GamesCom 2013 - Day 3 - PlayStation 4 Complete Summary

Day 3 of GamesCom 2013 (only counting those days which are open to the public) was all about EA’s behemoth PS4 launch title, Battlefield 4. In fact, the game has won no less than 6 awards at this year’s annual event, comprising the following categories:

Best Graphics Gamescom 2013
Best FPS Gamescom 2013
Editor’s Choice PS3/PS4 Award
Editor’s Choice X360/Xbox One award
Editor’s Choice PC award
Most Wanted PC Game

In short, it would seem that for first-person shooter fans, Battlefield 4 might be the title to get if you’re looking for a specific PS4 bundle to purchase. At the very least, this is one title that you’re going to want to get your hands on as soon as possible regardless of whether or not it’s your first pick. So, what is it exactly that makes BF4 such a strong offering, you might be wondering?

Checking out the demo on a fairly large sized screen, it’s hard not to be wowed and impressed by BF4 in terms of its graphical prowess alone (on the PS4). Seriously, the level of detail and the sheer size and scope of the environments is truly awe-inspiring and will undoubtedly drop the jaws of many gamers in the year to come. Naturally, EA isn’t messing with its gameplay formula that much, but they are making some slight adjustments / improvements which are going to make the game more enjoyable for players. For instance, you can now “spot” players and even highlight them on the map so that they can be taken out by teammates.

Additionally, dual scoped weapons and those which have different firing modes have also been added, which once again, really adds a new layer of depth and strategy to basic play. Speaking of tactics, people are no doubt going to love some of the enhanced stealth features as well, like moving into the water as means of avoiding detection. Furthermore, for those who really enjoy the various melee features of FPS games, BF4 is also going to incorporate counter moves which you can use to prevent those quick knife kills, finally.

As far as the multiplayer is concerned, it’s shaping up to be perhaps the best that the series has offered gamers thus far. Simply put, it’s a platform which offers highly competitive matches in the midst of massive environments which can involve up to 64 players. For gamers who just love a good deathmatch, Battlefield 4 is like an endless buffet which features a staggering number of tasty main course dishes (be careful, this game is probably going to consume most of your time). In terms of new multiplayer features, special high-powered weapon drops have been added (specifically, the kind of weapons which can literally change the course of the entire match). Likewise, the various “Levolution” (or, level evolution) elements are also present, which also force players to adapt to changing level designs, conditions, etc…

By the way, Battlefield 4 will be released across all platforms and regions sometime between late October and late November (specifically, the PS4 dates are going to be Nov. 29th for the EU and Nov. 15th for North America).

Switching gears, Evolution Studios’ “Driveclub” was also explored by quite a few people today. As far as racing and auto-enthusiast titles go, Driveclub is perhaps at the top of the list, and not just because of its stellar visuals. However if you want to talk about beautiful scenery and realism in environments and models, Driveclub is among one of the more impressive titles to look at when it comes to PS4 racing titles (at this time).

You can even download a special app for your smartphone (which might allow you to select a challenge you created on your PS4) which affords you the opportunity to then send alerts directly to friends and fellow gamers. However, rather than popping up on their devices, they get alerts directly on their screens from the PS4, this allows them to quickly (just a button press) jump right in and begin tackling the challenge you sent them. Naturally, with this sort of feature it’s going to be very easy for people to form more active social communities, and since it’s going to be extremely easy to also share gameplay over social media, you can even distribute your response to challenges in a video format.

Additionally, Driveclub is set to be the first free title offered for the PS4 via the PlayStation Plus promotion, so regardless of whether or not you decide to pick up a physical copy, you can still check it out in its entirety. For those that actually purchase the Driveclub PS4 bundle however, 3 months of free access to the PlayStation plus service will be offered in exchange.