What PlayStation Franchises Should Sony Bring Back on PS5? Talking Point 1

Sony's first-party studios have been firing on all cylinders like never before throughout the PlayStation 4 generation, treating us to the likes of God of War, Marvel's Spider-Man, and Horizon: Zero Dawn. We're more than likely going to get sequels to every one of those titles on the next-generation PlayStation 5, but will that exclusive output include a couple of blasts from the past? Sony is sitting on a goldmine of IP that it could resurrect with reboots and remakes to diversify its line-up, to the point where it would be foolish not to use that back catalogue to its advantage at some point. Could the PS5 play host to a few of those revivals? Let's take a look.

Although, before we begin, let's place some parameters on this topic. In order to be eligible for this article and the poll which proceeds it, Sony can't have released a new entry in the series on PS4. Otherwise, it's not really bringing anything back from the dead. Anything from the PlayStation 3 era or before is fair game and Ape Escape is a perfect example of that. Last seen supporting PlayStation Move of all things on the Japanese giant's previous console, this weird and wonderful series has appeared to be on the cusp of a comeback for what feels like years, but nothing has actually materialised. We were hoping to get back to capturing monkeys through the use of interesting gadgets and gizmos before too long, but it looks like we'll have to wait for PS5. Is Ape Escape ripe for a return? Most certainly.

Another option is Dark Cloud. This PlayStation 2 RPG series could answer fans' cries for a first-party Japanese role-playing game, and it wouldn't take that much work to get the series up to speed with a next-gen reboot. Dark Cloud could be considered ahead of its time for 2001 with procedurally-generated dungeons and basic city-building mechanics which allowed you to put together your own little village. Given the popularity of Animal Crossing: New Horizons right now and the consistent demand for Sony to invest in a hardcore RPG franchise, Dark Cloud sounds like an excellent candidate for a comeback the more we think about it.

What PlayStation Franchises Should Sony Bring Back on PS5? Talking Point 2

And then there are Jak and Daxter and Sly Cooper. It feels like these two series go hand in hand with one another -- both considered to be a mixture of platforming and action with anthropomorphic characters. The type of game which died with the PS2, you could safely say. However, given the recent success of Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon's resurgences, you could say there's still a market for the genre. If the hardware manufacturer does decide to invest, however, we hope it's just one of them.

Another genre which needs some real love and attention after a disappointing PS4 generation is the one behind the wheel. Racing games haven't been doing very well as of late, especially after the heartbreaking situation surrounding DriveClub, but Motorstorm could be the series to bring back the glory days. It would have to be handed over to a new developer, of course, but with Microsoft's Forza Horizon titles claiming the genre for themselves, there's still a window of opportunity here for Sony to create some real competition.

One more genre Sony could put up a fight in is the realm of first-person shooters. And you know which franchise we're talking about. Come on, bring back Resistance. Now that Insomniac Games is fully on board, a complete reboot is an incredibly exciting prospect -- complete with an engaging single player story and innovative multiplayer modes. The thought alone has us reaching for our PS3 controller for another series playthrough. If Sony wanted a more serious take on shooters though, there's always SOCOM. The third-person, tactical experience has been near the top of many wishlists for years now and nothing has come of it. It's time for that triumphant return.

What PlayStation Franchises Should Sony Bring Back on PS5? Talking Point 3

And then there's Syphon Filter. Bend studio hit the big time with last year's Days Gone and it most likely wants to revel in that success with a sequel, but if it ever expands with a second team or wants to turn its attention to another property, the stealth genre is crying out for quite literally anything. Gabe Logan and that taser need to come back at some point, and the PS5 seems like the perfect place for it. With Ubisoft refusing to bring back Splinter Cell and Konami putting Metal Gear Solid on its death bed, there's a huge gap in the market for Syphon Filter to capitalise on.

Which PlayStation franchises do you want Sony to bring back on the PlayStation 5? Place your votes in our poll and expand on those thoughts in the comments section below.

What PlayStation franchises should Sony bring back on PS5?

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