Well this came as a shock to me, I was not aware that the embargo for (everything?) PlayStation 4 was today.

Here's a link to all of the reviews I've seen hitting the web (for the hardware and software). I'll update the OP as I see more.

PS4

Polygon - 7.5/10 (Giving consoles reviews scores is super super dumb)

Joystiq

GamesRadar(A you'll love / you'll hate list)

Eurogamer(Digital Foundry 'Hardware Test')

Killzone: Shadow Fall - Metacritic: 74

Knack - Metacritic: 58

Contrast - Metacritic: 67

Resogun - Metacritic: 82

Flower PS4

Need for Speed: Rivals- Metacritic: 84

Thoughts? Opinions?

thanks for post, I would consider adding the scores on here also, that way we don't have to visit each link, but damn that 1 and a half for Knack is scary.

@wolfgame: I'll add them once I've got at least a few sites down for each game. My RSS feed is flooded with reviews!

Knack is getting savaged just about everywhere, which isn't too surprising. What is something of a kicker, though: Polygon gives it a higher score than Killzone. I have trouble absorbing that.

Thing are looking rough for Knack. That's kind of a bummer.

Ugh. Damn it.

Knack got slammed but that game looked mediocre from the first time they showed it. I can't believe people were getting excited for that. Disappointed that KZ is getting average scores. Nothing spectacular. That was the only game I was planning on getting. So now it's a $400 box to play Resogun.

Only two retail exclusives. One is a bad game and the other seems passable. Been feeling like I should cancel my pre-order for a week or two and this morning certainly hasn't helped.

Hopefully the day Xbox One reviews go up will be a brighter because waking up to this stuff today didn't instill much confidence in getting the PS4 on Friday.

Thanks for the post, this will make it easy for me to read everything after work. :)

I think giving consoles reviews is silly. What the PS4 is today isn't going to reflect what it is in a year.

@syed117:

Agreed, Knacks quality always looked questionable to me, even when it was originally shown. But, I could still see many people jumping on it out of launch day excitement. These devs need to learn that a new console launch isn't an excuse to skimp on quality.

Arthur Gies reviewing Killzone. That's all anyone needs to read of that review.

Oh Polygon, you hilarious MS bribed TheOnionForGames wannabe piece of shit that should be banned.

reminder:

5 out of 10 is half, half is average, KZ:SF earned standard KZ review ratings

I was hoping that Knack might be some kind of hidden gem. I have it ordered and I'm not cancelling as it will probably be the only co-op game I will be able to play with my wife at launch. It will be interesting to see more reviews as some of these numbers so far appear to just be all over the place.

Polygon reviewing the console itself is hilarious.

@marokai: Remember e-zines are made up of many writers each with different opinions.

I'm a little confused as to how these reviews were written. Didn't everyone get access to PS4s on Monday? 1 day was long enough to review all the launch games and also somehow decide that the console itself is a 7.5? Or am I wrong about that?

I am waiting on any review of the system until the parties writing it have actually finished it. Writing a review with the intent to update it later is fucking gross, and misleading. Instead of going after the early clicks, have some actual pride in your work and put up a review when you think it is done.

/rant

As for the games, those exclusives are getting pretty well savaged. The only ones I care about are the downloads, thankfully.

Yeah, It's not like the PS3 or Xbox 360 had great launches either. I guess I'm just disappointed because this is the first time I'm getting both consoles are launch.

I love how people always feel the need to lose their minds over reviews scores. Calling out reviewers because they need their purchases justified. Killzone has always been an average franchise that was hyped to compete with Halo. I was really hoping this game would be something special, but apparently it's not.

That one guy gave it a low score? Fuck that guy! I already know it's a better game despite never playing it. I know because I bought it early!

This quote from the Eurogamer review of Resogun is what's bothering me the most.

"Resogun is the closest the PS4 launch line-up gets to offering a genuine next-gen thrill"

Polygon's hardware review is super dumb. They knock the system at the end and say all the best hardware doesn't matter if there are no games then give the hardware a 7.5 based on their own views of two games. Can't wait to see the Xbox One get a 9.0 when it has virtually the same launch line up.

Launch games!!!!

Geez, thank god Sony has Resogun. It's going to be hilarious to see the internet explode when DR3 and Forza get better scores.

@rafaelfc:

Yea, I don't quite understand attributing a score to the console, I mean your assessment of the console is probably based on the current game available. So in a year what will that 7.5 even mean, not to mention we live in an era where the consoles are consistently getting firmware updates, so placing a score on the actual console seems kinda unreliable.

Does anybody know when the equivalent embargo for Xbox One hardware/games is?

To be fair, there are a lot more new exclusive games for the Xbox One (regardless of quality).

I'm pretty bummed Knack is getting bad review scores. Granted, I had a feeling this would happen because the gameplay just looked pretty average from what they've shown, but I was hoping to be proven wrong.

But again, I don't really want to get a PS4 yet until games like The Order and Infamous: Second Son come out.

@lumley:

I think the xbox one is under embargo until the 19th, I may be wrong on that though.

EDIT: actually I am reading reports that the embargo for xbox one expired last night.

EDIT2: But, it appears some publisher requested Embargos are still in effect for certain titles...

7.5/10 from Polgyon for the PS4 itself? Their article is designed really nice and is tainted by having a score at all.

Greatness awaits, for Infamous Second Son.

Scores like that for a Cerny game...having trouble computing them.

I don't think anyone is expecting Forza 5 not to be great, each version of that game has been amazing, even Forza:Horizon which is my personal favourite.

Also, Yikes! Knack looked not great but damn apparently is just bad. Also Killzone, that game was barely interesting, but I hoped it to be good so I would have something to play, but looks like i'm not getting any Sony games at launch.

About what I expected. It sounds like the PS4 is an impressive piece of tech with a ho hum list of launch titles. I think it will be about the same for the Xbox (although slightly less impressive tech). If you think Ryse or DR3 will set the world on fire you are dellusional, however it might be a slightly better launch line up than KZ and Knack.

Update: Added GameTrailers, Eurogamer and Gamespot to the OP. Am I missing any big sites?

Yeah, I really don't see the logic of putting a score on it, nor do I understand the logic of reducing the score primarily because of the initial software offering (there are separate reviews for that).

That being said, I do give credit to Polygon for using their graphic design powers for good in this case. Far too many of their reviews are overdesigned unreadable eye fucks.

Knack is very disappointing.

I wouldn't call two more exclusives a lot. X1 has one more retail game and one more download game. But either way I'm buying a PS4 now for third party games which is where the strength of this launch shines for both systems. There is an embarrassment of riches from third parties as far as console launches go.

KNACK was everything I expected.

I will say despite feeling like the score is unneeded, if you do read the polygon "review" for the ps4 system I can see why they came to that conclusion. It is well written even though I don't think a score should have ever been involved.

But not what I had hoped :(

I was right, wait a year.

my biggest question is how did Polygon do those animated drawings on their review?! some kind of crazy css?

Don't worry they will update it 5 times.

@thoseposers: It's all SVG.

The Polygon point score is as previously said really stupid. And if/when the Xbox One gets a higher score than 7.5, people (or more likely idiots) are going to go insane.

There is Forza, Ryse, Dead Rising 3, and yes Zoo Tycoon, which believe it or not looks legit awesome. Apparently is really cool with Kinect too.

So more than just two.

EDIT: You were saying two "more", my bad. But Zoo Tycoon does actually look great.

BF4 and AC4 are what im stoked to get .. 3rd party has outclassed 1st party for awhile now. The chance tro play pc like battlefield.. take ma money

You just need to look at all his stuff he is saying and reviews etc. Polygon is clearly a site which prefers Microsoft and especially Gies. This has nothing to do with fanboyism at all. Gies defended for example everything Microsoft did from the reveal, to the 180 to all the other stuff.

I never expected glorious reviews for knack, or Killzone at all but the 5.0 is a real joke giving the fact stuff like Ghosts got a 6.5 and on Xbox one he even put it up to a 7.0 and only for the One. Not even the PC version which is clearly superior of all console versions. I am not hiding at all that I like Sony's philosophy and the games they make because I love story driven stuff but I am also not a so called Games journalist at all. I can allow myself to be biased. He should not be allowed to.

Resogun and Contrast look fantastic. Killzone I kind of expected and sad to see that about Knack. I had some fun with a demo at Best Buy.

Also: Crimson Dragon, LocoCycle, Xbox Fitness (as a fat guy I am interested), Killer Instinct, and some junky looking Kinect games.

Its hard for me to give any of those Polygon reviews or personalities credibility. Last week I stopped following most of them on Twitter.

No personal animosity toward Arthur Gies, but he's become this fount of smug commentary and negativity, not just at Sony, but MS and Steam as well, on the Rebel FM podcast and his twitter. I can see in his editorial oversight in all the Polygon reviews.

I honestly can't remember the last time time he seemed genuinely enthusiastic about a game. That's not to say he doesn't offer high scores, but when was the last time he had any joy playing a game like Brad does with Dota or Jeff with Windjammers. The last game I remember he had anything resembling that was FTL. The Polygon stream of that game was the thing that made me follow the site in the first place, not the slick web design or long winded reviews.

These PS4 reviews are the perfect encapsulation of their attitude. 8.5 for Resogun and Chris Plante feels the need to explain that there is a niche shooter "sub-genre called bullet hell". The tone of the entire review is conversational, written for a general audience. Then there is Gies long, down the middle review of Killzone, getting into wonky gamer features about the UI and frame rate. Ok, I get it KZ is mediocre, but why not focus on the good stuff. People are excited about buying a new console, instead of offering an informative guide on what buyers should get, Polygon is focused on telling people why they shouldn't get games.

@chaser324: The only logic of putting scores on it is clicks/hits. It's just pointless.

edit: And this is why I'm happy that I'm not getting either console at release. The lineups for both consoles look super underwhelming, and there's nothing of interest for me until maybe Infamous for the PS4, or Titanfall for the Xbone. If I bought them now, both would probably gather dust for a few months.