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Playstation studios make the best gameplay/combat

Do you agree?

  • Yes

    Votes: 116 27.5%
  • No

    Votes: 306 72.5%

  • Total voters
    422

AW_CL

Member
I just finished my 2nd playthrough of the last of us 2, and had a thought recently while driving. That is that for all the talk about PS studios making walking simulators and movie games, (which I do think is partially true lately) these fuckers are actually kinda industry leading in gameplay. At least in modern times.

What games on the market have better combat than say Last of Us 2, Horizon, God of War, Ghost of Tsushima, Spider-Man? These games have outstanding combat. You have options, it looks great, it looks like you’re playing a cinematic, the animations are badass, it invites self expression and creativity, it feels satisfying. It’s amazing simply put. Even if we trace it back, Uncharted 3 and 4, Ratchet and Clank (any of em), Infamous 2 and Second Son, Killzone 2 and 3. All have fucking awesome combat. Who is even competing? The only ones off the top of my head that can match or surpass would be Bungie (Halo 1-Destiny 1), Fromsoftware, old Epic Games (Gears of War trilogy) and Old OG rocksteady with their GOAT free flow Batman combat. Even non combat we just had Team Asobi basically match goddamn Nintendo platform on their first AAA outing. This seems like the talent at PS first party studios is just next level

I mean what else is gonna compete? Ubisoft? No. Witcher 3? LOL. Tears of the Kindgom? Nah. Rockstar Games? Hmmm not quite. So despite aggressive wokeness and wannabe film/tv industry aspirations, do playstation studios actually stand at the pinnacle of the industry in gameplay when you get right down to it?

PlayStation exclusives consistently provide some of the best gameplay experiences, combining immersive storytelling, stunning graphics. Neither Nintendo or Microsoft can truly compete with PlayStation when it comes to delivering top-tier gameplay experiences.



I mean, just look at this. Nintendo and Xbox games are nothing more than a fart in the wind. I'm sorry, but that's the truth.
 

Gaiff

SBI’s Resident Gaslighter
In the games I mentioned I'm not referring to the game loop but how tight it feels to control the characters. Spiderman and Ratchet feel great to play. If the game becomes repetitive or boss fights suck, it's a different design problem.
When compared to Ubisoft or even CD Projekt, I think they are better. Before RDR 2, Rockstar's gameplay wasn't a standout either.
They definitely all have great controls, but that’s just one aspect of gameplay/combat. I don’t find the combat in any of the game I bolded particularly good, merely serviceable.

As for Rockstar, I think they always sucked and still think they do after RDR2. I’d play any PS game above that slog. Will see how RDR holds up once it hits PC at the end of the month.
 
I mean, just look at this.
Confused High Quality GIF


Was there supposed to be something exciting in that clip?
 

RPCGamer

Neophyte
For the types of games they make, it fits well, but I don't think it's that simple to call them the best.

Now, someone said GaaS has the best...no. You're confusing the carefully design trap to keep you playing like an addict despite not knowing why for enjoyment.
 
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RaduN

Member
DMC (the good ones of course, especially 3), Bayonetta (1 and 2), Ninja Gaiden (1 and 2), ( honorable mention God Hand) destroy everything, EVERYTHING western studios ever attempted in an action game. They are so far ahead that's not even funny.


In terms of VS combat, the west does not exist.

TPS? Tlou2, is good bu it doesn't touch the complexity of MGSV or the perfect balance of Re4 (OG).
I'd say Gears of War 1 is the best TPS the west did.
 

TintoConCasera

I bought a sex doll, but I keep it inflated 100% of the time and use it like a regular wife
They are competent in making their games feel nice to play, but they are very shallow too imo. Other devs like Capcom or Team Ninja are much better at it.

What games on the market have better combat than say Last of Us 2, Horizon, God of War, Ghost of Tsushima, Spider-Man?
Dragon's Dogma
Dragon's Dogma 2
Monster Hunter
Dark Messiah
Metal Gear Rising
Sekiro
DMC
Bayonetta
Furi

And that's just the melee department. If we include shooters then we could talk about DOOM Eternal, FEAR, Vanquish, Blood and many more.

Basically anything lol. I'd say GOW felt nice but the others are super average imo. I'd say most of the ones you posted are Batman Arkham tier: fun and serviceable, but that's it.

OP should play more videogames.
 
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Hrk69

Gold Member


Not a single Nintendo game comes close to the combat system of Horizon. The idea that Nintendo has a better battle system than PlayStation is the biggest bullshit of all time.

All that amazing combat and it's still not enough to be called a mascot
 
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Robb

Gold Member
TLoU is amazing.

Other than that though I don’t know.. Combat in the old GoW games, when it was more of a hack n’ slash, was better than in the new ones imo, for example.

Combat in Rocksteady’s ‘old’ Batman games is still better than Insomniac’s Spider-Man games.

Etc.
 

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
DMC (the good ones of course, especially 3), Bayonetta (1 and 2), Ninja Gaiden (1 and 2), ( honorable mention God Hand) destroy everything, EVERYTHING western studios ever attempted in an action game. They are so far ahead that's not even funny.


In terms of VS combat, the west does not exist.

TPS? Tlou2, is good bu it doesn't touch the complexity of MGSV or the perfect balance of Re4 (OG).
I'd say Gears of War 1 is the best TPS the west did.
I mean if you have to go back to the PS2 and PS3 era then surely you can concede that Sony studios has been killing it the last 10 odd years.

I love MGSV but TLOU2 is better. It has dodge, way more fun enemies to fight, and while MGSV gives you an insane amount of tools to tackle each combat scenario, TLOU2's core mechanics and animations just elevate it enough to top MGSV. In terms of going prone, shooting from the prone position and the enhanced melee moveset, i'd say TLOU2 is the true successor to MGSV.
 

Skifi28

Member
I don't know about best, but most of them have great gameplay. Demon's souls, Returnal, Ragnarok, Last of us 2, Tsushima all were very fun to play with quite deep combat. If you want to incude Stellar Blade and Rise of Ronin in there as PS studios games, you can go from great to excellent. Of course around here all you're going to see is "Blah blah Sony cinematic games no gameplay" as if we're talking about Hellblade, but each to their own I guess.

Edit: Horizon 2 also has amazing combat borrowing aspects of monster hunter and combining them with a TPS. The first game had the right idea, but the execution was a little rough. The sequel really improved things and I personally couldn't stop playing even after finishing it to try new weapons/builds. Melee was poor, but you rarely had to resort to it. Seriously though, for all the hate the game seems to get, the combat easily craps on most other third person shooters I've played this gen.
 
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W11d

Member
DMC (the good ones of course, especially 3), Bayonetta (1 and 2), Ninja Gaiden (1 and 2), ( honorable mention God Hand) destroy everything, EVERYTHING western studios ever attempted in an action game. They are so far ahead that's not even funny.


In terms of VS combat, the west does not exist.

TPS? Tlou2, is good bu it doesn't touch the complexity of MGSV or the perfect balance of Re4 (OG).
I'd say Gears of War 1 is the best TPS the west did.
TLOU2 gameplay stomps every single RE game ever released. And I say it as a huge RE fan
 

Three

Member

Those beasts are tough. I remember I was farming some resource only they drop, I always ran and hid in the hills like a pussy and took potshots at them till it went down. I could never play like this.

Some TLOU2 gameplay too:



Everyone: The combat systems are cinematic but very shallow

SlimySnake: Post a cinematic combat gif
Anybody who has played GMGOW mode knows the combat system is anything but shallow.
 
They are competent in making their games feel nice to play, but they are very shallow too imo. Other devs like Capcom or Team Ninja are much better at it.


Dragon's Dogma
Dragon's Dogma 2
Monster Hunter
Dark Messiah
Metal Gear Rising
Sekiro
DMC
Bayonetta
Furi

And that's just the melee department. If we include shooters then we could talk about DOOM Eternal, FEAR, Vanquish, Blood and many more.

Basically anything lol. I'd say GOW felt nice but the others are super average imo. I'd say most of the ones you posted are Batman Arkham tier: fun and serviceable, but that's it.

OP should play more videogames.
What? “OP should play more video games”? Because in your subjective opinion some rinky dink AA eastern games are better? Get outta here. I literally just stated my own opinion and even posed it as a question with a poll

Time to unsaddle your high horse. Also Batman Arkham isn’t just serviceable it’s excellent
 

ap_puff

Member
No way. You can say that about the level of polish, but I find their combat systems quite pedestrian. Their best modern gameplay comes from their 3rd party collaborations like Returnal, Bloodborne, and Helldivers. I don't think their internal studios (outside of Housemarque who they now own) have ever made a combat system that made me feel the way, say, FF7 Remake's combat system made me feel.
 

Fbh

Member
I don't know if the best but a lot of their games do have solid combat.
To me the BIG problem is that their focus on cinematic storytelling gets in the way of the gameplay.
Like GOW Ragnarok has fun combat but you spend a lot of time on walking and talking sequences, unskippable cutscenes, awful Atreus sections, etc.
Same with TLOU2, some of the best third person shooting IMO but then you spend a large chunk of the game walking and talking, going through empty building opening mostly empty drawers looking for resources and going through lengthy unskippable story sequences with barely any real gameplay (like the aquarium Flashbacks).

My favorite part of Ragnarok ended up being the Valhalla DLC because it finally let's you enjoy the combat without being interrupted with story stuff all the fucking time.
I also think it's part of why Returnal clicked with so many people, there is an interesting setting and story there but the game is first and foremost combat focused.
 

Aenima

Member
Fuck no…..
5a392d42edaa55b836e7d3088f50f3e942a10434r1-480-270_hq.gif
Very diferent type of gameplay. I play with a bow and arrow in Monster Hunter as my secundary build, and has nothing to do with Horizon. Horizon bow and arrow works almost like a 3rd person shooter game, you can aim and hit much more easelly and feels much more intuitive. Playing good with a bow and arow in Monster Hunter is much much harder and not intuitive at all. Mastering a weapon type in Monster Hunter is the equivalent of mastering a character in a fighting game. Each weapon has especific mechanics and ways to play with that are far from intuitive and only feel good when you start being good with them.

Some of the Sony 1st party studios do very good gameplay, Uncharted / TLOU has one of the best 3rd person shooting, so does Returnal, but i feel in every category you can find games that do it better, for example, in my opinion, Metal Gear Solid 5 is still the best 3rd person shooter to beat.
 
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yurinka

Member
Unpopular opinion, but GAAS titles have best gameplay.
This year I played the GaaS Helldivers 2 and Destiny 2 The Final Shape and they have top tier gameplay, yes. Maybe the best of the year with Astro.

But well, being GaaS or not is totally unrelated to the gameplay or combat.
 
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SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
In a World where, Nioh, Sekiro, Monster Hunter, Dragon's Dogma, Wukong, Lies of P, Elden Ring, and many other exist, you choose... cinematic games with qte combat ?
I am as big a fan of Nioh and Sekiro as anyone, but they pale in comparison to bloodborne which is still From's best combat system even after Elden Ring.

Sekiro is amazing but come on, it's such a simple combat system. parry parry parry then mikiri counter every now and then and thats it. Nioh is a lot deeper and i would not chastise anyone for picking Nioh over Sony's melee champion GOW, but come on. Pretending it's insane to put them next to each other is ridiculous.

I have done 2 playthroughs of nioh. 4 of sekiro. 5 of wukong, 3 for GOW, 5 for bloodborne, and 2 of dragons dogma, and they all have their strengths and weaknesses. No game system is flawless. Where Sony games shine is marrying fun combat with gameplay design. Ragnorak's metroidvania design is far more fun than straight shot games like sekiro, nioh and wukong. BB is so much better thanks to its intricate and interconnected level design. it's not just combat. It's the overall gameplay which includes setpieces, boss battles, and combat scenarios where Sony games just do a fantastic job mixing it up where as most other developers just either focus on boss variety or enemy variety and forget about setpieces, level design and combat scenarios and every combat scenario ends up feeling the same.
 
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