Sony entered the gaming scene in the mid-90s and has since gone from strength to strength with each of their consoles. From the classic fun of the PS1 to the now-powerful PS5, the gaming juggernaut owes a major chunk of its success to its most popular gaming titles.
10 Best Classic Games On PS Plus
It’s time to relive the classics.
However, it was important for each PlayStation to create hype for its arrival, and that’s where launch titles came in. Each Generation of the PlayStation saw many popular launch titles get the ball rolling for them to bring players in and show the console’s magic.
However, it should be mentioned that Sony never really hit it out of the park with all of its launch titles for fans of its console. That said, there were some all-time great releases also mixed in. We’re here to show you the best of these launch titles from every Sony PlayStation generation.
10Demon’s Souls (2020)
Brutality and Death Remastered
Demon’s Souls
Starting this list off is a Playstation-exclusive launch title that will test your mettle as a gamer,Demon’s Souls. Many fans were scratching their head, wondering whether to side with Sony or Microsoft for the current generation.
However, once the remake of this game was announced as a launch title, for many Souls fans, the debate was over, and their decision was made.
Demon’s Soulsis a stunning remake from Bluepoint Studio, that reinvigorated the eerie world of Boletaria with fresh visuals while retaining the punishing gameplay experience. BluePoint Studio did a masterful job of recreating the macabre atmosphere of the title that reeked of death and crawling with otherworldly beings out for your blood.
Many fans of the PS3 classic had been vying to revisit Demon’s Souls, but the original 2009 version didn’t shine as much as modern Souls titles. The 2020 remake fixes much of its original wonkiness and further refines mechanics, making the overall gameplay experience smoother.
Even though it doesn’t quite compare to the titans of Soulslikes such asElden Ringfor example, it remains an essential experience for anyone who considers themselves a Souls expert.
9Astro’s Playroom
Platforming Through PlayStation’s History
Astro’s Playroom
Astro’s Playroomis one of those games that you’re meant to play if you even remotely appreciate the PlayStation console. The 3D platformer comes pre-installed for anyone who gets their hands on the PS5, making it technically free-to-play, minus all the cash you’ll spend on the system itself.
We take charge of the cutesy robotic mascot Astro as he traverses through four unique worlds designed to be a wonderful legacy showcase of Playstation’s finest.
Each level is filled with whimsical references to the iconic history of the console. You’ll find yourself sparking in joy as you spot nods to its most popular video game titles, playable characters, and even the hardware itself.
However, at its core, you will find yourself enjoying the journey of the platformer itself with Astro. You’re going to explore every level, solve clever puzzles, and make the most of collecting every knick-knack stuffed into the game.
Once the journey has concluded, you’ll have grown more appreciative of what Sony accomplished with the PlayStation console. If you think that still isn’t enough to assure itself a spot on this list, look at how adorable Astro is, and you might reconsider.
8Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Wall-Crawling, and Leaping To Next-Gen
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Insomniac brought the same sauce from its previous effort with the Peter Parker version of the Wallcrawler toMarvel-Spider-Man: Miles Morales. The short but incredible experience of replaying Insomniac’s Spider-Man was perfect as a launch title for the PS5, even though not much was changed from the last game.
However, this time, we step into the shoes of another Spider-Man, as Miles Morales takes the spotlight. From the opening sequence, I resonated with Miles and his struggles with identity and grew to like him even more than Peter Parker.
Insomniac nails his coming-of-age story and represents it well in his struggle to commit to his everyday life as he balances his hero act. The city of New York has also been portrayed as a character with its own identity as you try your best to look out for your community.
But let’s face it, even though I did love Miles Morales, the feeling of being Spider-Man is unmatched. I still remember vividly how cool it felt to soar in the sky, reaching crazy heights as I leaped from the tallest buildings whilst doing trick moves mid-air, and you certainly will, too.
7Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
Piracy On The High Seas
Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag
It’s a pirate’s life for you mixed in with the allure of an assassin inAssassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. Ubisoft released the fourth entry of the wildly popular Assassin’s Creed series as a launch title for the PS4. It changed the series’ formula drastically compared to previous efforts and introduced its players to the Caribbean.
The adventure is filled with dangers, thrills, and a bounty of treasures this time around as you follow the story of Edward Kemway stuck between the conflict of the Assassins and the Templars. His character depth is also portrayed beautifully as he goes from a man plagued with lust for gold to someone seeking redemption.
However, the standout feature that is going to bring out the pirate in you is commandeering your ship, the Jackdaw. You’ll engage in battle in classic Assassin’s Creed fashion and also on the sea in epic naval battles. Players can upgrade their ship’s weapons and customize them to their own pirate’s sense of ship fashion.
The open-world design allows for endless exploration of the lively tropical Caribbean as you sail the high seas. You also have to admire Ubisoft’s level of effort and commitment to combining unique sea shanties into its soundtrack to commit to thepirate theme. One such level of effort that I feel the series has now lost.
6Need For Speed: Carbon
Conquer The Streets
Need For Speed: Carbon
For younger me, there wasn’t anything more relaxing than loading upNeed For Speed: Carbonand living out my fantasies as a cool drift racer. NFS Carbon functioned much like the wildly popularNeed For Speed Undergroundbut had a campaign that ran just a tad shorter.
NFS chose to focus on drift racing this time around and building a crew as you look to dominate the streets of Palmont City. It was much more than having good racing skills or the best car this time around, even though that was necessary.
Speaking of having the best cars, NFS Carbon possesses one of the best laundry lists of cars in the series. EA also provided the fans with tons of customizable options similar to Underground, which is something they clamor for now.
Surprisingly, the game holds up well with its stunning graphics and gameplay mechanics, which make it one of thebest in the NFS series, even though it was a launch title for the PS3. If you’re looking to revisit the nostalgia of street racing games from the 2000s, give this one a try.
5Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
Assemble and Save The Universe
Marvel Ultimate Alliance
As a kid and a huge Marvel nerd,Marvel: Ultimate Alliancewas a dream come true, letting me play as almost all of my favorite superheroes. Released back in 2006, theaction RPGwas a simple yet fun game and nailed the comic book aspect perfectly with its art style and campiness.
There’s a nice lineup of about 20 characters to choose from, such as Spider-Man, Iron Man,Wolverine, and more. Your job is to assemble a team of four heroes and try to save the day as you battle enemies, solve puzzles, and engage in boss battles with iconic villains such as the likes of Loki, Ultron, and Dr Doom.
Even though you can mish-mash your favorite characters and force them to cooperate, there are bonus synergy points for an ideal group, such as The Fantastic Four and the X-Men. Dialogue trees and interactions between different characters are quite fun to witness within these characters as you develop more chemistry between them.
The game was a hit upon its arrival in 2006, making its way as a launch title for the PS3. It has now spawned a successful series. The game is still fun to play to this day and makes for a fun time if you’re looking to revisit the glory days of Marvel superhero games.
14 Best Marvel Superhero Games Ranked
There are many more Marvel games than fans may realize. This list will let players know which ones are worth playing.
Gravity Defying Snowboarding
SSX (2000)
EA owes a lot of its success toSSX, as it catapulted the small gaming studio back then right into the spotlight. However, it didn’t just do good for EA; it gave Sony one of its best launch titles for the PS2.
SSXtook the sport of snowboarding and showed off the fun arcade-style video game title it can be made into similar to the Tony Hawk Pro Skater series. It showed off the PS2’s powerful abilities at the time, as players went all in on extreme snowboarding.
The game’s racing mode offers you the chance to engage in high-speed racing contests on larger-than-life courses. It also features a showoff mode, for those looking to, as the title suggests, pull off crazy stunts in the air and fun tricks to impress your friends.
The soundtrack for the game was also heavily praised for its eclectic mix of heart-pounding electronic beats that offer players an adrenaline rush.
One of my youngest memories of playing any game is being completely immersed in the experience of riding a snowboard on a small screen. So, for what it’s worth, I consider it one of the most timeless video games ever made.
3Tekken Tag Tournament
Ultimate Duo Fighting Showdown
Tekken Tag Tournament
Playing a fighter as a duo could be more fun than playing with a single character, and theTekken Tag Tournamentproved it.Released back in 1999 as a launch title for the PS2, the series took a serious leap in graphics with this entry, coming right after Tekken 3.
The title introduced a new tag-team style gameplay that enforced strategic play to the standard fighting game genre. Players can select two characters to form a team and then switch mid-match to retreat and rest one of their fighters.
This new tag-team entry encouraged players to make up their teams strategically to offset their opponents. you may also perform different tag combos, throws, and assaults to pummel your foe. You will also achieve victory if one of the characters in a team is knocked out.
It features one of the biggest rosters in the entire series as well, with all favorites such as Jin Kazama, Heihachi Mishima, King, and many more available.
If you’re a huge fan of the series and are tired of dominating your friends in the standard Tekken playstyle, switch things up and try this one on for size.
2Ridge Racer
Iconic Drift Racing Action
Even thoughGran Turismowould come later and steal much of its thunder, becoming the King of street racing on PlayStation,Ridge Racerequally deserves its flowers.
Released as a launch title for the PS1 by Namco, it was first known as a popular arcade racer back in the early 90s before being ported to the console.
The arcade racer transition into PS1 was looked at as a technical marvel, due to the fact you could now play it at home. The port also introduced new camera angles and enhanced track options as well.
However, the game was all about one central mechanic: drifting. If you were to have any chance of finishing amongst the pack, let alone win, on the twisty circuits, you would need to master sliding along those tracks.
The title possessed one of the best styles of any street racing game back then and remains extremely slick. Even though the “no analog” control seems extremely dated now, it’s not hard to see why it became so popular for the PS1.
A Timeless Adventure in a Whimsical World
Raymanproved not only to be a groundbreaking entry for the 2D-side scrolling platformer genre, but also for Sony’s PlayStation 1.
It’s the one that started it all in the iconic series and was touted as one of the most challenging games ever to be made due to its unforgiving level design.
However, even though its sequel would tone down the difficulty, many veteran players still prefer the challenging aspect of the original.
Developed by Ubisoft, the game was praised for its vibrant world and quirky characters, engaging gameplay, and outstanding soundtrack.
Rayman would become an iconic mascot, and his first outing would remain one of his mostpopular and best games.
The game would also receive a reboot of sorts in 2011, withRayman Originsthat would smooth out the grueling challenge of the original as it offered you infinite lives and more checkpoints.
For platformer enthusiasts who are into a challenge, try out Rayman and find out if you have what it takes to complete this timeless adventure.
