Support NeoGAF

[itshutton]

I have been a fan of God of War for the last couple of decades. I always enjoyed the gameplay and epic nature of the games. But with the recent God of War titles, they have reached a new level and the story and emotional connection for me makes the Norse saga a tier above.

I have also been a Naughty Dog fan, but Uncharted 4 and TLOU2 have felt super bloated to me and Naury Dog seems to have remained stagnant for the last few years.

Insomniac are fast becoming Sony’s most important studio and output quality titles on a very regular basis, but have always seemed slightly lower quality titles.

So GAF tell me, who is Sony’s best Studio.

 

[metareferential]

We'll wait until we have a true PS5 game from any of the studios.

 

[ManaByte]

Insomniac says what.

 

[Syphon Filter]

Insomniac and Naughty Dog are better even though I didn't like TLOU 2. God of war has not been good since God of War 3.

 

[Physiognomonics]

Yes. Undoubtedly. TLOU2 was an incredible disappointment as Druckman litteraly killed Sony franchise in order to "subvert expectations".

 

[NeonGhost]

I say insomniac because they have more of a variety of games

 

[crunchyBiscuits]

I'm gonna wait until the game actually releases and I get to play it before I decide. GoW 2018 was excellent but my personal GOTY was RDR2

 

[Spukc]

Yes

No

Yes

Maybe

No

 

[Black_Stride]

 

[GHG]

I'd say insomniac because the rate at which they manage to pump out high quality AAA games is incredible. Struggle to think of another studio like them across the whole industry.

 

[Bartski]

cuckmann crew still imo

 

[Punished Miku]

I think God of War 2018 was the best Sony exclusive on ps4. It does a much better job of actually making some interesting gameplay to go along with the cinematic graphics than ND does for my taste. The toss and recall axe was pretty novel at the time.

ND hides so much behind full realism that it really limits what kind of gameplay they can do. Never will we see fantasy level design with puzzles or intricate combat because its too "gamey." But I honestly think it takes more creativity to make a fantasy world.

ND are still ahead on graphics. They are their own worst enemy though with how much they limit their experimentation. If they made more varied games then I think they obviously have the talent to be the best at Sony. But they don't mix it up a lot.

SSM almost never mixes it up either. Just been God of War for decades. Very much looking forward to the new IP from both teams. That will be the time to see the new ranking in my opinion.

 

[Dragon_Rocks]

I feel Sucker Punch is better. They have created a variety of games rather than sticking to a specific franchise and type of game. From Sly to Infamous to GoT. Santa Monica has been stuck with GoW for so long. ND has been stuck creating Thrid person cinematic games now. The others are okay I guess.

 

[Markio128]

 

[TheThreadsThatBindUs]

We'll wait until we have a true PS5 game from any of the studios.

Ratchet & Clank wants a word with you.

 

[Mister Wolf]

They've been better than Naughty Dog since GOW 2018.

 

[gow3isben]

1. Santa Monica
2. Insomniac
3. Naughty Dog
4. Guerilla
5. Sucker Punch
6. Housemarque
7. Bluepoint
8. Bend

 

[ChiefDada]

Insomniac has prove itself as Sony's most important studio. Not only has output been tremendous considering negative impact of the pandemic, but they've managed to produce true next gen games (Rift Apart) while also including next gen features in cross gen games (RT in spider-man), and normalized 40fps/vrr useage. They make as much use of the new hardware as possible and dont use the crossgen excuse like most of their peers do. They are putting the big 3 PS Studios to shame (ND, GG, SSM).

 

[Spukc]

I think God of War 2018 was the best Sony exclusive on ps4. It does a much better job of actually making some interesting gameplay to go along with the cinematic graphics than ND does for my taste. The toss and recall axe was pretty novel at the time.

ND hides so much behind full realism that it really limits what kind of gameplay they can do. Never will we see fantasy level design with puzzles or intricate combat because its too "gamey." But I honestly think it takes more creativity to make a fantasy world.

ND are still ahead on graphics. They are their own worst enemy though with how much they limit their experimentation. If they made more varied games then I think they obviously have the talent to be the best at Sony. But they don't mix it up a lot.

SSM almost never mixes it up either. Just been God of War for decades. Very much looking forward to the new IP from both teams. That will be the time to see the new ranking in my opinion.

 

[Fart Knight]

They are all one trick ponies

 

[Trazyn the Infinite]

I have been a fan of God of War for the last couple of decades. I always enjoyed the gameplay and epic nature of the games. But with the recent God of War titles, they have reached a new level and the story and emotional connection for me makes the Norse saga a tier above.

I have also been a Naughty Dog fan, but Uncharted 4 and TLOU2 have felt super bloated to me and Naury Dog seems to have remained stagnant for the last few years.

Insomniac are fast becoming Sony’s most important studio and output quality titles on a very regular basis, but have always seemed slightly lower quality titles.

So GAF tell me, who is Sony’s best Studio.

Best Sony studio is Studio Asobi.

Naughty Dog has been shit for years and Insomniac makes fun, but very forgettable games. Can't speak on Santa MOnica until I can play GoW: R.

 

[vivftp]

Naughty Dog are still the kings of pushing a console to its technical limits and giving us an unforgettable, memorable experience. That said, Santa Monica Studio are nipping at their heels and I can't wait to see what Ragnarok's got in store for us. Insomniac have amazing tech and an efficiency rate that's unmatched, but for me so far their games haven't hit as hard as the games from SMS and Naughty Dog. I can't wait to see what Insomniac brings us with Spider-Man 2 and Wolverine as I think that'll elevate them up to the level of the other two.

I'd put Guerrilla on par with Insomniac in terms of where they rank overall in my personal view, and Sucker Punch is a level behind both of them. Curious to see how Sucker Punch grows and evolves with Ghost of Tsushima 2.

 

[Nautilus]

Santa Monica didn't need to do a thing. Naughty Dog sabotaged themselves with TLOU 2. Santa Monica is Sony's best studio(currently) because of only that.

 

[Gudji]

ND are still kings.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

Supplanted? More like at the upper echelon of videogame developers in the entire world alongside Naughty Dog, Guerrila and Insomniac.

Next in line: Sucker Punch.

 

[Danjin44]

When it comes to Sony's western first party God of War both in PS2 and PS4 are my favourite game among them.

I enjoyed InFAMOUS series but honestly I didn't enjoy Ghost of Tsushima that much and with ND I enjoyed UC2 and original TLOU and Lost Legacy but I dont care about the rest.

But thats it, I dont care about rest Sony's other western studio.

 

[Flabagast]

Hell no.

Naughty Dog is trying new things and dares to endanger itself by being bold. SSM only does really well produced Marvel like blockbusters that do not move the needle one bit.

Both studios are clearly not in the same league to me.

 

[TonyK]

Even if I love God of War, The last of us games are the best I played in the last ten years. So, my vote goes for Naughty.

 

[SlimySnake]

I'd say insomniac because the rate at which they manage to pump out high quality AAA games is incredible. Struggle to think of another studio like them across the whole industry.

And yet the games are nowhere near as ambitious or genre defining as GOW and TLOU2 are they?

I like the insomniac output, but its clear they just want to make simple almost basic games with AAA production values. Ratchet shouldve been a far more ambitious game than it ended up being. Both in terms of visuals and game design. Spiderman is great but its no Arkham.

They need to push themselves and their game design to do innovative things no one is doing. Tying SSD portal switching to setpieces is a perfect example of Insomniac taking the easy route.

 

[MidGenRefresh]

Insomniac and Santa Monica are leagues above Naughty Dog when it comes to the most important part: gameplay. I'd say yes.

 

[Daniel_Mallorca1985]

1. Naughty Dog​

2. Insomniac​

3. Santa Monica

 

[Ghost of Caelid]

I have to play ragnarok to make a definitive decision. But GOW2018 wasn’t as good as any of naughty dogs games to me so I doubt they’ll “supplant “ then as you say.

 

[MasterCornholio]

Hell no.

Naughty Dog is trying new things and dares to endanger itself by being bold. SSM only does really well produced Marvel like blockbusters that do not move the needle one bit.

Both studios are clearly not in the same league to me.

What do you mean by "do not move the needle" ?

 

[REDRZA MWS]

I think Santa Monica (GoW), Insomniac (Spider-Man) and Sucker Punch (Ghost of Tsushima) are currently top 3. Naughty dog has fallen off since the Uncharted and the OG LoU. Just my opinion.

 

[Badlucktroll]

I hope one of these Sony studio makes an open world Metal Gear starring young solid snake.

 

[Mibu no ookami]

Naughty Dog has managed 3 major franchises since the early 2000s all original IP. Santa Monica has managed 1.

Insomniac has managed two major franchises, 1 was original IP.

Sucker Punch has one successful game.

 

[SlimySnake]

I think God of War 2018 was the best Sony exclusive on ps4. It does a much better job of actually making some interesting gameplay to go along with the cinematic graphics than ND does for my taste. The toss and recall axe was pretty novel at the time.

ND hides so much behind full realism that it really limits what kind of gameplay they can do. Never will we see fantasy level design with puzzles or intricate combat because its too "gamey." But I honestly think it takes more creativity to make a fantasy world.

ND are still ahead on graphics. They are their own worst enemy though with how much they limit their experimentation. If they made more varied games then I think they obviously have the talent to be the best at Sony. But they don't mix it up a lot.

SSM almost never mixes it up either. Just been God of War for decades. Very much looking forward to the new IP from both teams. That will be the time to see the new ranking in my opinion.

I couldnt disagree more. ND has shown time and time again that they are willing to enhance combat in ways other studios simply dont. Go watch the original TLOU reveal and listen to the audience reactions. You simply dont hear that from people watching a third person shooter demo. Their focus on animations, AI (both NPC and enemy) and sheer visceral combat is simply unmatched. The motion matching work they did for TLOU2 is still unmatched 2 years later, and guess what? it enhances the gameplay.

They also dont hide behind realism. Ever since Uncharted, they have focused on giving players more mobility than more grounded titles like Gears of War. Just go play any of the PS3 Uncharted games and you will see how gamey those setpieces feel. If anything they put spectacle over realism. TLOU is different, but in U4 and Lost Legacy you are literally jumping from car to car and swinging around like spiderman.

GOW just has a deeper combat system because its a melee action game. A TPS like TLOU and Uncharted can never be that deep but ND is literally the only one trying to make it such. Comparing it to RDR2, Gears, and Tomb Raider shows just how far ahead of the curve ND really is.

 

[damidu]

insomniac doing wonders for them sure.
but tlou2 is still the technical marvel to match for any 3rd person game.
the way it controls, animates are second to none.

 

[Punished Miku]

I couldnt disagree more. ND has shown time and time again that they are willing to enhance combat in ways other studios simply dont. Go watch the original TLOU reveal and listen to the audience reactions. You simply dont hear that from people watching a third person shooter demo. Their focus on animations, AI (both NPC and enemy) and sheer visceral combat is simply unmatched. The motion matching work they did for TLOU2 is still unmatched 2 years later, and guess what? it enhances the gameplay.

They also dont hide behind realism. Ever since Uncharted, they have focused on giving players more mobility than more grounded titles like Gears of War. Just go play any of the PS3 Uncharted games and you will see how gamey those setpieces feel. If anything they put spectacle over realism. TLOU is different, but in U4 and Lost Legacy you are literally jumping from car to car and swinging around like spiderman.

GOW just has a deeper combat system because its a melee action game. A TPS like TLOU and Uncharted can never be that deep but ND is literally the only one trying to make it such. Comparing it to RDR2, Gears, and Tomb Raider shows just how far ahead of the curve ND really is.

The TLOU 1 reveal was loaded with AI that didn't exist though. It looks cool and realistic, but as you admitted, there's a pretty hard cap on gameplay innovation with this style because none of it would be "realistic." No puzzles, no substantial gameplay departures. It just wouldn't fit. Its primarily just animation and graphics work.

 

[ProtoByte]

I'll need to play Ragnarok myself first, but I can't imagine the level design being better than TLOU2. That game's story made some poor choices (I didn't hate it, but it wasn't nearly as tight as the original), but the gameplay was on a whole different level.

But honestly, I think we have to wait for the PS5 only titles to start dropping.

 

[Imtjnotu]

My favorite is still insomniac.

SM is a close second. Naught woke is third

 

[GymWolf]

Quality of games: Santa monica
Tech and graphic: ND and a bit lower guerrilla
Jack of all trades: insomniac

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

I'll probably prefer Ragnarök over TLOU2, but no one is touching ND regardless of the moaning about how the narrative went.

I'm hoping Spiderman 2 is ambitious enough to reach those heights because of how long it's taking, but that's probably just because they were busy with the other projects and not because they've been spending 5 years making it.

 

[JohnnyFootball]

Insomniac is their best studio. Nobody has delivered better than they have the last 5 years. 4 games in that time, while Naughty Dog has delivered 3.

 

[Topher]

If I was able to pick one studio to make the next game I play then I'm going to pick Naughty Dog.

 

[Roufianos]

I haven't enjoyed a ND game since the original Last of Us so I'm going with Santa Monica.

 

[Evolved1]

It's awesome how talented all these studios are. But I really think Naughty Dog is still the high water mark. And in some respects, I think it's even by a wide margin.

 

[Golgo 13]

I'd say insomniac because the rate at which they manage to pump out high quality AAA games is incredible. Struggle to think of another studio like them across the whole industry.

Insomniac is fucking impressive. If they keep up their streak, even more so. SSM is top-tier but they only release a game every 4-7 years, like ND (with some exceptions). So in terms of overall impact you might be right there.

 

[Robbinhood]

ND and SSM are both at the top, 1a and 1b.

Not the top of Sony but the top of the industry. When Kojipro was a full studio Id give them the nod but now that they disbanded from Konami it’s not the same.

 

[skit_data]

SSM and Naughty Dog are both really really good, but yes I think the days of ND being the obvious ”best” studio in Sonys stable are over. Not because ND got worse but because SSM simply has become just as good.

Edit: Yeah and as some other mentioned ITT Insomniac is quickly becoming one of their most important studios in their own right. They’re not quite up there with ND and SSM in terms of weight in their titles but their work speed/quality ratio is bar none else.