PS4 games for the family?

[hettie]

I'm utterly clueless about gaming. Am considering a PS4 for ds xmas pressie. He would be amazed as we are super restricteve about tech. My fear is that a console becomes a point of conflict (time spent on it, suitability of games) AND something that stops us interacting as a family. Essentially I see it as more mindless shit that will be marketed at my kid and remove time from actual social interaction.
However I am trying to be open minded. I really am aware that I have quite fixed views and I'm trying to help myself see different perspectives. So wanted to ask if there are PS4 games that are family/group play. I'm thinking fantasy/role play as dd is 7 (ds 10). Dh would probably play FIFA, but tbh ds might not be that into it....

Good family games...

All the Lego games are fantastic. They can be played solo, or co-operative 2 player. The games feature platforming, simple combat, and puzzles that will often require both players to work together. Lego Harry Potter is great for HP fans, Lego Marvel is great for Marvel fans...there's quite a few choices. There's also Lego Worlds which is like a creative building game where you can build entire worlds of Lego, make vehicles, build and furnish a house, complete quests etc. It's good fun.

You've probably heard of Minecraft? You can play 4-player on the PS4 and on top of the building stuff there's a selection of competitive 'mini games' that have now become the main draw for my kids.

Rocket League is fantastic and can be played up to 4 players at home. Football but in cars is the best way to describe it.

Rayman Legends is another really fun platforming game that up to 4 people can play at once.

Another option is a Nintendo Switch? They're a bit more expensive than a PS4 but you'll get to play most of what I listed above plus Nintendo games which are really family friendly.

Mario Kart 8 is a bright and colourful kart racer, plus you can turn on steering assists for younger players so they have a chance of winning. Splatoon is a shooter...but family friendly! You have paint guns and the main goal is to cover the level with your paint colour. There's also 1,2 Switch which is a collection of daft little motion control minigames that you'd all be able to join in with on Christmas Day.

Thanks so much . Well the console is purchased (ps4). Will look at your recommendations....is there anything like Age of Empires (old fart that I am that was the last gaming experience I had and I can see ds enjoying that kind of thing)

Grand Ages: Medieval looks the most similar but I've never played it. There aren't a lot of strategy games on consoles because they're better suited to a mouse and keyboard than a controller. You can use a USB mouse and keyboard with the PS4, but then you might not have a desk.

Also as you're gifting a console for Christmas, if you've got time I recommend setting it up beforehand. First to make sure it works properly, but also because it's 2017 and the first thing it's going to want to do is download updates. Just plug it in, hook up to HDMI on the TV and turn it on. Like a phone or iPad it will guide you through connecting to WiFi, downloading updates, and setting up an account.

If you wait to Christmas Day it's not the end of the world but it can be quite slow as there's so many people getting new consoles at once.

You can also go into settings and set up child accounts for your kids, which will let you set up restrictions for online access and age-rated games.

That's great advice thank you

My 9 yo's favourite games are Minecraft, Minecraft Story Mode, Forza Horizons, the Lego games, anything Mario (Wii U/Switch only) and the Portal series.

I think age of empires is great for a 10 year old. It is brainstorming as well and could be educational in a way. You can even get the downloaded version online for free. My DD (5) loves playing it with me.