PlayStation's Best Franchises

By: Max Cannon

It's not just Nintendo that's well-known for awesome franchises, PlayStation has made some beloved series since the original console launched back in the early 90's. Some of their franchises have been around since the earlier years and are still releasing awesome games today. Check out our top three favorite PlayStation franchises!

3. LittleBigPlanet

Media Molecule's first game was also the start of one of PlayStation's best franchises. The first entry in the series released on October 27th, 2008 and was one of the earliest platformers to focus around building your own worlds and uploading those levels for others to play through. No longer did you need to be a professional game developer to design crazy challenges and, better yet, you could download the creations of others through their store which extended the life of the game once you finished up the single-player story mode.

The last time we saw an entry in the series was 2014's LittleBigPlanet 3 for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 but that doesn't mean Media Molecule is done making this type of game, even though they only made the first and second entries. Gamers and critics alike enjoy Tearaway even if a lot of players skipped over it. And Dreams seems to take the ideas of LittleBigPlanet and grow it into the 3D gaming space rather than sticking to the 2D era of LittleBigPlanet.

2. Uncharted

Nathan Drake's adventures have all the makings of a successful blockbuster franchise. Astounding visuals, likable characters, and thrilling set pieces made the franchise a staple of Sony's lineup on PlayStation 3. Similar to the modern Marvel movies, Uncharted sits in that middle space of T-rated content that kids and adults alike can enjoy together and, to further the comparison, Nathan Drake's pain tolerance may as well make him a superhero. 

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End Game Review - PS4

The most recent entry in the series was the spin-off Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, a game which left Nathan Drake behind and focused on Chloe Frazer who first showed up in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Naughty Dog's next big project is The Last of Us Part II so there's no word on any more Uncharted games, which may be the perfect thing this franchise needs. While some of the games have been better than others, there has yet to be a bad Uncharted game, so it's not a bad move to put the franchise on ice before things could go badly. And, aside from the Vita game Uncharted: Golden Abyss, you can play all the mainline Uncharted games on PS4.

1. Ratchet & Clank

Our favorite PlayStation franchise isn't even created by one of Sony's own studios but by the second-party team over at Insomniac Games. The most recent release was a PlayStation 4 remake of the original PlayStation 2 game so there's no better way to start the series, though you wouldn't be missing out by playing some of the awesome earlier games like Ratchet games like Crack in Time or Tools of Destruction. With how successful that latest entry was, I wouldn't be surprised if another entry was planned for sooner rather than later.

 

However, it's not like Insomniac Games has a lot of time to focus on another Ratchet and Clank considering that they have another PlayStation exclusive releasing later this year with Spider-Man. Of course, the family-friendly charm, tight platforming, and crazy weapons make Ratchet & Clank our favorite PlayStation franchise.

Insomniac's next game doesn't feature Ratchet but Marvel's most famous hero.Courtesy of PlayStation

Have Your Say!

Which PlayStation franchises are your favorites? What would you like to see return and which series do you think could take a break? Share your thoughts below!