Ranking Every PlayStation Developer From Worst To Best
2. Japan Studio
Notable Games: Ape Escape, Ico, Astro Bot Rescue Misson
In Development: Everybody's Golf VR
Sony’s longest running first-party hub; it burst out the door in 1999 with Ape Escape and Legend Of Dragoon - both landmark titles for the console. Its been a consistently productive (and wildly inventive) developer since, but sifting through the impressive backlog is a little complicated; Japan Studio is not so much a thriving island as a dense continent within itself.
Key championed games were created by two self-standing in-house developers that live inside the studio; the now-defunct Team Ico (Shadow Of The Colossus) and Team Siren (Gravity Rush). Also, with several other iconic titles, they were only involved in a supervisory capacity; e,g. collaborations with From Software (Bloodborne) or Level-5 (Rogue Galaxy).
So what about games they hold sole responsibility for?
That's a slightly mixed bag. Despite the great start, varying wacky and non-relevant projects released to luke-warm receptions - yet a regime change in 2012 has focused things with rewarding (if vastly underrated) titles emerging (e.g Puppeteer, Tokyo Jungle).
The first recent attempt at a viable Triple-A franchise with Knack, flopped to an embarrassing extent - but this year, the studio rebounded with Astro Bot Rescue Mission, creating the first definitive killer app for the PSVR.
Due to its dense and complex nature, this developer doesn't always get its clear due when discussing Sony's wheelhouse. Regardless, an incredible backlog and daring steps forward make it justifiable for a high spot on the list.