Jubenhimer
Member
The PlayStation 4 has some of the finest first party content from Sony Interactive Entertainment in the market. Throughout its life, the system kept on getting hit exclusives like God of War, Ghost of Tsushima, Bloodborne, Dreams, Gravity Rush 2, Detroit Become Human, Horizon: Zero Dawn, and others. But a fairly common complaint is that in recent years, Sony's focus has been on so-called "Cinematic Games" based on complex stories and over-the-top set-pieces. PlayStation has always been known for this, but many felt it was a bit overkill on the PS4, and would like Sony to invest in other types of games as well.
That being said, I don't think Sony should stop focusing on Cinematic games either. As I said, PlayStation has ALWAYS been about cinematic gaming. It was their shtick compared to Sega and Nintendo, who focused more on Arcade style games. It's what helped the PS1 dominate the console market that gen, using Sony experience with other entertainment mediums, as well as the power of the CD format. The same focus continued with the PS2, PSP, and PS3. So focusing on games with "cinematic presentation" is nothing new for Sony, it's always been part of PlayStation DNA.
I think the thing that has changed is context of these cinematic games. I think in the PS1-3 eras, there was a larger degree of variety in terms of what this "cinematic" style can apply to. The games didn't all fit in to the same mold equally. Parappa the Rapper, Crash Bandicoot, Sly Cooper, Legend of Dragoon, Ape Escape, Primal, God of War, Ico, Wipeout, Crash, Spyro. These were all "Cinematic games" to varying degrees. But the context for each of these games was very different. Parappa was an interactive musical, Ape Escape was a free roaming 3D Platformer, Legend of Dragoon was a JRPG, God of War was a hack-n-slash adventure. But with most of the newer ones. At first glance, they all look like they're cut from the same third-person, over the shoulder, action-adventure mold. There's nothing Wrong with this genre. But when at least 5 of your best selling games this generation fit this description, then it's going to stick out to a lot of people.
I think another think that's changed was that the "cinematic games" of the past, still felt like actual games. They still had a decidedly gameplay focus, or at least focus on interaction. They just had some additional flavoring added as well. But with games like The Last of Us Part II, or Death Stranding, you get the sense that the developers came up with a script first, then cobbled together something for the player to do in-between those story segments. These games feel like they're trying too hard to be movies, instead of fun video games with some cinematic flair. Not all of Sony's games are like this, but these two are the examples that come to mind.
So I think Sony's focus on "Cinematic games" is a good thing, as it helps differentiate them from Nintendo and Microsoft as a first party publisher. That said, I would like for Sony and its devs to bring back the older PS1-3 style of cinematic gaming. Gameplay first games, with some added cinematic presentation, instead of the Hollywood envy approach of games like Death Stranding.
That being said, I don't think Sony should stop focusing on Cinematic games either. As I said, PlayStation has ALWAYS been about cinematic gaming. It was their shtick compared to Sega and Nintendo, who focused more on Arcade style games. It's what helped the PS1 dominate the console market that gen, using Sony experience with other entertainment mediums, as well as the power of the CD format. The same focus continued with the PS2, PSP, and PS3. So focusing on games with "cinematic presentation" is nothing new for Sony, it's always been part of PlayStation DNA.
I think the thing that has changed is context of these cinematic games. I think in the PS1-3 eras, there was a larger degree of variety in terms of what this "cinematic" style can apply to. The games didn't all fit in to the same mold equally. Parappa the Rapper, Crash Bandicoot, Sly Cooper, Legend of Dragoon, Ape Escape, Primal, God of War, Ico, Wipeout, Crash, Spyro. These were all "Cinematic games" to varying degrees. But the context for each of these games was very different. Parappa was an interactive musical, Ape Escape was a free roaming 3D Platformer, Legend of Dragoon was a JRPG, God of War was a hack-n-slash adventure. But with most of the newer ones. At first glance, they all look like they're cut from the same third-person, over the shoulder, action-adventure mold. There's nothing Wrong with this genre. But when at least 5 of your best selling games this generation fit this description, then it's going to stick out to a lot of people.
I think another think that's changed was that the "cinematic games" of the past, still felt like actual games. They still had a decidedly gameplay focus, or at least focus on interaction. They just had some additional flavoring added as well. But with games like The Last of Us Part II, or Death Stranding, you get the sense that the developers came up with a script first, then cobbled together something for the player to do in-between those story segments. These games feel like they're trying too hard to be movies, instead of fun video games with some cinematic flair. Not all of Sony's games are like this, but these two are the examples that come to mind.
So I think Sony's focus on "Cinematic games" is a good thing, as it helps differentiate them from Nintendo and Microsoft as a first party publisher. That said, I would like for Sony and its devs to bring back the older PS1-3 style of cinematic gaming. Gameplay first games, with some added cinematic presentation, instead of the Hollywood envy approach of games like Death Stranding.
