With the launch of the PlayStation 5 coming this holiday season, everyone is looking ahead to what the next generation of console games will bring. Sony, as a company, loves to look forward, with each generation in its line of consoles offering brand new franchises that players enjoy.
That said, the company has a range of popular franchises that deserve to be brought back for the PS5. Here is the game series we want to be brought back to life in the next PlayStation generation.
Twisted Metal
Twisted Metal was a game series based on people fighting each other in weaponized vehicles. The Twisted Metal tournament was thrown by Calypso, who would grant the winner any wish they desired. Like a genie, he would twist the wording of their request and torment them with it. It gave the single-player tons of replayability on top of the fun combat. With battle royales being huge in the industry, a Twisted Metal battle royale could be a breath of fresh air for the mode while adding in the classic storyline that made the series a PlayStation icon in the ’90s.
Uncharted
Uncharted is one of the biggest Sony franchises ever. Nathan Drake is the closest thing the company has to a mascot nowadays, but Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End put his story to an end. That being said, Naughty Dog proved with Uncharted: The Lost Legacy that the series can continue without him. If anything, we could go into the future and follow the adventures of his daughter, and maybe even hear Nolan North reprise the iconic retired adventurer. We’ve already seen Nate as a kid, too, so who’s to say we couldn’t have a prequel set during his teenage years? All we are saying here is Uncharted as a series still has life in it for the PS5.
Infamous
Infamous might also have received an entry on the PlayStation 4, but with Sucker Punch releasing Ghosts of Tsushima in 2020, who knows when, or if, the series will come back. Infamous started on the PlayStation 3 and was one of the biggest releases on that console each time. Infamous: Second Son released near the beginning of the PS4 and was a solid entry. It was regarded as one of the best releases during the first year of the PS4. Sucker Punch might be focused on other areas now, but still, the superhero power-like adventure game could easily return on the PS5 with a new developer and be a fun experience.
Sly Cooper
Like Infamous, Sly Cooper was a series that started with Sucker Punch until they decided to focus on the PS3 series. You played as the titular raccoon character and his crew of thieves through multiple adventure games that mixed in combat and stealth. The last entry, Thieves in Time, released in 2013 and ended on a cliffhanger. Sony needs to bring Sly and company back for at least one more entry, whether it be to finish the story or breathe new life in a beloved franchise.
Ape Escape
Ape Escape is arguably the franchise fans want Sony to bring back the most. The first entry in the series was the first game to require the use of the Dualshock controller’s analog sticks and made the act of capturing apes with a net a fun adventure in the late ’90s and early 2000s. The last main entries in the series, Ape Escape 3, released for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable in 2005 and was not received well, and later party games and spin-offs were not that great either. If anything, a Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy-like remake of the first couple of games would be welcomed by fans.
Parappa the Rapper
Another beloved but flawed ’90s PlayStation icon, Parappa the Rapper is a rhythm-based game that sees the title character learning how to be a rapper. It was a simple game; the instructor at each level would put out the lyrics that you would repeat by pressing the corresponding buttons. The first game got a remaster in 2016, so looking to the PS5, it would be nice to see a new entry in the series. A game that would improve on the controls and introduce something new to the franchise.
Ratchet and Clank
Ratchet and Clank has been a long-running, successful franchise for Sony and Insomniac since its debut on the PS2. The series follows the two characters as they fight intergalactic foes with insane weapons. The series got a reboot and even a movie near the beginning of the PS4’s life, so with Insomniac now being owned by Sony, it would be nice to see what follow up the team can put out while also developing the next Spider-Man game.
Jak and Daxter
Naughty Dog left Crash Bandicoot behind so they could focus on Jak and Daxter. This 3D platform adventure game had even more personality than Crash and led the way for games on the PS2. It was a much more open series that progressively got darker as the series continued. Jak 3 was the final mainline entry in the series released in 2004 for the PS2, with a racing game and PSP game later being released. Naughty Dog has plenty of other areas to focus on, so give the series to a new developer who can completely reboot the series.
Syphon Filter
Making its debut on the PlayStation, Syphon Filter was a third-person shooter series that would fit nicely alongside the current slate of PlayStation exclusives. The stealth-based tactics would also be a welcome change to the approach Sony take lately with their first-party titles. Bend Studios released Days Gone in 2019, so it has plenty of opportunities to come back to this missing series. The last entry released in 2007, so there are many ways they could go with a new game, either remake the first game, reboot the series or make a true sequel. There’s a lot of free area for them to go crazy with it.
LocoRoco
LocoRoco is a weird, calming game released for PSP. You play the game as these little yellow sack-like creatures that group into a bigger LocoRoco. It’s a charming small game that was at home on the PSP. It could make an interesting small release on the PS5, either by a sequel or re-release, being a great low budget game that could be sold to kids. The second game got a remaster on PS4, so hopefully we will see a third one in the next generation.
