PS4 & Next Gen Games – Reviewed

As we all know, the latest in next-gen consoles were released worldwide by Microsoft and Sony, delivering the Xbox One and PS4 respectively.

I got my hands on the PS4 at midnight here in Australia and have been overwhelmed by the amazing-ness that has been brought onto me.

The PS4, although boring in outside physical looks, is definitely worth every penny.

It is easy to use and for any previous Playstation owners, it is second nature in accessibility.
So far, my only niggling problem with the system itself, is the lack of personalisation with the theme.

There is a blue PS4 theme with pretty aural sounds and that’s what you’re stuck with.
Personalisation goes as far as turning the sounds on and off.

I’m hoping Sony and third party companies come up with a non-expensive fix for this.
I’ve still yet to test out the “share” button feature because I haven’t yet connected it to the Internet but will update on that as soon as I can.

The controller lacks a “Start” and “Select” button, which I thought was incredibly weird and thought “How are we going to survive?!“, but you really don’t miss them too much.
The “Options” button is basically the two buttons combined.

As for games, there’s not a huge amount of games available, which is to be expected and not such a downside. There are games to suit pretty much any gamer at this stage, with of course many more to come in 2014.

Two games that I’ve played and finished are Knack and Killzone: Shadow Fall.

Knack

Knack follows the story of Doctor Vargas, his assistant Lucas, and their creation called Knack.
Knack is a robot styled creation who is intelligent enough to think for himself and talk to others, and he can increase his strength using materials around him, mostly relics found in hidden areas in the land and in buildings. Knack also learns to use natural resources such ice and wood when relics aren’t as available.

The story line is great and keeps you interested throughout. I didn’t’t think I would like it very much, considering it appeared to be aimed at kids, but it’s actually not that bad.

A few times, it reminded me a lot of classic Crash Bandicoot on PS2.
It’s a great game for the whole family.

One thing that frustrated me a bit were some of the camera angles.
The game is produced in a way to give it a cinematic feel.

Although this keeps things interesting, it can be hard at times to see how close or how far Knack is to cliff edges, enemies and traps to avoid.

I can’t remember how many times I died needlessly just because I walked off a cliff edge soon after a camera angle change.

Would I recommend it?

Definitely. If you have kids, they will enjoy it very much. It’s challenging without getting so frustrating that you feel like chucking it in.

This is a great game, with a great story and the graphics are impeccable for a cartoon-based game.
The game leaves you with a feeling that you’ll be seeing a Knack 2 one day, but it’s only down side are those damn camera angles!

If you don’t have kids and are purchasing it for yourself, you’ll welcome the change this game brings.

Rating – 8/10

Killzone: Shadow Fall.

I haven’t played any other games in the Killzone series, but Shadow Fall does not disappoint.
The story is something I always look to as I want to be kept interested and this game certainly delivers. It’s edgy and different without being “the same old thing” for a FPS.

There’s just enough twists and turns to make it un-clichéd but enough familiarity to keep things safe.

The game itself is, in my opinion, challenging.
There was a section of game that I literally had to keep playing for about 20 minutes because I could NOT get past it.

I got frustrated, I said a few swear words, then carried on.
The relief of actually completing the chapters though, was worth it and made me feel like I really achieved something for the characters in the game.

I’m not a terrible player, I consider myself to be an average gamer that can get through games relatively easily, but this was a bit of a challenge for me.

There are also parts of the game that require you to do your own searching and the objective is not very clear. This is what got me at times.

I like to know exactly what is required of me and at these stages, I found myself to be a little bit like “Where the hell am I supposed to go?!?!?!”.

However, this game is a pure example of the excellent capabilities of the PS4, it’s graphics and integrating the new touchpad feature of the controller.

I am constantly amazed at the attention to detail of the maps and characters within the game.

Would I recommend it?

If you want a game that will blow your mind in many ways, then get Killzone: Shadow Fall.

Even after I think I’ve seen it all in this game, and I’ve completely comprehended the look and feel of it, I am blown away yet again.

It is stunning in so many ways and even when I sit back and watch my partner play it, it’s like watching a well directed movie.

Rating: 9/10

I had to take off one mark for some of the challenges I was faced, mainly because I don’t want to feel like a loser when I’m playing a game!
But that’s not the games fault, that’s my fault.

This game has proven to be what I expected from the PS4, plus a fair bit more.
If you’re a FPS fan, you’ll be a fan of this! Go and get it!

Val, who is also known as Valscissors, is an Aussie, gay, gamer!
She loves all kinds of gaming from PS3 and Xbox to PC but she’s also fond of re-creating memories on her Super Nintendo.