“We don't have many franchises.” That's what Kenichiro Yoshida said at the beginning of September. While the Sony boss laments his lack of cultural properties, his firm can still count on big franchises such as Uncharted, The Last of Us, Horizon, God of War, Spider-Man and even Gran Turismo.Added to this are other historical licenses that we haven't heard from for several years or even decades. This is what fans point out in response to Yoshida's complaint. Since the PS1, Sony has had a ton of licenses, some of which are still in the background today. Too bad, because some of them deserve a big comeback on consoles. Enough to make us want a top 7 of the franchises that we would like to see back on PS5 Pro, PS6 and in the more distant future.
#7 SLY COOPER
In the 2000s, Sly Cooper was a hit on PlayStation consoles. The raccoon burglar delighted fans of platform games, which also combined action and infiltration phases, all under pretty cel-shading graphics. A standard at the time. But after a fourth opus in 2013: nothing more.
Rumors of a return emerged a few years ago, notably through a commercial revealing the license logo during a PlayStation showcase, or statements from Jeff Grubb, who posted a video last May, in which he claims that Sucker Punch is working on a new opus. But Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier has declared that Sucker Punch is a studio that only works on one project at a time. And that's currently the sequel to Ghost of Tsushima.which is the studio's priority. Developing such a game is no small feat, and should take a good while. Enough to demoralize the thief's fans again. Too bad, because at a time when a cruel lack of new features is felt on the side of the White Tower, Sony would really need the return of such a license acclaimed for its offbeat atmosphere and its gameplay.
#6 INFAMOUS
Another license developed by Sucker Punch Productions: inFamous. Starting with the first game in 2009, the franchise expanded with a sequel in 2011 and then a reboot titled Infamous: Second Son in 2014. Much like Sly Cooper, Sucker Punch hasn't continued its franchise for a decade now, and as with Sly Cooper, the reasons are tied to the development of Ghost of Tsushima 2. inFamouswould have its place on PS5, at a time when more or less similar titles like Marvel's Spider-Man 2 are a hit on consoles.
#5 BLOODBORNE
Considered by some to be the best of From Software's games, Bloodborneserves as a refresh. Exit the medieval universe, make way for the Gothic, the Lovercraftian myth and its repulsive creatures. For the occasion, From Software has abandoned shields and rolls to introduce dodging and firearms, thus pushing players to play more aggressively. A reworked formula that hit the mark since the game was a hit, in addition to being hailed by critics.
Obviously, players asked for more. But instead of a hoped-for sequel, players will console themselves with a remaster announced on PS5 Pro. On the program, 60 fps, enhanced graphics or considerably reduced loading times. For later, we are also talking about a remake, rather than a Bloodborne 2.Too bad, because with the superb artistic direction of the first part, there was plenty to explore in this Victorian and Gothic atmosphere.
#4 KILLZONE
Created by Guerrilla Games, Killzonemade the glory days of gamers, first on PS2 in 2004 with the first of the name, then on PS3 with Killzone 2 and Killzone 3 from 2009 to 2011. This before Killzone Mercenary and Killzone Shadow Fall respectively released on PS Vita and PS4 in 2013. Two much more mixed opuses which marked the decline of the futuristic FPS license which opposed the Helgast Empire to the Vekta Alliance in their eternal war.
Since then, Guerrilla has branched off to the Horizon franchise, then Sony has removed the official portal. Finally, the servers for Killzone Shadow Fall and Killzone Mercenary have been shut down in 2022. Very clear clues, which lead us to believe that the license now belongs to the past. Despite the very archaic gameplay of the franchise today, a redesign would have been possible, based on its very dark SF atmosphere.
#3 JAK and DaXTER
We owe it to the video game series Jak and Daxter six installments, released between 2001 and 2009. Since then, the compilationThe Jak and Daxter Collection, which brings together the three games in the main series and the spin-off game Jak X, was released on PS4 in 2017, fans of platformers, action-adventure and the humorous duo are waiting for a new game on a new generation of consoles.
Unfortunately, it is not the addition of the Naughty Dog series games in the PS Plus Premium catalog that will comfort players. The publisher behind Uncharted and The Last of Us doesn't seem ready to give the franchise a well-deserved revival.
#2 THE ORDER
Developed by Ready at Dawn and Santa Monica Studio in 2015, The Order: 1886takes place in a steampunk universe mixing the Victorian era and futuristic technology in which four characters fight against inhuman beings in the city of London. A very beautiful mix magnified by graphics — at the time — splendid, but the ridiculous life span of four hours frustrated a lot of players. Too bad, because all the factors were there.
The studio has since been acquired by Meta to develop VR games. The firm has decided to close the doors of Ready at Dawn, which had a close partnership with Sony. Staff reductions made to ensure that the Reality Labs project meets budget constraints and that Oculus Studios can have a “better long-term impact”in the development of virtual reality. So there is little hope of ever seeing a title stamped The Order again, unless the license is miraculously bought back.
#1 DAYS GONE
And we end with Days Gone,one of the most popular licenses on the PS4. Apocalyptic universe, fairly large open world, a bunch of missions to complete, varied weapons and a very badass character, Days Gone had its little effect on the public when it was released in 2019, despite a more than mixed press.
Bad feedback that pushed the license to be shelved at the bottom of Sony's drawers,despite a petition for a sequel collecting more than 200,000 signatures. If hopes were still high this summer, Kevin McAllister, the group's Community Manager, tweeted in response to new waves of false information regarding a Days Gone 2. “I apologize to our community of Days Gone fans. You are continually fed false hopes and misinformation from people looking for likes.” A hard axe to swallow, but one that decides the future of the license. At least for now.
For your part, don't hesitate to tell us which video game license(s) you would like to see back.