So far, we’ve already seen a couple of PlayStation franchises make a comeback.
Case in point, Spyro is set to take flight once again in September. This is following the success of the Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy, a remaster of the original Crash Bandicoot trilogy for the PlayStation. Not only that, but Sony themselves teased the return of Sir Daniel Fortesque from Medievil on the PlayStation 4 via a live presentation during PSX 2017.
This is all without including the other remakes already planned. Like, for example, the Resident Evil 2 remake that’s set to release on January 2019.
It’s safe to say that the market is now prime for a reintroduction of classic video game franchises, and seeing as to how that is, we decided to jump on the hype train ourselves.
Below, you’ll find a list of all that PlayStation franchises that, we believe, are in dire need of a comeback.
Final Fantasy Tactics
The Final Fantasy video game franchise may have made a name for itself in the RPG niche, but their ventures in other genres have proven just as successful. A good example is Final Fantasy Tactics for the original PlayStation.
A stark departure from other Final Fantasy games, Final Fantasy Tactics utilized a 3D, isometric, rotatable playing field with a challenging and complex combat system that belied its cutesy 2D sprite characters. It was commercially and critically acclaimed upon release. But, while fans and critics loved it, it seems that Square Enix did not see enough to build on the franchise as most people expected.
So far, only two sequels for Final Fantasy Tactics have been released since the title debuted in 1997: Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced for the Game Boy Advance in 2003 and Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift for Nintendo DS in 2007. That’s 21 years with only two games and an enhanced version of the original thrown in for good measure.
For a game that’s widely considered as an absolute classic, that’s too many years without a proper follow-up.
With Square Enix still producing top-notch RPGs, including one installment after another to the Final Fantasy franchise, maybe it’s time that they decided to give Final Fantasy Tactics another go so that a newer generation of gamers can enjoy it.
Parasite Eve
How many do you remember Parasite Eve? Not a lot, probably.
Overshadowed by the likes of Jill Valentine, Lara Croft, Claire Valentine, and other strong female leads of the time, Aya Brea is a name that most of today’s gamers do not know. But, for a time, Aya and the horror-themed action game set in New York City named Parasite Eve, was right up there among the best of them.
As of the moment, Hideo Kojima already has a weird video game lined up for the PlayStation 4 in Death Stranding. The now-forgotten PlayStation franchise, Parasite Eve, with its fetus-looking monsters and female lead would make for a great competition if Square Enix would only consider.
Dino Crisis
Speaking of action games with a strong female lead, who could ever forget Dino Crisis?
Technically, the series is not a PlayStation exclusive. The first game and its three sequels also saw a release on other platforms. But, it was with the original PlayStation that Dino Crisis truly shone.
Back when the game first released in 1999, Regina was to dinosaurs what Jill Valentine was to zombies, and it was an absolute blast to play. So much so that Dino Crisis saw a sequel just a year later. But, since the release of the third game for the Xbox in 2003 — a complete departure that featured dinosaurs in space — Dino Crisis met the same fate as with the other PlayStation franchises on our list.
With the power that the current generation of consoles has, Dino Crisis has all the tools it needs to come back stronger than ever.
Silent Hill
How many PlayStation franchises, or video game franchises for that matter, can brag about having a commercially successful film based on it that wasn’t absolutely shit on by critics?
For that reason alone, Silent Hill deserves another shot.
A direct rival to Resident Evil back in the days, no game has come close to making you feel the same kind of dread and fear since Silent Hill 2 released for the PlayStation 2 back in 2001.
Konami’s shift to mobile game and Pachinko means that P.T (short for playable teaser), which was an interactive teaser for the now-canned Silent Hills, is the closest we’ll ever get to seeing Silent Hill ever again, and that’s a damn shame.
Ape Escape
As one of the first PlayStation franchises to require the use of the DualShock controller, Ape Escape has not taken off as most people expected it to. Sure, it’s not exactly dead. The franchise has a couple of sequels and spinoffs under its belt, but all in all, nothing that was quite like the first game.
Maybe it’s time to put an end to that? With the lack of quality platformers these days, reintroducing Ape Escape, perhaps with a new twist that requires the use of the new features that the DualShock 4 has, has the potential to shake up the genre and reinvigorate the audience’s interest in it.
Bully
Rockstar Games simply has a knack for violence, but not in a wanton kind of way that’s already pointless. Rather, they inject just enough to get people talking and interested and keep them playing with unique twists and stellar gameplay.
Bully is a good example, albeit underrated when compared to their catalogue of games. While it did not flop commercially and was actually critically praised, it’s not exactly on the same level as the Rockstar Games’ other franchises, like Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto, making it somewhat of a cult classic in comparison.
With Red Dead Redemption 2 already set for a release, we’re sure that Rockstar Games are already looking for another franchise to work on. Maybe that’s Bully? If we’re to believe recent rumours, then that certainly seems to be the case. And, if that is true, the gaming world will be all the better for it.
Nothing has really made going to school more enjoyable quite like Bully did years ago.
Tomba!
Pigs are evil. Or, at least, that’s what Tomba! and its sequel, Tomba! 2: The Evil Swine Return, taught us.
One of the more criminally underrated PlayStation franchises, Tomba! and its sequel put you in the tattered, green shorts, of the pink-haired protagonist, Tomba, as you defended your island home against evil pigs that, for some reason, can cast spells and are smarter than human beings.
With a lot of the now-defunct Whoopee games now part of Access Games — the same people behind Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition — maybe they can give this franchise a shot at coming back on the newer generation of consoles?
Bushido Blade
At first glance, Bushido Blade looks like a poor man’s Soulcalibur, and perhaps it is.
Released right around the time Soul Edge (the first instalment of the Soulcalibur franchise), Bushido Blade was a unique weapon-based fighting game released for the original PlayStation. And while it may not have had the graphics of its contemporaries, it was different and more importantly, it was fun.
Bushido Blade completely scrapped the concept of health bars and concept, allowing players to kill opponents with a single blow if they knew how. This made matches extremely tense, as it could end in a split second or turn into a long stand-off where each player would circle each other until the inevitable clash. It also helped that players had a wide range of weapons at their disposal.
While it’s highly unlikely that Square Enix will give Bushido Blade the time of day, but if they did, then it’s one of the original PlayStation franchises that most would welcome back.
Twisted Metal
You know, there’s a severe lack of killer clowns in video games these days, which is exactly why Twisted Metal is one of those PlayStation franchises that deserve to come back.
Can you just imagine how destructively awesome it would be to play as Sweet Tooth again with current-gen graphics and the connectivity of today’s consoles? The 2012 reboot of the franchise was nice enough, as it retained the signature mayhem of the gameplay and the whacky nature of the multiplayer. But, it’s been six years, and we’ve yet to see a sequel.
Here’s to hoping that it’s coming sooner rather than later.
Jak and Daxter
Naughty Dog has a couple of PlayStation franchises under their belt, so you can’t really blame them for forgetting about Jak and Daxter. You just kind of hope that they wouldn’t, though.
One of the defining platformers om the PlayStation 2, Jak and Daxter has the fanbase to warrant a return, and with Naughty Dogs already giving an old platformer in Crash Bandicoot a chance, why can’t they give one of the most beloved game series of its time the same opportunity?
Fans certainly would want it, and there’s enough of a gap for platformers on the market that’s just begging to be filled.
Naughty Dog, please?
What PlayStation Franchises Do You Want to See Revived?
Obviously, there are plenty more PlayStation franchises that deserve to come back, and the 10 we listed above are just some of them.
In case, the list made you feel all nostalgic, you might want to curb that with a custom-made PS4 controller designed to honour a franchise that you used to love and would do anything to make it return.
Which of these PlayStation franchises do you think deserve to come back the most? Do you have other franchises in mind? Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments down below.
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