Best PlayStation Games of All Time

PlayStation are currently celebrating 30 years, and have expressed endless gratitude to the fans who joined them on their journey along the way. Though I started my gaming journey with Nintendo, PlayStation has always been a staple in my household, and I have to admit – when it comes to the console wars (which I hope have gone to the wayside somewhat), PlayStation has always been my choice.

So, now that we’re 30 years into the PlayStation journey, it’s time to look back on some of the most iconic PlayStation exclusive titles, the games that shaped how we view PlayStation today, and the franchises that contributed to the Sony Computer Entertainment brand. I’ve managed to narrow the list down to my personal eight favourite PlayStation exclusive titles over the years – some of which made it to other platforms with time, and some of which are still held tightly to Sony’s chest to this day. Without further ado, let’s get into the list.

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Crash Bandicoot

Image by Activision

Crash Bandicoot has had a complicated relationship with Sony over the years. Going from a practical mascot for the PlayStation brand, to living under a roof owned by their business rival, Xbox, regardless of where the manic marsupial has found himself, he is integrally tied to the PlayStation brand thanks to his origins as a console exclusive. Crash Bandicoot is somewhat of a titan in the platformer industry, and managed to hold its own against some stiff competition in the form of other giants like Super Mario Bros. and Sonic the Hedgehog.

To this day, the franchise is still going strong – in 2020, a new platforming instalment, Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time was released to favourable reviews. Though the game is infuriatingly difficult, which is somewhat of a characteristic of the franchise, Crash Bandicoot has continued to hold his ground in an ever-changing gaming industry. From platformers, to party games, to racing games, and even some mobile games, Crash has reached all corners of the gaming world, and boosted the PlayStation image all the while.

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The Last of Us

Image by Sony Computer Entertainment

From a franchise that brought PlayStation universal adoration, to one that once harkened worldwide critical acclaim…and soon thereafter caused the brand quite the headache upon release of its sequel. The Last of Us released in 2013, and shook the horror gaming industry to its core. The game is incredible in practically every aspect, with a beautiful narrative combined with extremely immersive gameplay. In some ways, the controversy surrounding the story decisions of the sequel only speaks to how strong the franchise was at creating a bond between its players and its world.

The franchise has also found success beyond the gaming world, with the 2023 HBO TV adaptation letting PlayStation Studios take strides into the television world like never before. Joel Miller and, in particular, Ellie have found themselves acting as sort of trademark characters for the PlayStation brand, despite how far removed the game’s themes and tone feel from fellow brand mascots. If you’ve never experienced The Last of Us, be sure to check it out. Despite backlash, it’s a story like no other.

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Shadow of the Colossus

Image by Sony Computer Entertainment

It would be wrong to not include this 2005 title on the list, which has been hailed for years as one of the greatest video games ever made. Shadow of the Colossus is a fairly methodical experience, focused almost entirely around fighting against colossal beasts and finding the weak points needed to take them down. However, every aspect of the game manages to break free of this methodical structure and leave an inseparable mark on anyone who plays it. The game is visually stunning, and uses its minimal narrative to tell an incredibly compelling story.

Shadow of the Colossus falls into a category of game that shows rather than tells, and manages to pull off an incredibly in-depth emotional experience, all the while doing very little to drive any of the points of its story home. The game went on to receive a remake in 2018, which was also a PlayStation exclusive, and was met with similar acclaim. All the while, PlayStation has kept this game close to their chest, and it’s not hard to see why. Their possession of such a masterpiece is one of gaming’s biggest bragging rights.

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Marvel’s Spider-Man

Image by Sony Interactive Entertainment

Sony’s possession of Insomniac’s Spider-Man franchise has been one of the biggest factors in their rivalry with Microsoft in recent years, so it would feel wrong to leave it off this list. Arguably one of the biggest gaming franchises of the modern age, the Spider-Man games have been consistently strong since arriving on the scene in 2018, based on their incredible understanding of the story, fighting nature, and web-swinging elements of the Spider-Man universe. Their strength in adapting a beloved superhero property reaches heights the likes of which we haven’t seen since the Arkham days.

For some, the franchise has been on somewhat of a decline – after the original was universally renowned, the Miles Morales spin-off received some flack for its short length, and fans had plenty of critiques regarding the storyline of the eventual true sequel, 2023’s Spider-Man 2. One thing is for sure though – when it comes to open-world, action-adventure games, Insomniac have struck gold with the Spider-Man games, and it’s no surprise that Sony have latched on to the web-slinging hero as one of their proudest properties.

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Bloodborne

Image by Sony Computer Entertainment

Bloodborne is one of FromSoftware’s most beloved titles, ranking on many fans’ lists as the greatest release ever from the studio (you can find our opinion on that take here). However, considering the Dark Souls games, and its fellow Soulslikes, are often released on all platforms, it may surprise some readers to know that Bloodborne was developed exclusively for the PlayStation 4 – and there it stayed for years, until a poorly received PC port finally crawled its way out of the Yharnam wreckage.

FromSoftware games are practically always critically renowned, and with Bloodborne being considered by many as the greatest, it’s no surprise that Sony have kept this title close to them over the years. The game is a masterclass in aesthetic, gameplay, and challenge, retaining the brutal difficulty that the Souls games are known for, while remaining incredibly rewarding for players who are able to overcome the hurdles presented to them. While Sony’s treatment of Bloodborne has been criticised by many, and rightfully so, it cannot be denied that it is one of the greatest titles in the company’s arsenal, and a worthy candidate for this list.

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Kingdom Hearts

Image by Square

If you didn’t know that Bloodborne was released as a PlayStation exclusive, then it’s practically impossible that you knew about this title’s exclusivity – I also had to double-check that fact when putting this list together. Though the titles have made their way onto other consoles in recent years, PlayStation had full control of the Kingdom Hearts franchise for over a decade after the initial game’s release – and what a franchise to have in your arsenal. For those unfamiliar with Kingdom Hearts, think Final Fantasy meets Disney. If it seems like an insane combination, you would be in line with everyone’s thinking back in 2002 when the game first released. However, Square proved us all wrong.

Much like Final Fantasy, the Kingdom Hearts games can feel a little bloated at times, with seemingly endless cutscenes and some radically complicated story decisions. However, and excuse the pun on this, the franchise has a heart like no other. The original characters are so good that you’ll soon be wishing the Disney characters would just get out of the way so we can focus more on Sora and friends, and while the story can feel a little bonkers at times, it all ties together in the end in glorious fashion. Combine that with great combat, and some beautiful adaptations of Disney worlds, and you’ve got one of my personal favourite gaming franchises ever – the fact that PlayStation had ownership of it for so long is one of Sony’s greatest achievements.

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LittleBigPlanet

Image by Sony Interactive Entertainment

LittleBigPlanet, and its central protagonist Sackboy, have long remained a staple of the PlayStation experience. In many ways, the games encapsulate Sony’s focus on user-generated content in the gaming world. The franchise was first introduced to the world in 2008, with a PlayStation 3 release, meaning that while he hasn’t been around nearly as long as some of Sony’s other central mascots, Sackboy has managed to find his face in infamy in a very short period of time.

The games are critically renowned, ensuring that LittleBigPlanet garnered a strong reputation amongst gamers and critics alike. Much like Crash Bandicoot, LittleBigPlanet deserves extra renown for how it broke through an incredibly insulated industry in the platforming genre. It’s difficult to make any new I.P. stick in the platform game sector, so Sackboy’s rise as the face of PlayStation, and one of the many faces of platforming is nothing short of a triumph.

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God of War

Image by Sony Interactive Entertainment

We finish this list with one of PlayStation’s flagship franchises, and undeniably one of its greatest releases ever. Whether we talk about the original three games released beginning in 2005, or the reboot games beginning in 2018, anytime God of War is mentioned, a PlayStation employee gets their wings. The games, which began as a revenge-fest against the Gods of Ancient Greece, and eventually turned into a father-son story in the world of Norse mythology, are incredibly strong in practically every aspect.

Kratos himself is not only one of Sony’s, but one of gaming’s greatest characters, thanks to the work of Terrence C. Carson and Christopher Judge respectively, and much like Crash, Sackboy, and the others on this list, has been flaunted by PlayStation as one of their trademark faces. It would be impossible to leave God of War out of this conversation, and its inevitability is a huge strength. From his first appearance on the PlayStation 2, to his latest appearance on the PlayStation 5, Kratos’ signature red and white look has been inextricably tied to the PlayStation brand, and has turned God of War into Sony’s greatest gaming asset.

See also: Best Cozy Games on Steam

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Conclusion

As we look back on 30 years of PlayStation, do you agree with our picks? Did we leave any of PlayStation’s greatest exclusive titles off the list? Be sure to let us know in the comments, and thanks for reading!

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