The Best PlayStation Game From Every Console Generation

Every PlayStation generation has been filled with bangers, but there has always been one that has stood out. A game that either innovated the industry or a franchise that reinvented itself with a new entry. Whether it was for the PlayStation 2 or the PlayStation 5, these titles utilised every ounce of power available.

This list will take you through the PlayStation’s many different generations and highlight the best game that appeared on the PS1, PS2, PS3, PS4, and PS5. These will be titles that best represent each PlayStation console. Ones that had amazing visuals and a terrific story, worthy of naming them the best PlayStation game of that era. With that said, here are the best games from every PlayStation console generation.

Metal Gear Solid – PlayStation 1

Metal Gear Solid was a huge achievement for the PlayStation 1 era. It was a cinematic storytelling game featuring a complex narrative and a 3D structured environment. Gameplay had stealth at its core. Action games were the norm at the time, and stealth being fun was the last thing anyone expected. But Metal Gear Solid 1 went in favor of creating something unique and managed to make one of the best stealth gameplay loops.

Metal Gear Solid 1 had cinematic storytelling and innovative gameplay. It strengthened the case for video games as an art form. And for that reason, it was one of the first notable games presented in 3D that went beyond just copying what’s popular. Metal Gear Solid was fun on the PlayStation 1, and its remasters are just as much. Looking back now, it’s truly a game that symbolizes the best games of the PlayStation 1 console generation.

Shadow of the Colossus – PlayStation 2

There are arguments for God of War 2 and Metal Gear Solid 3 as the best PlayStation 2 games ever made. But while they are masterpieces too, it’s hard to ignore the impact of Shadow of the Colossus.

Shadow of the Colossus was ahead of its time. In an era where platformers and action games were mainstream, Shadow of the Colossus took a big risk by being a puzzle adventure game. It featured a seamless, interconnected open world where only sixteen giant colossi roamed. There were no other NPCs, points of interest, or towns at all. It was just a beautiful, desolate landscape backed by a calming color palette and a clear direction of what to do.

You were to eliminate the colossi in the hope of resurrecting a loved one. Shadow of the Colossus was a minimalist game. With minimal encounters, no flashy upgrade screens, and no versatile combat system. It was a pure puzzle adventure game riding on an emotional story. Fortunately, everyone loved Shadow of the Colossus, and its impact has been so great that it’d be hard to go against its placement as the best PlayStation 2 game.

The Last of Us – PlayStation 3

The Last of Us is one of the best games on the PlayStation 3 to tell a grounded narrative. Its story uses the entire world as its playground, but despite its scale, it never remains a stranger to displaying emotional interactions between characters. The themes of loss, hope, and human connections are all brilliantly represented in the narrative.

But when the narrative takes a back seat, plenty of stealth-driven segments fill in the gaps. You’re constantly navigating a post-apocalyptic world with both human and monster threats. When bandits aren’t hot on your trail, you are trying to slip by infected zombies. And when neither of the two works out, engaging in tough gunfights is the only option. All these encounters are further made memorable by visuals. Given how it succeeds in every aspect, there’s simply no denying that The Last of Us is the peak of the PlayStation 3. 

God of War (2018) – PlayStation 4

As talked about before, the God of War series is one of PlayStation’s best IPs. God of War 2, in particular, was so good that it could be called the best PlayStation 2 game of all time. In the series’ history, though, there was a point where its future was unclear. After God of War: Ascension was released in 2013, there was a question as to what the next game in the series would look like. 

If God of War delivered another title with the same aerial view and beat ‘em up combat, it’d just be more of the same. Studios were putting out innovative content for the PlayStation 4, and it seemed like God of War wouldn’t be able to keep up. But then the unexpected happened. The series reinvented itself with God of War (2018). This God of War was a soft reboot. It kept Kratos’ backstory but dived into the new Norse Mythology. Combat was now more intense, slower, and evolved throughout the game. The aerial perspective was dropped for an over-the-shoulder view, and that helped tell a tight-knit narrative.

This time, we saw the fatherly side of Kratos, one that nobody thought existed. The journey to spread his wife’s ashes was wholesome. And times when Kratos lost his cool would bring out the retired God of War hidden inside him. God of War (2018) was simply a wild ride from start to finish. From visuals and gameplay to the narrative, it delivered on every aspect, and in retrospect, there is no doubt in calling it the best PlayStation 4 game.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 – PlayStation 5

We’re still a long way out from the PlayStation 5 era officially ending. For now, though, it’s easy to call Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 the best PlayStation 5 game to date. For starters, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is the ultimate showcase of the PS5’s power. The game has instant load times. Even if you fast-travel, there is no loading screen, only a buttery smooth transition. There is a 60fps Performance Mode and a dynamic 4K 30fps Fidelity Mode. And the best part is, both modes have ray tracing and don’t stutter. That goes to show you how well Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is optimized and designed for the PS5.

But when putting the technical aspects aside, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 also excels as a game. It has a gorgeous and gigantic open-world. Spider-Man’s swinging has never been so smooth, and this time, he can glide as well. Combat has a whole new layer of depth to it, and new superpowers are included. A large number of Spider-Man’s rogues gallery is present too, and no other game has been able to recreate such a lively superhero experience. All in all, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is the best PS5 game yet.