Catching Up with PS4

I’ve been saving up for a PS4 for a few months so that I can play Dark Souls 3 when it comes out. I almost never buy games new at full price, but I don’t think I will be able to resist this one (and I get 20% off through Amazon).

Here are some disappointing things that I’ve learned about the PS4:

  • I will have to subscribe to PS Plus to play Dark Souls 3 online. I guess that was inevitable.
  • There’s no support for PS1/PS2 “Classics,” so those are confined to the PS3.
  • There is no backwards-compatibility, not even for PS1 discs, but Sony claims that they will support PS2 games at some point in response to Microsoft adding support for older games to their console. But there’s no word on what form this will take.
  • You can’t play M4V files natively the way you can on a PS3, but you can play MKV files. Unfortunately, I have backed up a lot of my DVDs to M4V format. I’m sure that PS3 Media Server will still be an option, at least.
  • I’m too late to get the PT demo.

Here are some games that I have my eye on:

  • Bloodborne, though I hope it doesn’t require more skill than I have as a slow, methodical Souls player who is no good at beating some of the tougher bosses.
  • Resogun, since I am a fan of Super Stardust. And I guess there is some special edition of Super Stardust as well.
  • SOMA, which I already played through on PC but may buy a second time at some point because I really liked it and would like to see it with better graphics. (My computer’s video card required me to use the lowest settings.)
  • Alien: Isolation, which I never got around to trying on PS3.
  • The Last Guardian, which was actually the reason I bought a PS3 a few years ago.
  • Rez Infinite, since I still play PS2 Rez periodically and have always wished I could try that fancy XBOX version.

I wish there were a PS4 “bundle” with a game that I care about, since it appears to be more expensive to get a PS4 without a pack-in game.

Any other PS4-related advice?

So far, this has taken the form of new PS4 ports of PS2 games, which are not the same as the ones available on PS3. And you have to buy them again, even if you bought the emulated version on the PS3 already. I would definitely not get excited about this feature.

PS4 games are already up on the PlayStation Store.

  • the insta-suspend feature is really really really good. I can’t get over how good it is.
  • other controllers are pretty expensive so if you have another console for multiplaying stuff that’s probably best
  • you can voice chat with people without paying for PS+, and you can get a free trial of PS+ for a couple weeks when you want it (which I did for boobarn)
  • a lot of high profile PC titles lately are much better optimized on PS4 so if you had your eye on just cause or witcher or something like that, it’s not a terrible idea to just buy the PS4 version

If you’re OK having mkv duplicates, I think FFmpeg can swap the container for you.

Always hit up a discount aggregator for PS+ cards if you decide you need it beyond the trial.

If you like The Talos Principle, you’ll probably like The Witness.

If you have a means to rent it, Until Dawn is an entertaining horror TV show for a few hours.

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yes, Until Dawn isn’t worth a huge amount of money but it’s legit good for what it is. if redbox is still a thing where you live, do it to it

bloodborne is quite fair boss-wise though if you’re apprehensive about the skill ceiling my best advice would be to just ignore the expansion

In what universe is Fantavision worth $10 15 years after the fact

Yeah i do ps3 if im doing any media server stuff.

Rocket league rules in all schools.
Grow home is very pleasant.
Indivisible prototype support your local persona.

This makes me think i need to update make the ps4 recommendations page for the wiki

Oh right, I think grow home is technically my favorite game on PS4 even if it came out on PC long before that

Even the post game? I had absolutely zero interest in it and go back in forth whether it is an okay design decision.

The soundtrack to Super Stardust is so, so good

The Grow Home post game? Just finished it today actually, I found it to be brief and rather painless. Granted, halfway through it I got all the crystals and hence had infinite jatpack and could fly everywhere which is a great way to cap the experience which definitely helped, and if you were ignoring the crystals the whole time they’d be annoying to track down at that point which would be a drag. Still of the eight doo-dads only a couple weren’t right next to the transporter things.

Those both seem to be worth a look. I had not heard of Until Dawn, and I guess I was intent enough on avoiding spoilers for The Witness that I forgot it even exists.

Layers of Fear is another one I am curious about, since it’s allegedly one of the better PT clones.

Buy a long-ass micro-USB cord because the controller’s battery lasts for 4-5 hours

No Man’s Sky also looks promising. Apparently, it is theoretically possible to run into other players but the galaxy is so large that you likely never will.

I second Alien: Isolation. Game is mad good and by far the best Alien game imo. I also really enjoyed Until Dawn.

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also this year is looking to be the closest thing we’ll get to a bonafide resurgence of big-budget japanese game development and it’s all happening on PS4:

  • gravity rush 2
  • final fantasy xv (might not be strictly good but should be playable and interesting)
  • persona v
  • dark souls 3
  • nier automata
  • last guardian

(Buy Gravity Rush Remastered. Do it for me)

but the new one looks like it’s gonna be so much better

If I have to import to get limited goodies and beg for a physical release again, I’m putting it on your head