Actually, I would argue the biggest issue with the games you're talking about is the investment of time and complexity. As an adult, if I see anything but an RPG needing 50+ hours to beat it's like... nope. Back in the day, you could beat MGS in under ten hours. The only games that were massive were RPGs. And I feel like the industry was better for it.

But that's just my opinion.

I'm not as harsh in regard to massive games, but the size of a game is definitely a big consideration when I decide what to play next. Usually I don't want to play two massive games back-to-back, and sometimes I want even more than one smaller game between massive games. I've played massive games back-to-back in the past, and it ends up getting pretty fatiguing to me when it can take months to finish just one game. It's also annoying, because many massive games have relatively little respect for the player's time. I still do enjoy larger games too, but they're so big I have to be be picky about them and also mix in some smaller games so they don't become a chore.

And then those massive games also slap on a New Game+ mode, which usually contains barely anything new. Seriously? That NG+ is doing absolutely nothing for my will to replay a massive game: usually I just don't, and if I do, it's regardless of the existence of NG+. NG+ can be a great mechanic, but usually it's for smaller games. MGS games are a great example of smaller games that can and do really benefit from what are essentially NG+ features.

To be fair, the PS3 and even the PS4 have that level of variety and experimentation as well when you consider games like Folklore, LBP, Journey, Entwined, Gravity Rush 2, Concrete Genie, and a lot of the PS Move/PS VR stuff. PS5 is really the only coughing baby in this regard.

I would say peak Playstation-feeling games back in the day had a Nintendo feel but slightly edgy like the Jak and Daxter games.

Playstation on the whole remains an excellent platform as far as I'm concerned. But limiting this to first party, it took a nosedive starting from the PS4 generation or even before it.

Modern "Playstation-ey" games aren't really Playstation-ey by PS1, 2, and arguably 3 standards, because they comparatively lack in diversity and productivity. In the old days, Playstation fans often bragged about Sony actually being more diverse than Nintendo. No one says this anymore outside maybe art-styles. I'm not saying all their games play and feel the same, but they're not nearly as varied or productive as they used to be. In this respect, PS1 > PS2 > PS3/PSP > PS4/Vita > PS5. In my opinion they got worse every generation.

I like how Veknoid Outcast puts it; that we can define a Playstation-ey game at all is a shame. But honestly, it's understandable when you look at how much popular and successful Sony's standard modern game is. Shadow of the Colossus, a PS2 defining game and an all-timer, sold like 2 million copies. So their new focus is for the most part justified from a business standpoint, people actually buy their new stuff. I still appreciate that they really tried during their 2 best generations.

On the bright side: Stellar Blade, AstroBot, and Helldivers 2 releasing in the same year gives me hope that they're improving. Returnal and Saros also have a unique feel to them that adds some needed diversity to their lineup. And Marvel's Tokon is self-explanatory.

By 2008 onwards it stopped feeling like the rule and became the exception.

100%

Like I said, back then, you could play their platformers and not feel like you were playing a game aimed at kids.

I can totally relate to all of that. A few months back, I decided to finally push through the SNES's RPG list. I had avoided all of them all my life and felt like it was now or never. So I bought them all and blasted through them.

Holy shit...

Needless to say, I am glad I finally got to experience Chrono Trigger, FF6 etc... but by the time I was done, I was done... if you know what I mean. I don't think I have it in me to ever play two huge games back-to-back again. And some games, like Death Stranding 2, I can't even get to the fifth chapter. I just can't.

Back in the PS1 days, the games that really made me want a Playstation were the Crash Bandicoot trilogy.

check PS1-3