Game

[cool breeze]

Contrast seems pretty good.  Too many cutscenes and real janky, but it seems like a fun puzzle game.  And one of the voice actors is Adam Jensen from Deus Ex HR.

I find it interesting that Blacklight and Contrast, both UE3 games, have similar performance issues.  Both can hit 60 if you find a corner, but everywhere else the frame rate isn't ideal.  My uneducated assumption is to blame the weak CPU, since I ran into similar problems with an older CPU.

edit: one disappointment of the PS4 so far is the blu-ray playback.  there are some audio problems and thankfully others online share them, so maybe it'll get fixed soon.  plus the UI disables during playback.

[mjemirzian]

My controller is fine. Not sure how those other ones got worn down so fast.

[hampster]

I really like the look of Contrast. It will probably get a steam sale in a few weeks so I'll grab it then

[Bebpo]

Knack looks so good at times.  Jeez.  It really is a new system showoff game.  There's no way any of the last gen systems could do something like this and I can't even think of any PC games that push particles like this does.  There's parts where it's finally Toy Story in motion and playable.  Great character/enemy models.  Everything is so round.  Some nice effects and particles everywhere at parts with heavy destruction.

I'm about a 1/3rd through the game now (4-2), and I actually really like it.  Basically every level should've been half the length and the game should've been 5-6 hours instead of 11-12 hours.  Feels like the usual Japanese game bloating to hit that "X HOURS" target even though they don't have gameplay/content variety to last it.  Other than the fact the pacing is off and the level go on to long it's really really solid.  Love the combat and the platforming (which it needs more of). 

[BlueTsunami]

I feel differently about Knack, Bebpo. Maybe the environments look much better at times but the demo level I played at Gamestop felt a little underwhelming in the visual department. I guess I may be a little spoiled with PC gaming even though my system is a couple of years old. Or Knacks simplistic aesthetic doesn't really do anything for me. In comparison Super Mario 3D World has an oomph that just isn't there with Knack, visually.

[fistfulofmetal]

KNACK has pretty good image quality overall. It's just a bland looking game with terrible art. Also it's so fucking frustrating.

[cool breeze]

This launch lineup would be pretty great for anyone who doesn't have a good gaming PC hooked up to their TV (which I do).

The streaming thing is impressing more then I expected. A super cool feature that will probably seem essential from now on.

yeah, because I play most games on PC the 'power' doesn't have the same, or really, any impact on me.  When I see a 360/PS3 vs PS4/XB1 comparison, I'm reminded of the quality most people played at.  Saw this earlier and was surprised by the difference.  Was BF3 on consoles this rough?
   

[Himu]

KNACK has pretty good image quality overall. It's just a bland looking game with terrible art. Also it's so fucking frustrating.

How so?

[Rufus]

Fairly unforgiving difficulty and some bad checkpoints, judging by the Giantbomb QL. But Jeff wasn't exactly playing very patiently, so that might be a contributing factor.

[Raban]

nah, watching Fistful play it you can tell the checkpointing is a bit of a problem.

[fistfulofmetal]

enemies can kill you in 1 or 2 hits. the enemy placements are designed to FUCK you over. it's challenging but the damned checkpoints make it frustrating.

[Bebpo]

I feel differently about Knack, Bebpo. Maybe the environments look much better at times but the demo level I played at Gamestop felt a little underwhelming in the visual department. I guess I may be a little spoiled with PC gaming even though my system is a couple of years old. Or Knacks simplistic aesthetic doesn't really do anything for me. In comparison Super Mario 3D World has an oomph that just isn't there with Knack, visually.

Didn't play the demo, but maybe it was just an unimpressive looking area?  The game ramps up visually each stage to look more impressive than the previous stage.  I have a pretty solid gaming PC and Killzone does nothing for me compared to the best looking PC games but Knack makes me go "woah, this is next-gen" at times.

Fairly unforgiving difficulty and some bad checkpoints, judging by the Giantbomb QL. But Jeff wasn't exactly playing very patiently, so that might be a contributing factor.

Yeah, uh, I can tell why the game reviewed pretty poorly.  Someone on gaf compared Knack's difficulty to Demon Souls and that's pretty spot on.  The game is a Demon/Dark Souls-like title where you have to play patiently, you die A LOT, and each time you die you learn how to not die the next time through.  The checkpoints aren't bad but they aren't every room because they want to emphasize on forcing the player to learn patterns and to survive.  I stopped dying a lot once I got used to it and play more cautiously.  The checkpointing is fine (at most it's every 1-2 minutes) and it's fun.  But if you're trying to speed through the game it's going to kick the shit out of you and make it you hate it like old-school or Demon Soul game design.  So being a launch game, everyone was trying to rush through it for review and yeaaaah, that's going to piss you off.   Not that the game doesn't have problems.  It does and it's definitely more of a 7/10 game so far that shows promise for a possible 8-9/10 sequel, but it's very satisfying and enjoyable.  Every time I pick it up to play one chapter, I always end up playing 3 or 4 because it's hard to put down and finding a stopping point.

It's definitely a game that's not for everyone, but people who like old-school game design and challenge will enjoy it.

[fistfulofmetal]

sitting here playing Knack on my vita via remote play.

its weirdly a better experience because the framerate isnt all stuttery

[mjemirzian]

Nah, it's more like a super simplified version of God of War. It's kind of boring even if you're good enough to breeze through the game on hard mode. The superpowers amount to little more than an i-win button to skip any of the tougher encounters. Checkpoints are very frequent and forgiving, like once every 2-3 encounters.

I like "old-school game design and challenge" and agree with the 6/10 average score. It's just too shallow and repetitive.

I completed it on Hard, moved on to Very Hard. From what I can tell so far, most enemies one shot you, enemy attack and projectile speed is increased by about 50%, and hazards on the map (moving platforms, harmful objects, etc.) move much faster.

Haven't tried the time trial or arena.

[Smooth Groove]

sitting here playing Knack on my vita via remote play.

its weirdly a better experience because the framerate isnt all stuttery

Why would remote play change framerate?

[Shaka Khan]

It caps all games at 30fps. Knack has an unlocked/variable framerate hovering between 30-40, which causes annoying judder.

[fistfulofmetal]

it's a better experience

but it's still Knack at the end of the day.

[Bebpo]

Nah, it's more like a super simplified version of God of War. It's kind of boring even if you're good enough to breeze through the game on hard mode. The superpowers amount to little more than an i-win button to skip any of the tougher encounters. Checkpoints are very frequent and forgiving, like once every 2-3 encounters.

I like "old-school game design and challenge" and agree with the 6/10 average score. It's just too shallow and repetitive.

I completed it on Hard, moved on to Very Hard. From what I can tell so far, most enemies one shot you, enemy attack and projectile speed is increased by about 50%, and hazards on the map (moving platforms, harmful objects, etc.) move much faster.

Haven't tried the time trial or arena.

How is it anything like God of War though?  God of War is about fighting survival vs HP tank enemies using AoE attacks.  Knack's enemy encounters are 1 hit affairs that are about precise timing to dodge attacks and counter in close-quarter combat. 

I think it's a lot closer to Dark Souls than God of War because you can't just run in and fight, you have to be patient, look at the enemy types in each encounter and figure out who to kill first and the right timing to dodge all the attacks while you're doing it.

[Smooth Groove]

Where the fuck is Kosma at?

It's time for him to take his whippings.  The PS4 launch is a disaster, I'm glad I opted out of this stupid and shitty console generation.

lol, what.

This is probably the best launch in ages.  System is fantastic and runs great.  Lots of good games.  Everyone is having an great time outside of the few defective units.  Probably gonna sell boatloads too as they shipped a ton and sold out.

 

But your impressions made it sound like a pretty underwhelming experience for anyone with a decent PC

[Smooth Groove]

It caps all games at 30fps. Knack has an unlocked/variable framerate hovering between 30-40, which causes annoying judder.

Ok, dark10x

[Huff]

Knack isn't a game i'd pay for, but i watched the last half in a twitch stream (some of these dudes make decent money with subs) and it didn't look nearly as bad as people were saying. and it did look pretty hard but maybe the dude playing just wasn't that good

[Bebpo]

Where the fuck is Kosma at?

It's time for him to take his whippings.  The PS4 launch is a disaster, I'm glad I opted out of this stupid and shitty console generation.

lol, what.

This is probably the best launch in ages.  System is fantastic and runs great.  Lots of good games.  Everyone is having an great time outside of the few defective units.  Probably gonna sell boatloads too as they shipped a ton and sold out.

 

But your impressions made it sound like a pretty underwhelming experience for anyone with a decent PC

Not really, been having pretty positive impressions.  You're just taking them negatively because it's like "does Killzone have better graphics than the best PC games that require $500 gpus?  Nope.  Ok, then underwhelming"; I've got a good PC rig and have been playing 1080p/60fps PC gaming for years and I'm still pretty darn impressed with the PC.  Hell, by all accounts from the leaked version of ACIV that just hit PC, PS4's keeping performance with the good modern gpus, and that's just a launch title.  The system is gonna be great and will improve the quality of PC games since they won't be held back by 7 year old tech.

[Smooth Groove]

Not really, been having pretty positive impressions.  You're just taking them negatively because it's like "does Killzone have better graphics than the best PC games that require $500 gpus?  Nope.  Ok, then underwhelming"; I've got a good PC rig and have been playing 1080p/60fps PC gaming for years and I'm still pretty darn impressed with the PC.  Hell, by all accounts from the leaked version of ACIV that just hit PC, PS4's keeping performance with the good modern gpus, and that's just a launch title.  The system is gonna be great and will improve the quality of PC games since they won't be held back by 7 year old tech.

ha, that is underwhelming by my standards

However, I do have higher hopes for the PS4 since people are saying that the PS4 version of BF4 looks and runs great.  BF4 is impressive technically, even on the 2nd highest settings. 

How does Killzone compare to BF4 on the PS4?  I might pick it up cheap as a tech demo when I get a PS4 for MGS5.

[cool breeze]

Knack isn't a game i'd pay for, but i watched the last half in a twitch stream (some of these dudes make decent money with subs) and it didn't look nearly as bad as people were saying. and it did look pretty hard but maybe the dude playing just wasn't that good

Sounds like pacing and repetition are its biggest problems.  That simple combat for 10+ hours sounds maddening, and reviewers played it a day or two.  The complaints remind me of my experience with that castlevania reboot.

[Smooth Groove]

Castlevania had a pretty cool surprise ending though (watched it on youtube)

I should check it out on PC just cuz it's the 1st ever Castlevania PC port.  There are probably trainers to help romp through the boring parts. 

[Shaka Khan]

It caps all games at 30fps. Knack has an unlocked/variable framerate hovering between 30-40, which causes annoying judder.

Ok, dark10x

It's been legally changed to Human Fraps.

[Bebpo]

Not really, been having pretty positive impressions.  You're just taking them negatively because it's like "does Killzone have better graphics than the best PC games that require $500 gpus?  Nope.  Ok, then underwhelming"; I've got a good PC rig and have been playing 1080p/60fps PC gaming for years and I'm still pretty darn impressed with the PC.  Hell, by all accounts from the leaked version of ACIV that just hit PC, PS4's keeping performance with the good modern gpus, and that's just a launch title.  The system is gonna be great and will improve the quality of PC games since they won't be held back by 7 year old tech.

ha, that is underwhelming by my standards

However, I do have higher hopes for the PS4 since people are saying that the PS4 version of BF4 looks and runs great.  BF4 is impressive technically, even on the 2nd highest settings. 

How does Killzone compare to BF4 on the PS4?  I might pick it up cheap as a tech demo when I get a PS4 for MGS5.

I think it's almost overwhelming to me after seeing the PS3/X360 struggle so much in the last couple of years haha.  I mean it was sad playing games that didn't come out on the PC (if they were on the PC, bam you got 1080p/60fps/4xAA these days with PS3/X360 graphical quality games), playing GTAV, Puppeteer, The Last of Us and watching these games struggle to maintain 30fps at 720p with shitty IQ was just utterly depressing.

So see AC4 running at 900p (hopefully 1080p after patch, but 900p is still an improvement!) with an extremely smooth 30fps that never dips on a shit engine that dips like crazy and on my 580GTX averages around 30-40fps, with pretty clean image quality (thanks to 900p and above having fairly good IQ just by default)...is impressive!  Especially for launch.  With PS4 launch games you're seeing them struggle to hit 60fps and flying in the 30-60fps range at 1080p with great image quality with Knack and Killzone.  That's...not a bad struggle to have!  Much much better than struggling to even hit 30fps.  It seems like it's a good indication that the system has more power than devs can really even take advantage of right now at 1080p/30fps so they're unlocking the fps and giving players the benefit of smoothness and more responsive control.  In a year when they get used to the system, it bold well they'll be pushing great looking games with nice graphical effects at a locked 1080p/30fps which I am a ok with (although for racers/fighters they should drop the effects and go 60fps.  Would rather have uglier 1080p/60fps than prettier 720p/60fps).

And I dunno how Killzone compares to BF4 since I don't have BF4.  Killzone being unimpressive (I mean it's impressive and the best looking console FPS I've seen, just compared to Metro 2033 or Crysis on my PC maxed it's not as impressive) says more about Guerrilla Games than PS4.  Like I said, I find Knack the most technically impressive PS4 game from what I've played so far at times.  When you're giant knack and throwing tanks and everything's destructible with detailed debris flying around it looks pretty awesome.  I might check out BF4 after I get through all the launch stuff I'm playing.

Knack isn't a game i'd pay for, but i watched the last half in a twitch stream (some of these dudes make decent money with subs) and it didn't look nearly as bad as people were saying. and it did look pretty hard but maybe the dude playing just wasn't that good

Sounds like pacing and repetition are its biggest problems.  That simple combat for 10+ hours sounds maddening, and reviewers played it a day or two.  The complaints remind me of my experience with that castlevania reboot.

Disagree but I've said a lot about the game already   The difference is that Castlevania was not fun to play + tedious and boring, whereas Knack is quite enjoyable to play. 

[Smooth Groove]

Thanks for no-bull feedback, Bebpo! 

Your info help me know what to expect from the PS4.  You might be a disgrace to sfags but you got my respeck. 

 

In a year when they get used to the system, it bold well they'll be pushing great looking games with nice graphical effects at a locked 1080p/30fps which I am a ok with (although for racers/fighters they should drop the effects and go 60fps.  Would rather have uglier 1080p/60fps than prettier 720p/60fps).

Yeah, for fast paced action games, I would always take a stable 60fps over fancy graphics.  If they really want to push the graphical envelope, then I would rather they skimp on anti-aliasing and texture filtering.  Image quality issues are annoying but not nearly as much as framerate.  PGR was the only 30fps racer that I was willing to play last gen and even then the slow framerate always made the experience feel lacking. 

[Sho Nuff]

Dat 60fps feel

It's all I need

[headwalk]

Thanks for no-bull feedback, Bebpo! 

Your info help me know what to expect from the PS4.  You might be a disgrace to sfags but you got my respeck. 

 

In a year when they get used to the system, it bold well they'll be pushing great looking games with nice graphical effects at a locked 1080p/30fps which I am a ok with (although for racers/fighters they should drop the effects and go 60fps.  Would rather have uglier 1080p/60fps than prettier 720p/60fps).

Yeah, for fast paced action games, I would always take a stable 60fps over fancy graphics.  If they really want to push the graphical envelope, then I would rather they skimp on anti-aliasing and texture filtering.  Image quality issues are annoying but not nearly as much as framerate.  PGR was the only 30fps racer that I was willing to play last gen and even then the slow framerate always made the experience feel lacking.

texture filtering is essentially free for any modern GPU, but still, they skimp on it anyway.

[Human Snorenado]

[Smooth Groove]

texture filtering is essentially free for any modern GPU, but still, they skimp on it anyway.

Supposedly true but why are there Xbone/PS4 games with little or no anisotropic flitering? 

Maybe it does make a difference when you're pushing a GPU to the limit.

[headwalk]

texture filtering is essentially free for any modern GPU, but still, they skimp on it anyway.

Supposedly true but why are there Xbone/PS4 games with little or no anisotropic flitering? 

Maybe it does make a difference when you're pushing a GPU to the limit.

i'd guess something to do with bandwidth. just one of the world's great mysteries.

[Sho Nuff]

God the lack of good FSAA and aniso on these boxes really bugs me

MAN IF ONLY THERE WAS A SOLUTION TO THAT PROBLEM

OH HAI PC THAT I BUILT IN 2009 AND BRAND NEW GPU

[maxy]

Maybe devs think that console gamers are shortsighted.

[Rufus]

Well, do you actually see this stuff on a TV you sit a couple of feet away from? I've always had my 360 hooked up to my monitor, so I don't know. Bad IQ sticks out really badly then, but on a TV? Dunno.

[fistfulofmetal]

I sit maybe 4-5 feet from my 46 inch tv

lack of AA is like fucking knives into my brain.

[Smooth Groove]

I don't know if it's because 720p is blurry anyways  but no anisotropic fliltering isn't that bad when I'm playing on TV

[fizzel]

There's no escaping pea soup textures.

[cool breeze]

I sit maybe 4-5 feet from my 46 inch tv

lack of AA is like fucking knives into my brain.

Same, maybe a little further.  No anisotropic filtering bugs me more than the aliasing.  And I was curious to see if changing the resolution would have any impact on games (early 360 games like Tomb Raider Legend were smoother in 480p).  Nope, just blurrier.  At least now you can change resolution and settings while in game.

Some people did tests using different hard drive.  ssds and hybrid drives are roughly the same but are faster than hdds.  iirc it didn't make a difference on the PS3.

[tiesto]

(Image removed from quote.)

Not surprising, it's not unlike the best 360 launch game being a $5 overhead shooter.

[maxy]

[bork]

 

[bork]

Forgot the post Manabyte made on it.

This morning, gaming site Polygon is doing a twelve-hour live stream showing off the Xbox One. Right before the comical demo of Dead Rising 3, where most of the voice commands didn’t seem to work and they couldn’t even snap Internet Explorer correctly, a panel of editors discussed the system that the site seems to be carrying so much water for.

During this panel, site Editor-in-Chief Chris Grant stated a couple times that one advantage the Xbox One has over the PS4 is that the Xbox One supports remote controls and the PS4 does not. He even used the example that grandma would want to use the Xbox One over the PS4 because she wouldn’t want to use the Dual Shock 4 to watch a movie. Later, he used the example of Netflix on how the Xbox One is a superior choice over the PS4 for Netflix because of remote support.

The problem with these statements is that they are lies.

The PlayStation 4, like the Slim PS3 before it, fully supports HDMI-CEC controls. While every TV manufacturer calls it something different, virtually every major television that is relatively recent supports it. Samsung, Sony, Sharp, Panasonic, LG, Hitachi, Toshiba, Philips, and component manufacturers like Onkyo all support this Consumer Electronics Control feature of HDMI. Due to HDMI-CEC, you can use your normal television remote control to operate the PS4.

While the Xbox One does support an IR-Blaster, most devices have moved away from that because HDMI-CEC is simply more convenient due to being able to use your normal TV remote for control.

I even made a video to demonstrate this:

There's also a GAF thread.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=719603

LOL, "lying."   

[demi]

It was only a while ago that our boy ManaByte was down on his luck, close to leaving this mortal coil. Now he is balling as fuck with his fancy HDTVs and PS4s.

We're all gonna make it, brahs 

[demi]

Here he is playing WoW while monitoring Major Nelson's twitter



That's dedication

[bork]

(Image removed from quote.)

\
 

[bork]

Here he is playing WoW while monitoring Major Nelson's twitter



That's dedication

[Phoenix Dark]

PS4 extremists are starting to remind me of the Tea Party.

[Bebpo]

Manabyte is the worst thing that's happened to the PS4. 

[mjemirzian]

People are having twitter wars over remote control standards?

Could only be a new console launch.

[Smooth Groove]

At least Manabyte and Methodis are open about their biases.  The most annoying quality of sfags is their disingenuity.  They laugh at gamefaqs and IGN but they're 10x more obsessed with their console wars. 

[MyNameIsMethodis]

i just can't fathom why anyone would willingly drop more money for a subpar experience whe ncompared to the ps4. do you REALLY want to play that zombie game that bad? it's like WiiU fans mark 2/. atleast with sony oyu get brand new gameplay experiences and innovations for cheaper prices

[demi]

My free zombie experience

[Smooth Groove]

Cuz most of us here are PC gamers who weren't gonna play AC4 or BF4 on a console anyways.  Might as well go for the system with the more interesting exclusives, which is at least for now the Xbone. 

[MyNameIsMethodis]

you wouldnt sacrifice on pc parts if you had the money to spend getting worse parts for your money, why isnt it the same for consoles 

[Smooth Groove]

Didn't I just mention exclusives, mofo?

 

[MyNameIsMethodis]

but what im saying is if it was the opposite way around you wouldnt willingly spend more on a less powerful pc to play a exclusive

[Smooth Groove]

I would if that less powerful PC somehow magically can play a game that a more powerful rig can't. 

[Rahxephon91]

Most of the bore are PC gamers?