The first game I ever platinumed was Spider-Man 2018. It was actually the first game I played after switching from Xbox to PlayStation back in 2021. I don’t even really know why I went for the platinum. I just wanted to start off my trophy list strong. Once I finished that one, I figured I might as well keep it going. I ended up getting the platinum for my next couple games too, and before I knew it, chasing trophies just became part of how I play.
My general approach is to try and platinum pretty much every game I play. I don’t always get there, but I’d say I go for the platinum in like 95 percent of the games I finish. I usually check the trophy list before I start a game so I know what I’m getting into. I like knowing if anything is missable, or if multiple playthroughs are required. It’s satisfying to see everything at 100 percent. And if the game’s actually hard, even better. Finishing something like Elden Ring or Crash Bandicoot 4 is a fun challenge to me. That kind of stuff pushes me to get better, and the platinum feels earned.
That being said, I’ve definitely had a few I gave up on. Sometimes a game just isn’t fun to complete all the way, like Just Cause 4. Other times the game straight up glitches out and makes trophies impossible, like Conan Exiles. I don’t force it if it’s not worth the time. But for the most part, if I’m playing a game and I’m into it, I’m gonna try to platinum it. Right now I’m sitting at 177 platinum trophies after 3 years of trophy hunting, and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.
Most Fun Platinums
Some games are just fun to platinum, start to finish. For me, LEGO games are always a good time. I grew up with them, so there’s a nostalgia factor, but they also just do a great job with collectibles and replay value. My favorites are LEGO Batman 2 and LEGO Marvel 1. I actually enjoy going back through levels in free play to hunt down minikits and find all the extra stuff. It’s relaxing in a weird way, and the trophies never feel annoying or forced. The only one I didn’t have fun with was the Skywalker Saga. That one had about 100 times as many collectibles as it should’ve had.
Hollow Knight is another game where the platinum was enjoyable the whole way through. It had a fantastic story, and even better gameplay. I liked exploring the world, grabbing collectibles, and even doing the Pantheons. I expected it to be way more punishing, but it wasn’t as bad as people make it sound. The movement and combat felt great once I got used to it, and I honestly surprised myself with how good I got by the end. I was expecting more frustration, but it ended up being super rewarding.
The one that really shocked me was Bloodborne. I had tried playing it years ago and dropped it because I thought it was boring. But this time, I stuck with it, and I could not put it down. The combat clicked, the world sucked me in, and before I knew it, I had finished the whole thing and bought the DLC just to keep playing. I even 100 percented the DLC too. Out of all my platinums, that one still stands out as one of my favorites.
What all these games had in common was that the trophies weren’t overly out of the way. They respected your time, and the gameplay was so addicting that I didn’t mind pushing for the platinum at all. I went into all of them planning to get the 100 percent, and I’d absolutely recommend any of them to someone looking for a fun challenge.
Worst/ Platinums I Regret
Not every platinum is worth chasing. Some of them just straight up suck. One that stands out is Resident Evil 2. I actually like the game a lot, but the platinum trophy made me run through it like six or seven times. By the end, it started to get real repetitive and kind of killed a lot of my enjoyment. I still pushed through and got it done, but I can’t say I enjoyed the last few runs.
Then there’s LEGO 2K Drive. That one was bad from the jump. It started falling apart like 20 minutes in, and it only got worse. On top of being super boring, it had one of the dumbest trophies I’ve ever seen, drive 6000 miles. I left my console on for like four days straight just to get that done. Four days. For a trophy. Absolutely horrible game. I wish I never played it.
I’ve also got a couple of those short, easy platinums that I only did in the beginning to pump up my numbers. Games like My Name Is Mayo and Peppa Pig. They take like an hour tops, but looking back, I kind of regret doing them. There’s something empty about those kinds of platinums. It doesn’t feel like you earned anything, and they just clutter up the trophy list with stuff that doesn’t really mean anything.
If I could go back, I’d skip all of these except Resident Evil 2. I still like that game and don’t mind having the platinum as proof I stuck with it. But the rest? Total waste of time.
Most Challenging Platinums
Some games just push you to your limit, and these ones definitely did. The hardest platinum I’ve ever gotten is probably Crash Bandicoot 4. That game is brutal. The time trials and N Sanely Perfect relics took me about 100 hours to finish. It’s not just about beating levels, it’s about beating them perfectly. You have to know every box location, every enemy, and get through without dying. I replayed some levels hundreds of times just to shave off seconds or make sure I didn’t miss anything. It was exhausting, but finishing that last time trial felt incredible. Definitely the most rewarding platinum I’ve ever earned.
Hollow Knight wasn’t as grindy, but the difficulty was all in the endgame. The last Pantheon was the only real challenge for me, but I got through it on my second or third try. The movement and combat in that game feel so good that even the tough parts never felt unfair. It was challenging but always felt like I had a shot if I stayed focused.
Elden Ring was tough too, mostly because of Malenia. Like a lot of people, she gave me the most trouble. She took me a little over an hour to beat, but on the attempt where I finally won, I went hitless. Not a single hit taken. I even have a witness to back that up. That fight really pushed me to get better. I had to keep switching up my strategy for every boss, learning their weaknesses, and figuring out the best time to attack. The game constantly forced me to adapt, and I ended up loving that part of it.
The last one that gave me trouble was The Witness. That game is just hard, especially for someone who’s not super into puzzle games. The final challenge was rough, and the game in general had a steep learning curve. It felt good to finish, but there were definitely moments where I was just staring at the screen trying to figure out what I was even looking at.
All four of these games were tough in different ways, but I’d still recommend them to anyone looking for a real challenge. The frustration was worth it in the end.
Most Grindy Platinums
Some platinums are hard, but others are just a grind. The biggest ones for me were Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Disney Dreamlight Valley, and even Red Dead Redemption 2. I actually enjoyed all three of these games, but the trophy lists really tested my patience.
Valhalla is massive. It has what feels like ten million collectibles and a thousand side quests. At first it’s fun, but it gets repetitive really fast. The map just keeps going and going, and most of the activities start blending together after a while. It took me about 150 hours to wrap everything up, and by the end, I was just checking boxes.
Disney Dreamlight Valley was another one. It looks like a chill, easy game on the surface, but the trophy list is ridiculous. Mining rocks, fishing, clearing night thorns, and those thorns are on a real time cooldown. If you play legit without changing your PlayStation’s time settings, some of those trophies would take actual months. I liked the game, but the grind was brutal. It definitely wore me down.
Even Red Dead Redemption 2, which is my favorite game ever, has its grindy side. Trophies like skinning and studying every animal, doing all the hunting requests, finding all the exotics, and hitting level 50 in the online mode are no joke. I still loved the game the whole way through, but that trophy list is not something I’d want to do again.
Back when I was more locked in on trophy hunting, I stuck with these platinums no matter how long they took. If I was playing a game, I was finishing it. These days I’m a little more selective. I probably would go for trophies like these again, but only if the game is actually worth it. I’ve learned not every platinum needs to be chased just for the sake of it.
Hidden Gems
Not every platinum has to come from a massive AAA game. Some of my favorite ones came from games most people probably never played or even heard of. TOEM, Destroy All Humans, and The Artful Escape are three that stand out as hidden gems.
TOEM is a cozy little game about taking pictures. That’s the whole thing. You walk around, solve small puzzles by snapping photos, and just vibe with the world. It’s simple, but really fun. The art style is cool, the music is relaxing, and the whole thing only takes about four hours to platinum. It’s one of those games that just feels good to play.
Destroy All Humans is the opposite in tone, but still a good time. It’s just a fun, goofy story game where you play as an alien blasting everything in sight. I had a great time messing around with the different weapons and powers. The story doesn’t take itself seriously, and the trophy list is straightforward. It was one of those games where I was smiling the whole way through.
The Artful Escape is probably the weirdest one on the list, but in the best way. It’s about a guy becoming an intergalactic rockstar. You jump through wild neon landscapes while shredding solos on a cosmic guitar. It only takes a couple hours to platinum, but it’s such a unique experience. The music and visuals all come together to make something totally different from anything else I’ve played.
All three of these games ended up being way better than I expected. They’re short, fun, and all have clean, easy trophy lists that don’t waste your time. If you’re looking for something different to play, I’d definitely recommend checking them out, especially TOEM and The Artful Escape. They’re smaller indie games that deserve more love.
Platinums I’m Working On
Right now I’m working on two different games, the Resident Evil 4 remake and Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments. I just finished up Robocop: Rogue City, which I’ll drop a review for soon, but these two are what I’m focused on next.
For Sherlock Holmes, I just started it so I’ve got a ways to go, but I’m liking it so far. It’s not a super long game, and the trophy list looks doable, so it should be a nice one to knock out in between bigger games. Resident Evil 4 is one I’ve been wanting to platinum since it dropped. I’m only on chapter 5 or 6 of my first playthrough right now, but I plan on sticking with it. It’s a lot different from 2 and 3, but I really like it so far. There are also a couple games that I haven’t started yet, but I definitely want to go for the platinum eventually. Super Meat Boy and Wolfenstein 2 are both on my list. I know they’re gonna be tough, especially Super Meat Boy, but they’re the kind of games where getting the platinum actually means something. When I do finally go for them, I need to be fully locked in.
Closing
My trophy hunting experience has changed a lot since I started. When I first got into it, trophies were the only thing that mattered to me. I’d pick games just based on how doable or fast the platinum was. These days, I still care about getting platinums, but I care more about the quality of the game I’m playing. If a game sucks, I’m not gonna force my way through it just to see that 100 percent. It’s still something I enjoy, just not the only thing I care about.
I think my platinum list shows that I’m a committed player. I usually stick with games all the way through, and I’m not afraid to push through the hard stuff if I’m enjoying the game. After 177 platinums, the biggest thing I’ve learned is patience. If you want to platinum a lot of games, especially the hard ones, you’ve got to stick with it. You’re gonna suck at some of them at first, but if you keep at it, you’ll get better. And if a game really isn’t doing it for you, just drop it. There’s no point dragging yourself through something you’re not having fun with. It’s just not worth it.
If you’re thinking about getting into platinum hunting, my advice would be to always check the trophy list before you start. Make sure it’s something you actually want to go for. And if you need some inspiration or want to see what kinds of games I’ve platinumed, you can check out my profile here: https://psnprofiles.com/Big_Homie_Jason