PlanetSide 2 is arguably one of my all time favourite games on PC, and for good reason. It has vehicle combat, awesomely epic gun battles, and literally thousands of players to shoot at.
When Sony Online Entertainment (now known as Daybreak Studios) first announced that their hallmark FPS title was heading to the PS4, I was of course super excited.
That is, until I actually played it.
Now, it’s by no regards a bad game. In fact, if you’ve never played the PC version before, PlanetSide 2 on the PlayStation 4 provides a very solid experience.
The main issue, is actually a common trait among console games. You need to rank yourself up before you can actually experience the wonders of PlanetSide. Things such as vehicles and airborne units all require a Battle Rank of a certain level before you’re permitted to use them, which creates a bit of a gameplay imbalance for newer players. This requirement can also be quite frustrating for veteran players migrating over from the PC, as they’ll find that their favourite vehicle unit is unavailable to them without several hours of grinding.
This is, for the most part, not much of a problem. If you’re experienced with console shooters, and have never played the PC version before, you’ll find yourself easily ranking up, and dominating your foes. You’ll also be totally unaware to the openness of the PC, and won’t take notice of the rather limited console environment. However, for people that are migrating over from the PC version, you’ll begin to question the design choices. For starters, why lock a key gameplay element behind an experience wall, when the computer version gives you everything from day one? The inability to create a proper air force, due to the low Battle Rank of your chosen character, could mean defeat if you find yourself playing against higher ranked foes. You would have no way to launch a counter attack, which basically results in failure. Sure, as of right now this isn’t much of a problem, since virtually everyone is of a low rank. But what happens after a few months, when a large number of the community is ranked 100 or higher? What happens if you find yourself in the middle of a large air rush?
You’ll die. That’s what will happen, as you’ll have no real way to defend against that.
So, to sum this up. PlanetSide 2 on the PlayStation 4 is inferior to the computer version, simply because of how imbalanced the game is likely to become. Right now, at release, you’ll likely notice only a handful of air units, but in a couple of months, this number will increase drastically. You’ll be overwhelmed.
Yet, at the core, it’s still a solid game. If you own a PlayStation 4, and do not have a computer powerful enough to run PlanetSide 2, definitely check out the PS4 version. It’s not as good or as balanced as the PC counterpart, but it’s still a solid shooter on a massive scale.
However, if you do play on the PC, skip the PS4 version. It’s not an upgrade, but a downgrade to what you’re used to. Visually, it’s impressive. The Gameplay elements are also all there, so if you can overlook the BR restrictions, and if you’re fine with absolutely no vehicles or air units until you’ve reached level 20 (scythe), by all means, jump right into PlanetSide 2.
Just remember, you’re going to have to grind to gain access to all of the gameplay elements, which would have otherwise been unlocked the instant you load up the game on your PC of choice. The two versions clearly target a different audience, with console gamers being more casual and inexperienced over the PC gaming community. That’s not a bad thing, but it’s not for everyone, either.
Me personally? I’m going to continue to play both versions of the game, simply because I have friends for both platforms that I enjoy playing with. Though, I’d rather spend most if not all of my time playing the superior version, which unfortunately isn’t on the PlayStation 4.