I didn’t set out to become a trophy hunter. Honestly, I used to think people chasing platinums were a bit mad. I’d finish a game, roll credits, maybe mop up a few easy trophies, then move on. Clean break. No obsession.
That changed in 2024.
Somewhere around that year, something clicked. I started looking at trophy lists before booting games. I started weighing up effort versus reward. I stopped asking “Did I enjoy this?” and started asking the much more dangerous question: “Would this be a good platinum?”
Fast forward to now and I’ve got 55 platinums under my belt. Enough to know the difference between a trophy list that enhances a game and one that actively resents your existence. Enough to know which grinds are fair, which are tolerable, and which should be legally classified as psychological warfare.
So, with that in mind, here are the best, the most meh, and the five worst PlayStation platinums I just won’t do.
One caveat before the pitchforks come out: yes, I have platinumed the Dark Souls games. They are absolutely exceptions. I did my time. Never again.
The Best Platinums – When the Trophy List Gets It Right
These are the platinums that made me fall properly down the rabbit hole. The ones where every trophy felt intentional, achievable, and—crucially—worth doing.
Control
Control is what happens when a developer actually understands how people play their game. The platinum encourages experimentation with abilities, exploration of the Oldest House, and engagement with side content without ever forcing a miserable cleanup phase. No sadistic difficulty mode, no bizarre challenge spikes. You finish the game feeling powerful, not relieved it’s over.
Ghost of Tsushima
This is the gold standard for open-world platinums. Almost everything unlocks naturally if you explore, follow the wind, and let the game breathe. There’s no sense of fighting the map or checking off nonsense for the sake of it. By the time the platinum pops, it feels like a closing chapter, not an administrative task.
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Short, sharp, and immensely satisfying. Miles Morales knows exactly how long it is and builds its trophy list around that fact. No padding, no endurance test, just a clean run that rewards mastery without overstaying its welcome. Honestly, more games should learn from this.
Elden Ring
This one surprised me. For a game this massive and this intimidating, the platinum is shockingly reasonable. No covenant grinding, no multiplayer nonsense, and no demand to scrape every inch of the map clean. It respects player choice while still asking you to truly engage with its systems. Hard, yes. Tedious, no.
Alan Wake 2
A rare narrative-heavy game where the platinum complements the story rather than dragging it down. Exploration, combat, and collectibles all feel aligned with the game’s pacing and tone. It’s challenging in places, but never cruel. A platinum that feels authored rather than assembled.
The Meh Tier – Not Awful, Just… Sigh
These are the platinums that didn’t break me, but didn’t exactly spark joy either. You’ll finish them, but you’ll probably mutter under your breath while doing it.
Assassin’s Creed Unity
Unity’s platinum suffers from sheer bloat. There’s nothing individually offensive here, but the volume of collectibles and side activities drains momentum fast. It’s fine. Perfectly fine. That’s the problem.
Final Fantasy XVI
Locking the platinum behind Final Fantasy mode is just unnecessary. By the time you’re done, you’ve already seen everything the game has to offer, and the second run feels like obligation rather than challenge. It’s not hard. It’s just dull.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
The bosses are brilliant. The combat is immaculate. The skill grind, however, is not. Farming XP long after you’ve mastered the game feels like busywork stapled onto a masterpiece.
Resident Evil 2
Multiple playthroughs are expected with Resident Evil, but the pacing of trophy requirements can feel awkward. It’s a good platinum that flirts with being annoying, especially depending on how tolerant you are of repeat runs.
Stellar Blade
Stylish and mechanically solid, but the platinum never quite gels with the game’s strengths. Some trophies feel oddly disconnected from how you actually want to play, which takes the shine off what could have been a great experience.
The Worst – The Ones I’m Done With (Yes, Even You)
These aren’t just difficult. They’re hostile. Designed to test patience rather than skill, and in some cases, to waste your time on purpose.
Devil May Cry
Phenomenal games. Absolutely unhinged trophy lists. S-ranking every mission across brutal difficulty modes crosses the line from challenge into obsession. I respect anyone who does it. I am not one of those people.
Kingdom Hearts
Bloated lists, absurd difficulty requirements, and optional bosses that feel like they exist solely to punish completionists. The magic disappears long before the platinum is in sight.
Dark Souls
I’ve done them. All of them. The covenant grinding is as soul-destroying as the name suggests. Offline farming is mind-numbing, online requirements are unreliable, and I will never do it again. Ever.
Batman: Arkham
The Riddler trophies are not content. They are a threat. Fun challenges slowly give way to map-clearing busywork that actively kills replay desire. Incredible games, ruined by compulsion.
Final Fantasy XIV
This isn’t a platinum, it’s a lifestyle commitment. Massive time investment, MMO-specific nonsense and trophies that assume you’ll be playing for years. Hard pass.