For years, PlayStation Studios has built its reputation around some of the most polished cinematic single-player games in the industry. But as the PS5 generation moves forward, a familiar criticism is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore: are Sony’s biggest games starting to feel too similar?
Titles such as Ghost of Yōtei, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, God of War Ragnarök and Horizon Forbidden West are dramatically different in their settings, characters and combat systems. Yet beneath those differences, critics and players have increasingly pointed toward a recognizable PlayStation design philosophy.
Highly cinematic storytelling, third-person action, stealth mechanics, RPG-style progression, large explorable environments and spectacular scripted sequences have become staples of Sony’s biggest releases.
The formula has produced some enormously successful games. The question is whether refinement alone is still enough.
The “PlayStation Formula” Has Become Extremely Familiar
Sony’s modern approach didn’t appear overnight.
Games such as Uncharted and The Last of Us helped establish PlayStation as one of gaming’s leaders in cinematic, character-driven experiences. During the PS4 generation, Sony expanded that philosophy through God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, Marvel’s Spider-Man and Ghost of Tsushima.
But many of those franchises have now received sequels that largely build upon their predecessors rather than completely reinventing them.
That has created an unusual situation: Sony’s games can simultaneously be technically impressive, critically acclaimed and commercially successful while still feeling increasingly predictable.
Push Square raised essentially this issue when examining the PS5 generation, describing Ghost of Yōtei, God of War Ragnarök, Horizon Forbidden West and Spider-Man 2 as strong games that improve on their predecessors but generally take relatively safe approaches to their established formulas.
Great Games Can Still Feel Safe
This distinction is important.
The criticism isn’t necessarily that Sony’s first-party games are bad. In fact, their commercial performance makes that argument difficult to support.
Sony’s own figures show God of War Ragnarök reached 15 million copies sold, while Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 reached 10 million. Ghost of Yōtei sold approximately 3.3 million copies by November 2, 2025, only a month after release.
Instead, the criticism is about creative familiarity.
A new PlayStation blockbuster can offer a completely different universe while still containing many recognizable ingredients: cinematic cutscenes, third-person combat, skill trees, stealth encounters, collectibles, contextual traversal and increasingly powerful abilities unlocked throughout the campaign.
Individually, none of these mechanics are inherently problematic.
But after multiple generations of major releases built around similar principles, some players are understandably asking what Sony’s next major evolution will look like.
PlayStation Has Already Proven It Can Break the Formula
Interestingly, some of Sony’s biggest recent successes have come from games that don’t neatly fit that mold.
Astro Bot offered a colorful platforming experience dramatically different from Sony’s cinematic action games, while Helldivers 2 became a multiplayer phenomenon.
That suggests PlayStation doesn’t necessarily need to abandon cinematic single-player games. Instead, greater variety alongside them could recreate some of the unpredictability associated with earlier PlayStation generations.
The PS2, PS3 and even PS4 eras frequently placed radically different experiences beside one another.
And that’s ultimately where the current debate becomes interesting.
Sony’s blockbuster formula isn’t necessarily failing commercially. It may simply have become so recognizable that the surprise it once delivered is becoming harder to reproduce.
The next challenge for PlayStation Studios may therefore be bigger than making another excellent sequel.
It may be making players unsure of what to expect again.
FAQ
What is the “PlayStation formula”?
It’s an informal term used to describe similarities players and critics see across several modern PlayStation games, particularly cinematic third-person action, strong narrative focus, progression systems and exploration.
Are PlayStation first-party games actually failing?
No. Several major PlayStation franchises remain commercially successful. The criticism is primarily about creative familiarity rather than sales failure.
Which PlayStation games are commonly compared?
Ghost of Yōtei, God of War Ragnarök, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Horizon Forbidden West are frequently part of this discussion.
Is Ghost of Yōtei considered unsuccessful?
No. Sony reported approximately 3.3 million copies sold by November 2, 2025.
Does Sony only make cinematic third-person games?
No. Games such as Astro Bot and Helldivers 2 demonstrate considerably different approaches within PlayStation’s broader portfolio.
Does PlayStation need to abandon single-player games?
Not necessarily. The criticism is more about increasing variety and experimentation rather than abandoning the cinematic games that have become synonymous with PlayStation.
