A reader explains why he’s disappointed by the PS5 and yet considers the PS4 to be his favourite console ever.
Following on from my Reader’s Feature about my favourite PlayStation video games of the last 30 years, this time I thought I’d look at some games that, although they were either originally multiformat or are now multiformat, I still associate with PlayStation. But I also want to talk about my top five PlayStation consoles and accessories.
Top 5 games I associate with PlayStation
5. Tomb Raider – The first Tomb Raider game I actually played was Rise Of The Tomb Raider and it was for the Xbox One. However, I’m old enough to remember seeing one of my friends play the game on their PlayStation. I remember being blown away by the T-Rex and seeing them locking the butler in the fridge. I also remember the rumours of a pervy cheat that showed Lara in the shower. I’d like to think things have changed since then but probably not.
4. Tony Hawk’s Skateboarding – Me and my friends played this to death. I can’t actually remember if it was split screen or not. I remember we usually played to see who could get the highest score and it was either that the winner stayed on or if not we’d take it in turns.
3. Metal Gear Solid – I was a late adopter of the PlayStation and can’t actually remember how I got my hands on one. I didn’t have much money for new games, but I knew someone that sold copied discs. Metal Gear Solid was one of the few games at the time that I managed to complete.
I replayed it recently and it’s kind of weird in that there’s not actually that much stealth and most of the game consists of boss battles. At the time I thought it was the peak of what video game storytelling could be but actually, after my replay, it’s cheesier than a fondue.
2. Resident Evil 2 – This, again, was one of the few games I actually finished. Before I played the game, I’d played the demo version to death, as it came free with the Official PlayStation Magazine, which I bought from time to time. I remember being blown away by the graphics, especially the fire effects and the environments. I had played a bit of the first game, but this seemed an improvement in every conceivable way.
1. FIFA 98 onwards – I remember my friend had FIFA 98 on PC and I was so envious, as it was on another level to other football games at the time. When I got a PlayStation, I remember my parents got me the World Cup 98 iteration for my birthday and having to wait an agonising number of days before I could play it, since we were on holiday at the time.
Me and my friends would go down to the local Blockbuster (remember those?) and rent the latest edition when it came out and play it, usually in the school holidays. In later years we defected to Pro Evolution Soccer, but I still dip in to FIFA (now EA Sports FC) now and again.
Top 5 PlayStation consoles and peripherals
Honourable mention: PS Vita
I didn’t mind the PS Vita. I had a good time with Tearaway and it was my first time playing an Uncharted game. Ultimately though it didn’t seem to have enough support.
5. PlayStation VR
I picked up the original PlayStation VR for cheap during its later years. Like most I found it mindblowing at first and it’s great to show off to people that aren’t usually bothered by video games.
However, with the exception of Astro Bot: Rescue Mission I didn’t really care for many games. I feel Sony missed a trick that PlayStation VR2 wasn’t backwards compatible. I felt games like Iron Man, for example, showed promise but I found the Move controllers too clumsy and games of that ilk would be greatly improved with better controllers.
4. PlayStation
I don’t have strong connection to the PlayStation, as I wasn’t hugely into gaming at the time. However, I can’t overlook the impact the console has had on gaming over the years. I kind of wish I could go back in time and experience games like Spyro The Dragon, Ape Escape, PaRappa the Rapper, Tomb Raider, and Soul Reaver, among others, as I feel I’ve probably missed the boat to play them now.
3. PlayStation 5
I’m somewhat on the fence about the PlayStation 5. I was an early adopter and the first few years were decent, with games like Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Sackboy: A Big Adventure at launch, and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Horizon Forbidden West, and God Of War: Ragnarök coming a few year later. However, most of these titles have been cross-generational and even with PlayStation 5-only games I’ve struggled to see how they differ from PlayStation 4 games.
I actually got rid of my PlayStation 5 for while, to get a portable gaming PC, as it was better for me in terms of being able to play more. I ended up regretting this shortsighted decision and ended up buying back a second-hand PlayStation 5 for a good price 18 months later. This was mainly so I could play Astro Bot and I’ve loved the game. With Silent Hill 2 also exceeding expectations this year, let’s hope Sony can ensure the later years of the PlayStation 5 go with a bang.
2. PSP
I’ve always been won over by the ability to play games on the move. For me, the novelty never really wore off. In terms of games, I played a lot of FIFA, Grand Theft Auto, Ridge Racer, and Tekken. I also used it for going on the Internet, listening to music, and very occasionally watching films. As a handheld multimedia device, it was probably ahead of its time.
1. PlayStation 4
For me the best console Sony have produced, hands down. I’d only started to get into gaming properly towards the end of the PlayStation 3/Xbox 360 era, after a bout of pneumonia left me housebound for several weeks.
I was an early adopter and although I can’t really remember much of those early games you could see already a step up in quality from PlayStation 3 games.
Because I had more disposal income those days, I was often able to buy a number of newly released games day one. Having not played much of the original I managed to complete the GTA 5 remastered version. I also experienced the Uncharted trilogy for the first time.
However, the first must-have AAA release for me was Batman: Arkham Knight, having been a fan of the previous games. The game looked absolutely stunning and still holds up well today. I also think it’s a worthy sequel, despite the tank battle fights.
2018 for me, though, is the year that it really came into its own, with the excellent God Of War and Spider-Man released within a few months of each other. And although I wasn’t hugely impressed with Red Dead Redemption 2 at the time, I have since reevaluated my opinion and consider it one of the best games ever made.
The fact that games are still being releasing for the PlayStation 4 goes to show what a great console it has been.
By reader matc7884
The reader’s features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.
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