Reaction: Sony’s PS5 Games Keep Getting Better After Launch, and Often for Free

Last week, Sony introduced a fresh method to engage with The Last of Us Part II, a title first unveiled over five years prior in 2020.

The feedback, on our platform, was varied.

While numerous commenters praised the launch of the Chronological mode, others condemned Naughty Dog for persisting in refining its years-old game.

Of course, the context here is that the Californian studio has yet to unveil a new title for PS5, and some fans are feeling quite frustrated. They believe the company has been exploiting its numerous re-releases of The Last of Us instead of dedicating its time and resources to Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.

The truth is that game creation is a complex balancing endeavor, where assets must be carefully managed. We doubt that any of the ongoing investments in The Last of Us, maybe with the exception of the franchise’s poorly received online multiplayer offshoot, has considerably affected other projects.

And frankly, as discussed on the recent Sacred Symbols podcast, we believe Sony warrants recognition for persistently enhancing and evolving its first-party titles.

This isn’t an isolated occurrence: Astro Bot was also revitalized last week with the inclusion of several new stages, raising the total to over 90. All of the post-launch content has been provided gratis, giving new reasons to revisit the title regularly.

If you missed the critically acclaimed Team ASOBI platformer during its initial release, you’ll now be entering a significantly larger adventure. This shouldn’t undermine the day one offering: it was a thorough experience at launch – everything added since is merely extra delight.

We’ve observed similarly impressive support for a range of other PlayStation titles, such as God of War Ragnarok which introduced the remarkable Valhalla at no extra cost. The platform holder actually undersold this vital roguelike game mode, which not only tied the narrative between mythologies but also presented some of the finest combat experiences in the game.

And we’ve also seen comparable additions and enhancements to games such as Stellar Blade, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and many others – all of which have introduced excellent content updates, featuring new outfits to acquire and gameplay at no cost. Who could forget Ghost of Tsushima introducing a full online multiplayer mode – and a pretty good one at that?

Sony receives a lot of criticism, and justifiably so. However, its support post-launch has been outstanding throughout this generation, and that deserves recognition.

There are certainly business motives for its generosity: maintaining games in the public consciousness enhances their sales longevity and fosters renewed excitement around post-launch initiatives, such as PC ports.

But the ultimate outcome for consumers is an enhanced gaming experience, and that deserves acknowledgment.

Indeed, the publisher’s release timing has been a bit slower than we’d prefer, but at least you can be certain that when Sony releases a first-party title, it will receive ample support until its sequel. Much of that post-launch content is often provided without charge.

How does PS5’s post-launch support resonate with you? Do you appreciate seeing your favorite games continually adding new content and features? Or would you prefer developers shift to their forthcoming projects sooner? Share your thoughts below.