Bad dog is one of the leading developers in the AAA market, and for good reason. The perfect combination of gameplay, story, and graphics has made Naughty Dog's recent franchises stand out as some of the best in recent memory. However, with a history in the gaming industry that stretches back decades, what are Naughty Dog's best franchises?
Naughty Dog didn't start out with a bang, and it wasn't until the seventh game that Naughty Dog made itself known with memorable characters that are still around today. People love Naughty Dog, whether it's for its old cartoony platformers or its mature, violently emotional stories, so it's time to rank each Naughty Dog franchise.
This list will only cover entries created by Naughty Dog.
4 Jack and Daxter
A new 3D mascot focused on action and adventure
Title |
Release date |
Jak and Daxter: Legacy of the Forerunners |
December 4, 2001 |
Already 2 |
October 14, 2003 |
Already 3 |
November 9, 2004 |
Jak X: Combat Racing |
October 18, 2005 |
Naughty Dog has moved on from Crash Bandicoot bringing further innovation of their technology and ideas to the PlayStation 2 era with Jack and DaxterThis inseparable duo would be the basis for character-driven moments in sprawling sci-fi worlds that would inspire other games in the series, where Crash BandicootLinear platforming was a thing of the past.
THE Jack and Daxter games were all about fun, and they are known as classics for a reason. Taking weird and wonderful elements and placing them in larger player spaces to allow fans to collect and explore the vastness of each area created an experience that was memorable at the time, but has since been silenced.
3 Crash Bandicoot
A bizarre marsupial that competes with Mario and Sonic
Title |
Release date |
Crash Bandicoot |
September 9, 1996 |
Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back |
November 6, 1997 |
Crash Bandicoot: Deformed |
November 3, 1998 |
Crash Team Race |
October 19, 1999 |
Naughty Dog achieved incredible success in 1996 when it released Crash Bandicoot on PlayStation 1. As the company's seventh game, it looked like they'd hit the jackpot with the wild, spinning marsupial, which entered the world of 3D platformers to compete directly with some other platform icons. Crash Bandicoot It's an absolute classic, still loved today, but it doesn't end there.
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From the original Crash Bandicoot in 1996, the series continued to have sequels and spin-offs galore. From a spin-off racing genre to party modes, Crash Bandicoot has over 15 titles, and while only 4 of those are from Naughty Dog, they paved the way for this platformer mascot to go much further.
2 The Last of Us
A gritty post-apocalypse with complex characters and violent gameplay
Title |
Release date |
The Last of Us |
June 14, 2013 |
The Last of Us: Left Behind |
February 14, 2014 |
The Last of Us Remastered |
July 29, 2014 |
The Last of Us – Part 2 |
June 19, 2020 |
The Last of Us – Part 1 |
September 2, 2022 |
The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered |
January 19, 2024 |
The Last of Us is Naughty Dog's latest franchise to hit the market, and despite only having two releases in the last eleven years, it's still incredibly iconic, spawning an HBO TV remake and numerous remasters to ensure that PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5 players can all experience Joel and Ellie's story as they venture across an infected America filled with monsters both human and long-lost.
The Last of Us is easily one of the most recognizable games of all time, and the stories that can be told in this harsh and grim world are seemingly endless. With a focus on volatile emotions, heartbreaking survival, and a divided world, The Last of Us amazes in combat, exploration and storytelling with only two episodes.
1 Unexplored
An adventure packed with action, heart and story
Title |
Release date |
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune |
November 19, 2007 |
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves |
October 13, 2009 |
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception |
November 1, 2011 |
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End |
May 10, 2016 |
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy |
August 22, 2017 |
Naughty Dog launches on PlayStation 3 with an entirely new franchise and a push for stories with Uncharted: Drake's Fortune in 2007. A story that pays homage Indiana Jones AND Tomb Raider with a touch of Naughty Dog, fans loved the charisma and puzzle-solving nature of Nathan Drake as he battles his way through ancient temples. In fact, they loved it so much that it extended to three additional sequels and a spin-off.
THE Unexplored The series is incredible, with each entry bringing something new and iconic to the table. Naughty Dog's transformation from a cartoonish platformer to an action-packed third-person shooter shows how innovative developers have evolved with the industry, delivering incredible action- and character-driven stories.
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From the Crash Bandicoot games on PS1 to the Last of Us duology on PS4, here are the best games Naughty Dog has ever released.