Next-Gen Exclusives: Playstation 4

Sony and Microsoft had a good ol' scrap at this year's E3, and while it's easy to see who came out on top when it came to policies on second-hand games and always-on connectivity, when it comes to exclusive titles it was a much tighter race. We've already looked at which games will be Xbox One-only earlier in the week (you can read that article here), as well as what Nintendo has to offer (that's here). Now it's time to look at Sony's line-up of exclusive content.

Playstation 4

We already knew about four of Playstation 4's exclusive titles thanks to the unveiling earlier in the year. Driveclub, Killzone: Shadow Fall, Infamous: Second Son and Knack had already been revealed, but that didn't stop them making an appearance during Sony's conference (albeit a fairly brief one).

In the run-up to the event we learnt that SOE's Planetside 2 and DC Universe Online would both be heading to PS4. The former, an MMOFPS, pits hundreds (sometimes thousands) of players against each other on huge persistent maps, and it's been doing good business on PC since it was launched at the tail-end of last year. DC Universe Online is a more traditional MMORPG, but with DC characters. Importantly, both games have free-to-play models that'll be transferred over to Sony's next-gen console.

Whilst we're on the subject of MMOs, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn will be heading to PS4 next year sometime, and remains exclusive to Sony. It's just entered into beta on PS3, and has been up and running on PC for a while now, so Final Fantasy fans will have plenty of content to chew through when the game finally hits next-gen in 2014.

Another MMO heading to the console is The Elder Scrolls Online. While not an exclusive per se, it will launch into beta on the system first, so if you're a PS4 owner you'll be in the first group of console gamers to get their hands on the game when it launches.

PC dino blaster Primal Carnage is making its way to PS4 in the form of a single player experience called Primal Carnage: Genesis. We're told it's going to feature episodic content, but given the mixed reception garnered by the PC-only multiplayer game, it's unclear just what kind of experience we're going to have with Genesis.

There was a huge push by Sony to show that they're serious about indie games, and several titles were mentioned during the conference. Many of them aren't outright exclusives, instead just debuting on the console first, but it's a signal of intent that Sony don't just consider AAA titles to the be the future. Amongst those mentioned during the conference were games like Transistor, Don't Starve, Mercenary Kings and Ray's the Dead, and the future is looking bright for those seeking out less traditional gameplay experiences.

Several PC shooters are heading over to the console (like the aforementioned Planetside 2), one of these is Warframe, which is currently in open beta on PC. Another is Blacklight: Retribution. It's an interesting move by Sony, made possible by the more PC-friendly architecture of the Playstation 4. War Thunder is shooting with planes and is another solid addition to the line-up.

While not a shooter, Daylight is a game that was originally planned for PC, but is now heading to PS4. It's a survival horror where players have nothing but the light from their mobile phone to guide them through an abandoned hospital. Outlast is another horror game heading to the system, meaning those who like their games a little eery will be well catered for.

There were a couple of other big hitters in the line-up that we've not yet mentioned. The Order: 1886 got plenty of airtime during the presentation. It's a shooter with a strong gothic steam-punk setting and what looked suspiciously like werewolves. And there was Deep Down, a new fantasy IP from Capcom that was demonstrated before, but until now details had been a little thin on the ground.

Then there's Gran Turismo 6, which is heading to both PS3 and PS4. This will be a decider for many race fans who've been with the series for many years now. Of course Microsoft has their own franchise in Forza, but there aren't any racers out there with a more established pedigree than the GT games.