Sony had a strong E3 this year. Their conference may be remembered for their jabs at Microsoft, which warranted a standing ovation from the crowd, but they also showed off plenty of gameplay for their upcoming exclusives. These next-gen games have excited us as we view the industry’s jump into a new generation of consoles. So, which of Sony’s exclusives blew us away and have us ready to buy a PlayStation 4 day one?
WINNER: inFAMOUS Second Son
Sucker Punch has done some phenomenal work with the inFAMOUS series. The team is ready to show off the power of the PlayStation 4 and the reduced restrictions that come with the more capable hardware through inFAMOUS: Second Son. The game’s new protagonist, Delsin Rowe, is a bit more carefree and adventurous than Cole McGrath, and it really shows when he’s effortlessly battling the Department of Unified Protection (DUP). This arrogant and artistic conduit may be playing with fire and smoke in the gameplay videos, but the big draw is that Rowe can absorb the power of other conduits, giving him access to a wide range of power sets. The absorption ability only further separates Delsin from Cole’s more focused superpowers and has us speculating on which powers we’ll be experimenting with early next year. Oh, did I mention the game looks absolutely gorgeous? Yeah, it’s a graphical marvel. The PlayStation 4 has a heavy-hitter on its hands from a developer that knows how to deliver greatness. In short, inFAMOUS: Second Son pulled ahead of the PS4 pack during this E3 and we all took notice.
RUNNER-UP: Knack
Were you expecting that? Most probably weren’t. The name Mark Cerny is at the core of this decision. Cerny is known for his work on classic titles, such as Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon. Needless to say, exceptional platforming and memorable characters list high on his gaming resume. With Knack, he and the team at SCEJ are melding the new and old. The new includes exceptional particle physics and the old revolves around the personality of two-generation old titles. Knack is marketed as, in the words of Cerny, a “little bit like Crash Bandicoot, and a little bit like Katamari Damacy”. Watching Knack’s body grow larger through the addition of more relics and his elemental attacks were a sight to behold. We’re dying to see more of this nostalgia-inducing game. Whether you’re years of gaming has spanned several consoles or you’re fairly new to the scene, Knack is shaping up to be the next great action platformer.
HONORABLE MENTION: Killzone Shadow Fall
Killzone: Shadow Fall is one beautiful game, wouldn’t you agree? Fortunately, Sony showed that it’s much more than flashy visuals. Shadow Fall is multiplying the scale of past installments and offering more open-ended environments that allow players to approach objectives as they see fit. And the options were only further expanded by OWL, the new drone assistant. OWL offered up offensive, defensive and traversal options. It reminded us that FPS games can be thoughtful instead of straight-forward bloodbaths that never have you taking your finger off of the “trigger”. Furthermore, Shadow Fall boasts a more robust brutal melee system, one reminiscent of Far Cry 3‘s combat. Better yet, it’s a launch title. You’ll find few reasons better than this to pick up Sony’s new console.
Which PS4 exclusives are you most excited about?
