When Sony released the PlayStation in 1994, it changed the console industry forever. This revolutionary device sparked the most successful console series of all time, with three other generations to date. These pieces of kit have frequently smashed records, with 2013’s PS4 being the first ever console to sell a million units in a day. Over the nearly three decades since the original model came out, there have been countless game series which could be said to have defined the console. Although it is hard to choose between them all, here are three titles which many will agree are among the most important games ever created.
Tomb Raider
When you think of the first PlayStation, one of the games that springs to everyone’s mind is Tomb Raider. There is no doubt that the 1996 Tomb Raider game from Core Design and Eidos Interactive was one of the standout titles on the PlayStation. The debut game received such positive feedback and critical acclaim that the developers quickly scrambled to create another four games for that platform alone.
Lara Croft has been ever-present on the Sony consoles after the much-loved opening trilogy. However, there were only two games on the PS3 – Underworld and Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light. The franchise later became overshadowed by other offerings on newer generations of consoles. During this time, the franchise reconsidered its roots by exploring alternative games on other platforms, including slot games at sites such as Betsafe casino . Other alternative titles were released such as Lara Croft GO and Lara Croft: Relic Run, bringing the franchise to mobile gaming and all offering a different take on the series.
The recently rebooted trilogy from Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix has reinvigorated the franchise and cemented Tomb Raider as one of the best series ever made, even prompting a new movie in 2018.
Red Dead
It was a tough decision to include Red Dead over the Grand Theft Auto series for this list, as the latter has appeared on every console and been immensely popular for many more years than the Wild West epic. However, it could be argued that Red Dead is Rockstar Games’ masterpiece and the series that will live longest in the memory.
The latest offering in the Red Dead franchise was Red Dead Redemption 2, which had the second-biggest launch in the history of entertainment with $725 million made in sales in its first weekend. The sprawling open-world adventure was a niche genre, but the developers cleverly managed to make it accessible to a diverse target audience by incorporating a number of other side games such as poker and blackjack.
Metal Gear Solid
Metal Gear existed on the Nintendo Entertainment System and other early consoles in the late 1980s, but it was Metal Gear Solid – released on the PlayStation in 1998 – which really brought the series into the mainstream. This game was one of the original stealth titles and inspired a number of other games in the years that followed it. The Metal Gear series got better with age, and the most recent title, Metal Gear V: The Phantom Pain, had some of the best gameplay mechanics ever seen.
The list of consoles defining titles is endless, and there should be some notable mentions for Final Fantasy and Crash Bandicoot. With the PS5 soon approaching, could Cyberpunk 2077 be the biggest game of this new era?