The PlayStation 4 has a large array of exclusive games with unique storylines and a variety of settings. Most of them are story-heavy, which leads to many well-developed, flawed, and round characters. These characters are based on their depth and likability so someone like Astro Bot, who is mostly a mascot, does not make the cut.
Some characters, on the other hand, fall in the line of being static, boring, or plain annoying. Sony games are known for their storytelling making for a treasure trove of characters to analyze. There will be light spoilers ahead for some character arcs.
10 Best: Connor (Detroit: Become Human)
Connor is the most lovable, awkward, and quirky android in Detroit: Become Human. He is a great detective, depending on how you play, but he also has a difficult time with human interactions and emotions.
Whereas other androids became deviant early on, Connor struggles with the choice throughout the game. The struggle is epitomized through his relationship with Lieutenant Hank Anderson, which evolves via player choice.
9 Worst: Emily (Until Dawn)
Until Dawn is filled with annoying teenagers who make lousy decisions and have stupid drama. Add this to a haunted house and you get a campy horror movie of a video game. Out of all the characters, Emily is the most annoying.
She is smart, with her 4.0 GPA, but she is also condescending, narcissistic, and plain mean. The developers accomplished their goal of making an annoying character, which plays into an important decision regarding Emily's fate later on.
8 Best: Nathan Drake (Uncharted 4: A Thief's End)
The Nathan Drake from the first three installments was a wise-cracking, somewhat selfish adventurer. He is driven by greed and the desire for treasure. Drake faces that greed head-on in Uncharted 4 as he reevaluates the true reason for his globe-trotting antics.
His character growth and sheer likability make him one of the best characters on PlayStation. Sure, he is the stereotypical video game protagonist but Uncharted 4 takes a major step in examining and adding depth to his character, especially through his marriage with Elena.
7 Worst: Lucas Kellan (Killzone Shadow Fall)
The only thing most people remember Killzone Shadow Fall for is its vibrant graphics, which successfully demonstrated the PlayStation 4's power early on. Few people remember Killzone Shadow Fall for its story and gameplay. That's because it was full of cliches and first-person combat encounters that failed to bring any tension.
Lucas Kellan is an underdeveloped protagonist that does not have any real personality. He is, simply, a soldier that mows through Helghast soldiers and Black Hand terrorists.
6 Best: Aloy (Horizon Zero Dawn)
At a young age, Aloy was an outcast, despised by her tribe. This shapes her personality and actions throughout the game. She is blunt and honest without the wisdom of restraint - most likely due to her lack of social interaction.
This flaw is a strength as Aloy stands up for those in need and subjected by unjust laws. She has the power to disobey traditions in favor of someone else's well-being. Aloy's persistence and compassion in the face of tradition is encouraging, making her a worthy protagonist.
5 Worst: Deacon St. John (Days Gone)
Deacon's backward cap, leather jacket, and large rings are laughable. He is the stereotypical loud man who is trying to look tough. The biker caricature went so far that it's unrealistic. Deacon's constant yelling and cursing is so humorful that it's hard to take him seriously.
The thing is, Days Gone is not a satire. Sony Bend wants the player to take him seriously. It's hard to do that when Deacon spazzes out in angry dialogue every time he kills someone or yells at no one when he listens to an audio log.
4 Best: Kratos (God Of War)
The original Kratos would be far from a good protagonist. He was a chaotic, angry killer fueled with revenge. The God Of War reboot transformed the character in an authentic way by giving him a son, Atreus.
Kratos has to control his anger so Atreus won't fall victim to it as he did. The demi-god realistically struggles with anger in a world where he must fight to survive. It's an interesting tale of fatherhood and personal growth that humanizes one of the most inhuman characters in gaming.
3 Worst: Galahad (The Order: 1886)
The Order:1886 had good graphics. That's about it. The game takes seven hours to beat and most of that time does not feature gameplay. Not much can be said about the main character, Galahad, except that he has an awesome mustache.
He does not have much of a back story and his main character trait is that he is poignant and sometimes gets angry. For a game focused on narrative, the protagonist does not have much of a story to tell.
2 Best: Ellie (The Last Of Us Part 2)
Ellie is not a good person. She is the victim of the dark world she grew up in. Gamers were mad at Ellie throughout The Last Of Us Part 2 because they did not agree with her actions. With that being said, there is no denying the fact that Ellie is one of the most in-depth characters in gaming.
It's fascinating to watch her emotional struggle due to her relationship with Joel. She is confused and hurt but she is also determined to survive. Her complexity and realistic up and down morality is a masterclass in character development.
1 Worst: Delsin Rowe (Infamous Second Son)
Delsin may be the only protagonist on this list that is not objectively bad. He is, though, immature and arrogant. It's ok to start a character off like this (it happens all the time in anime) but Delsin does not undergo any substantial development.
He is always causing unwarranted trouble and he is mean to most people, especially his well-meaning brother. Whereas Cole MacGrath had too little personality, Delsin had too much.