Talking Point: Are You Getting Sick of Sony’s Supposedly ‘Samey’ Approach to Story Telling?

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A new IGN article about Sony’s approach to storytelling in its first-party games has gone viral.

The article – called ‘I’m Getting Bored of Every PlayStation Game Telling the Same Story’ – has sparked both support and criticism, which is exactly what a strong opinion piece aims to do.

But do you agree with it?

The main idea of this piece isn’t new: Sony’s first-party game developers – including studios like Naughty Dog and Santa Monica Studio – are increasingly building their stories around themes of loss and getting even. They’re using grief and revenge as central elements to shape how their narratives unfold.

PlayStation has become well-known recently for creating more sophisticated stories. These games feature realistic graphics, exceptional acting that rivals movies, and unmatched production quality.

Fans are really asking for these kinds of games when the platform owner discusses putting money into live service options. It’s what they want to see.

However, regarding the article discussed earlier, the stories – which were initially fresh and distinct – are starting to become similar to one another.

Take The Last of Us 2, for instance. It explores how violence keeps repeating itself. By following Ellie’s quest for revenge – and cleverly letting us play as Abby, too – the game shows us what happens when someone can’t move past their rage. It demonstrates the consequences of holding onto anger and the destructive cycle it creates.

I’ve noticed this same idea pop up in the God of War series too! It started way back with the original Greek games – though they didn’t talk about that part in the article – and really came into its own with the Norse adventures, which are much more focused on dealing with grief and loss. It’s really interesting to see how that theme has evolved!

The reason we’re writing this piece is Ghost of Yotei, a story centering around the new character Atsu and her quest for revenge against the Yotei Six. Essentially, it’s about her pursuit of those responsible for something that happened to her.

The article then looks at how other games, like Marvel’s Spider-Man and Returnal, deal with the sadness of losing family. As a fan, I was a little surprised it didn’t mention how Horizon Forbidden West and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart also touched on those themes, though!

We feel the argument isn’t quite solid, but we do appreciate the author’s perspective to some degree.

I’ve noticed something cool connecting a lot of Sony’s games – like how most are played from that third-person, over-the-shoulder view, and how intense the stories always are. It’s not for everyone, sure, but it really shows me what PlayStation is aiming for in 2025. It’s like a signature style, you know?

However, it’s also important to highlight examples that don’t quite follow the established pattern, if only to provide a balanced perspective.

Horizon Forbidden West, for instance, has a lot more in common with stories aimed at Young Adults than the intense, realistic style of shows like those on HBO that Sony has produced.

While there are moments dealing with family loss – like the character of Rost in the original Horizon Zero Dawn game – the story mainly focuses on a world after the apocalypse, dominated by robotic dinosaurs built by tech-savvy individuals. It really doesn’t follow the typical pattern for this kind of story at all.

In fact, neither does Astro Bot or Stellar Blade.

(It should be obvious that Gran Turismo 7 isn’t a story about a Nissan Skyline trying to get even after an earlier version was destroyed.)

It’s simply human to experience grief and seek revenge, and these feelings often serve as the initial spark for stories – not just in video games, but in all kinds of storytelling.

Many people believe Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is among the best games released this year, and a large part of its narrative focuses on family conflicts and the consequences of grief. It’s a story deeply rooted in familial struggles and the pain of losing loved ones. The emotional core of the game centers on these themes.

Actually, the entire story revolves around groups of courageous fighters venturing into another realm to end a yearly practice that causes them to lose their loved ones.

This raises a question: if Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 had been developed by PlayStation Studios, would it be facing the same criticisms? And even if it were, would that diminish its quality as a fantastic game?

The truth is, Sony creates much more than just the story-driven, often melancholic games it frequently gets criticized for.

The upcoming fighting game Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls won’t likely focus much on revenge – you’ll probably only see that theme when repeatedly challenging friends to rematches. And because we know so little about Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, it wouldn’t be right to compare it to the other game at this point.

It’s possible that Marvel’s Wolverine, a gritty take on the well-known comic book hero, will explore comparable ideas. Perhaps it will tackle similar themes.

But isn’t that just part of who the character *is*? I mean, if that’s true, why are people only coming down on the game developers? Shouldn’t the original comic book folks be getting some heat too, for making a main character whose reasons and feelings are, well, kinda like Spider-Man’s? It feels a little unfair, honestly. I’m just saying, if it’s a problem with the core concept, shouldn’t we be looking at where it started? It’s just a thought.

We believe the truth is that while some of these games share similar themes, they aren’t actually the same. The Last of Us 2 is nothing like God of War Ragnarok – the way their worlds are built and the reasons behind the characters’ actions are entirely different.

It’s certainly likely that the teams at PS Studios inspire and encourage one another, and this probably results in some shared characteristics as they exchange ideas and learn from each other.

But all of the games discussed ultimately have their own tone, identity, and lore.

While they might seem similar on the surface, it’s an oversimplification to group them together just because they share a certain feeling. It’s similar to saying you’ve grown tired of science fiction simply because a lot of it takes place in space.

The biggest issue, in our opinion, is that Sony’s tendency towards a more intense, movie-like style of storytelling doesn’t appeal to all players. Although not every game they release follows this pattern – as we’ve already mentioned – it is a core part of what makes Sony games unique.

We recognize that this approach isn’t for everyone, but it’s actually where PlayStation really shines.

It would be similar to asking Nintendo to halt production of its bright, colourful character-based platforming games, claiming they’ve become repetitive. Again, that’s not all that the Mario Maker releases offer – but it does make up a substantial part of them.

It feels a bit strange discussing this now, considering PlayStation’s recent attempts to expand into new areas – like ongoing, live-service games with the hugely popular Helldivers 2 and the unfortunately unsuccessful Concord – have faced so much pushback from players. However, that’s probably a topic for another time. Perhaps we can discuss it another day.

We’d really like to hear your thoughts, as we’re wondering if you’re experiencing the same burnout as the author in the IGN article. If you are, what specifically about these stories is making you lose interest?

Do you find that Sony’s exclusive games often have similar stories? Are you hoping for more diverse narratives in your PlayStation games, and can you share specific examples of what you would like to see? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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2025-10-03 14:09