In 2007, PlatinumGames rose from the ashes of Capcom's Clover Studio, and the developer has dedicated the best part of 15 years to crafting fast-paced action games. While their releases have traditionally struggled commercially, PlatinumGames' resume is filled with highly-regarded projects, particularly when it comes to in-house IPs.
In 2022, PlatinumGames published three titles: Sol Cresta, Babylon's Fall, and Bayonetta 3. The company has certainly delivered quantity in recent months, but has that come at the cost of quality? Since 2007, the Japanese developer has released 18 projects, but which titles rank as PlatinumGames' best games?
Updated November 3, 2022 by Mark Sammut: PlatinumGames has had a busy few years, but how do the developer's recent projects compare to their early classics?
18 Babylon's Fall
PlatinumGames' licensed-era tends to be regarded as the developer's dark years, but none of those releases failed as spectacularly as Babylon's Fall. A live-service action RPG that casts players as a Sentinel climbing a large tower, Babylon's Fall is a slog consisting of bland environments filled with enemies who are not interesting enough to justify their repetitive nature.
Even in terms of combat, Babylon's Fall is among Platinum's weaker attempts and lacks the depth to carry a gameplay loop that should theoretically keep someone engaged for weeks on end. The 2022 game had such a disastrous launch that its servers will shut down towards the end of February 2023, less than a year after Babylon's Fall's debut.
17 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants In Manhattan
From the very first one on the NES to this 2016 release, there have been a lot of bad Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games. On paper, Mutants in Manhattan sounded promising, and the thought of PlatinumGames making a classic co-op brawler with their action prowess had fans excited.
Unfortunately, the final product felt rushed out the door, which is why so many licensed-based games tend to perform so badly. Poorly rehashing various mechanics from other releases by PlatinumGames, Mutants in Manhattan is messy, shallow, and painfully repetitive.
16 The Legend Of Korra
Released in 2014, The Legend of Korra is slightly better than Mutants in Manhattan. The game's combat actually feels good, while its visuals echo the show nicely. However, the environments lack detail, giving away the game's budget roots.
Everything, from said environments to what players actually do in them, feels copy-and-pasted from a template. The Legend of Korra is far from the worst game out there, but it is not all that fun either.
15 Anarchy Reigns
Anarchy Reigns is actually a pseudo-sequel to MadWorld, PlatinumGames' first-ever project. Despite its ties to the 2009 Wii title, Anarchy Reigns is a widely different beast that is structured almost like a multiplayer shooter, but one focusing on giant brawling matches.
Anarchy Reigns kind of preceded the character multiplayer genre that games like Overwatch have dominated in recent years. While interesting, this game needed more time in the oven, especially in relation to its story content. By this point, PlatinumGames had specialized in single-player content, and Anarchy Reigns came across as an unnecessary shift away from the developer's strengths.
14 Star Fox Zero/Guard
PlatinumGames has made some underwhelming licensed-based properties. Out of all of them, Star Fox Zero and its pack-in spin-off, Guard, might have been the most disappointing.
At face value, Star Fox Zero seems like a decent modern update of Star Fox 64. The game looks good, especially for the Wii U. However, the game's positives are undermined by its gyroscopic controls, perhaps one of the most polarizing design choices of the 2010s.
13 Infinite Space
A tactical RPG made for the Nintendo DS, Infinite Space is one of PlatinumGames' most obscure releases. Instead of soldiers, players commanded a fleet of ships in space. Infinite Space is quite good, even if its story is rather bare-bones for an epic space opera like this. On top of that, controlling said ships proved a bit less exciting than a squad of heroes.
Nevertheless, this is a respectable title that tackles a different genre from Platinum's usual fare. While not a must-play RPG, Infinite Space is a net positive for the DS's library.
12 Sol Cresta
Released in February 2022, Sol Cresta did not make much of a splash, a side effect of shmups not being that popular in this day and age. Reviving the Terra Cresta franchise that started in 1985 but had laid dormant since 1997, Sol Cresta is ripped right out of classic shoot 'em ups. Consequently, the game is hard-as-nails and does not go out of its way to ease players in.
Sol Cresta is an acquired taste that is difficult to recommend to non-shmup fans as it is not a great entry point into the genre. That said, people who like these types of games should check this release out.
11 World Of Demons
An iOS game, World of Demons adapts PlatinumGames' trademark hack and slash combat for mobile devices, and the transition is mostly smooth. Visually, the game looks fantastic and will likely conjure up memories of Okami in veteran fans of the developer.
More importantly, World of Demons plays well too, offering fast-paced action that lives up to Platinum's high standards. If someone has an Apple Arcade subscription, they should give World of Demons a try.
10 The Wonderful 101
The Wonderful 101 tried to do something unique with the Wii U’s touchpad. Stepping into the shoes of a Power Rangers-type team, players control citizens in order to form weapons.
This concept translated to quite a cool aesthetic, but this same innovation also holds The Wonderful 101 back from true greatness. That is to say, the Wii U’s controller made inputs hard to predict.
The Wonderful 101 Remastered brought the game to PC, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Amazon Luna. This version obviously drops the gamepad functionality, and this change comes with both positives and negatives.
9 MadWorld
MadWorld is a Wii exclusive that is basically a game show, with the premise being set up similarly to a battle royale. Players are trapped in an endless sea of contestants all fighting for their lives.
Performing tricky finishers will result in higher scores, thus assuring freedom. It’s all presented in a stylized manga, black and white aesthetic, which helps with said violence. MadWorld is one slick package that is held back a little by motion controls. Still, as PlatinumGames' debut effort, this game was a fantastic showcase of the developer's talent.
8 Transformers: Devastation
Despite what has been said about licensed games, Transformers: Devastation is wickedly fun. During an era when PlatinumGames released some of its most forgettable offerings, Devastation stood out as a beacon of hope that the developer would eventually rediscover their form.
Like Bayonetta but with giant robots, Devastation looks good and plays excellently. The Transformers game was delisted from digital stores in 2017, so players interested in trying it out will need to find a physical copy.
7 Bayonetta
Although not the developer's first great game, Bayonetta effectively put PlatinumGames on the map. Even all these years later, the eponymous witch is still the company's most recognizable character. The game is as awesome today as it was in 2009, but Platinum has made great strides since the title's release.
Bayonetta is one of the most important and best games by PlatinumGames, and it set an early bar that the developer has surpassed a handful of times. An argument could also be made that it has the most satisfying combat out of all three games, even if some other aspects of the package – QTE, genre shifts – are frustrating.
6 Astral Chain
While the studio's Switch exclusive is rough in parts, Astral Chain had fans excited for PlatinumGames’ future. The idea of summoning a Persona-type creature to aid in police investigations is truly epic.
This Switch title has all the style and action one would want from the company, with a killer soundtrack to boot. Astral Chain splits its time between exploration/investigation sequences and dungeon-style crawls, with the former lasting for potentially an hour at a time. The campaign's pacing might not be to everyone's tastes since combat is typically Platinum's selling point, but the game does a decent job with its world and characters.
5 Bayonetta 3
Released in October 2022, Bayonetta 3 shows that PlatinumGames has not lost a beat since 2009. In a series known for impeccable hack and slash combat, Bayonetta 3 somehow manages to surpass everything that came before it. Bayonetta has more tools at her disposal than ever before, and they all come together to create a deep and incredibly gratifying system.
Bayonetta 3 goes a step further by introducing two additional playable characters, both of whom are fun and unique in their own right. Compared to previous entries, the 2022 game's stages are bigger in scope, placing more emphasis on exploration. While not without its positives, this decision spreads out Bayonetta 3's greatest strength – its combat – a bit more than usual. The game is also considerably easier than either of its predecessors, which can hurt its replayability.
4 Vanquish
By 2010, cover-based third-person shooters were starting to get old. That’s why Vanquish is still so amazing. Yes, players can still hide, pop out and shoot, and repeat, but the better strategy here is to literally dive into the heat of battle.
Doing so will launch players on their knees, slowing time down, like some kind of brutal soldier/rockstar combo. Vanquish was a revelation in 2010, and the third-person shooter has aged like a glass of fine wine. If any game by Platinum deserves a sequel, it is Vanquish.
3 Bayonetta 2
As good as the 2009 game is, Bayonetta 2 is better in every way, all thanks to Nintendo footing the bill. PlatinumGames streamlined the first game's combat mechanics to a certain extent. On the one hand, this improves the game's immediate entertainment factor for newcomers to the series, but it might be disappointing for veterans.
The inclusion of references to other franchises or certain shooter segments that add variety is just icing on a delicious cake for this over-the-top witch-fu extravaganza. Bayonetta 2 is essentially a more polished, colorful, and accessible version of the original game.
2 NieR: Automata
NieR: Automata's success is incredible. This action RPG is a sequel to a cult classic PS3 and Xbox 360 game, a title that is already a spin-off to a (relatively) obscure franchise. Square Enix and PlatinumGames stepped in to revive a series known for good stories and usually underwhelming combat.
With their input, PlatinumGames helped revive NieR, introducing Yoko Taro's unique brand of storytelling to a wider audience.
1 Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
While Hideo Kojima didn’t have much input, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance certainly fits Metal Gear's tone. Handing over the reigns to PlatinumGames proved to be a brilliant idea, as the studio could more than match the franchise's penchant for over-the-top theatrics.
Raiden was rejected in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty but earned a redemption arc in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Revengeance cemented him as one of the best characters in the franchise. Built on a stellar dismemberment system, MGR: Revengeance is a near-perfect hack and slash game.