The PlayStation 5 has been out now for a few months, and despite the new hardware impressing fans, one glaring problem with the system remains a thorn in many users’ sides, the lack of first-party games. While this is a current problem for other new consoles as well, and many great games are on the horizon, Sony would do well to take a look at the past to plan its future in the world of exclusives.
Over the years and numerous PlayStation consoles, Sony has amassed an incredible catalog of great series that have fallen by the wayside over the years. These four series haven’t seen the light of day in years but would be a great addition to the PlayStation 5’s library of exclusives with a new sequel.
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Jet Moto
Jet Moto was a series that saw developer SingleTrac branch out from its Twisted Metal series into a more futuristic racing world with hover-cycles that blasted across land and water for fast-paced racing gameplay. Jet Moto was Wipeout‘s more unrefined cousin, and it was a unique kind of racing game that hasn’t really been done since.
A new Jet Moto that traded the series’ cumbersome controls for smooth 60 frames per second action on the brand new consoles could be both a nod to PlayStation nostalgia and a great new racing experience for fans. The unique hoverbikes combined with the dangerous courses and laser grappling hooks to aid in high-speed cornering could provide a thrilling online competition. Playstation has long established itself as a racing game platform with the ultra-realistic Gran Turismo series, and a new over-the-top arcade racer like Jet Moto could only widen the appeal of a Sony console to racing fans.
MediEvil
Much like the one-eyed skeleton hero of this action-adventure platforming game, the MediEvil series had long laid dormant since its PlayStation glory days. However, in 2019, Sony brought Sir Dan Fortesque back from the grave with the Other Ocean developed remake of the first MediEvil, which was a delight to fans who had considered the series lost to time.
MediEvil is a great example that no series is beyond reach for a remake or sequel, and the next logical step is a brand new adventure for the fleshless knight. 2000’s MediEvil 2 established that Fortesque was an eternal champion of sorts when he was resurrected again for a Victorian-era adventure, a conceit that allows for Sir Dan to come back in any time period where he may be needed to strike against evil once more. Sir Dan mumbling his way through a new funny adventure is all that fans could ask for.
SOCOM
Long before Call of Duty dominated the shooter landscape, Sony delivered a juggernaut of the era in the third-person tactical gunplay of SOCOM. The original SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs delivered squad-based online action to many PlayStation 2 players who had never been online before in a competitive environment. SOCOM and its sequels were instant classics, and it’s genuinely a shame that the series continues to languish despite fans’ almost constant calls for a sequel.
A new SOCOM that kept the third-person squad-based gameplay and brought back the slower, tactical feel of the original games could carve out a place for itself in the saturated online shooter market. As Call of Duty continues to see success leaning into action spectacle and speed, a more stripped-down, realistic alternative in a new SOCOM could bring the fans of similar strategic shooters. Games like Escape From Tarkov and Hunt: Showdown have shown that there is indeed a market for a more methodical shooter like SOCOM, and a new Navy SEALs game could deliver the PS5 a unique shooter exclusive fans would love.
Syphon Filter
Years before Splinter Cell wowed fans on the Xbox, Sony delivered its own blend of espionage action and cool spies on a mission to save the world in Syphon Filter. Heroic secret agent Gabe Logan and his partner Lian Xing were the only people who could save the world from the titular Syphon Filter, a deadly virus designed to genetically target specific groups of people.
Syphon Filter was developed by what is now called Bend Studios, the developer behind the solid open-world exclusive Days Gone. Although the studio has seen massive success with its new series, fans would love another shot at a new adventure for Gabe Logan. Resurrecting this slick, world-hopping espionage action series could give Sony yet another great third-person exclusive to add to its already overflowing catalog — especially in a world where previous competitors Splinter Cell and Metal Gear Solid appear to be finished themselves.
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