While PlayStation games have spawned a number of recognizable characters over the years, only one video game protagonist can be the true face of Sony's gaming world. The original PlayStation console released in 1994, with its 12-year lifespan seeing the release of iconic titles like Crash Bandicoot, Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy 7. Now the PlayStation 5 is Sony's latest gaming console, and new potential mascots have risen to challenge the old guard.
Across the long history of the brand there have been many amazing PlayStation exclusive games and long-running series. Naughty Dog's platformer series Crash Bandicoot is particularly notable, as are its subsequent projects like Jak & Daxter, Uncharted and The Last of Us. Insomniac Games also has a long lineage, beginning with Spyro the Dragon and leading to franchises like Ratchet & Clank and Marvel's Spider-Man. Santa Monica Studios' God of War series has had a particularly long journey, with the first installment releasing on the PlayStation 2 and God of War Ragnarok coming to PlayStation 5 just recently. The brand's lineage has spawned a handful of potential PlayStation mascots, but only one can reign supreme.
Ratchet & Clank Aren't Timeless PlayStation Mascots
First introduced in a PlayStation 2 platformer back in 2002, Ratchet & Clank are surviving PS2 mascots from a bygone age. The third-person shooter and platformer stars two beloved characters: a Lombax mechanic named Ratchet and a plucky robot named Clank. Insomniac's series has been a staple of the PlayStation lineup for decades, with the franchise coming to every generation since the PS2 and receiving new installments every few years. Many fans may consider Ratchet and Clank to be the definitive PlayStation mascots, though they arrived after the brand's first generation and lack a timeless quality due to their sci-fi style.
Kratos Is An Inconsistent PlayStation Mascot
Like Ratchet and Clank, Kratos has been a PlayStation icon since the PlayStation 2 era. The brutal Greek god first appeared in 2005, with the original God of War games following the Ghost of Sparta as he slaughtered his fellow Olympian gods to avenge his dead family. While many once considered Kratos a one-dimensional character, the more recent God of War games have added great depth to the demigod hero during his journeys through Norse myth with his son Atreus. Kratos is certainly one of the coolest and most enduring characters in the PlayStation pantheon, but his inconsistency makes him a less than ideal mascot.
PlayStation May Be Retiring Mascot Nathan Drake
Introduced by Naughty Dog in 2007's Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, the wily treasure hunter Nathan Drake is both incredibly daring and delightfully relatable. Expertly portrayed by voice actor Nolan North, Drake is always prepared to face danger with a one-liner and clever escape. Nathan Drake was perhaps Sony's most recognizable game protagonist during the PlayStation 3 era.
However, the franchise's most recent entry Uncharted: Lost Legacy may prove that Uncharted doesn't need Nathan Drake. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End sees Drake retire in peace, with the standalone sequel following the series' supporting characters instead. Even still, Nathan Drake's constant bravery and irresistible charm make him the embodiment of the perfect PlayStation hero.
Sackboy Is A Recent PlayStation Icon
Often seen standing among other video game legends, Sackboy is a fairly recent but undeniably iconic addition to the PlayStation roster. Introduced in the 2008 game LittleBigPlanet, the doll-like character is a blank canvas that players can customize to serve as their in-game avatar. This often makes Sackboy a certified Easter egg machine, with players dressing him up as other notable PlayStation characters like the ones in this article.
The 2020 PlayStation 4 game Sackboy: A Big Adventure recently gave the character a new lease of life by turning him into a platformer protagonist comparable to Mario or Sonic. However, the character's youth prevents him from being PlayStation's greatest mascot.
Astro Bot Is A Forced PlayStation Mascot
Unlike other characters, Sony specifically designed Astro Bot to be PlayStation's real mascot. The adorable android first appeared as part of a minigame in The Playroom VR, a 2016 title designed to demonstrate the features of the PlayStation VR headset. Positive reception to the character led to his return in 2018's Astro Bot Rescue Mission, a 3D platform game where players search for Astro's missing crew. The free PlayStation 5 launch title Astro's Playroom, which comes pre-installed on every PS5, brought him back again and earned him further notoriety. Astro is similar to Sackboy, thanks to his cute and customizable appearance, but for now his mascot status feels forced rather than earned.
Crash Bandicoot Is The Coolest PlayStation Mascot
Every PlayStation character on this list is deserving of recognition, but Naughty Dog's mad marsupial Crash Bandicoot is the ultimate PlayStation mascot. The 25th anniversary of Crash Bandicoot recently passed, and the platformer protagonist is still going strong with new games on the way. The original Crash Bandicoot released only a year after the launch of the original PlayStation, cementing the bandicoot as a staple of Sony's gaming lineage. Crash's goofy and aloof attitude helps him stand apart from other gaming mascots like Mario and Sonic, but his platformer background is also comparable. Crash Bandicoot games now release on consoles other than PlayStation, but the character's past makes him a true Sony legend.
While each of the big gaming companies has multiple recognizable mascots, only one character can be the true face of the brand. Nintendo icons like Link and Samus will never be quite as recognizable as Mario, for example, and Xbox's mascot Craig the Brute isn't quite as popular as fellow Halo hero Master Chief. Kratos, Nathan Drake and Sackboy are an important part of the PlayStation lineup, as are various other gaming legends like Sly Cooper and Spyro the Dragon. However, Crash Bandicoot is the oldest and most recognizable PlayStation mascot who has successfully survived into the modern day.
Source: PlayStation/YouTube
-
PlayStation 5
- Released:
- 2020-11-12
- Franchise:
- PlayStation
