Shuhei Yoshida first joined Sony in 1993 before the first PlayStation shipped. Now, over three decades later, he's taking a leave of absence, after helping dozens of legendary games and bringing many, many more to the platform from developers big and small on throughout the rest of the world. His parting gift to PS5 and PS4 players is a list of 22 personal favorites for fans to dig into attraction of the January publication schedule.
Yoshida was the producer of the first one Bandicoot crash game back in 1996 and received special thanks in credits Astro bot for “contributing to the creation” of the GOTY 2024 winner. During the PS3 and PS4 eras he took center stage, promoting the platform as it transformed from just a disc player to a massive download distribution network digital downloads and online games. His last day at Sony is January 15, although he promises that he will not retire completely from the games industry.
His departure, however, will mark the end of the more fan-friendly and fan-friendly PlayStation brand. While the PS5 is stronger than ever, the company that powers it has almost faded into the background. Gone is the time of E3 press conferences and live festivals. Yoshida was the last familiar face from that time, and now he's gone too.
To mark the occasion, January's “monthly picks” on the PlayStation Store have been hand-picked by a Sony veteran to celebrate some of the platform's past legacy, its best exclusives, and recent indie hits from new generations of game makers. Here is the full list of 22 recommended games:
- Nine Sols
- Hades
- Dead Cells
- The Binding of Isaac: repentance
- Super Time Force Ultra
- Doki Doki Literary Club
- Sifu
- Before Your Eyes
- Non-encryption
- Personality 4 Gold
- Genshin's victory
- Guys Fall
- Let him die
- Now 2
- Ape Escape
- Crash Bandicoot N-Sane trilogy
- Ghost of Tsushima
- Return
- Blood carried
- Sound forms
- Trip
- Shadow of the Colossus
Let's note a few ideas. There is one Before Your Eyesa PS VR2 game about a person reflecting on their past while making their way into the next life. The scenes shift every time the player blinks, emphasizing the fleeting nature of time and our tenuous grip on our own memories. Let him dieGrasshopper Manufacture's 2016 cult-hit survival action game about climbing a tower, is another less popular shoutout. Sound forms also deserves more love. The music-based platform of 2012 isn't talked about these days, but it speaks to how diverse Sony's publishing has been in the past (its creator is quietly working on a new game).
Most of the other names on the list are famous at this point. If you haven't already checked Nine Solsit's like Metroidvania Souls in the vein of Knight Go it was one of the best games of 2024. Super Time Force Ultrameanwhile, it's a retro shoot 'em up in which the ghosts of previous failed runs help you. It's cute, beautiful, and totally worthy of a sequel. Yoshida can also be played there.
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