Playstation 4 vs Xbox One – The Games

Alex Davies takes a look at the multi-platform games available on the Playstation 4 and Xbox One.

 

The hype around the newest generation of consoles was substantial, and the battle between companies entertaining but game-wise, is what we are paying for worth it? There are obvious advantages to the new generation’s hardware and software, and inherent flaws during the release phase of the consoles, but have the Playstation 4 and the Xbox One overshadowed (link articles on console titles) the very reason that we have so eagerly anticipated them? Just what was the point in these new consoles, and has the leap in technology really been reflected in the end product?

Lego are known for making console games fun for all ages, but Traveller’s Tales have run a little farther with the concept in LEGO Marvel Superheroes. The game itself is both fun and frustrating, which we can all agree is what makes so many good games so addictive. Nobody wants to play anything that they cannot stand a chance of beating, be it too hard a game, or playing poker with Henry Gondorff and Johnny Hooker. If it’s clearly not possible, or as close as makes no odds, only the hardcore will usually bother trying. However, the inverse is also true, if it’s that easy that there is no challenge, or that you can complete the entire game on the hardest difficulty with a single button, Then the game itself is of little point in playing except for the visuals or the plot, but that said, the plot in such games is also usually non existent. LMS seems to have gotten the balance just right though, with a challenging-game-for-children type approach.

Typical to LEGO games, come the real flaws of capitalist: the in-game economy is unmanageable. At the start of the game you unlock characters and vehicles faster than you earn studs, but as the game progresses and you stash your cash to unlock the multipliers, your finances quickly become terrifying. Once you have collected the five multiplier red bricks you can double, quadruple, sextuple, octuple, or even dectuple the amount of studs you bring in for each you collect. True to LEGO gaming, however, there is far more insanity at work. The multipliers stack, you can have all five turned on at the same time. This means that not only do you bank three-thousand eight-hundred and forty times the actual studs collected, but because of this, you quickly earn billions of studs for very little work.

The differences between the different console versions, however, is marginal at best. Slightly better graphics, slightly shorter load times. The short load times themselves probably not saving you any time in the short term, having to install the game to your hard drive before playing it, which can take quite some time once there is an update available. In terms of audience-pleasing, Xbox wins as they offered a challenge of collecting two-billion studs before the 31st of January.

There is little I could say about Zoo Tycoon that has not already been said by others, but I feel it should be mentioned, albeit briefly. The game itself is incredibly simple and easy and although the animals’ actions can become repetitive after a while, there is something beautiful about the game, it is one of the few I have played, even when younger, that did not involve the slightest violence, yet stayed completely enjoyable. It is a game I think all should play, but not necessarily own. On the other hand, the newer generation offers nothing more than a wider collection of animals to choose from, and the as standard improved graphics.

Call of Duty is a franchise that has long been enjoyed. There were distinct shortcomings between the latest installment and its Battlefield equivalent, however, that become even more apparent after the step-up to the next generation. The game is barely different on the new gen consoles. It supports an 18 player lobby, slightly larger than the 12 of the previous gen version, aside from that and a few different game modes, it is definitely not worth buying a console for. As for Battlefield 4, well, where do I begin?

Battlefield has long been known for insane mapsizes and impressive lobby sizes. They have taken these a step further, by doubling the lobbies of the large-scale warfare on the new generation of consoles. The lobbies can now support up to 64 players, which can be amazingly entertaining on some maps. There is something enjoyable about the online play of this, as opposed to CoD Ghosts. Not just the players, who seem more mature and deeper of voice, but the variation between matches, buildings being destroyed, vehicular support… it all adds up.

If fast paced and close quarters is what you strive to enjoy, then Call of Duty is the clear choice, but you must be prepared to hear how many lovers your mother had with her the previous night in the largest gangbang in history because let’s face it, every preteen CoD player was involved according to their eyewitness accounts.

On the other hand, if you prefer something a little less manic and a little more tactical, the huge-scale offering of Battlefield is for you. Even if you are inept at flying the helicopters and jets that can be pivotal in a match, the lobby sizes are great enough that there will always be someone who can. If you detest the sprinting knifers (an inevitable occurrence) in Call of Duty, then feel safe in the knowledge that in Battlefield 4, if you see the knife coming, you can counter, and almost always get a lovely bit of instant karma.

Generally, there seems to be little difference between the big titles of the cross-gen games. Their capabilities may increase slightly, and some offer unique content, not only unique between Playstation and Microsoft, but also between the generations of consoles themselves. Is it really worth it, though? All together, the step-up is genuinely not, and likely won’t be for a while yet. The more patient will be rewarded with much more impressive and unique gameplay from later launches, dedicated to only the new generation. It may be a painstaking wait for some of you, but trust me when I say that there will be little point in upgrading for now. The first cross-gen game I expect to blow me away is Grand Theft Auto, and that is possibly only because the online surely won’t be a ridiculous fuck up, the second time round will it, Rockstar?