If the PlatinumGames team are known for anything, it’s for going absolutely you-know-whats to the wall whenever and wherever they can. Flashy, dramatic, hectic and super fun action titles are the studio’s M.O. Who needs everything to make sense in a PlatinumGames title? Nobody, that’s who. We just need two things: umpteen thousand enemies to crush into sad specks of salty failure, plus the firepower to do so.
PlatinumGames have delivered time and again, bringing us a parade of powerful protagonists to rack up combos and bring the pain with. Which of their main characters are the strongest of all? Let’s rank them!
10 Jack Cayman (MadWorld)
Let’s start this list off the right way: with a man who has a terrifying chainsaw-arm, who’s competing in the most violent and murderous game show known to humankind. Business as usual for PlatinumGames.
MadWorld is a Wii exclusive from 2009, sporting a super distinctive art style and very adult gameplay. A nefarious organisation has released a deadly virus into Varrigan City, promising that any citizen who kills another will be given the vaccine. This leads to the titular game show, in which Cayman is happy enough to compete. MadWorld is a vicious beat ‘em up in which protagonist Jack tears his way through his opponents in all manner of grim ways. He’s a powerhouse, but we’re just getting started.
9 Leonhardt “Leo” Victorion (Anarchy Reigns)
MadWorld was a very niche title (far from Nintendo’s familiar cutesy fare), attracting its share of controversy. The IP was never really built upon, though a spiritual successor did arrive later in the form of Anarchy Reigns.
A beat ‘em up prominently featuring Jack Cayman (now a member of the Chaser Guild in pursuit of a murder suspect), Anarchy Reigns has two main campaigns: one starring Cayman and the other featuring Leonhardt “Leo” Victorion, an agent separating from his group to hunt the suspect on his own. The two men encounter each other over the course of the split campaign. Leo takes a more agile and graceful approach to combat than Jack, but is perhaps even stronger with his Cybrid Arts background and four positron blades.
8 The Twins (Astral Chain)
PlatinumGames’ most recent effort was the (more than a little underrated, in our opinion) Switch exclusive Astral Chain. The game is set in a grim future in which Earth is under threat from Chimeras, vicious creatures from another dimension which most of humanity can’t even see. Their only hope is the Neuron team, a special police task force who command controlled Chimeras (known as Legions).
The player takes the role of a new recruit to the team, choosing from either the male or female adopted twin children of the Neuron Captain. They’re both promising recruits and formidable fighters with their Legion by their side, but they’re very reliant upon them to perform their incredible combat feats so we can’t rate them any higher.
7 Sam Gideon (Vanquish)
Another rather niche and underappreciated PlatinumGames effort is Vanquish, a 2010 action title that blended a lot of interesting TPS elements into a dynamic thrill ride of a package. Sam Gideon, DARPA member, is the star of the show. He’s sent as part of a team to infiltrate the space station Providence, which was hijacked by the Order of the Russian Star.
Gideon is equipped with an experimental Augmented Reaction Suit, which increases his agility and evasion to superhuman levels. It’s armed with BLADE (Battlefield Logic Adaptable Electronic Weapon System) technology, which allows him to adapt enemy weaponry for himself. Still, his suit is prone to overheating with over/careless use, leaving him more vulnerable.
6 2B (NieR: Automata)
One of PlatinumGames’ most celebrated releases of recent years would have to be 2017’s Nier: Automata. Following on from Nier (a Drakengard spin-off), this action RPG is just the right length not to outstay its welcome, while also boasting some fantastic combat.
Armed with the usual array of light and heavy attacks, 2B can deliver incredible damage via two weapon slots, while also boasting the capacity to return after ‘death.’ Returning to the scene of their defeat, the player has a chance to repair their previous self and gain bonuses (and even an ally for a brief time). 2B is among PlatinumGames’ most powerful heroes and ranks in the middle of our list. All the character is lacking is some of the silly feats of the remaining characters.
5 The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants In Manhattan)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants In Manhattan wasn’t PlatinumGames’ finest hour. The game didn’t make much of an impact on its launch in 2016. At the same time, though, the team lending their mastery of action games to a brawler starring some of the greatest action heroes of all time was one heck of a prospect.
Mutants In Manhattan took a cel-shaded approach to turtle-based mayhem, seeing our heroes set out once again to stop the Foot Clan’s sinister plans. The presentation exudes style and the turtles’ signature weapons are as devastating as ever. The key to combat in the game is utilising their powers in turn, switching between the turtles, which really shows off what they can do.
4 The Superheroes (The Wonderful 101)
Here’s yet another PlatinumGames title that flew under the radar somewhat. The fact that it was a Wii U exclusive really didn’t help its chances, but those who did spend some time with the game found it to be a unique, engaging and challenging action title.
The Wonderful 101 stars not just a single powerful superhero but a huge group of them. The Avengers have nothing on these guys, who can rescue citizens and bring them into their ever-burgeoning super-team. The larger the group, the more devastating their Unite Morphs will be (forms consisting of a whole band of heroes squished together). You simply haven’t lived until you’ve watched a huge team of heroes morph together into a gigantic fist, before pummelling an even bigger enemy into sad hunks of broken defeat. Still, these heroes are very reliant on each other.
3 Raiden (Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance)
With the utterly bombastic Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, PlatinumGames were really showing off what they can do. The iconic Metal Gear Solid series popularized the stealth concept in video games, and Revengeance does offer a bit of that, but Raiden isn’t really a stealth kind of guy here. He’s about as subtle as a fluorescent wrecking ball barrelling straight towards his opponents’ faces, while the crane that sent it their way belts out La Cucaracha as loudly as possible.
The cyborg is an absolute force to be reckoned with in Revengeance. As he tries to unravel Desperado’s sinister plan, he’s met by absurd numbers of enemies, largely cyborgs, which he can slice into teeny metallic pieces using the game’s innovative Blade Mode. With the punishment he delivers and the extent of it he’s able to survive himself, Revengeance’s Raiden is one of the most fearsome characters PlatinumGames has ever brought us.
2 Korra (The Legend Of Korra)
Is PlatinumGames’ take on The Legend of Korra a beat ‘em up, replete with stylish moves and an improbable amount of enemies? You’re probably way ahead of us: of course it is.
This brawler arms Korra with the four different bending arts fans would expect, each having a particular use in combat: Earthbending delivers slow, powerful attacks, for instance, while Waterbending is largely about ranged combat. While the game was poorly received, Korra is perhaps the strongest character PlatinumGames has ever adapted. We can only think of one more that could top her.
1 Bayonetta (Bayonetta Series)
For all intents and purposes, Bayonetta is the living embodiment of everything PlatinumGames stands for. She’s bold, brash, stylish, flashy and leaves one heck of an impression.
The Umbra Witch battles enormous demons and angels alike, commanding some of their powers for herself. She’s able to manipulate time itself, and her Wicked Weaves and Infernal Demon powers really speak for themselves. The series is perhaps one of PlatinumGames’ finest achievements (in terms of the combo system and all-around gameplay) and its star could very well be their strongest ever.