Six Sony Franchises We Want to See On the PS4

With the confirmation that Uncharted 4 is in development, we here at SuperPhillip Central have taken a glimpse at past PlayStation franchises, and have chosen six that we would be glad to make their introductions on the PlayStation 4 hardware. Obviously, brand new franchises are fantastic things, but not only are we getting a steady supply of those with Sony's new hardware, we just want to see some familiar faves return into the PlayStation scene.

God of War

We don't consider ourselves to be the types of gamers who focus heavily on graphics, or use that as a primary reason to see a series reach the PlayStation 4's powerful hardware. However, with the God of War franchise, that's exactly what we'd be excited to see with a new installment and the franchise's debut on the PS4.

God of War III and to a lesser extent Ascension already gave us an extraordinarily graphically impressive set of games, but can you imagine how a PlayStation 4 installment would look on the powerhouse that is the PlayStation 4?

The only thing we'd ask for a new entry in the God of War franchise is a focus on a new character. We've pretty much grown tired of Kratos as a protagonist, and we think the various games in the series have told us all there is to tell about one of the only protagonists in gaming where we wish to see them fail due to their obnoxious personality and reprehensible behavior and attitude.

Perhaps also a nice tweak to the franchise's formula would be welcomed. Actually, there is no "perhaps"-- a change in the formula would be wonderful. The God of War series has used the same gameplay structure and mechanics that were established in the PlayStation 2 original, so we'd love to see a shakeup in the series for sure.

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale was seen as a ripoff of Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. series. When Battle Royale tried something differently gameplay-wise, it was derided for not being enough like its inspiration. There's some kind of double standard here, but that's not the point.

We think a second installment of PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale would work well with a couple of alterations. For one, let the roster of characters actually represent the PlayStation's history and not just be a playable advertisement for random third-party characters to be a part of. There's plenty of PlayStation characters to be a part of the cast. You have all the PlayStation-related fighters from the original (including DLC like Kat and Zeus), and then you can include characters like Delsin from inFamous: Second Son, Iota from Tearaway, Tag from ModNation Racers, and Knack.

Additionally, a change from the you-can-only-earn-KO-opponents-via-supers rule. While that could still be a mode all on its own for players to choose from, a more traditional mode, perhaps with health bars or whatnot could make for a more appealing product to players and PlayStation fans alike. The fact of the matter is that we don't want to see such a great and potential-filled concept like PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale get tossed to the wayside before it can come unto its own.

LittleBigPlanet

Play, create, share. That is the mantra of the LittleBigPlanet series. With the power of the PlayStation 4 we can only imagine the types of complicated and intricate levels and creations we would be able to assemble. The possibilities involving the system's features make us salivate in anticipation. Using the DualShock 4's touch pad to more carefully assemble pieces of levels, or using it in gameplay to do things like move objects, like seen in the PlayStation Vita installment of the series. There's also the built-in gyroscope that could be used for level gimmicks as well. The SHARE button seems built for a game like LittleBigPlanet, and the capabilities of sharing a given player's runs through levels is one seriously enticing proposition.

Ratchet & Clank

Recently the Ratchet & Clank franchise has seen multiple experiments to the formula of the game. For instance, All 4 One was a cooperative action game with little in the way of exploration, and Full Frontal Assault was a multiplayer-centric tower defense game of sorts. Into the Nexus returned the series to its humble roots, but it was a much shorter adventure than entries like Going Commando and Up Your Arsenal.

With a new console, Ratchet and his intelligent robot partner Clank can get a new start. What better way to get a new start than a full-length adventure that rivals the greatest games in the franchise! We drool at the idea of new weapons with devastating power, showcasing the amazing particle effects the PlayStation 4 can do. We froth at the mouth at the idea of what new planets we would be able to explore, as the PS3 installments already blow us away. It's these reasons why a new full featured Ratchet & Clank for the PS4 is high on our want list.

Jak and Daxter

Out of the triple threat of 3D platformers in Sony's arsenal, the one series that seems to get the shaft is the Naughty Dog created Jak and Daxter series. Now, one can argue that the series was only good with the first entry before Naughty Dog lost their minds and decided to put a heavy emphasis of a dark story into a platformer. (This was their start of emulating Hollywood instead of keeping gaming its own voice.)

Regardless, the collect-a-thon turned GTA-like series needs a rebound, maybe even a reboot. It need not be made by Naughty Dog, as Sanzaru Games has shown that you don't need to be the series' creator to make excellent entries in an established franchise. Sanzaru Games took over the Sly Cooper franchise from Sucker Punch, who moved onto the inFamous franchise.

We've seen with Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier that there's still some life left in the series, and we can only ponder the capabilities of an awesome 3D platformer for the PS4. We'd prefer if Jak and Daxter went back to their roots as a gun-free platformer, as Sony already has the Ratchet & Clank franchise to fill that niche.

Wipeout

If Nintendo won't give players a new installment in its long-running anti-gravity racing series, F-Zero, let's call upon Sony to revive its own brand of futuristic racer, Wipeout. Unfortunately, SCE Studio Liverpool, the makers of the series is now defunct, but that won't stop us from wishing for Wipeout's grand return to a home console.

Without a doubt for a supremely skill-based technical racer like Wipeout, the SHARE button is paramount for showcasing players' best times, best runs, and awesome moments. That alone makes the idea of Wipeout hitting the PlayStation 4 and desired concept that we'd love to see fully realized, even with a new studio at the helm.

Wipeout HD and its expansion Fury made jaws drop around the world at just how spectacular it looked and how fluid it ran. Now take a look at a screenshot of the graphics of that game and imagine how it would look on the PlayStation 4. With the substantial boost in hardware, there's no telling how crazy the courses could become, how many special effects would light up the tracks, how many total racers there could be in a given race, and just how much lower our jaws could drop than they already do with the series up until now.

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Agree with our choices of series from Sony's history that we want to appear on the PlayStation 4? Let your voice be heard in our comments section below!