PS4 News: Release Date Launch Title Exclusives Reviewed

The PlayStation 4 will be released on Nov. 15, and several exclusives will be made available to try and lure gamers to the console early. But are these launch day exclusives worth buying the PlayStation 4 early, or can you wait before picking up the console?

The three biggest release day exclusives for the PlayStation 4 are Killzone: Shadow Fall, Knack and Resogun. So far, the best reviewed exclusive game for the system is Resogun, which has a 82 Metacritic score. The twin stick space shooter is available as a downloadable title from the PlayStation Store. The game is known for being very fun, very difficult, and interesting visually. However, there is a slight catch for Sony. The game will be available for free as part of the PlayStation Plus premium service at a time when hundreds of thousands will be receiving free trials of the service with their new PlayStation 4 consoles. This means that instead of capitalizing on the hype from being the best reviewed exclusive, Resogun will be offered for free and then potentially ignored once users are unable to play it for free.

As a series known for appearing whenever Sony is bringing out new hardware, Killzone has been a frequent launch day item for Sony fans. Killzone: Shadow Fall is the PlayStation 4 entry into the series, and currently has a mediocre 74 Metacritic score. Reviewers note that, while the game acts as a good tech demo for the PlayStation 4 due to the game's strong graphics and solid shooter mechanics, it lacks a compelling plot and it's one shooter gameplay leaves much to be desired.

Finally, Knack has suffered from some negatives reviews, prompting Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida to defend the game. The game has a Metacritic score of 59, and may leave gamers disappointed if they chose it as a launch title. However, most of the reviews point out that the game has some good qualities, especially the co-op multiplayer that allows users to drop in and out on the fly. However, these qualities do not do enough to warrant a $60 price tag, and gamers may want to wait before buying the game.

It will be interesting to see what sort of sales figures the games end up having once the PlayStation 4 is launched and gamers get the chance to buy and play these games for themselves.