Summary
To qualify as a trilogy, the games must be connected either conceptually or narratively. If the franchise has produced other entries, a trilogy will only be considered if it feels complete, which is whyUncharted: The Nathan Drake Collectionhas been omitted sinceUncharted 4cannot be ignored.
Each entry builds upon its predecessor’s gameplay, story beats, characters, and world design, giving the trilogy a notable sense of progression. While more self-contained and streamlined than its successors,Arkham Asylumis nevertheless fantastic, and some might even argue it represents the trilogy’s peak.Arkham Citywent full open-world, a decision that resulted in most positives despite some added bloated. Fine-tuning the combat system while presenting arguably the best story within the trilogy, this entry is generally regarded as the franchise’s peak, and it is well deserved.Arkham Knightis more polarizing than its predecessors due to its implementation of the batmobile, which is overexposed; however, the game also features a great open-world and the strongest combat in the trilogy.
PS Plus has theReturn to Arkhamversions ofAsylumandArkham City. While these remasters have their shortcomings, they are PS4 games, so they do not need to be streamed like PS3 titles.
God Of War Trilogy
A PlayStation Epic
Even though PS Plus has fiveGod of Wargames, the PS2 and PS3 numbered trilogy tells a complete story that works well in isolation, even if 2013’sAscensiondoes add some nuance to Kratos' backstory. Inspired by Greek Mythology, Santa Monica’s PlayStation-exclusive franchise depicts Kratos’s rise and fall as the God of War, culminating in his blood-soaked attack on the deities that used him.
All threeGod of Wargamesfollow identical gameplay loops that blend hack-and-slash combat with lite platforming and puzzles. The sequels are better paced than the first game in the series, but the latter makes up for that by telling the most engaging chapter of Kratos’s Greek Mythology era. In terms of pure spectacle,God of Waris thebest trilogy on PS Plus Premium, with each entry building on the last as the series gradually ramps up its scale.
Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection
Dated But Nevertheless Special
PS Plus Extra has quite a fewAssassin’s Creedgames, including modern sequels likeOdysseyandValhalla. As the franchise has progressed, Ubisoft has deemphasized the entries' interconnectivity and modern timeline in favor of telling relatively self-contained stories. As such, newcomers can jump into anyAssassin’s Creedgame and not feel like they are missing out on too much context.
Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collectionis often cited as the franchise’s peak, at least during its pre-Originsera. As the title suggests, this trilogy covers Ezio Auditore da Firenze’s entire life as he grows from a brash young assassin to a world-weary veteran burdened by responsibility and guilt. Set in Italy during the Renaissance, the games deliver well-written characters andimmersive open-worldswhile telling a coherent story driven by a protagonist who grows a lot throughout their journey.
While still considered high points for the series,Assassin’s Creed 2,Brotherhood, andRevelationsshow their ages quite a bit, and their gameplay and controls are not great when compared to post-Unityentries.
BioShock Trilogy
Complex In More Ways Than One
BioShockis such a weird trilogy, at least in terms of reputation. The original title is rightfully hailed as one of the best games of the 2000s, and its themes, atmosphere, level design, and setting are just as impressive nowadays as they were in 2007. While never great, the gunplay was enhanced through the additions of plasmids, which at least provided some novelty to distract from the otherwise by-the-numbers action. Still,BioShockshines in every other department besides combat.
Conversely,BioShock 2is largely worth playing due to its combat, which is far more explosive and satisfying than either its predecessor or successor. Narratively, the sequel tends to be overlooked and treated as something of a copycat, primarily due to Rapture being reused as the main setting; however, thematically, the game introduces fresh concepts and ideologies that complement the first game’s storyline.
Finally, there isBioShock Infinite, a game that was labeled a masterpiece at launch but garnered a fair amount of criticism over the next decade. The vanilla content is largely disconnected from the previous entries in the trilogy, all the while exploring new themes for the franchise. However, the expansions linkInfiniteto the originalBioShock.
Infamous' Cole MacGrath Trilogy
A Superhero’s Journey
Admittedly, this trilogy includes a filler arc sinceFestival of Bloodis a non-canon expansion that throws vampires into the mix. While not adding anything to Cole’s narrative, the game is nonetheless a lot of fun and provides a couple of neat twists on the protagonist’s abilities.
Ratchet & Clank PS2 Trilogy (Kind Of)
Timeless
Insomniac Games’Ratchet & Clankcontinues to produce gold for PlayStation consoles, with 2021’sRift Apartranking among the PS5’s greatest exclusives. However, an argument could be made that the franchise peaked with the original trilogy on the PS2.Ratchet & Clankis a platformer series that focuses heavily on third-person shooter action, with each game containing an arsenal of creative weapons that are a joy to control and master.
That description accurately reflects all three games in the originalRatchet & Clanktrilogy, along with the PS4 remake of the first entry since that is the version available on PS Plus Premium.Going CommandoandUp Your Arsenalare typically regarded as thebestRatchet & Clankgamesof all time, and they are just as fun today as they were in the 2000s.
