PS4 Reviews

Knack perhaps got more attention that almost all the other PlayStation 4 launch titles put together. It was directed by PS4 lead architect Mark Cerny and is Sony's big non-shooter push for the launch window. Although there have been many things said about Knack - that it's "kiddy," too simple - it definitely has its good points. It's just a shame you'll see most of them in the first ten minutes.

Yearly franchises rarely manage to surprise, but this year Assassin's Creed did just that. The franchise that originally had you climbing up rectangular buildings in the Middle East has now taken to the waves, adding ships, exploration and naval combat aplenty. It wasn't a change that happened over night, but Black Flag shows how far the franchise has come, and, as our view at the top our pirate ship attests, it has come an awfully long way.

The annual release of sport games for EA continues with the latest entry in the commercially successful Fifa franchise, Fifa 14. The sports title, developed by EA Canada, continues the series’ habit of providing solid, and addicting virtual soccer experiences that offer the closest thing to actually attending, or participating in a real live match. The franchise has ensconced itself pretty comfortably as the go-to sports video game for the majority of consumers. With Konami’s PES franchise lacking significant licensing prowess and marketing appeal, Fifa has ...

Survival games don't generally tend to be about survival. They tend to be about avoiding pitfalls and dangerous enemies. That's largely because, let's face it, actual survival - the drinking pee, eating rats, building shelter sort of survival - just isn't fun in a video game. Except it is. Don't Starve proves that, done right, simply making it through a week on your own can be incredibly rewarding, and addictive.

Killzone is one of Sony's staple franchises, partly because of how fantastic they always look. The gameplay is always hit and miss, you'll either love it or hate it. The heavier weaponry, the harder-to-kill enemies - this isn't Call of Duty or Battlefield, and it never tries to be. Killzone: Shadow Fall is the latest in the series and one of the lead launch games on PlayStation 4. Can it hold the next generation on its shoulders?

There was a time, not so long ago, where the very height of video gaming was going from one side of a set of platforms to the other. There were variations on that, but they effectively tested your timing and muscle memory more than anything else. Putty Squad is from that era of games, and it feels like it. If you want one of your first next-gen experiences to be something ignored for almost two decades, look no further.

The biggest mistake people made concerning the Call of Duty franchise this year was in presuming that it would be "next-gen." Call of Duty is one of the biggest entertainment IPs in the world, they're not going to do anything that the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 can't handle. That's not to say that the PlayStation 4 version of Call of Duty: Ghosts isn't worth playing, or even upgrading to. You just have to expect a cross-gen Call of Duty sequel.

From the press start screen, the first time you load Contrast, you'll instantly be taken to a place, a time, an atmosphere. The noir-esque art style and jazz era cabaret sparks a feeling that this game does so well throughout. It's odd, stylized, innocent, just like the characters you'll meet. In Contrast, the developers have created something that'll surprise and entertain. It's only when the music stops and the gameplay begins that things stop being as great as they could be.

There are people claiming that the PlayStation 4 launch was weak. Those people haven't played Resogun. With its fast pace, easy-to-pick-up gameplay, beautiful graphics and fantastic soundtrack, it's the surprise hit of the early part of this generation. While it might not alone convince anybody that it's worth investing in a brand new console, it'll definitely keep you busy for the time being.

The PlayStation 3's launch was full of potential, but in the end fell short of instant love. Sony had underestimated the importance of social and online features and so had paled in comparison to Xbox 360 in that regard, and the cost and available games did nothing to help the situation. Sony hasn't made the same mistake twice. The PlayStation 4 is the perfect console for today, with room to grow as the industry does.