5 PlayStation Series That Peaked With The First Game

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PlayStation quickly became a major force in gaming after launching its first console in the 1990s. Over five generations of consoles, they’ve published many popular and well-regarded game series. While most PlayStation series have remained strong, some started with incredibly successful first games but haven’t lived up to that initial quality in later installments. These games aren’t necessarily bad, but developers haven’t yet managed to recapture the magic of that original release.

Here are five PlayStation series that peaked with their first game.

5) LittleBigPlanet

PlayStation tried several times to create a recognizable character like Mario, and LittleBigPlanet was one of those attempts. While Sackboy didn’t become quite as popular, the first LittleBigPlanet game was very well-received by critics and sold a respectable 4.5 million copies worldwide.

The original LittleBigPlanet was a promising start, with its fresh gameplay and powerful level editor, giving PlayStation a potential blockbuster series. LittleBigPlanet 2 was a good game that built on the level editor concept, and this focus on user creation ultimately led the team at Media Molecule to develop Dreams. However, the LittleBigPlanet series never quite recaptured the magic of the first game.

4) Horizon

The Horizon series is still new, so Guerrilla Games has a great opportunity to make the next installment a significant improvement over Horizon Zero Dawn. It’s important to remember that Horizon Forbidden West wasn’t a failure – in fact, most players enjoyed it. While it didn’t have the same groundbreaking impact as the first game, it’s still a game worth playing.

The Horizon franchise is currently expanding in a lot of different ways. Since the release of Forbidden West, we’ve seen a game for PlayStation VR2 and a Horizon Lego game. There are also plans for a large online multiplayer game (Horizon MMORPG) and a three-player co-op action game. While these games sound interesting, they don’t quite feel like the core Horizon experience. Many fans are hoping Guerrilla Games will return to making a traditional sequel soon.

3) Wild Arms

Wild Arms stands out with its clever combination of Western and steampunk themes, creating a truly unique RPG world. As someone who loves Westerns in games, I might be partial, but many others agree: the original Wild Arms on PlayStation is a hidden treasure and could have launched a beloved franchise.

Sadly, none of the sequels have lived up to the quality of the first Wild Arms game. Wild Arms 3 on the PlayStation 2 came the closest, but it’s likely why we haven’t seen a new main Wild Arms title since 2007. A game called Armed Fantasia was being developed as a spiritual successor, but it appears development has stopped. Hopefully, it will eventually be released.

2) Infamous

Sucker Punch’s Infamous series, consisting of three games, was consistently well-received. While none were massive critical or commercial successes, they’re all enjoyable action games that can be completed in a weekend. Second Son may have included a few too many features designed for the PlayStation 4’s controller, but it was still a worthwhile experience.

Despite the other games, nothing quite matched the impact of Cole MacGrath’s original superhero adventure. Its realistic and dark approach to superpowers was unique, and the surprising ending was truly shocking. While the sequels and Second Son were solid, Sucker Punch wasn’t able to elevate the series to even greater heights.

1) Ape Escape

Ape Escape is a classic game from the original PlayStation. It was groundbreaking because it was the first to fully utilize the DualShock controller, and it became one of the best 3D platformers of its time. The game’s full camera control made movement feel smoother and more intuitive than most games available then.

Unfortunately, the initial appeal of the game wasn’t enough to keep it ahead of its competitors for very long. While the two sequels were good and even introduced some clever new gameplay elements, the series never reached the same heights again. It’s especially disappointing that Sony closed Japan Studio in 2021, making a new Ape Escape game seem very unlikely. It’s been over ten years since anyone attempted a new installment, and the studio’s closure feels like the final end for the Ape Escape series.

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2026-04-25 22:11