Finally releasing official information on its follow-up to the PlayStation 4, Sony has promised a myriad of technical advancements with its upcoming game console. Included in these specs is backward compatibility, the ability to play PS4 games that players already own.
While the yet-to-be-named PlayStation 5 will clearly present a brand-new wave of genre-defining gaming experiences, Sony fans are mainly excited at the aspect of still being able to play PS4 games. While there are tons of fantastic games that have been released within the PlayStation 4’s lifespan, there’s still time to criticize my three favorite, arguably stellar, games before Sony ultimately phases out this feature like with past game consoles.
Persona 5 (Atlus, April 2017)
An instant classic among JRPG fans and my favorite game, “Persona 5” has to take the top of the list as most flawed. The game’s greatest strength also demonstrates its fatal flaw: it’s way too long. In the game, players take control of the Phantom Thieves, a band of high school students determined to steal the hearts of corrupt adults. Taking place almost entirely within an ultra-real mirroring of Tokyo, “Persona 5” is like a constant dream vacation with your best friends. With that in mind, I have to confess that nothing happens 40 percent of the time. Frankly, I don’t care about some of my friends’ issues, and I don’t like the fact that “Persona 5” forces me to come to terms with my superiority complex. Constantly I wished I could immediately dive back into crushing rouge shadows instead of listening to Yusuke drone on about his lack of an artistic muse. The game even distracts from my Japanese vacation by forcing me trek through blistering Hawaiian beaches.
Spider-Man (Insomniac Games, September 2018)
“Spider-Man,” though astonishing in its attempt of expanding the superhero’s containing universe, retreads the tired tradition of crafting a superhero film adaptation. However, Insomniac’s “Spider-Man” does a great injustice of not allowing players to play through the events of “Spider-Man: Homecoming.” Unlike the PS2 gems “Spider-Man” and “Spider-Man 2,” the Insomniac game strips away the MCU Peter Parker we’ve come to love and replaces him with an arguably more complex and much more compelling aging Peter Parker. However, if I wanted a well-thought-out superhero story, I watch an anime or read a book.
God of War (Santa Monica Studios, April 2018)
Winning the award for Game of the Year in 2018’s Game Awards ceremony, “God of War” has demonstrated its superiority in terms of utterly stunning storytelling and simply incredible world building. It’s a reboot/sequel to the original series, placing players back into the overgrown Viking boats of the god of war Kratos. This time he has a kid who must be protected at every waking moment. While he doesn’t technically take damage from enemies, his constant whining completely throws off the game’s splendid combat, adding an extra layer of challenge that I did not ask for.
photo courtesy of Shoryuken
