5 Releases That Will Define the PlayStation 4

Uncharted 4

Marking the end of the main Uncharted series, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End has an understandable boatload riding on it. This is one of PlayStation’s biggest franchises coming to an end, and needing to do so in a way that ties loose ends and sets up players to part with Nathan Drake for (probably) good.  The close of Uncharted will take place exclusively on the PlayStation 4, a fact on many a player’s mind who purchased the console. It will be one of the grandest moments for Sony’s machine, a dying star all its own.

This could well be the action-adventure game that defines the PlayStation 4 in the years to come. Naughty Dog has delayed the title numerous times in order to perfect it, the signs are promising, and with the likes of Amy Hennig, the Creative Director of the series having left the studio, the series could be going in an entirely different direction never seen before. Putting an end to Nathan Drake’s story will be difficult for everyone, but the adventurer is sure to go out with a bang.

PS VR

The PlayStation VR headset is the most revolutionary entry in this list. Offering a completely new way to play, PSVR (along with other VR headsets) could well shape the future of the video games industry as we know it. With an ever-expanding list of confirmed titles coming to the headset as well, Sony is throwing great things behind this virtual reality headset.

The increased level of immersion and the plethora of unique VR experiences make PlayStation VR one of the most exciting peripherals available for your PS4. Moreso, Sony executives recently said the platform would be “affordable” and “for the mass market,” unlike the higher-end VR options available from Oculus and Valve.

PlayStation 4 will forever be the beginnings of VR for Sony, and depending on the technology’s success, may be home to the start of a new era entirely.

No Man’s Sky

No Man’s Sky is one of those games that is doing something completely outrageous in a way that’s sparking immense hype and intrigue. Having created a procedurally-generated planetary system on an infinite scale, and then populating these planets with different lifeforms, flora, fauna and alien species to interact with, No Man’s Sky looks to be the ultimate game for exploration or sci-fi fans.

The overall take on the game, now that various people have gotten their hands on it, has been that it is indeed very impressive and will, in fact, deliver on all our dreams and expectations. By doing something that no other game has done before and on such a massive scale, No Man’s Sky is the kind of game that you’ll remember for years to come – either for meeting its hype or falling short. As we move ever closer to its June release date, the VR mutterings won’t quiet down either, and should two defining PS4 releases combine, that may well be one of the greatest experiences to be had this generation.

The Last Guardian

The game of myths. One that has been in development for nine years is finally coming exclusively to PS4 this year, and it’s about time. Ever since the The Last Guardian was shown at Sony’s 2009 E3 conference, people have been patiently waiting, then given up, and then patiently waiting more for this game. There is no other confirmed title, except maybe Final Fantasy XV, that has held anticipation for so long, and from what we saw at E3 2015, there may be good reason to be excited.

Revolving around a little boy and a weird Dog-Bird-Griffin thing called Trico, The Last Guardian has fans intrigued, even after all this time. With nine years and rumored cancellations in its history, The Last Guardian will either arrive onto PS4 as a dear promise kept by Sony or a sadly squandered hope.

Whether or not The Last Guardian lives up to this promise or not is yet to be seen, but for good or for bad, it’s sure to be a grand PlayStation 4 release that will heavily reflect Sony’s decisions this generation.

Kojima’s Next Game

Now that Kojima has left Konami and set up his own studio, his next project has become the daydream of many players. Having taken a technology road trip with Mark Cerny, met up with Norman Reedus, and had Del Toro say “I’ll do whatever the f*** he [Kojima] wants,” the guy looks to be hard at work. What we don’t know though is exactly what form we can expect Kojima’s next title to take.

It at least looks possible that the Silent Hills trio of Kojima, Del Toro and Reedus could come together to work on something else (Quiet Mounds, anyone?), and if it does turn out to be as creepy and odd as P.T, we’re in. Alternatively, we could see Kojima and his new studio do something completely different from anything we’ve seen before.

Regardless of what Kojima’s next project will be, it’s certainly an extremely anticipated one that will be created alongside Sony. How this partnership will grace the PlayStation 4, barring the unlikely situation it is exclusive to a next gen console, will be fascinating at the very least, and historic at the greatest.