Author's Note: The opinions expressed in this writing are mine and mine alone.
I got my first PlayStation back in December of 1997. I still remember opening the box as if it were yesterday, seeing the copy of Twisted Metal that was sealed inside. I had no idea at the time how much my life would be changed by the system.
Before Christmas of that year I was primarily a sports junkie, playing Baseball and Soccer for my local league and skateboarding every day while only occasionally dabbling in gaming with my SEGA Genesis. But with a PlayStation in my house I couldn't help but give gaming increasing amounts of my free time thanks to unforgettable titles like Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy VII, and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater.
16 years later I owned every single PlayStation platform. I camped outside a Best Buy to get a PlayStation 2, bought a PlayStation 3 and Vita when all my friends told me not to, and naturally found myself owning a PlayStation 4. Many of my favorite games of all-time belong on these systems. I even wrote for PlayStation LifeStyle for four years.
Here we are with the PlayStation 4, which has amassed an army of fans unlike any other console I've ever seen before. Although I should be one of these fans, as time passes I find myself increasingly more frustrated and disappointed with the PS4. I want to be immersed in the world of PlayStation, but it feels like we're growing apart. Let's go over why.
Unspectacular Software
I've played every major AAA exclusive title for the PS4, and I can safely say I'm not a fan of any of them. Driveclub might be the worst racing game I've ever played, and I actually fell asleep playing The Order: 1886.
One of the unfortunate common traits among PS4 exclusives up to this point is low play value. In the case of Until Dawn, Knack, inFamous: Second Son, and the seemingly endless sea of PS Plus' free indie titles I completed the experiences they had to offer within just a couple days of ownership. In the case of the AAA titles, paying $60 for these short-lived experiences has left a bad taste in my mouth.
That leaves one title: Bloodborne. Bloodborne is an interesting one for me. I think it's a fantastic game and without a doubt the best title on the system, but by the time I got around to this game I had already beaten three other gut-wrenching From Software titles within five years. At this point their release frequency is looking a lot like Call of Duty—did you know Dark Souls 3 comes out in four months?—, and I wasn't in the mood for such a game when March 2015 came around, especially given how Bloodborne cut out a ton of the deep RPG elements I typically look for in From Software games. So, even this awesome exclusive didn't resonate with me.
Remaster Extravaganza
Most of the best-rated games for the PS4 are, sadly, remasters. Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection, The Last of Us Remastered, and God of War 3 Remastered. These are great games, but titles that I extracted everything out of when they debuted on PS3. I don't need to play them again, especially at their non-bargain MSRPs.
I understand that they do serve a great purpose in allowing gamers new to the PlayStation brand to catch-up on some of the extraordinary experiences, but this strategy has been a whole lot of effort for naught in my case.
PlayStation Frustration Network
Prior to this generation I had never owned an Xbox console, so when I played online games on PS3 and had a sub-par experience, I figured that was just how online gaming on consoles was supposed to be.
This generation there's no excuse. Steam and Xbox Live are doing a remarkable job while PSN's lack of reliability is a sore spot for the console. I've had regular issues with the party system, browsing trophies, and most importantly competing online. Most of the games, including the big budget exclusives like the upcoming Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, run their multiplayer using issue-prone peer-to-peer systems when dedicated servers have become a standard among serious competitive games.
Truthfully, it feels like it hasn't evolved at all since the PS3 days. I was under the impression that a mandatory PS Plus subscription fee would mean good things for PSN. Maybe not.
Disorderly Menu
It's been two years now and the PS4's main menu is still a mess. It's filled with a row of apps and games with no logical means of organizing the content. This is only made worse by the lack of customization on the user interface, a shortcoming that not even the PS3 suffers from. Given that it's the first thing the console presents upon being booted, it's difficult to overlook.
PlayStation gamers have been asking for a folders and icon organization system for more than two years, and Sony has failed to provide any meaningful solution. For a brand that identifies itself as "For the Gamers", it sure is baffling.
Lackadaisical Atmosphere
I've always been a hardcore gamer, going as far as competing in tournaments for Counter-Strike 1.6, and playing in a top 100 raiding guild in World of Warcraft. While I don't always become a try-hard in my online games, I do put effort into trying to win. In other words, I'm the guy who does call-outs in first-person shooters, and shares strategies at the beginning of rounds.
When I play a multiplayer game on PS4, I feel like I'm surround by people who aren't taking the game seriously. In games like Battlefield 4 and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege it's extremely rare that I hear anyone communicate. Sometimes I feel as though I could very well be playing with robots given the lack of social interaction. This makes me very apprehensive about playing multiplayer titles on the system.
The Little Things Add Up
There are a whole lot of little things that tick me off about the PS4. For one, my PS4 controller's left analog stick fell apart within nine months of ownership, so I had to replace it. Farewell, $60. Speaking of the PS4 controller, I can't believe how quickly it runs through a battery. I'm quite certain that I'm having to recharge it every six hours, which is well below the industry standard.
One big item for me is the PS4's poor implementation of streaming. Within the app you can only watch other PS4 streamers, and the menu is less than spectacular. When you're streaming, the chat window is poorly optimized, producing massive text within an unattractive UI. It hasn't changed at all since the PS4's release despite streaming being more popular than ever.
Also, the backward compatability that Sony just announced is a complete joke. This is a brand with a prestigious heritage, and Sony is expecting fans to pay a high price for digital copies of aged PS2 games. So, instead of legitimate backward compatbility it re-sells old games in the form of PS2 digital titles and remasters.
Greatness Awaits?
Sony has been praised to heaven and beyond for its execution this generation, and I can't help but feel like I'm missing the party. The PS4 has been the most upsetting PlayStation console I've ever owned. With 18 years of history under my belt, I want to continue being a fan of the brand. For now, I await a time where I'm reminded why PlayStation has been such a big part of my life.
