Xbox does have two franchises that I thoroughly enjoy in Halo and Forza. I cant disagree with the value that Game Pass provides to some gamers. For me, renting my games is not something I want to do, especially when those games can be removed at any time. With Nintendo, some of my favorite games and franchises have resided with Nintendo. My favorite game of all time, Chrono Trigger, debuted first on the SNES. I personally feel that Link to the Past and Super Metroid are both master pieces that still hold up long after their release.
However when it comes to games, my favorite franchises and games are on the Playstation. Yes, third party games like Mass Effect, Borderlands, etc provide great experiences but its the first party title that truly define a console. Playstation has always had great first party titles, but this generation has been huge. Lets look at some of the games that have touched a lot of people: Death Stranding, Dreams, Concrete Genie, Bloodborne, God of War, Gran Turismo, and Marvel’s Spider-Man. Then there are my favorites: Uncharted 4, Horizon Zero Dawn, and The Last Of Us Part II.
All of these games are favorites for so many people for a lot of reasons. Nathan Drake and the Uncharted series has been my favorite franchise since I first played Uncharted 1 on PS3. Naughty Dog is an amazing studio that not only gave people Jax & Daxter but also a truly great series in The Last of Us. They could have taken the safe route but they continued the story they envisioned. It was an amazing roller coaster that was an amazing, emotion piece of story telling.
Sony has always pushed their studio to tell the stories they want to tell; to make great experiences. They allows Cory Barlog and Santa Monica Studios to reinvent Kratos for a new generation. With Naughty Dog, they did not hesitate to let Neil Druckman and his team to a lesbian main character, a trans character, and kill off a major character. They allowed Guerrilla to move from making first person shooter Killzone and reinvent themselves with Horizon Zero Dawn. They supported Sucker Punch when they wanted to move away from Infamous and make the latest Playstation exclusive, Ghost of Tshushima. Even Hideo Kojima went to Sony and said he wanted to make something different and new, and they fully supported him.
In a time where companies are more focused on online multiplayer, the extra revenue that a Game As A Service could bring in micro transactions, or pushing the Netflix of gamin, Sony is pushing for those single player narratives that truly engage the players, especially on an emotional level. This is what I love about Sony and Playstation. They want player to truly experience their games, and for a lot of us, their games have helped us heal from tragedy and loss.
I have grown into a different gamer this generation, from the birth of my sons, to the loss of my mother. I want stories that I can play, enjoy, and not have to worry about always playing online. The Playstation 4 has grown with me this generation. They allowed me to play through God of War with my son. They allowed me to truly begin healing from the loss of my mother with The Last of Us Part II. Their games just resonate with me on a level that Xbox and Nintendo do not. I truly hope that Sony doesn’t now lose their way with the PS5 and keeps the story telling truly going because these are the stories that I want to pass on to my kids. This is where I want to play.
