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Hidden Agenda

PlayStation 4 PlayLink

Sony wants you to put down the DualShock as the company makes a move for the casual crowd.

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There were a lot of interesting things being shown off during E3, but one that took us by surprise was Sony's PlayLink. After a brief glimpse of this new feature during the company's press conference, we were given some insight into how it works, playing three games that demonstrated how it could be used to replace the DualShock 4.

To give a short introduction to the concept, PlayLink is a system whereby you download an app to your mobile phone which you can then use as a type of controller for compatible games. Part of the appeal of this is that, while it's much more limited than a DualShock 4, everyone has a mobile phone, and this allows newcomers to easily play these games. All they have to do is simply download one free app (the free part is appreciated). Therefore, it's a much easier way to get loads of players around a TV for a game.

The first title we got to play was called Knowledge is Power, and it made use of the PlayLink in the simplest way, as it's a quiz game that allows you to use your phone to select the answers. One of the best things about it is that, because players all have separate screens, people can sabotage one another. There's ice to crack and bombs that you can't click on, for instance, and these distractions help make the game a little more fun than just having you answer questions on your phone. You can even see how these interactions play out on the TV screen, as characters can throw goo at each other, for example.

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This wasn't a case of just pressing buttons for answers, however, as we also got a taste of another game mode where you had to swipe answers into different categories, i.e. whether characters are from South Park or The Simpsons. This was all simple and intuitive, and if more and more modes are thrown in to mix things up, we can see this being a couch favourite (although we wouldn't mind the times between the questions being shown on screen, and the answers shown on the phones being a bit quicker).

We also played a party game by the name of Frantics, which sees you take part in several mini-games while playing as comically deformed animals. These mini-games included one very similar to Crash Bash, in which you need to bump each other off an ice platform, as well as a parachute game where you have to time the opening of your parachute to be the first one to land on the ground. Both of these used motion controls on the phone, and although we'd say that these didn't work amazingly well with the phone's gyro, it still had all of us laughing and joking and having fun.

There are a few bells and whistles on top of those modes, including a calling feature whereby the host - a fox - calls a player and assigns them a secret objective to score more points, as well as a shop where you can buy items that can help players. We only saw a little bit of the game during the demo, but for the most part, it was pretty fun. That said, we'd like to see the other game modes that we were told don't use the phone's gyro.

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Hidden Agenda

The last game we had time with was Supermassive's Hidden Agenda, and if you didn't know going in that the studio was behind Until Dawn, you'd know it not long after you started to play. The game follows a narrative about a killer in jail for a series of crimes, but then it's placed into doubt whether he's guilty or not. We played as several different characters throughout the demo, and we say "we" because the game tasks all of the players to vote on decisions, Until Dawn style, with a majority necessary to continue.

Hidden agendas also come into this, as one person's phone is given a secret task that they must try to facilitate, such as getting the narrative to twist one way, which in turn earns them points. You can also earn points by guessing who has the hidden agenda when prompted, so there's a mixture of teamwork and paranoia at play here. If you feel a decision should go a certain way, you can also use one of your takeover cards as well, letting you make the decision alone.

The game isn't all about choices, however, as there are also QTEs that require players to use their phones to complete tasks, such as spraying a prisoner with pepper spray by quickly aiming with a reticule via the touchscreen of your phone. All of these actions influence the story in a major way, and sometimes you don't need to do anything at all, so decisions need to be made wisely and, where appropriate, deliberation is vital to get the most out of it.

While the story seems enticing, and the hidden agendas add a twist of paranoia to events, some may not like the fact that the game is essentially an Until Dawn style narrative that requires voting as opposed to solo choices. We'd like to see how far they take the points system, though, as this may get tense as the story unfolds and choices matter more and more.

We used these three examples as each of them demonstrates a different way that PlayLink can be used, from party games through to quizzes, and even a surprisingly deep narrative adventure. All of those who were present for the demonstrations seemed to have fun playing, but it remains to be seen how meaningful PlayLink can be, since the options are severely limited when compared to DualShock, and control methods like gyros don't always work amazingly well. Still, it could be a great move by Sony in bringing a more casual crowd into the fold.

The first game for PlayLink, That's You!, is launching on July 4, and it'll be free for PS Plus subscribers.

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