What Godfall Would Lose In a PS4 Port

Godfall was one of the launch games for Sony's latest console, PlayStation 5. The action RPG didn't receive the warmest of critical responses, with many reviewers noting its repetitive environments and none-too-exciting story. When Godfall was lukewarmly received it was a timed PS5 exclusive, and now that period is coming to an end after nearly six months. Godfall will be open to release on other platforms now, and it has already been rumored for a release on an unexpected platform.

While nothing has been officially confirmed, Godfall has been rumored for a PlayStation 4 release. A rating for a PS4 version of the title has been spotted, but the developer has yet to comment officially on this speculation. For some gamers, this would be a very surprising move considering that Godfall was originally marketed as a truly next-generation experience. The core gameplay loop of Godfall would be unlikely to change much with a PlayStation 4 port, but the game could lose some key functionality and features. A Godfall release on PS4 might not necessarily be a bad idea, but gamers should be aware that some of its next-gen allure will be lost.

One of the major losses that Godfall will endure is the PS5 DualSense controller features. The new controller has been widely praised for its design and functionality. One of the main assets the DualSense boasts is adaptive triggers. Godfall uses the triggers to provide tension on the L2 and R2 triggers, meaning that the buttons can't always be fully pushed down. The triggers react in different situations in Godfall, with the buttons providing more resistance when clashing with other weapons. The DualSense's adaptive triggers are considered an immersive feature on the controller, and Godfall's combat could lose some of its charms without this well-received function.

In addition to the adaptive triggers, Godfall will be set to lose the haptic feedback from the DualSense. Similar to the trigger functionality, haptic feedback is considered by many to be one of the standout features of the DualSense controller. Critics and gamers alike have praised it for helping establish a greater sense of immersion in games on PlayStation 5. Haptic feedback can create varying degrees of feedback for players based on their actions in-game, and unfortunately, the PS4's controller doesn't support the feature.

Despite the less-than-stellar reviews, Godfall's visuals are generally regarded as high quality. From its earliest trailers, the game has looked like a great showcase for PS5's graphical output potential. With the possibility of it being ported to PS4, it's practically unavoidable that the game will see a visual downgrade in some fashion. In terms of raw power, the PlayStation 4 can't compare with the PS5 and, inevitably, a PS4 version of Godfall won't look quite as appealing as the original PS5 version. While the PS4 is a beloved console by a large number of gamers, it simply can't match the PS5's potential visual output.

One of the most significant losses that a PS4 version of Godfall could see is longer load times. The PS5 can boast impressively short loading times and it's unlikely that Godfall would be able to sustain such short times on PS4. While Ghost of Tsushima, for example, has short loading times on PS4, this is due to its specifically made engine and how it handles in-game assets. Without the SSD of the PS5, it's likely that Godfall on PS4 wouldn't be able to match the speed of the original version on PlayStation 5.