PlayStation Should Release More Standalone Expansions

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Sony’s PlayStation 5 not having games has become a running joke in numerous gaming groups, even if it’s not true. There are a decent number of exclusives in Sony’s current-gen powerhouse, despite most of them eventually getting a PC port. Making video games in the modern age is a more expensive endeavor these days, so the lack of consistent releases is understandable.

However, many were hoping that the release of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales would lead to more of these smaller, standalone expansions to other games. We’re disappointed this didn’t become the norm, because they would have added plenty of life to the PS5.

While Miles Morales wasn’t the best game, it offered smooth superhero gameplay that expanded on Insomniac’s first Spider-Man title. Aside from Miles having unique gameplay mechanics and animations, the gameplay didn’t change much. However, at a decent 10-hour length with plenty of collectibles and a $50 price tag, most fans didn’t mind this.

PlayStation did something similar in the last gaming generation with Uncharted: Lost Legacy for PS4. Releasing a year after Uncharted 4, this game finally let players control Chloe, who had been relegated to a supporting character for the series. Fans appreciated using her in this solid adventure, even if it was just more Uncharted gameplay when it’s all said and done.

Since then, no game has undergone an expansion quite like this one. However, certain other games have offered free downloadable content (DLC) that offered a comparable gaming experience.

God of War Ragnarok’s Valhalla DLC gave players a unique roguelike adventure that brought Kratos back to his Olympus roots. With new story scenes and more of that fun combat, fans were pleasantly surprised that this was free.

Horizon Forbidden West’s Burning Shores DLC was essentially a self-contained expansion, giving Aloy new areas to explore and substantial story development as a character. Fans could determine if she would have a love interest near the end, which does a lot for her. At around 7 hours, we’re more surprised that Burning Shores wasn’t a standalone expansion.

Beyond these games, we don’t see other PlayStation expansions like this, which is a huge shame. Although it’s easy to criticize Sony exclusives for trying too hard to be like movies, having them be shorter and less expensive would make them easier to get through.

Imagine a short God of War game focused on Atreus after the events of Ragnarok. This short adventure could improve Atreus’ mechanics from the game and even give him new moves. Story-wise, this can show what Atreus learned from his adventures with Kratos and how that helped him become a wiser god.

How about a Helldivers 2 single-player expansion? PlayStation could get a lot of goodwill by making a short adventure about this game’s sci-fi universe and its ridiculously corrupt government. It could also give single-player fans a chance to enjoy the gameplay and maybe even pick up the main game for multiplayer action.

For something with a bigger main character focus, how about more Ratchet and Clank? It’s a shame that Rift Apart didn’t sell too well for Sony, as an expansion set after this game could have been fun. Similar to the duo’s shorter games like Quest for Booty or Into the Nexus, this could just be more of that classic R&C gameplay and fans wouldn’t complain at all.

Yes, I want more Ratchet and Clank, sue me.

PlayStation should consider making more of these shorter games based on their exclusives. It worked well for Spider-Man and Uncharted, so why not make more of them? Shorter cinematic adventures with new mechanics and reused assets could make for a winning formula.

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2025-03-18 15:50