10 PS4 Games to Look Out For in 2014

Now in the early days of 2014, I thought it’d be apt to look ahead to the future and create a list of some of the most enticing games heading to the Playstation 4 this year.

The launch window was a decent start, but if you’ve invested money in the Playstation 4, then it’s primarily with a view to playing some spectacular multi-platform and exclusive games that are due out in 2014, and with so many of them, here I’ve collated some of the most eye-catching ones that are waiting in the wings of the new year.

Planetside 2

Due out in early 2014, Planetside 2, like DC Universe Online and Blacklight Retribution before it, is a free-to-play title that as such, will not require a Playstation Plus subscription to take advantage of. Planetside 2 is a massively-multiplayer online first-person shooter that prides itself on offering some of the largest-scale battles available. EVE Online it clearly isn’t, but with an interconnecting series of continents that encompass 2,000 players at a time across a constantly changing landscape fought over by three factions, Planetside 2 is an unflinching FPS that goes big to full effect. At the heart of its repertoire is an objective-driven multiplayer that’s ever varied by a plethora of both land and air vehicles ranging from agile aerial bombers to heavy tanks. And, alongside several different player classes and huge fortresses to conquer with a wave of allied troops behind you, Planetside 2 aims to fill the hugely open FPS gap that hasn’t been plugged since the dissolution of MAG on the PS3.

Helldivers

Next up is Helldivers, an isometric, top-down shooter from Arrowhead Studios that will be available for PS3, PS4 and PS Vita whilst also allowing cross-play between each of them.
With a similar premise and look to it as Diablo 3, Helldivers takes a similar spin on cooperative play by equipping up to four space-trotting soldiers with weapons and buffs where they are then dropped into one of many procedurally environments and plied with objectives to undertake. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Helldivers is that the combined efforts of every player across all three platforms goes towards unlocking certain parts of the storyline, as each kill, death and objective you undertake all build towards revealing certain elements of the campaign at large. Whether or not the community is competent enough to successfully lay siege to all manner of monsters across the galaxy though, is something that both excites and terrifies me at the same time.

InFAMOUS: Second Son

Another Playstation exclusive, Infamous Second Son is the third major game in the highly regarded franchise that is set to make its way over the PS4 in the middle of next year. An open-world adventure game that is a continuation of events from the first two games, Second Son aims to refine the Infamous experience through a tweaking of core gameplay elements and introduction of new powers. But Second Son is more than just a next-gen re-skin of Infamous 2. With an in depth plot that focuses heavily on anti-authoritarian measures and a constantly monitored society, Second Son, complete with its new protagonist Delsin, aims to stay true to the series roots, whilst also giving us the most through-provoking and interactive single player experience yet.

The Crew

What do you get when you take 5,000 digital miles of terrain that brings together some of the most notable and picturesque states and landmarks in America, add to that a massively multiplayer online component that brings together racers from across the globe, and then cap it all off with innovative car customization for the sake of competing in all manner of races and vehicular heists? Well, you get The Crew, that’s for sure. Developed by Ubisoft and after a recent delay already pushed back to the latter half of 2014, The Crew is a mind-melting concept that takes huge aspirations and mixes them with a social element to make a game that is just one seamless automotive adventure across a huge tract of land. Skyrim with cars it ain’t, but if it can offer a much more vibrant experience than Forza and a much more unrestricted experience than Need For Speed, then The Crew could well be one to watch.

Destiny

So Bungie no longer steward the Halo franchise, but you know what? That’s fine, because instead we have a game created by largely the same team that made Halo such a revolutionary FPS, and if that’s the case, then the multiplatform Destiny could be Bungie’s opus. The underlying theme of some of the introductory games for the next-gen consoles seems to be along the lines of ‘go big or go home’, and if the likes of The Division, The Crew and even Deep Down (which narrowly missed out on being a part of this list) are anything to go by, then size may very well matter. A Sci-Fi adventure for you and two buddies set at various locations across the galaxy, Destiny spins a yarn of victory and defeat amongst the stars, and although we’ll likely not see a cameo from the Arbiter, it’s early impressions lead me to believe that Bungie may well be on to something very special.

The Division

The Division is an interesting game simply because of its somewhat unique spin on the post-apocalyptic setting.
With games like Left 4 Dead, The Last of Us, State of Decay and even Dead Rising allowing us to live of the dissolution of society shoulder-to-shoulder with shambling undead, you’d forgive Ubisoft for taking on a well-worn genre at the height of its popularity. But, instead of playing it safe, we’re given a post-apocalyptic Manhattan to play all, and there ain’t a zombie in sight. Instead, The Division, which is a third-person MMORPG with an emphasis on weapon-play, is set after a virulent infection has wiped out the majority of the population, and after being dropped into the fray, you can cooperatively interact with all manner of civilian survivors, looters and hostile players across an ever changing environment and filled to the brim with all of the near-future gadgets that come customary with every Tom Clancy game.

Uncharted

Little is known about the next Uncharted game, but, well, it’s Uncharted, so even at this stage it’s worth getting excited about. Recently announced, the fourth major instalment to the Naughty Dog franchise will release exclusively on the Playstation 4 in late 2014, and although this isn’t the new IP from the Last of Us team that we expected, it’s still a welcome announcement. Up in the air at the moment is whether the game will be centred around Nathan Drake at all, but if the game bares even the slightest of resemblance to one of the standout IP’s of the just-passed generation, than the next Uncharted game has the potential to set the bar even higher.

The Order: 1886

This isn’t the London I remember. Well, I wasn’t alive in 1866, but this isn’t London I’ve come to expect anyway. Certain things remain intact, though. Big Ben for instance is exactly where I expected it to be, but one thing that is completely unexpected is droves of werewolves that now inhabit some of the dankest, fog-laden parts of old London town. Cue the Knights, a group of avengers seeking to eradicate the beastly foes that have plagued the world for centuries the best they can, and with an arsenal of weaponry afforded to them by the conveniently timed industrial revolution, what better opportunity for a spot of animal cruelty. Due out in late 2014, The Order is a dreary, steampunk enthused action-adventure game that trades in a cliché plot for an uncompromising and garish take an a sinister alternate reality.

#DriveClub

Another game disappointingly buffeted by delays, Drive Club was meant to be a release title for the PS4, but after taking the conscious decision to halt the games development in order to fine tune the experience prior to release, developers Evolution Studios now hope to give life to the racer in early 2014. Inventively, upon release, Drive Club will consist of two different versions. One will be the generic retail version, and the other a digital title that will be available exclusively to Playstation Plus members completely free of charge. But in a market already dominated by simulation racers like Forza and Gran Turismo, where will the photo-realism of Drive Club fit in? Well, first impressive paint the game as an entirely social racer, with the utilization of the Playstation 4 share feature an integral part of the games appeal, whether or not that’s enough to see the game break free from the shackles of similarity though, remains to be seen.

N++

What was once a freeware PC game has since traversed to the Xbox 360, but with the indie game revolution of the Playstation 4 simply too enticing, developers Metanet Software have brought the third instalment of the ‘N – Way of the Ninja’ franchise exclusively to the Playstation 4. A platformer that revels in the punishing gameplay style that implores you to try and try again until you eventually succeed, N is a lean game that favours fluid gameplay over assaulting graphical presentation, and it’s these unobtrusive yet distinct visuals that go hand in hand with an equally simple ‘get to the finish’ premise to create a wholly addictive experience. And when you factor in additional game modes like races and last man standing matches as well as a level editor allowing you to create all manner of ridiculously impossible levels, N++ promises to deliver more of the same that we’ve grown to love, albeit with an expected evolutionary twist.