2014 is a huge year for PlayStation. Shuhei Yoshida has his hands full with several confirmed 2014 Worldwide Studios releases. The big three confirmed PS4 titles in 2014 are from Evolution Studios, Sucker Punch Productions and Ready at Dawn. Each game offers a distinctly different experience. When you consider the fact that there’s only three first party exclusive games confirmed for PS4 in 2014; the integrity of SCE Worldwide Studios being able to deliver the goods, could be on the line.

inFamous: Second Son

Sucker Punch has proven time and again that they have the ability to create detailed, open worlds and fun gameplay scenarios to fill them. The evolution of the inFamous series hasn’t just been about aesthetic upgrades, either. The quest design, character animations, and immersive feel of the environments have all continued to develop nicely.

The buzz surrounding inFamous: Second Son is at a fever pitch, and based on the in-game screenshots and footage we’ve seen; there’s good reason for it. I feel that it was a great choice to introduce a new anti-hero, Delsin, for the debut of inFamous on PS4. It’s not a new IP by any means, but it’s a new story arch for the series. Being that SS is the first major release for PS4 in the new year, it’s sure to sell gangbusters. I have no doubt that it will warrant a lengthy playthrough, offer crisp visuals, and force players to contemplate their heroic or monstrous actions.

Driveclub

I’ve had the chance to play Evolution Studios’ Driveclub for about 25 minutes all together. The build I was privy to was an early Alpha that honestly paled in comparison to Forza Motorsport 5. Since that time, Driveclub has managed to immensely improve from a visual standpoint. Not having any additional hands-on time with the game since August, I wouldn’t know how the gameplay is coming along. One thing weighing down Driveclub is the ambiguity of its release date, or even window, at this point. After its initial delay, it was promised in the first part of 2014. We’re now a week into February with no official word on the title. A strange array of release dates can be found among online retailers, most of which aren’t consistent. Nevertheless, Driveclub remains one of the largest games PlayStation fans can hopefully expect in 2014.

The Order: 1886

Principal development for The Order: 1886 is being handled by Ready at Dawn Studios with Santa Monica Studio in a supporting role. So far, we know that The Order: 1886 is set in London and takes place in an alternate universe. Said universe is in the midst of a several hundred year-long war between humans and what’s referred to as “Half Breeds” (human/werewolf hybrids). There’s also talk of an internal, possibly class-based, struggle within the human camp, The main defense against the half breeds are a group of altered humans referred to as Knights, whom harness advanced technology to combat their foes. The spotlight has shone on The Order quite literally since it was revealed. Recently, an interview piece was published that provided plenty of new information about the title. Namely that it would feature sophisticated destructible environments and that RAD would not be targeting 60fps for gameplay. The Order features a diverse and inspired arsenal, moody environments, and the type of visuals you can expect from PS4 in the future. With more information due by mid-February, it’s a good guess that things will become even more interesting in the days to come.

The Conclusion

It’s a tall order to launch games that are expected to define a new generation of gaming. These three titles have to set the standard of what’s possible when developing exclusively for the PS4. inFamous: Second Son needs to prove that open world titles are larger, better looking, and more interactive than ever before. Instead of acting as direct competition to Forza Motorsport 5, Driveclub needs to innovate the way players approach online racing. And perhaps the most Herculean task falls on The Order: 1886. It’s the game that has the most to prove out of the bunch. Based on the fact that it’s billed as a heavily cinematic, single player only experience, it NEEDS to innovate in some very impressive ways to be a standout IP. Barring additional Worldwide Studios game announcements that happen to release in 2014, it’ll be up to these three games to usher in the new generation of definitive PlayStation 4 experiences.