PlayStation nostalgia is running wild this month, primarily thanks to the release of Astro Bot. While Team Asobi’s latest is a fantastic platformer in its own right, it’s also filled to the brim with Easter eggs and callbacks to some of PlayStation’s biggest properties of the past three decades. This combined with the failure of PlayStation’s latest endeavor, Concord, has many wondering why the publisher is choosing to let some of its most iconic properties sit on the sidelines.
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To that end, here are four of the biggest franchises from PlayStation that we think need to be revived immediately with new revivals on PS5.
Sly Cooper
Arguably the most notable “mascot” for PlayStation during the PS2 era was none other than Sly Cooper. The stealth-action series began with 2002’s Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus and received four installments in total concluding with Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time on PS3. Since the launch of Thieves in Time in 2013, though, PlayStation hasn’t done anything whatsoever with Sly and friends.
Likely the best reason Sly Cooper should return for PlayStation 5 is because Sony has already shown a willingness to let an outside developer work on the franchise. Thieves in Time was developed by Sanzaru Games while the first three entries were made by Sucker Punch Productions. With this in mind, there is surely another studio around the globe that Sony could strike a deal with to bring back Sly Cooper. A move like this could allow PlayStation’s own first-party developers to remain focused on their own IP, with Sucker Punch itself likely working on a sequel to Ghost of Tsushima.
Resistance
A product of the PS3 era, Resistance was one of the big focuses of Insomniac Games from 2006 until 2011. It saw three mainline entries (all from Insomniac) along with a couple of spin-offs for PSP and PS Vita. The latest entry in the series, Resistance: Burning Skies, launched in 2012 and was largely panned by critics and fans alike.
Resistance is a property that I think those within PlayStation should be more eager to bring back for a couple of different reasons. For starters, Resistance isn’t so locked down to specific characters that a comeback would be difficult. Franchises like Uncharted and God of War are directly synonymous with Nathan Drake and Kratos, but the same can’t be said for Resistance. This would allow for a studio outside of Insomniac to come in and put its own touch on the series without having to worry too much about incorporating certain characters or story beats from past titles.
Because of its nature as a shooter series, PlayStation could also look to further tap into the live-service market with a new Resistance entry. While it might seem unusual for a game in modern times to release with a campaign and multiplayer suite, recent titles like Space Marine 2 have shown that there is still a desire for games of this style. Bring Resistance back and add a major first-person shooter to PlayStation’s exclusive offerings once again.
Infamous
Another IP from Sucker Punch, Infamous was the series that the studio worked on once it moved away from Sly Cooper. Beginning with the original Infamous in 2009, it was followed by a sequel in 2011 and a soft reboot titled Infamous: Second Son in 2014. For over a decade at this point, though, Sony hasn’t opted to let Infamous sit idle, which is something I’d like to see change sooner rather than later.
In some ways, I feel like Infamous was a bit before its time. Since the release of Second Son, superhero media has arguably become more popular than ever before, as has the open-world genre. PlayStation itself has found even greater success in this space with the Marvel’s Spider-Man series, so it’s clear that fans like games of this type. Whether or not there’s room for Infamous to sit alongside Marvel’s Spider-Man and the upcoming Marvel’s Wolverine isn’t known, but I would absolutely look to bring the franchise back if I was in charge.
Bloodborne
Yes, Bloodborne has to be the final mention here for numerous obvious reasons. It’s staggering that a remaster, remake, PC port, or even a mere 60fps update for PS5 has yet to come about for FromSoftware’s 2015 action game. Depending on who you ask, Bloodborne might be considered FromSoftware’s best game ever, which is staggering given that this is the studio behind Dark Souls, Elden Ring, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
At this point, if PlayStation were to do something with Bloodborne, I feel like a full-blown sequel makes the most sense. Whether or not FromSoftware itself wants to work on the project or not is a moot point as PlayStation outright owns the Bloodborne IP. Having a new Bloodborne game on PS5 would be a massive deal and would join the likes of Demon’s Souls as Soulslikes that couldn’t be experienced on any other platforms.
