Despite the fact that the PS4 has been host to some of the best games ever made with the likes of The Last Of Us Part 2, God of War and Red Dead Redemption 2 all qualifying, there is still something missing. On PS3, there were a great many franchises which sadly never got a continuation on PS4 and so we’re now hoping against hope, that these following 17 franchises will find themselves resurrected on PS5. Which forgotten franchises would you add to this list?
17 Franchises That Skipped PS4 Which Need To Return On PS5
Brothers In Arms
With the last Brothers In Arms title hitting home consoles back in 2008, it’s certainly fair to say that we’re long overdue a new instalment in Gearbox Software’s compelling WWII strategy FPS series. We were supposed to receive a new entry in the series called ‘Furious 4’ which.. is as bad as you think it sounds; swapping out the realistic tactical beats of the core series for a more arcade style approach that wears Tarantino-esque inspirations on its digital sleeves. No thanks – we just want more of the original series please.
Call of Juarez
When Red Dead Redemption 2 released to critical and commercial acclaim all the while taking Scrooge McDuck levels of money, it seemed like a no-brainer that Techland would kick its Western FPS themed Call of Juarez IP back into the gear. Well, they didn’t. What actually happened was that a very good Nintendo Switch port of the last game in the series, Call of Juarez: Gunslinger was released, but there was not a sniff of anything like that for PlayStation platforms. Time for that to change with PS5, methinks.
Dead Space
Arguably one of the most requested IPs to make a comeback in the history of forever, the continual absence of a new Dead Space game throughout the PS4 generation has felt like one constant dull pain that has refused to subside. Just imagine, if you will, what a new Dead Space could look like on PS5? Higher resolution visuals, superior framerates, ray-traced lighting and shadows… I think I’m feeling faint.
Def Jam
As a means to atone for the absolutely atrocious Def Jam: Icon on PS3, A bombastic return for the Def Jam series on Sony’s new shiny lump of plastic would be the perfect way to do that. With its over the top wrestling moves, larger than life hip=hop personalities and wildly entertaining multiplayer gameplay, we’d even take a remaster of the Def Jam: Fight For NY too. Just sayin’. After all, the big man Ice T has signed off on it and everything.
Fight Night
Yeah so the EA Sports UFC games are great and all, but they’re not really Fight Night are they? For far too long the sweet science has been absent from PlayStation consoles, and with EA’s MMA titles having more than their fair share of releases, we think it’s time for Fight Night to make a comeback. Also just imagine what would that feel like on PS5 – the DualSense controller accurately registering the stopping power of a combo-interrupting jab, or the blunt-force, concussion registering trauma of a hook to the skull. Bring it on.
Jak & Daxter
With the elevated profile that Ratchet & Clank have enjoyed as late, you’d think that there was only room for one PlayStation mascot duo on Sony’s console platform. A somewhat shoddy re-release of the PS2 original aside, fans of Jak & Daxter have been deprived of the dynamic duo for too long. In a similar vein to how Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart uses the PS5 SSD to great effect, a new Jak & Daxter title could do something similar too, with rapidly changing worlds and other such mechanisms. Look, we just want a new Jak & Daxter on PS5; here’s hoping that original developers Naughty Dog have their eye on the past.
Kane & Lynch
The last time we saw Kane & Lynch, the destructive duo had hijacked a plane bound for Ecuador after laying waste to much of Shanghai thanks to their part in a massively bloody turf war with rival Triad gangs. With its glitchy 80s VHS style presentation, solid cover shooter mechanics and a jet black streak of nihilism running through its characters and story, Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days is certainly a title that has a remained prominently in the minds of many. Third time’s the charm? Yeah, let’s hope so.
Max Payne
After going out in something approximating a blaze of glory in Max Payne 3, gamers everywhere are still overwhelmingly likely to welcome back the titular John Woo style gunslinger back with open arms if he should make a reappearance on PS5. And also, well, the whole slo-mo, third-person shooting shtick that Max Payne did so decently back in 2012 hasn’t really been properly replicated since.
Medal of Honor
While Medal of Honor’s contemporary set reboots hardly set the world on fire (Warfighter was especially mediocre to say the least), it’s certainly true that EA’s forgotten FPS franchise did its best work during WWII. With EA’s Battlefield series rumored to be taking place in the current day, that leaves the field wide open for Medal of Honor to reclaim its stoping grounds, and honestly, the thought of a big budget, more cinematically driven Medal of Honor title on next-gen hardware has our interest to say the least.
Omaha Beach in 4K/60 with Tempest Engine 3D audio that clearly defines the sound of every chunk of earth falling to the ground after an explosion? Yeah. We’ll take that.
Midnight Club
Last seen in Midnight Club: Los Angeles on PS3 back in 2008, Rockstar’s street racing franchise Midnight Club has been on hiatus for far too long. With EA’s Need for Speed franchise seemingly content through crap at the wall in attempt to see what sticks, nobody is really tackling the neon-drenched, night-time racing that Midnight Club did so well in the previous decade. PS5 would be the perfect platform for Midnight Club to return – what do you think?
Motorstorm
Remember when we all got our first glimpse at Motorstorm prior to the PS3 launch? That impossible looking target render in which we were all treated to a stunning display of mud-drenched vehicular carnage (remember that bit when the windscreen wipers wiped away the mud in first person? Ooof), was completely out of the realms of the PS3’s spec to achieve – though it did well to come as close as it did certainly. Now though, with the power of PS5 at the finger tips of devs everywhere, I’d want a new Motorstorm to fully embrace its dirty, muddy origins in a way that both PS3 and PS4 couldn’t fully deliver.
Resistance
An evocative trilogy of first-person sci-fi shooters, Resistance is sorely due a resurgence sooner rather than later. Sure, while developer Insomniac Games is now torn between its wildly successful Marvel’s Spider-Man and Ratchet & Clank titles, we would love for the PlayStation Studios developer to return to its sci-fi FPS stomping grounds.
Ridge Racer
Riiidge Raccceerrrr! Whatever happened to that? Well, it seems like that the world has simply moved on from the arcade thrills that Ridge Racer used to dole out on the regular. Nonetheless, we still think that a brand new Ridge Racer title that leverages the substantial technological grunt of the PS5 would be a fine way for the legendary racing series to make a return.
Silent Hill
After Silent Hills and P.T came to naught on PS4, it’s certainly fair to say that gamers have been starved of a new Silent Hill title for much too long. Here’s hoping then that the recent avalanche of rumors pan out and that we’ll get a brand new and stunningly horrific Silent Hill title on PS5 sooner rather than later.
Sly Cooper
Like Jak & Daxter, another PlayStation platforming mascot that has been out of spotlight during the PS4 generation has been the Sly Cooper franchise. With its particular brand of cheeky humor and stylish visuals, the time is ripe for Sly Cooper’s return to PlayStation. Unfortunately, the most recent developers of the series, Sanzaru, have left for Facebook, so a different studio will have to take the reins.
Splinter Cell
Look, it’s getting absolutely ridiculous now. Sam Fisher has almost made more appearances in games that haven’t been Splinter Cell than those that have. With Splinter Cell utterly absent during the PS4 generation (we didn’t even get a remaster of Blacklist), fans of the franchise haven’t forgotten about the IP and plead for its return. Most annoyingly, Ubisoft is quite keen to fashion some shoddy VR spin-off for Oculus Quest, but still cannot quite come up with anything for actual home consoles. A crying shame. Make it happen on PS5 guys. Come on.
Way of the Samurai
Something of a curio, the Way of the Samurai games were rough but ultimately enjoyable sandbox samurai RPGs that sort of fell off the face of the earth by the time the PS4 rolled around. Sure enough, a spin-off was been released in the interim, but its calibre is far from the non-linear, action RPG driven beats of the main series that the fans crave.
