10 PlayStation Games with the Most Underrated Protagonists

Some fictional characters are less popular or visible, so they are less valued. There are many exclusive PlayStation games with extremely underrated protagonists.

In previous generations of Sony platforms, many games went unnoticed because the popularity of others was much greater. These titles featured intriguing characters to consider. Here are the 10 most underrated PlayStation protagonists.

10 – Knack

Despite having two installments, which were not well-received in terms of sales and criticism, Knack remains one of the most original and noteworthy characters in the entire PlayStation game family.

Developed by Japan Studio with a younger audience in mind, Knack could change its size at will, making its design super original when facing each level. Knack is a traditional 3D platformer that strives to delve into linear levels.

These kinds of failures have made the company hesitant to target younger audiences, as the games don’t end up selling well. In Knack’s case, there was a lot of potential to explore in future games with this character, who still had much to offer in terms of mechanics and originality.

It’s always fascinating to see such a big studio take a more risky approach when creating a character for broader players.

9 – Trico (The Last Guardian)

Fumito Ueda, the gaming legend, developed The Last Guardian entirely, yet Trico did not receive the recognition it deserved. This character, a mix between a dog and a giant bird, embodied innocence and once again explored the relationship between an animal and its owner.

Unfortunately, due to the long development time of the game, it was not as well received by the public and critics upon release.

However, with games like Ico and Shadow of the Colossus under his belt, Fumito Ueda once again proved he is capable of creating beautiful and original characters.

Trico provided a gameplay experience that allowed the player to form an extraordinary bond with a creature struggling to fit into a world that defied logic. This character is probably one of the best that Ueda has created.

8 – Kat (Gravity Rush)

Gravity Rush is probably one of the most original and spectacular PlayStation games, using 100% of the PS Vita’s potential. This game had mechanics that were ahead of their time.

Unfortunately, people didn’t understand the originality of this proposal, and both the game and its protagonist, Kat, did not receive the attention they deserved as one of the most original games Sony ever created.

Beyond the gameplay, one of the best aspects of this game was the mystery surrounding Kat’s strange abilities, with her cat companion playing a significant role in this amazing story.

The world created for this title is truly beautiful, and the characters were very interesting. The entire story revolves around the protagonist’s memory loss as she tries to find answers to what happened.

7 – Sack Boy (Little Big Planet)

This character is one of the cutest PlayStation has, but it didn’t resonate deeply enough with people to position itself as one of the platform’s newest mascots.

Sack Boy debuted in the Little Big Planet trilogy, which again sought to reach a younger audience by bringing the magic of cooperation to a console aimed at a different audience. In the PS3 era, this tiny character had the chance to impress, but it wasn’t.

Sack Boy was the icon of these games, where players had full control of their movements with rag doll-like models and could even design their own levels to experiment.

Once again, the ideas were there, but the audience never fully embraced these characters as part of the overall PlayStation identity. Another character with much more potential, but one that the public ultimately rejected.

6 – Nathan Hale (Resistance 2)

Among the many issues the PlayStation 3 faced with game development and even its own marketing, many of its exclusive titles, despite their excellent quality, were overshadowed by the chaos of other title launches.

One of these franchises, which began and ended on that console, was Resistance, a first-person shooter set in a completely different 1950s where an alien invasion threatened humanity.

The game’s protagonist, Nathan Hale, was a soldier who managed to fight against the Chimera. He mutated and became an increasingly intriguing character in the franchise’s installments.

At one point, he transformed into a hybrid between Chimera and humans, with the sole goal of eliminating this threat to the United States and the planet in general. At that time, the saturation of first-person shooters didn’t help the franchise’s sales, but even so, this is one of the most original and intriguing characters PlayStation has created.

5 – Selene (Returnal)

Despite being one of the first truly next-generation games, Returnal failed to capture the attention of all PlayStation players and fans during a challenging year for humanity in general.

This title is extremely original in its premise, and beyond its extraordinary visual support, Selene is one of the most intriguing characters of this current generation. The entire mystery of this space voyager makes the player stay in the game.

One of the game’s main premises is that the player is clearly trapped in an endless loop, and thanks to Selene’s cleverness and intelligence, she begins to discover what is happening.

Once again, PlayStation finds itself at a crossroads with one of the most underrated games of its current generation, which failed to resonate with players enough for them to give Selene’s story a chance.

4 – Astro

With the upcoming release of AstroBot, Astro may have its chance to shine as it deserves, but it has always been a rather fun and adorable character that PlayStation never really gave the attention it deserved.

Fortunately, thanks to Astro’s Playroom’s success, the popularity of this character and the team behind it, Team Asobi, caught Sony’s attention. Hopefully, this new game will put the character on the map.

Astro’s connection to PlayStation’s fundamental identity is a fascinating aspect. This character’s design aims to pay tribute to the brand’s entire history and all of its iconic characters.

This is why it’s increasingly attracting the attention of console fans. You’ll have to wait and see if this game, set to release in just a few days, truly captures the essence of the character. If the plan works, Sony may have its new and vibrant mascot.

3 – Grayson (The Order 1886)

In general, The Order 1886 stands as one of the most underappreciated games in PlayStation’s history. Despite its unique narrative, The Order 1886 did not leave a lasting impression on console fans.

Set in a world created from scratch, where the threat of hybrids between humans and animals is attacking a post-industrial revolution in London, one of its most notable characters was Grayson.

The conflict disrupted his vision, making this character fascinating. Despite being an extremely short game, all its characteristics make it a more original experience with a protagonist going through a rather strange situation.

This was yet another game that failed to garner much attention among fans. This is another instance where a studio took a bold choice in terms of storyline and gameplay, but the audience didn’t react positively.

2 – Delsin Rowe (Infamous: Second Son)

Considered the first major exclusive game of the PS4 generation, this PlayStation protagonist didn’t make the impact it wanted with fans. Nonetheless, Delsin is one of the most interesting characters of that generation due to the duality of his situation.

Beyond the fact that this game looked spectacularly ahead of its time, the story itself is quite exciting, particularly in relation to the power dynamics and racial segregation the title presents.

This franchise effectively illustrates the societal divide between those who accept people with powers and those who do not. Delsin’s distinguishing feature is his affiliation with a tribal reservation, which suffers due to the mishandling of his abilities in the game’s narrative.

All of this adds layers of depth to the character, who is extremely underrated. The entire Infamous franchise is underrated.

1 – Ratchet (Ratchet & Clank)

Despite having more than 22 years of history with various games that began on the PS2, this PlayStation protagonist remains quite underrated compared to others.

Ratchet even has one of the best-looking games of the current generation of consoles, yet fans haven’t fully embraced and included him in the list of greats like Kratos, Joel, Ellie, Nathan Drake, and others. For some reason, the players can’t connect with Ratchet.

One of the unique aspects of Ratchet’s games is that they have improved narrative thanks to all the evolution and experience Insomniac Games has gained over the last few years.

While not completely underrated compared to other characters, Ratchet remains somewhat secondary, but this marsupial’s popularity will likely continue to grow in the coming years concerning the PlayStation family.

What are your thoughts on these characters? Was anyone missing from the list? Let us know in the comments!