PS4 Exclusives that Crushed the Xbox One

As we enter the final greatest hits era of the current-gen consoles, I think it's fair to say we've seen some magnificent titles over the last five years. And that even goes out to Microsoft, too. Because as much as I'd like to fangirl over the idea that Sony produces the superior exclusives, I can also vouch for Xbox and some of their golden titles, too. But sadly, as I look back over the years and try to shove back the biased opinion over the two consoles, I still always manage to come to the same conclusion. And that is that Playstation just has better games overall. I'm sorry if that offends certain players, and I bloody know it more than likely will.Yes, I've played Forza. Yes, I've played Gears of War. But do those two or three good experiences make up for the handfuls of stunning journeys I've encountered with the PS4 exclusives? No, I'm afraid not. Because Sony knows how to make a good game, and once they produce gold, they strike it and milk that mine for all it's worth.So let's take a look at some of the most memorable and successful PS4 exclusives to date, and should you be in a position to choose between consoles, perhaps this will whet your appetite for the better choice! *wink wink*It's not too late to switch sides, Microsoft fans. There's plenty of PS Exclusives for you to get your hands on. And when the time finally arrives where you can pick up current-gen consoles for bargain prices, hopefully, you'll know what to do.Allow me to enlighten you.I present to you, PS4 EXCLUSIVES THAT CRUSHED THE XBOX ONE.

'DAYS GONE'

Set two years after the Freaker outbreak, Deacon St. John and his loveable sidekick, Boozer, make it out to uncover the history behind the apocalypse and the truth behind Deacon's lost love, Sarah.On a thirty to forty hour campaign you'll have laughs, you'll have tears, you'll have tension, and you'll have plenty of combat that will keep you clawing back for more. Days Gone does a remarkable job at keeping you hooked from day one. From the smoothness of the motorbike controls to the chain of quests looping you in from left, right and centre. There's always something to do, and even more to uncover as you shovel your way through stacks of exciting stories and side-quests.With one of the largest open-worlds we've seen in years, there's no way you'll be powering through it in a few hours or so. Because Days Gone provides enough scenery and nooks and crannies that'll keep you searching for more. And you're never left short of a new mystery to uncover, either.It takes a lot to keep a player hooked for a lengthy campaign, but Days Gone packs everything you could ever want from a game into one disc, and it will keep you entertained for a long, long time.

'UNCHARTED'

One of Sony's most memorable faces, no doubt. Nathan Drake, and his curious mind for locating lost worlds and artefacts. With more adventures you could shake a stick at, the Uncharted series has provided us gamers with so much enjoyable content over the years that we just wish it would never end.Uncharted has a little piece of everything; enough to satisfy our thirst for wondrous blood-pumping adventure. From romance to horror, action to mystery, puzzle-solving to nail-biting bullet-storm car chases. There's always something new to explore with Nathan Drake and his iconic crew. From sacred temples to sunken ships riddled with infected monsters; the Uncharted series takes us all over the globe on a quest for fortune in a catalogue of games that just make us stand proudly with a smug sparkle in our pupils.Sure, Xbox has Lara Croft, but so do we. And we also have Nathan Drake. That's enough of a reason to go out and purchase a PlayStation right now.Case closed.Not convinced? That's fine, I've got plenty more.

'GOD OF WAR'

This one made a LOT of people jealous, didn't it? In fact, I know a fair few people who made the transition over to PS4 after seeing the official gameplay trailer to the latest God of War title.Set after Kratos' comedown from a rage-fuelled revenge quest to slaughter every living man, creature or God; the latest God of War story takes place in a calmer scenario, where Kratos plays less of a blood-thirsty monster and more of a father in training.Over the course of thirty or more hours, you play through the giant lands as Kratos, alongside his incompetent son, BOY.

On a journey of self-discovery and redemption, Kratos must teach his son to be not only a survivor, but also a warrior.

In a world so tainted with corruption and anger, trouble always manages to find its way to Kratos and effortlessly pulls him back to his old ways; unravelling a brand new chapter in the series with a whole new batch of complications and gory mayhem.With countless hours under our belts of watching Kratos slaughter his way to victory, we questioned ourselves as to whether or not he could ever love anything other than his legendary blades and thirst for blood. But there's a blissful bond between both Kratos and his son that make our hearts slightly melt as time goes on and the story progresses.God of War can be many things, but one thing I didn't expect from a series so focused on violence, was to be honestly surprised when it switched courses and decided to prove us all wrong.

'HORIZON: ZERO DAWN'

The third biggest blockbuster title on the PS4. Emerging out of absolute nowhere came this glorious world filled with post-apocalyptic landscapes and giant robotic machines out to dominate the earth.Set in the 31st century, in a world where the human species are thinning and the robotic armies are thriving, you take control of Aloy; a girl set out to uncover the history behind the origins of the creatures and how the land came to be.

With no recollection of the past, the human species are left in the dark and taken back to the dark ages of tribal encampments and petty weaponry. But whilst the human's struggle to keep heads above water, the machines continue to grow in force and take over the wastelands. That's where Aloy comes in, and through the course of thirty hours or so, you'll come to learn that there's more to the world than meets the eye.

Horizon: Zero Dawn provides us with a whole wheel of gameplay and reasons to keep coming back. From the enticing lore of the world to the breathtaking views of the picturesque backdrops.

With gritty combat and hours upon hours of side-quests, Horizon: Zero Dawn makes sure you're fully loaded with enjoyable gameplay and engaging challenges.

'BEYOND: TWO SOULS'

Something a little different from your standard shoot-em-up title. And if you ever played Heavy Rain on PS3 (oh, yeah, there's another reason to purchase a PlayStation, too) then you'll understand why Beyond: Two Souls is such a masterpiece under Sony's domain.Set in the modern world where everything is realistically mundane, you take over the life of the one girl whose journey is far from both boring and predictable. Jodie; the mysterious pale-faced heroine, who has not only herself to worry about, but also her ghostly entity, Aiden; the lingering presence who never leaves her side and acts as her conscience over the course of her life.Through a narrative-driven story, you'll find yourself watching Jodie as she grows up with the whole world weighing down on her tiny little shoulders. From child to young adult, you'll encounter birthday parties, secret federal missions, tiptoe thrills in abandoned laboratories, and even homelessness beneath the swampy back-alleys of the city slums.Beyond: Two Souls is a one in a million title that offers the player a story unlike any other. With enough choices, pathways and endings to keep you occupied, you'll more than likely be craving for a second round before the credits even make the first appearance.

'UNTIL DAWN'

Combine a cliché American horror flick about a group of teenage kids in a woodland cabin with a dose of fast-paced button-mashing madness, and you've got yourself Until Dawn. Set in the Blackwood Mountains, the snowy isolated peak that holds no more than a swanky cabin, a couple of mines, a watchtower, and a few derelict buildings dotted around in the most death-defying spots on the ashy mountaintop.You watch through the eyes of several playable characters; all joined together for one long and wondrous night of horror and awkward tension. With creatures on your tail and a twisted game unfolding behind the scenes of Blackwood, you are faced with keeping everyone alive and making it out until dawn.With what feels like an endless spool of outcomes, dialogue options and deaths, you'll find yourself engrossed with Until Dawn countless times over until you've witnessed every pathway available to you.It's the slasher that keeps on giving. It's the cliché that might just surprise you. It's Until Dawn, ladies and gentlemen. It's definitely worth picking up.

'MARVEL: SPIDER-MAN'

*Stands smugly over Xbox One owners*You knew this one was coming, didn't you? The iconic, yet surprisingly exclusive web-slinging hero and his new action-packed adventure on the PS4.Without a shadow of a doubt, this latest edition from the Marvel universe is hands down the most satisfying tale to date. From fluent controls that make every web spewed feel perfect to gut-busting combos that make every enemy encounter feel unique. Marvel Spider-Man provides that WHAM, ZAP, POP that we'd expect from a superhero video game.

With a new twist on some of the older plotlines and a handful of fresh enemies, territories and side-missions, Marvel sure pushed the boat out when it came to top-level quality entertainment.

With an enticing storyline and the iconic New York City playground at your disposal, Marvel Spider-Man packs a punch and delivers one of the most enjoyable experiences to date.You'll often find yourself aimlessly pondering through the rooftops of The Big Apple, or simply flicking through filters in Photo Mode as you try to capture the perfect portrait of Punk Rock Spider-Man glancing over Lady Liberty. Either way, you'll no doubt be entertained for many, many hours with this one.

'THE LAST OF US'

There was a time where I could mention the word 'zombies' to my Nan and she'd reply with 'oh, you mean The Last of Us?' Everyone who's so much as picked up a controller in their lifetimes knows of The Last of Us.

It has that charming quality that once intrigued most people in the room; whether at a gaming convention or a friend's house. It has that certain spark that you look for when browsing for new titles to explore.

With a story package bringing not only stealthy action to the table but also a touching story between two people and a hard-hitting country soundtrack, The Last of Us delivered one of the most memorable tales we've ever seen.As Joel, you are tasked with escorting the young girl, Ellie, across zombie and soldier-riddled landscapes in a desperate attempt to bring her to her destiny as the possible solution to the outbreak.

With unique interactions between both Joel and Ellie and a powerful grip on the player's heartstrings, you find yourself urging to preserve not only the dying world around you but also the special relationship between two relatable people.

The Last of Us cemented its place as one of the greatest hits of the PlayStation era, and so long as gamers are willing to invest their time in the classics, The Last of Us will ALWAYS be one of the first choices in the deck.

'INFAMOUS: SECOND SON'

inFamous: Second Son; one of the first titles to grace our PlayStation 4 consoles. Shot out like a cannonball firing from a bazooka, inFamous hit our shelves in a blaze of glory in a matter of days upon release.Playing as Delsin, the anarchist turned superhero riddled with powers of fury, you are in charge of clearing your name as a branded 'bio-terrorist' and saving the world from the clutches of the corrupt agency, the D.U.PIn a nicely decorated open-world ranging from wooded retreats to big city metropolises and a quirky superhero protagonist eager for redemption, inFamous gave us the whole deck of cards when it came to picking a genre.There's plenty of stories to chew through, dozens of acres of land to explore, and hundreds of decisions to make over the space of twenty or more hours of solid fast-paced gameplay.inFamous: Second Son gives you the ability to carve your own legacy as you plough through the gritty campaign. As an aspiring hero to the city or as the villain who supports its downfall; the story is in your hands. And I can assure you you'll be wanting more of Delsin and his fiery antics once the city has either been saved or destroyed. Whether in ruin or in glory; inFamous will make sure you'll be back for round two.

'DETROIT: BECOME HUMAN'

Stemming from the former glory of Beyond: Two Souls came the newest entry from the Quantic Dream team; Detroit: Become Human.Similar in gameplay mechanics, Detroit: Become Human offers the player the ability to live out the timeline as you see fit. With endless variations of plots and dialogue options, you are in charge of directing not only one protagonist, but three.In the futuristic world where robots, or locally known as 'Androids', are thriving under the domain of the human species, you are in control of three rebellious androids who wish to break free from their slavery and prove to the world that they deserve just as much freedom and freewill as anybody else on the planet.In a sweetly-lengthened story, you'll have plenty to do and choose from, and once those credits roll you'll be eager to hit that New Game+ option like it was going out of fashion.

There are laughs, tears, action, and enough alternative pathways to keep you engrossed for a very long time. So do yourself a favour and pick up your copy today.

It'll be worth it, trust me.

BEYOND THE EXCLUSIVES

As much as I'd like to natter on about exclusives, I'm afraid my time has come to a close here. And I know I'll get some wound up fans complaining about a title or two that wasn't featured on the list. I could spread a few other honourable mentions, with titles such as Bloodborne or The Last Guardian, but I'd like to think my argument has been won here. And that by taking a peek into the PS universe you had a minor urge to switch sides or simply go out and pick up some of the classics a second or third time.

Either way, there's no denying PlayStation have had some smashing hits in recent years. And as we turn a new leaf and prepare for the coming of the next-gen consoles, we can only bask amongst what we currently have and hope there are greater exclusives in store for us in future years.

Whatever happens, I can confidently assure myself that Sony will crush it. Because when all's said and done, those charming bastards know exactly what makes a good game great. And so long as they keep their priorities in check, I can almost guarantee we haven't seen the peak of the exclusives just yet.So it's over to you, Sony. Enlighten us. Inspire us. Surprise us. The stage is yours.

- J Tury

Thank you.

Thanks for taking the time to read my latest article!If you enjoyed the read then please do consider supporting me on Patreon at www.patreon.com/TuryI don't expect much from writing, but I do appreciate every little penny that helps towards it. So thank you for your support and contribution. For a further look into my works, please visit www.jtury.ukIf you have any ideas for articles or would like to hire me, please email [email protected]Thanks, guys.- J Tury