The "AAA" ranking is kind of dubious on some level. It is an inflating/changing value, that requires a fairly arbitrary cut off point. Some games are obviously AAA like Grand Theft Auto, Gran Turismo. If those aren't AAA, then nothing is.
But once you go away from the very top end, I think it gets harder. Someone could say that The Last of Us part 2 wasn't AAA, because it didn't cost $150 million like GTA did.
I can't remember who said it, but someone said something along the lines that $100 million games was cut off for AAA, and at the time it would have meant that Uncharted 3 or the Last of Us wouldn't be considered AAA? (Can't remember exactly and wasn't able to find the article)
I can definitely understand Ratchet and Clank, Returnal not being AAA, but they don't feel AA to me either.
Demon's souls is a tricky one. If it were made from scratch I would definitely call it a AAA game, but it's almost like a AAA game with a AA budget.
But once you go away from the very top end, I think it gets harder. Someone could say that The Last of Us part 2 wasn't AAA, because it didn't cost $150 million like GTA did.
I can't remember who said it, but someone said something along the lines that $100 million games was cut off for AAA, and at the time it would have meant that Uncharted 3 or the Last of Us wouldn't be considered AAA? (Can't remember exactly and wasn't able to find the article)
I can definitely understand Ratchet and Clank, Returnal not being AAA, but they don't feel AA to me either.
Demon's souls is a tricky one. If it were made from scratch I would definitely call it a AAA game, but it's almost like a AAA game with a AA budget.