To mark GameSpot’s Game of the Year 2015 series, throughout this week we are publishing annual performance reviews of all home game platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Wii U, and PC.
Yesterday we started with a dissection of Xbox One, which we described as “the fastest-improving games console ever.” Today we move onto the PS4, a system with rock-solid foundations, an enviable list of games, and some flaws. Below you’ll find a collection of headline observations that defined the console’s performance and evolution in 2015, followed by a final verdict for the year.
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Firearms Expert’s FAVORITE Weapons Of 2023State Of Gaming Handhelds In 2023How Lies of P Cracked the Souls GenreLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Ichiban Kasuga Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Chitose Fujinomiya Character Spotlight TrailerGameSpot's Top 10 Games of 2023Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Saeko Mukoda Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Eric Tomizawa Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Kazuma Kiryu Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Koichi Adachi Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Yu Nanba Character Spotlight Trailer
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Now Playing: How did the PS4 do in 2015?
Granted, that's what Steam Machines were supposed to do, but the least expensive unit on the market--Alienware's entry-level system--retails for $100 more than Sony's flagship console (that's based on the PS4's $350 MSRP, and not the $300 bundles you can easily find). More to the point, the first wave of Alienware Steam Machine reviews (1, 2, 3) suggest that the living-room PC doesn't particularly outperform PS4 either. Let’s not forget that games tend to demand more from PCs than consoles, too; The Witcher 3, for example, requires at least 6GB of memory on PC, which means the most affordable Steam Machines (which carry 4GB of memory) can’t run one of the biggest games of the year.
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PS4 Price Drop, Faceplates & New Controller for Japan - The Lobby
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Firearms Expert’s FAVORITE Weapons Of 2023State Of Gaming Handhelds In 2023How Lies of P Cracked the Souls GenreLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Ichiban Kasuga Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Chitose Fujinomiya Character Spotlight TrailerGameSpot Says Goodbye To The LobbyThe Lobbies 2017 Alternative Game Of The Year AwardsThese Games Do Post-Release Content Right - The LobbyWhat Did 2017 Mean For Video Games?What Doom Means For Shooters On Nintendo Switch - The LobbyStar Wars Battlefront 2 Is An EA Disaster - The Lobby
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Considering Uncharted 4’s delay to March, along with Microsoft's solid showcase, it's even more impressive and indeed surprising that PS4 nevertheless has this year’s best lineup of games. At the top of the heap is Bloodborne, released exclusively for PS4 in March, which is a strong contender for Game of the Year after garnering perfect scores from publications such as Videogamer, The Guardian, and EDGE (the latter of which ranked it in its all-time top five). GameSpot’s review was glowing, as was its Game of the Month tribute: “Lots of games are fun; very few provide this kind of exhilaration. Congratulations, Bloodborne, for hammering our souls to a bloody pulp. It's an honor to be vanquished by a game so mighty.”
Rocket League, a clear contender for Game of the Year, first shipped on PS4 for free as part of the PlayStation Plus program. Then there’s Until Dawn, an interactive teen-horror flick laced with so many tropes that it goes full-circle and becomes endearing. It is the sleeper-hit of the year, surprising virtually everyone with how much they enjoyed it. GameSpot’s review concluded: “Until Dawn succeeds in being a thoughtful use of familiar mechanics, a great achievement in player-driven narrative, and a horror game you shouldn't miss.”
Most impressive of all is the sheer number of console exclusives that showcase original IPs and distinct, inventive ideas. Rocket League, another Game of the Year contender, will be remembered as one of the best multiplayer games of the generation and certainly unlike anything else you can find on consoles. Other notable console exclusives include the haunting SOMA, as well as the striking (if slumbersome) adventure Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture.
For Xbox 360 owners who switched to PlayStation this generation, there’s also the PS3 re-releases in the shape of the Uncharted Collection, God of War III Remastered, and Journey (the latter of which scored a perfect 10 in GameSpot’s re-review).
All of this, bear in mind, is complemented by a swarm of fantastic console-exclusive indies that have shipped on PSN this year: Axiom Verge, Race the Sun, Hatoful Boyfriend, The Talos Principle, and so on. Such games showcase the PS4 as an indie haven that dares to rival steam.
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Bloodborne Video Review
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Firearms Expert’s FAVORITE Weapons Of 2023State Of Gaming Handhelds In 2023How Lies of P Cracked the Souls GenreLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Ichiban Kasuga Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Chitose Fujinomiya Character Spotlight TrailerGameSpot's Top 10 Games of 2023Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Saeko Mukoda Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Eric Tomizawa Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Kazuma Kiryu Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Koichi Adachi Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Yu Nanba Character Spotlight Trailer
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Certainly there have been some successes, such as the Suspend/Resume feature introduced in March, but there are a few big failures and non-starters too. SharePlay--a concept where players could pass control of a game over to their friends via the internet--was an interesting concept until a gang of publishers systematically blocked the service. Then there's RemotePlay, a service that allows players to stream their PS4 games to a PS Vita. Despite technically working reasonably well, few seem to be using it (or at least, talking about using it) partly because even the tiniest lag is usually a deal-breaker, and the PS Vita's lower button count creates issues for certain games that would typically require a DualShock 4. Perhaps the upcoming PC and Mac versions will fare better.
Meanwhile, PlayStation Now--which last year we claimed "wasn't worth your time"--has in the past 12 months dwelled in a pit of irrelevance with no signs that it will clamber out.
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PlayStation Now Review
Thompson: The Pop Culture Icon’s Strange Legacy - Loadout
Firearms Expert’s FAVORITE Weapons Of 2023State Of Gaming Handhelds In 2023How Lies of P Cracked the Souls GenreLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Ichiban Kasuga Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Chitose Fujinomiya Character Spotlight TrailerGameSpot's Top 10 Games of 2023Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Saeko Mukoda Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Eric Tomizawa Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Kazuma Kiryu Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Koichi Adachi Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Yu Nanba Character Spotlight Trailer
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One key passage in the post reads: "Instead of providing gamers with the features they have been asking for since the start--folders, friend notifications, a way to clean up the UI, actual favorites in their friends list, a way to go incognito, et cetera.--Sony has just rammed social features and advertising down our throats."
A fair point. Since the PS4's launch, fans have submitted requests for such features, but Sony appears to be preoccupied with experimental features and services (above.) While it may seem a little ungrateful to complain about the free content Sony is providing, the community has for two years offered ideas for making the PlayStation experience better. There's even a website, betterPSN.com, which has drawn 141,000 votes from fans to prioritize the list of requests (currently an incognito mode is the most-requested feature).
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Final Fantasy VII Remake - Announcement Trailer E3 2015
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At launch the PS4 was a remarkable feat of hardware and software engineering, and despite the flaws that still hang with it, this year it was blessed with a rich library of fantastic games, ultimately elevating it to an essential purchase.
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