Underrated PlayStation Exclusives That Flew Under The Radar

Some of the best games in the gaming industry are PlayStation exclusives, and that’s a de facto fact about the nature of the business at hand. Front-runners such as God of War, Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us, and Uncharted have remained the big three of the platform for years on end, with many others following in their grand footsteps. However, certain titles over the years have failed to get the recognition they deserve, at least in my opinion, and that is unrightfully so. 

The concept of this piece is to cast a lens on titles that have flown under the radar of so many folks down the road and to specify why you should give these a go. Make sure to sift through each listing diligently for the best results.   

These PlayStation Titles Deserve A Lot More Love 

In case you have a contribution to make to the list, feel free to post a comment down below and spread the word. 

1. Astro’s Playroom 

It’s baffling to me how easily Astro’s Playroom gets missed by new PlayStation 5 owners. Regarded as a mere “tech demo” by many, let me tell you this: No other game quite utilizes the potential of the PlayStation 5 and its exclusive controller DualSense quite like Astro’s Playroom. Featuring a swath of different levels, with each sporting its own quirks and antics, there’s no other lightweight, fun, and casual platformer I’d rather play on my PS5. 

Suffice to say therefore that Team Asobi did a masterful job developing Astro’s Playroom right from the ground up, making sure each button press and sequence flows in perfect sync with the player. You could only imagine my happiness and satisfaction when the last State of Play finally made an Astro’s Playroom sequel official, coming later in September this year. 

2. Infamous: Second Son

From the creators of Ghost of Tsushima remains an icon buried in time, the eclectic Infamous franchise by Sucker Punch Productions. Infamous: Second Son, widely considered one of the best in the series, follows the story of Delsin Rowe as he navigates life out in an imagined version of Seattle with superpowers, while offering enough player agency to decide what path the protagonist is going to walk on, whether a good or bad. 

Given the right circumstances, Infamous: Second Son is one of the few games where you can play as a villain as well, but that’s not important right now. What matters is that the title at hand couldn’t enjoy the appeal it aspired to have over time, leading the game to become underrated to a certain extent. Definitely give this a shot if you haven’t already.  

3. Gravity Rush

Gravity Rush by Japan Studio is magisterial on multiple levels, featuring a unique mechanic of flipping in-game gravity which allows the player to exercise movement in irregular planes of direction. Talk about an overly lovable protagonist, a story that does not make a lot of sense but is pretty enjoyable regardless, and, of course, fantastic art direction that keeps you engaged throughout the gameplay. 

It also saw a sequel multiple years after its initial release in the name of Gravity Rush 2, a beautiful RPG masterpiece that’s much deserving of a PC port. However, now that Xbox has decided to can Japan Studio — the maker of the IP — don’t think that’s going to happen anytime soon. 

4. The Order: 1886

The Order: 1886 is one gem of a PlayStation exclusive, at least in my eyes, that boasted some of the best graphics back in the day as a PS4 title, even standing up to some of today’s greats in 2024.  But not just that, the third-person shooter’s emphasis on cinematic cutscenes and gameplay made it a pretty fascinating experience to enjoy and still does. 

Unfortunately, some pitfalls, such as a short campaign length and repetitive cover-oriented gameplay, made The Order: 1886 look bad in the eyes of critics. That said, Ready at Dawn — the developer — still did a good job with the title in my eyes, especially with the atmosphere aspect. Feel free to give this one a shot if you’re into narrative-driven experiences. 

5. Days Gone

A game like Days Gone only comes along once in a very long while, which surprises me as to why the title couldn’t get the attention it deserves. Superb writing, a fantastic zombie horde mechanic, and terrific characters that are just nothing but joy to play as are some of the biggest strengths of the post-apocalyptic zombie game, not to mention its sheer unpredictability that’s always going to have you at the edge of your seat.   

The most underrated game I’ve ever played.
byu/praisethesunbruh inDaysGone

Days Gone couldn’t get the critical reception it warranted, despite hitting the nail on the head with its gameplay. The criticism, despite being valid, does not outweigh all the good things the game’s got going for it, but sadly, the title couldn’t hit the numbers it naturally wanted to.  

6. Returnal

Returnal, one of the best exclusives of the PlayStation 5 this generation, is both underrated and underplayed, with developer Housemarque being relatively obscure in the eyes of the players. The game solves one of the biggest complaints of PlayStation players in the sense that it does not delve into the cinematic side, and is rather based on pure gameplay. Despite that, it was the least finished game of 2021, because a lot of people jumped the gun too early.

eXputer rated Returnal’s PC port 4.5/5.0 in its review, with author Usama Mehmood remarking, 

Now that Returnal is out in all its glory for the PC, a plethora of new players can experience this masterpiece, albeit with some minor hiccups along the way.”