PlanetSide 2

PlanetSide 2's massive-scale multiplayer warfare takes some getting used to, but it's a battle well worth fighting.

PlanetSide 2 on the PlayStation 4 suffers from a lot of technical issues--but not enough to dissuade you from the rigors of its massive battles.

All of which makes PlanetSide 2 a real outlier at a time when major console releases are either utterly broken or blandly efficient. This is a game with some fairly major problems, but the rewards are so unique, so thrilling and occasionally thought provoking that even dropped frames, obtuse direction and dumb players can't diminish it for long. This is a game that will not appeal to everyone. Many will fall by the wayside when it fails to play like a normal FPS in the long term. Others will drift away, wearied by the endless churn of battle. That's why the game's free-to-play status is a good thing - those players will have lost nothing for their trouble. For those who click with PlanetSide's cold relentless vision of mass warfare, it can easily become an ongoing obsession. The only way to find out is to sign up and see for yourself.

Though it struggles with scale, PlanetSide 2 provides a unique, fascinating view of war.

Epic multiplayer warfare at the starting price of absolutely nothing. Though battles often feel a little too big, there's nothing quite like it on PS4.

PlanetSide 2 is one long grind, but the scale and competitive feel are wholly unique

PlanetSide 2 is a staggering achievement that feels right at home on the PS4. For a fun, engaging battle-'em-up that doesn't cost a penny, it delivers potentially unlimited hours of adrenaline pumping excitement – there's nothing out there quite like it. Now if you'll excuse us, we have some Terrans to shoot.

PlanetSide 2 is an amazingly good game for its price tag, or rather, the lack of one. The only price to mention is the optional one for buying weapons, mods, and abilities, and they're not overly expensive. Besides, it is fairly easy to get weapons without paying at all; it just takes some work to get that privilege. Anyone who likes online shooters should give this game a try, and should look past the designation of 'F2P game.' Not everything that's free is garbage - in fact, this is a gem.

For better or worse, Daybreak didn't design PlanetSide 2 for instant gratification. I've had hours of playtime where enemy forces were so overwhelming that I barely got anything done. But I've also had hours that were full of tense battles filled with explosions, multicolored lasers, and missiles. When you play at night, it looks like a chaotic fireworks show.

Technical faults aside, Planetside 2 remains a wonderful online experience capable of absorbing dozens upon dozens of hours. That endless tug­of­war might seem exhausting from the outside, but once you're in the thick of battle it is as thrilling and engaging as few games ever manage to be.