It seems like every week, a new game is either hitting digital physical shelves, or we’re hearing about some new and exciting franchise on the way. Make no mistake, this is a great problem to have if you even consider it one in the first place.
But through it all, we feel as though there’s a little more room to revive a few more franchises along the way. Be it a sequel, remaster, or remake, we would love to see these five franchises return to the spotlight.
Jak and Daxter
We get it, the Jak and Daxter games have had their run, with several numbered sequels, but genre-crossing spin-offs too, like Jak X. You could argue that the franchise itself feels a little dated by today’s standards, but we feel as though there’s wiggle room to reinvent the franchise with a new look and some revitalized mechanics.
Developer Naughty Dog is hard at work on their newer flagship franchises like The Last of Us (we wish Uncharted was back in the mix, but we’ll leave that for another time), we believe there’s enough nostalgia and potential here to bring the duo back to not only a new console generation but a new generation of fans who could use another PlayStation mascot. Sorry Astro, we love you too.
Dino Crisis
If Jak and Daxter feel a little dated, here’s a franchise we feel would fit right in. Dino Crisis might have originally launched on the original PlayStation as a Resident Evil-esque alternative, ever so slightly nudging Jurassic Park for good measure, but this feels like a given at this point.
The Resident Evil series is thriving when it comes to both sequels and remakes, so why not give Dino Crisis the revitalisation it deserves? We smell the potential too.
The Rockstar Bunch (Bully, L.A Noire, Manhunt)
This might feel like a cop-out, but hear us out. With Rockstar having jumped upon multiple franchises like Bully, L.A. Noire, and Manhunt to name a few, we’re surprised none of these really got any love this past decade.
Bully is a fantastic alternative to Grand Theft Auto as far as free-roaming open-world experiences go, in the sense that the variety has been shifted from sweeping missions to more intimate detailed tasks like classes and midnight exploits. It had its own unique charm and we simply feel that the love for this franchise never left.
L.A. Noire might have felt a little more contained and linear when compared to Grand Theft Auto, but there’s no doubting the pure potential when it came to storytelling and nuanced gameplay. Conversations were incredibly engaging no matter the case, and even though the incredibly expensive motion and face capture technology (among other things) practically sunk Australian developer Team Bondi, we feel as though there’s room for a return.
Manhunt is a special one. Sure, it’s gruesome and downright controversial, but the introduction of an official R18+ rating down under means we can push the boundaries of adult-centered video games, in which some of these explicit themes and moments can be enjoyed by a dedicated mature audience, with clear context as to what they’re purchasing.
Manhunt 2 was practically banned in Australia upon its release, but we’re hoping the newer ratings can squeeze a sequel or remake in at some point.
Sly Cooper
Yet another franchise that’s gotten plenty of love, but none recently. The first four mainline Sly Cooper games are all decent, even if we have a particular soft spot for the very first one. That being said, if we’re in for a penny, asking for franchises like Jak and Daxter to return, we’re in for a pound with Sly Cooper. Bring on the platformer resurgence.
After all, who doesn’t love a family-friendly game featuring a loveable rag-tag group of animal-themed thieves?
SSX
Remember extreme sports games? NBA, NFL, and FIFA Street? While we love and miss those games, SSX was arguably the best of the bunch, going as far as to spawn numerous sequels across multiple console generations. But i we had to pick one of these extreme sports games to make a comeback, we can’t go past SSX.
The gameplay felt so slick and polished, while its accessible nature made it an absolute blast to play with friends. What makes it (SSX) tricky, pun intended, is that it actually got a reboot back in 2012. As good as that game actually was, it simply didn’t gain the traction it deserved. But 12 years later, we feel the time is right to revitalise the snowboarding chaos that is SSX.
We feel as though these 5 are quite popular in their own right, but understand there are way more that we could welcome back with open arms in 2024.
