Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 17
  2. Negative: 0 out of 17
  1. Jul 28, 2015
    70
    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.
  2. Jul 9, 2015
    70
    Like so many big games with dozens of complex moving parts, your enjoyment of PlanetSide 2 on the PlayStation 4 rests on how forgiving you are of technical hiccups you would properly expect to be vanquished.
User Score
7.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 161 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 87 out of 161
  2. Negative: 28 out of 161
  1. Jun 23, 2015
    10
    Planetside 2 puts u in the real battlefield. With gorgeous gfx, huge scale battles and solid gameplay, everybody with a ps4 must try this gamePlanetside 2 puts u in the real battlefield. With gorgeous gfx, huge scale battles and solid gameplay, everybody with a ps4 must try this game out,. It's easily one of PS4's best online experience and it's FREE! Full Review »
  2. Jul 5, 2015
    4
    As with any f2p game, whether it is properly identified as “pay 2 win” is often a primary concern to a potential newcomer. Though I do thinkAs with any f2p game, whether it is properly identified as “pay 2 win” is often a primary concern to a potential newcomer. Though I do think this game is more readily identifiable as “pay 2 win” than not, I’ll elaborate a bit on what p2w means to me to both justify, and better accommodate critics, of my view. However, I do not think being moderately p2w is Planetside 2’s biggest problem…

    To me, the phrase “pay 2 win” describes a system, typically within free-to-play games, that encourages players to purchase relative “advantages” by not making them “reasonably accessible” without paying. In this case: guns, abilities/perks, upgrades, vehicle parts, weapon attachments, etc. F2p games operate a bit awkwardly in that they often search for a certain sweet spot where determining the strength of the “advantage” and what constitutes as “reasonably accessible” are both as ambiguous as necessary to render the most revenue. They want to make the player feel as though their money wasn’t wasted on a crappy new gun, but they don’t want lower-geared players to feel helpless. They also want to reward long term player commitment and make progression towards upgrades seem reachable, but not so close to the player’s grasp that enough of them will feel satisfied without ever paying a dime. It is also important to note that the changing, subjective vagueness people may have with regards to identifying what is either an “advantage” or “reasonably accessible” entails constant forecasting and rebalancing in order to soothe such a temperamental economy and mold it in the most profitable favor.

    Whether it’s operating as a medic during a stalemate, playing a topnotch infiltrator, or just accumulating a massive amount of kills- from my experience, certification points are certainly acquirable and pseudo-farmable (I can make over 1000 certs on a good, fairly long day). But, relative to the cost of much of the equipment (and the advantages they bring), specifically for vehicles, Planetside 2 surely plays more on the grindy side. For new players, I generally think it is a bit too much. Ceteris paribus, certain weapon upgrades for infantry and vehicles alike are too relatively advantageous to those without, and they are accessible, but I have my doubts as to “reasonably” so (10+ hours a day, with great effort and experience often yields less than 1000 certs). As such, Planetside 2’s monetary system is at least moderately describable as P2W, in my honest opinion. This, though, is not my chief concern with the game…

    Planetside 2 is littered with an overwhelming amount of high impact/game breaking bugs, glitches, and occasional connectivity issues: overly intrusive outdoor/indoor(?) sun glare, audio bugs, distance render glitches, clipping underground/through walls, continual insta-killed at Sunderer spawn, fire-rate glitches, rubber-banding combined with enemies suddenly appearing, unable to respawn glitch, constant red hit locator on screen bug, out-of-bounds when inbounds bug, unable to respawn bug, vehicle will not deploy bug, no shield/shield will not recharge bug, cannot redeploy bug, cannot accept revive bug, cannot refill ammo bug, cannot change fire mode on primary infantry weapon glitch, and the list goes on and on and on and on- these are merely the ones I’ve had and remember, mind you. I understand that the game is in beta, and that it’s a HUGE mmo, but these glitches almost always ruin my experience when they occur (and they occur far too often). Also, the “spot” system is still a bit shoddy, if I die with my secondary out I do not want to spawn with it out, bullet spread could be a bit tighter for nearly all weapons, several animations could be improved, friendly fire should just be off, player profile (particularly for headshots) could use a tad of work, better spawn protection would be appreciated, and a **** ton of other personally picky things that tantamount into frustration all need “fixing.”

    Battles are big, however. For an fps mmo on the ps4, they are **** GARGANTUAN. Like 12v12 tanks with 5v5 air vehicles and 50 v 50 infantry is consistently found nearly, I don’t know, everywhere! It felt genuinely fun and unique (for the ps4) to take part in experiences I thought I could only have on my PC (though, albeit, I much prefer playing the PC version). Still, weak core gunplay (little strafe/dodge mechanics outside of hip-fire/jet-packing) and an overwhelming amount of glitches/bugs make this game borderline unplayable for me (though hopefully they are temporary issues). Without the bugs, the game would be at least a 7 (not much higher because I do not care for the mediocre gunplay). As is, it is initially impressive on scale- but, rarely have I ever felt a more appropriate time to echo the grandpaian proverb “quantity (even of this magnitude) certainly does not equal quality,” than when discussing this game. If you are asking people to spend money on your game then FIX THE DAMN BUGS! Slapping the word “beta” onto the title will not protect you forever!
    Full Review »
  3. Jun 27, 2015
    10
    This game is basically Battlefield on Crack and it has more "only in Battlefield" moments than all BF titles combined. 20 times the amount ofThis game is basically Battlefield on Crack and it has more "only in Battlefield" moments than all BF titles combined. 20 times the amount of players on 15 times bigger maps. You thought you were lucky getting a hold on that single MBT in BF4? What about spawning FIFTY of them with your buddies in this game and show them in a huge tank column who has iron balls? The first time your sun gets blocked by a massive wave of incoming big,skywhale Galaxy dropships,is a moment you will never forget in your gaming life. Same goes for the first time you get engaged in an epic open field battle resembling what seems to be an all-out total war.

    This game is not a ten because it's perfect, far from that. This game is a ten because it has something to offer that simply cannot be found in any other (MMO) shooter out there. The epic scale and amount of teamwork involved simply makes games like BF and Destiny look small and shallow. Oh, and it's completely free without being P2W as well.
    Full Review »