Sony has been knocking it out of the park in the single-player department for almost a decade now, but Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida lamented the company’s lack of multiplayer hits in a recent interview. While this sector is dominated by third-party favourites like Fortnite and Call of Duty on the PlayStation 4, the platform holder does have a long list of multiplayer brands that would be ripe for resurrection with the right approach. Here are ten primarily multiplayer PlayStation franchises that we’d love to see brought back to life.
SOCOM
Aside from The Last of Us’ acclaimed multiplayer mode, there’s nothing quite like SOCOM on any system at the moment. For many, Zipper Interactive’s third-person shooter was their first taste of online multiplayer on the PlayStation 2, and it commands a lasting legacy for that reason alone. But it’s not just nostalgia that’s kept this series relevant: tight, tactical, team-based gameplay has always been the order of the day, and we reckon this series could really find an audience in an era where swift respawns have become the standard.
Warhawk
A classic PSone game that Sony brilliantly brought back to life on the PlayStation 3, you’ll still find people populating Warhawk’s servers today. With a variety of different vehicles to control, and huge sprawling conflicts, the game was undoubtedly ahead of its time all the way back in 2007. It’d face stiff competition from franchises like Battlefield, but there’s no reason that this classic Sony franchise couldn’t be relevant in 2018 – especially in an era where titles like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, with their huge urban maps, are among the most popular multiplayer experiences available.
Motor Toon Grand Prix
The humble arcade racer is a dying breed, but we often feel that the PS4 would benefit from a casual karter to compete with the one offered by Nintendo. While there’s probably still just about a pulse in the ModNation series – and we’ve got our fingers crossed for a Crash Team Racing comeback – wouldn’t it be nice to see Polyphony Digital return to its roots? Creator Kazunori Yamauchi has been chained to racing sims for over two decades now, so it’s hard to forget that his career started with a quirky arcade experience that would surely appeal to old and young generations alike. Bring back Motor Toon Grand Prix!
Twisted Metal
Sony made a big deal of the fact that it was reviving Twisted Metal last generation, but the game just didn’t quite feel ready for the primetime. The mechanics were good and the visuals were decent, but the online infrastructure was sloppy and it killed what should have been one of the console’s crowing multiplayer games. Car combat is pretty uncommon these days, but there’s surely still a market for the genre’s daddy – especially if it was handled in the right way, with regular content updates, great maps, and a hero shooter-like format.
Buzz!: Quiz TV
Not all multiplayer needs to be about racing or shooting, and Buzz!: Quiz TV proved as much. With Neighbours legend Jason Donovan as host and some slick presentation, this series headlined a period on the PlayStation 2 where Sony seemed to have unlocked the casual market before even Nintendo jumped on board with the Wii. PlayLink series Knowledge Is Power is likeable enough and seems to be ticking the trivia box in the PS4’s portfolio, but we’ll always have a soft spot for Buzz and his cast of crazy contestants.
Comments 43
I really miss Twisted Metal and Motorstorm.
Would you believe I've never played SOCOM? I've always wanted to try the games, but I never could find them.
I also remember MAG getting buzz and even seeing commercials for it. Then as far as I knew it fell off the face of the earth. Really sad.
Bring back SOCOM!
I feel the time is right for it with the popularity of third person shooters.
They could even add some kind of a battle royale mode with squads of 4-5 seals. It'd be a better pubg imo.
Although slim, I was Hoping that the rumour of SOCOM coalition was true. Missed opportunity.
I really loved MAG. One of the few multiplayer games that I’ve played more than 25 hours on (hello, overwatch, and your 250 hours).
Also, I really liked Twisted Metal as a series, but as a mostly single player gamer, I felt the AI was really imbalanced and the races were not fun at all.
SOCOM was crap (at least the PS3 ones were) .
i'd like to see guerrilla take another crack at killzone, combining the best parts of KZ2 and KZ3's multiplayer, bringing back the 32 player warzone, expanding the operations mode, and adding a dash of something original. forget KZ:SF ever happened. the franchise has so much potential, but shadowfall was a big mis-step imo. i've barely played competitive FPS mp this gen, because i'm not a fan of CoD's multiplayer, battlefield has struggled to recapture the brilliance of bad company imo, and destiny's crucible just plain sucks. there's still a market out there wanting something different, imo.
MAG needed another iteration. managing to pull-off 256 player battles on PS3 was an excellent technical achievement, and the overall concept was great, but the execution was really flawed. bland design, and flimsy shooting were two areas in need of attention. not sure which of sony's current list of studios could take it on though even if they did want to resurrect it.
Will this get a video?
I'd be well up for Warhawk on PS4. I used to play that a fair bit.
I agree. I don’t mind Sony putting SP upfront but they should still make MP games. It’s their job as a platform holder to do so. I think that Twisted Metal could work for Batte Royale type game on PS5.
Motorstorm was a favourite of mine and whilst Killzone was enjoyable, I don't really miss the MP - probably because there were a lot of other FPS games like it. Resistance would be my FPS game of choice because it had more unique weaponry which gave it something different to others.
PS Home was 'awful'. It ended up being more of an advert and Mall for getting you to spend money on 'micro-transactions. The games were terrible - at least the free ones... I guess if they made a Social game (third Person Sims??) with a one off 'price' rather than having to spend money on micro-transactions, maybe even incorporate VR so you could go to the 'cinema' or virtual pub with real life friends to watch events like E3, World Cup (iPlayer/ITV player) etc, it has potential but the fact it was free meant it was full of Micro-transaction, slow loading, adverts and pathetic little 'games'.
Omg i would LOVEEE another warhawk. It was one of my fav Games last gen, i spent a good 500+ hours of so much fun. O yea, and MAG 2 would be awesome as well, but i believe Sony shut down zipper so no hope there 😢
It would be cool for Sony to bring back an old multiplayer franchise but I honestly don't think they can compete with the 3rd party market. Fortnight, destiny, COD, Battlefield etc will always reign supreme.
@leucocyte I loved operations from KZ3 and that kill sound fantastic. 😁
@BAMozzy The sims is not a game its microtransaction. DLC for DLC what a joke making new games with less content the old ones. 😁 😃 😂 🤣
I definitely want hot shots tennis with rpg element, and it will be great if sony make twisted metal for ps4
Hot Shots tennis would be nice. I am surprised they haven't brought Buzz back with the playlink stuff would work really well with that.
@wiiware I hope like the ones on the PS1 not that garbage from the PS3...
I had so much fun with my buddy and twisted metal so a reboot of that series would be gold to me. (hopefully a more flushed out tournament style story).
Tennis and a good toon kart game would be nice as well. I also think playstation all stars with a more fun elimination gimmick would be fun....as long as it has Cole
@Flaming_Kaiser I liked the one on PS3, but it had lots of online issues. Twisted Metal Black is still the best IMO.
Playstation home was way ahead of time. It will be nice to see something done there. Buzz was a blast. I would love to see it coming back. Unlike, I guess.
I laughed at the PlayStation Home metion thanks for the good laugh i needed that after my morning.
@ShadowWarrior I think there was and still is something in it personally. Like the original version didn't really come together, but that doesn't mean it couldn't be done better.
I’ve been waiting for PlayStation All Stars 2 for like ever now. They have such an amazing cast of first party characters they can promote with it. And could promote upcoming games with dlc characters....come on Sony!!!
Don’t mention Motorstorm, that’s a sore spot. I want it back so bad. Onrush was a kick to the gut.
@Flaming_Kaiser Twisted metal? My favorite is tw2 (the dark humor is hilarious) so I hope if sony make it, it will be like that. Tw ps3 is little weird since we play different characters in one continuous story.
Fortnite is at its cycle where it is getting repetitive and not offering that lobby based trash talk and personal competitiveness!
If there is any right time for a Socom, that time is now! The community is ready for streams of clan wars and strategic based vendettas! No quick matches!
Ready up!
@Flaming_Kaiser I actually like Twisted Metal on PS3 and I agree with Sammy the only issues i had with the game were online related but my favorite will always be Twisted Metal 4
how can this article exist without syphon filter or ape escape? come on, guys. lazy list.
I reckon SOCOM and Crash Team Racing would both find a lot of homes if they were brought back, with most shooters either going back to WW2 or still in the future, modern day SOCOM could fill an appearing void
There's always a possibility that the audience for a multiplayer game would be interested in another similar experience on the same platform. If Sony has something close to H1Z1 with SOCOM but with a better offering on multiple fronts (modes, mechanics, maps, etc), I think there could be a potential grab there. Especially with these types of games, nothing is truly set in stone. You just have to be smart about it.
Would love a new Socom game, so many hours put into Socom II back in the day.
I liked what I played of MAG, too bad it didn't last for very long though, it definitely had promise.
@Porco Not sure either of those franchises are renowned for their multiplayer, personally.
I just want a new TimeSplitters or even the old onces...
@Starvex not a Sony exclusive, but totally on board for another timesplitters.
Except Killzone MP nothing worth saving on this list.
@Flaming_Kaiser - the kill 'chirp' from KZ's multiplayer is my message tone.
whoever mentioned resistance.. i thought resistance 3's multiplayer was pretty good, and the campaign was great. it's weaponry made it feel a bit different to military type shooters. too bad it didn't sell nearly as well as 1 or 2, as it was a much better game in all aspects. would like to see insomniac to have another crack at it.
Resistance had awesome sp and mp,Socom and motorstorm was also fantastic.I would like too see some fps with awesome singleplayer campaign and mp. Sony need some fps or something like motorstorm or twisted metal.
Just SOCOM and ill be very happy. Put nearly a 1000 hours into Confrontation and that was supposed to be the worst. Didnt like 4 how they tried to appeal to the CoD playerbase with respawn modes.
War of the Monsters. Nuff' said.
Socom was the love of my childhood. I loved it on PS2. And if they remaster it or put it on ps now I'd love it. A new series entry would be nice as well.
M.A.G was the best first person shoot I have ever played, to this day it still holds up... I mean people dropping hour on fortnite? Really?? That game is crap compared to M.A.G
Ape Escape hands down.
MAG and Socom, Especially MAG, best FPS I ever played.
Motorstorm Pacific Rift is brilliant. If needs be they could just remaster that and I'd be happy..
What we need to return is the Champions of Norrath series. Sony IP and originals published by Sony so no reason why not.
we need more Wipeout!
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