PlayStation as both a gaming brand and game developer has a very distinct feel and aesthetic to it that even today, still feels fresh.

The "PlayStation Style" is a bit hard to pin down at first. But generally it's a game that leverages the video game medium as an interactive story telling format. PlayStation games generally have a cinematic feel with compelling narratives and distinctive, expressive characters that you grow attached to.

With varied, polished gameplay that mashes together different genres, and a presentation style that features minimal/no UI elements during gameplay and a dynamic camera that naturally frames what the game wants the player to see at nearly all times.

What games on any PlayStation (1-5 + PSP and Vita) system do you think, feels the most "PlayStation-like", meaning best encapsulates the game design ethos of PlayStation as a brand. Could be first party games from Sony themselves, or third party series that have historically been loyal to PlayStation.

I feel like if I had to pick a game that exemplifies their modern approach to game design, it's probably Horizon Forbidden West or Ghost of Yotei; open world, focus on cinematic storytelling, graphically intensive, adhering to the notion that games are a serious artistic medium for adults, etc.

Historically, you can see this shift over the course of their time as a console maker; PS1 was perhaps most defined by FF7, PS2 by GTA, PS3 by the likes of Uncharted and The Last of Us, PS4 by Horizon Zero Dawn/Spiderman/God of War 2018.

I should note that "cinematic" doesn't necessarily mean overtly story driven or has tons of cutscenes and dialogue. It's more in regards to how the game action is framed and presented to the player. Ico is a perfect example of what I'm talking about. It may not be as flashy as modern PS games like Horizon, but the way the game and it's story are presented when playing is still uniquely PlayStation. There's almost no on screen UI during gameplay, the camera is always positioned in moments to emphasize character action and what exactly the game wants the player to see, and the gameplay is entirely built off of the narrative and themes the game is trying to tell. Ico very encompasses many of the design elements typical of a PlayStation game, whether it be a first party game or a PS-centric third party game.

And as you said, the PS design philosophy was built up over each generation. The PS1 era was where the basic skeleton was formed with games like FFVII, MGS, Gran Turismo, Crash and Spyro, Parappa The Rapper, MediEvil, etc. the PS2 further developed the style with GTA III, the Jak, Ratchet and Sly trilogies, God of War 1+2, Ico and SotC, and games like Primal, Mark of Kri, and Rise to Honor. The PS3 era refined it with the likes of Uncharted, Resistance, Killzone, Little Big Planet, Last of Us, and InFamous. And the PS4 perfected it with Horizon, Spider Man, Ghost of Tsushima, Neir Automata, Until Dawn, and Death Stranding.

When I think of the most Playstation like games I can only think of PS1-PS2 era as after that Sony just chased every trend and blended in. So when we had Paprappa or Crash. Twisted Metal. Ape Escape. GT. Omgea Boost or Intelligent Cube. Then Sly Cooper. Mark of Kri. Rogue Galaxy. Dark Cloud.Wild Arms series. Medivil and the list goes on and on. Just a lot of varied and interesting IPs. There was no pattern other than trying ideas.

The modern Playstation blockbuster basically comes in two styles, the Horizon / Spiderman / Days Gone / Ghost openworld, and the story driven Last of Us / God of War. So I guess that's the current day "PlayStation-ey".

Really I want them to get back to seeing more mid tier games. I personally associate their IP like Ratchet, Wipeout and LBP more with PlayStation. Astro Bot was a good start. They need more of these smaller titles instead of the ones that take 5+ years to make.

I miss the time when it was very difficult to answer this question.

Since the late PS3 era, the stereotypical PS game is a filmic third-person action game with a heavy focus of graphical fidelity, realism, character, emotion, and narrative -- which is a big reason I've lost more and more interest in the ecosystem as the years have gone by. I guess the most PlayStation-ey game is something like Uncharted 4.

Deifinitely Uncharted, The Last Of Us and the norse God Of War games. Just quality AAA games with a stronger focus on the narrative.

I imagine the definition of "PlayStation-ey" would be games that PlayStation was built on. Because modern PlayStation is nothing like it was the first 15 years of the platforms existence.

In that case, Astro Bot, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, or Gran Turismo 7 is the most "PlayStation-ey" modern games.

The Gran Turismo franchise simple because it's one of their oldest franchises and has a game on almost every PlayStation console every made except for the PS Vita.

I know the general sentiments have changed since the 90's and 00's, but back then, the thing I was always most blown away by was how Sony could secure exclusive platformers that somehow appealed to grown men and kids. Like, you could play Crash or Ratchet or Sly and not feel like you were a toddler... even though those games certainly were designed for a younger audience. That was not the case with Nintendo. Their entire platform felt like it was aimed at your kid sister.