PlayStation Franchise Tier List (The Best PlayStation Franchises)

Considering how long Sony has been operating in the gaming space, it’s not all that surprising that the company has been able to build up a broad and varied library full of popular IPs. However, not all big PlayStation franchises were created equal, nor are they all held in the same high regard.

The best PlayStation franchises have sold countless copies between them and boast some of the most impressive Metacritic scores in the history of gaming. Even some of the weaker Sony series have shown flashes of brilliance at times, helping to cement the PlayStation’s place near the very top of the pile.

S-Tier PlayStation Franchises

The (Naughty) Dog’s Bo****ks

The Last of Us

There aren’t many games that could be released across three consecutive console generations without drawing ire from players. However, such is the popularity of Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us series, most players were happy with the first game being remastered and then later remade for the PS4 and PS5 respectively. Though certainly divisive, the sequel built upon the narrative-driven survival horror experience that was on offer in the original to great effect, while also casting the morality of the series’ main protagonists into the spotlight.

God of War

The God of War franchise was always great, but the 2018 reboot helped to elevate it to a whole other level. Not only was this older version of Kratos much more relatable than his younger, angrier self, but the quality of the storytelling improved dramatically; delving much more deeply into the primary characters than previous installments ever had. The combat in both it and its 2022 sequel could perhaps have been a little deeper but was still pretty enjoyable for what it was.

Uncharted

There’s a lot to love about the Uncharted franchise, from its wonderful set-piece moments to its flawed yet relatable main protagonist, Nathan Drake. Even without the latter though, the franchise still has a lot to offer, as evidenced by the success of 2017’s Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. Some will perhaps feel that it’s time for Naughty Dog to move on for good, but there are plenty of players who’d be more than happy if a new Uncharted game were to be announced; with or without Nathan Drake.

Marvel’s Spider-Man

Naughty Dog was arguably Sony’s most productive first-part studio throughout the PS3 and PS4 eras, but it’s Insomniac that’s leading the charge in the current console generation. By taking a page from the Yakuza playbook, the Burbank-based studio has been able to release three brand-new games in as many years, as well as a remastered edition of 2017’s Marvel’s Spider-Man​​​​​​. The latter and its sequels are arguably the team’s crowning achievement, in terms of both their critical and commercial success.

A-Tier PlayStation Franchises

The Edge of Glory

Horizon

It could perhaps be argued that Horizon has done enough to earn its place among the best PlayStation franchises, but the general consensus seems to be that it’s not quite there yet. Sure, the Decima engine on which the games were built is incredible, allowing for one of the best-looking open worlds to date, and the narrative is pretty interesting too. However, many feel that it doesn’t quite do enough to set itself apart from other open-world adventure games, particularly when it comes to side content.

Ghost of Tsushima

Though it’s yet to be officially announced as of the time of writing, many industry insiders seem adamant that a Ghost of Tsushima sequel is in the works at Sucker Punch. If it were somehow able to live up to the brilliance of the original game then that would almost certainly catapult the franchise into the S-tier. However, given that a big part of what made the first game so compelling was Jin’s transformation from noble samurai into the titular character (not to mention the game’s focus on the Mongol invasion of Tsushima and Iki), it’s difficult to imagine how a Ghost of Tsushima sequel could work.

Destiny

Destiny and its 2017 sequel are two of the very few real-world examples of live-service games done right. Granted, not every decision made by Bungie has gone down well with players over the years, but the way that the developer has supported the two titles for as long as it has is admirable, as too is the team’s dedication to providing players with the most enjoyable experience possible. Whether or not the world really needs more Sony live service games is debatable, but if the planned titles are even half as good as Destiny, there shouldn’t be too many complaints.

Gran Turismo

There have been plenty of great racing games on PlayStation consoles, but few, if any, can hold a candle to Polyphony Digital’s Gran Turismo games. They’re incredibly realistic and typically include a ridiculously large collection of real-world cars and tracks. Sadly, the monetization found throughout the last few titles has been more than a little questionable and makes it impossible to put the series in the S-tier, but the overall driving experience remains highly enjoyable nonetheless.

Ratchet & Clank

Of all the lovable duos in gaming, Ratchet and Clank are definitely among the best. They’re able to evoke a wide range of emotions in players and almost all of their outings are an absolute blast. This is helped by the over-the-top weaponry that they’re typically armed with and the humorous writing found throughout each adventure they find themselves on, all of which helps to ensure that the tone never gets too heavy even when the narrative is dealing with more serious issues.

B-Tier PlayStation Franchises

Cute and Creative

Jak and Daxter

Following the success of Banjo-Kazooie in the late nineties, numerous developers decided to try their hands at story-based platformers with two main protagonists. Jak and Daxter was one of numerous new franchises to come out of this period, and it was a pretty good one, for the most part. Sadly, however, with Sony now owning both it and Ratchet & Clank, a new Jak and Daxter game seems somewhat unlikely, even with the demand from franchise fans.

LittleBigPlanet

Despite what their visuals might suggest, there’s actually a surprising amount of depth to the LittleBigPlanet games. Over the years, players have spent countless hours creating new content for the titles, which is likely what inspired Media Molecule to create Dreams after the studio’s time working on the franchise. The Sackboy spin-off games are also enjoyable, albeit, a little less memorable on account of their more traditional platforming focus.

Infamous

Before Ghost of Tsushima, Sucker Punch Productions was best known for its Infamous series, which saw three mainline titles and numerous spin-offs and expansions released over the five-year period between 2009 and 2014. The games see players using parkour and the playable protagonists’ powers to make their way through the main story, with morality playing a big role in the way that the narrative ultimately plays out.

Resistance

Sony is right to bemoan the potential loss of Call of Duty following Microsoft’s acquisition of ABK. However, it’s not like PlayStation doesn’t have several dormant FPS franchises that could theoretically fill the void if push really came to shove. Resistance is probably the main candidate for such a role, with Insomniac’s supernatural series having made quite an impression on players during the PS3 era.

Astro

Most of the best Sony franchises are renowned for their narratives, but the Astro games take a very different approach. They instead focus on highlighting the technical capabilities of the hardware on which they are running, typically doing so in a fun and charming way that’s difficult not to enjoy. The fact that Astro’s most recent outing is free for all PS5 owners is a nice touch, though it would also be nice to see Astro Bot Rescue Mission ported to the PSVR 2; maybe even updated for the new tech.

MLB: The Show

Given that much of Sony’s success over the past few console generations has come as a direct result of its strong lineup of first-party exclusives, it came as a bit of a surprise when MLB: The Show became a multiplatform series in 2022. It’s great news for baseball fans on other platforms though, as the MLB titles are generally considered to be the best baseball games around.

C-Tier PlayStation Franchises

Gone but not Forgotten

Sly Cooper

Sly Cooper is still remembered fondly in certain circles, with many holding out hope that the series will be rebooted at some point in the not-too-distant future. The way that it combined stealth mechanics with more traditional platforming was interesting, if nothing else, and the writing was a lot of fun as well. However, it’s difficult to see why Sony would ever throw money at a new Sly Cooper game when the company has franchises like Jak and Daxter and Ratchet & Clank on its books.

Twisted Metal

Vehicular combat games were all the rage back in the nineties and early two-thousands and the Twisted Metal franchise was there to capitalize on this trend. The series was treated to numerous releases during that period and peaked with Twisted Metal: Black in 2001. However, the franchise was ultimately overshadowed by some of the genre’s many other offerings and largely forgotten about until the 2023 TV show.

Wipeout

Wipeout may not have been the first futuristic racing game to hit home consoles, but it was one of the most memorable. Many still consider Wipeout 2097 to be one of the best racing games ever made, and although not all of the series’ installments were up to the same lofty standards, the series is generally remembered fondly by those who grew up playing it. Sadly, however, Sony seems to have no interest in reviving it, with the last proper Wipeout game having been released for the Vita more than a full decade ago.

Killzone

Once touted as a potential Halo killer, the Killzone franchise never quite lived up to its billing. The closest it came was with Killzone 2, though this was bookended by two largely forgettable titles. With Call of Duty now part of the Xbox family, Sony may well look to the Guerrilla Games franchise to fill the void should it ever become an exclusive, though rebooting Resistance would arguably make a lot more sense in this regard.

SingStar

SingStar was very much a product of its era and sold incredibly well in the PAL region. Over time though, the novelty of being able to do karaoke through a video game console wore off, resulting in both dwindling sales and review scores. It definitely served a purpose and filled a gap in the market back in the early two-thousands, but there are much better options these days.

Syphon Filter

The first few Syphon Filter games were fantastic, delving much deeper into the stealth-based gameplay that was first popularized by the likes of Metal Gear Solid. Sadly, however, each subsequent release that followed them felt like something of a backward step, resulting in the series being shelved back in 2007. With Metal Gear now seemingly dead though, many are hoping that Sony will reboot Syphon Filter to fill the void.