them all or passed them on when upgrading, PS4 has been amazing though and I still have a huge backlog to get through and this time I plan to keep all my games.

My only gripe really is the Dualshock analog sticks on some I've owned didn't last long, so I've had to replace a few in the last couple of years.

Can't wait to chat about PS5 with you all!

I’m really pleased with it, and it’s still going strong. My gaming habits have shifted big time this gen, as I’ve gone from playing a broad range of AAA and indies to focus more on games as services. Highlights for me would be:

GTAV
Destiny
Rocket League
Fallout 76

Games in which I’ve had a good experience playing online with friends. I don’t know if it’s better than the PS3. I think for me, a lot of AAA game series peaked on the PS3, for example, MGS4, Final Fantasy 13, Skyrim, Assassin’s Creed 2. Then there were all the 1st party Sony studios peaking with Uncharted, TLOU, Infamous GOW 3, and other fantastic games like Bayonetta, COD and Batman Arkham Asylum. I personally have not enjoyed any of these series on PS4 more than I did on PS3. I think I was just ready for something new with the PS4.

Not getting a mention ;( But I'll give my 2p anyway. It's been a hell of a console generation, that's for sure.

Technical improvements are obvious but even aside from that I genuinely feel like each PlayStation console has been better than the last.

• The library of games on PS4 is incredible. So much so that even if it were the only system you could play for another 10 years, you'd still be finding great new games to play every month.
• The way we access those games is also great. Being able to put the console in rest mode and resume where you left off in any game is terrific. Being able to store 100s of games on an external drive and play any of them without searching for a disc. The Digital Store constantly offers games at great prices as well.
• PS Now is now actually a good value for money service. The cost is reasonable, the streaming tech is finally there, the selection of games is never ending.
• As for the PS4 Pro, while a mid-gen upgrade wasn't to everyone's taste at the time, I absolutely love what my Pro can do graphically with the likes of Horizon, God of War, TLOU 2 etc. Games look stunning on a big screen TV.

It's just got so much going for it, and I haven't even mentioned PSVR yet!

Probably the only real negative I have is the fan noise. It's quite frankly absurd how loud it is.

@themcnoisy I wouldn't say you're guaranteed a great experience. I pass on a lot of those sorts of games, since I know they won't be for me. But if their stuff all appeals to you, all the better.

I've not tried out PSVR. They're pretty expensive, and I can't justify the cost for playing a few enhanced games. It seems cool, though. Still want to get one for Tetris Effect, if nothing else.

PS4 is still newish to me as I didn't jump in until 2018, but thanks to PS+ & generous sales I already have a huge library allowing me to play a ton of games within that relatively short period of time (and many more I haven't yet gotten around to), which has really set the PS4 apart for me in comparison to my past console experiences.

Whether it be big budget blockbusters (such as Final Fantasy VII Remake, God of War, Spider-Man, Star Wars Battlefront II, Titanfall 2), mid tier adventures (such as LEGO Jurassic World, Tales of Berseria, Tearaway Unfolded, Unravel), niche guilty pleasures (like Senran Kagura Estival Versus, School Girl Zombie Hunter), and the jump into VR (with titles including Astro Bot, Focus on You, Tetris Effect, Moss, Wolfenstein Cyberpilot) I've been able to cover lot of bases in a lot of different genres (and the games I've mentioned isn't a comprehensive list, as I've also played titles like DQXI, the Order, Knack, Farpoint, & more), and am looking forward to a few more years of it (though I'm sure I could be convinced to jump into PS5 early for the enhanced VR performance, as I'm playing on a Slim PS4 so don't have Pro performance).

Oh, and I love the screenshot function!

@roe ahhhh man cant believe I missed you on my list. Sorry bro. Thanks for joining in anyway mate and I agree with everything you have written especially PS Now. I rinsed it on a one month sub and just had to renew its too good for people like us who play a lot of games. Seeing Dead Cells being added today is a great bonus!

@Ralizah Tetris effect in VR is overrated but still a must play. There's a level with a tribal dance track and a group of tribes people in a circle underneath you. It's absolutely amazing. I found there to be a lot of pixelisation in Tetris effect on the headset though and as an avid tetris player get sucked in anyway, the game is almost the same on a TV. Statik and Astrobot on the other hand are outstanding experiences which can't be replicated on a TV. Also Batman VR when you look in the mirror is scary and empowering all at the same time.

@Wesker It's a coincidence you have mentioned last gens SP games and the lack of variation this gen. I went right off 3rd person action adventures at some point. Yakuza Zero, HZD, Spiderman and finally Death Stranding are great but I needed loads of space between each one. I'm currently playing Watch Dogs 2 and although it has some novel ideas - none of core mechanics keep you engaged, it's all been done better before. I've dropped God of War and the Witcher 3 off the top of my head simply because I'd played a recent 3rd person game and couldn't be bothered.

@LN78 I loved the Megadrive - Shining force, streets of Rage, Sonic and you can play them all on the sonic mega collection on PS4! When Sonic Mania released I was excited, possibly the biggest incoming release for me att but it didn't scratch the itch. The reality is I know Sonic 1 and 2 like the back of my hand and its all nostalgia.

Streets of Rage 4 is a beast, if you haven't already make sure to pick it up. You won't be disappointed. Its a remake and sequel done exactly right.

I can't say the PS4 is the BEST console of all time due to the fact it had a pretty slow start and didn't really pick up in terms of solid console selling exclusives until probably 2015. It's a great console, but it ain't no SNES

Unpopular opinion:
Genesis > SNES

@Ralizah I can see why some people hold that opinion, even if I don’t agree. Genesis definitely had some gems and Streets of Rage 2 is one of my favourite games of all time. Plus what other console could you pay to make it look like a toilet?