Ever since Sony released the first PlayStation back in 1994, they’ve laid claim to a number of quality exclusives. But unlike Nintendo, which releases most of its exclusives with each new console generation, a number of PlayStation exclusives over the years have seemingly been MIA for a long time now.
While the likes of Ratchet and Clank and God of War are still seeing new releases, plenty of franchises flying the PlayStation banner still have fans eagerly awaiting a new release. The past console generation saw a number of franchises come back from the dead with remasters, like the Final Fantasy VII remake — which has a sequel in development already. Here’s hoping these franchises make a comeback in a similar vein on the PS5.
10 MotorStorm
MotorStorm was an early PS3 exclusive that traded in a more realistic racing sim for a more over-the-top rally racing demolition derby title.
Featuring slow-motion crashes with vehicles ranging from dirt bikes to big rigs, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, the series has been absent for a number of years and would be a good competitor to Xbox’s Forza Horizon games.
9 SOCOM U.S Navy Seals
The SOCOM series was at its peak during the PS2 era and was a third-person tactical shooter where you played as a member of U.S Navy Seals squad tackling a number of missions that required stealth and careful precision.
The series hit hard times with the release of Confrontation on the PS3, which tried to hard to be like the more action-packed Call of Duty and failed miserably. It received mixed reviews and received only two more entries on the PSP. With tactical shooters seeing a bit of a resurgence in recent years, now would be a good time for a new SOCOM game or a remaster to see if people would be interested in this kind of thing.
8 Heavenly Sword
Before Horizon Zero Dawn’s Alloy became the red-maned heroine of PlayStation, that role was originally held by Nariko of Heavenly Sword — a brilliant and somewhat underrated hack and slash title.
It also had some elements of martial arts that separated it from PlayStation’s other big hack and slash title, God of War. The game unfortunately never got a sequel, something the PS5 would benefit immensely from.
7 PlayStation All Stars: Battle Royale
This game was PlayStation’s attempt at making a Super Smash Bros-like title but with PlayStation characters for the PS3. While the game did suffer from certain characters being absent from the roster, like Crash Bandicoot and Spyro (as well as some incredibly unbalanced selections), people saw the potential it had.
The PS4 did not see a new game, but perhaps the PS5 could. A number of new characters have since been brought into the PlayStation family, so it would be cool to see these characters duke it out with others. Plus it could move away from the Super Smash Bros style of gameplay and instead go for something more like Marvel Vs. Capcom, which would lend itself well to a new game’s potential fighters.
6 Killzone
Killzone could be loosely interpreted as PlayStation’s attempted answer to Halo. Though the last game did come out for the PS4, the series has not seen a new entry since 2013’s Killzone: Shadow Fall.
Though the series is seemingly dead, the game would fit in well now. With a trend toward fast-paced FPS titles like Doom, Killzone could set itself apart with its heavy atmosphere and weighted gameplay that still somehow did not make the player feel bogged down.
5 PaRappa The Rapper
Before Guitar Hero took the world by storm in the 2000s, there was another rhythm and music game that may not have been as popular but was still just as loved. Of course, we’re talking about PaRappa the Rapper for the PS1. It had a unique cartoony art style and some catchy original hip-hop songs.
The series has been absent since the PS2 era but did receive a remaster for the PS4 that gave it some renewed interest. A game on the PS5 would help capitalize on both this and the lack of new rhythm-based games.
4 Ape Escape
While Spyro and Crash Bandicoot dominated the PS1 platformer scene, Ape Escape managed to carve its own path with it being one of the first games to take advantage of the PS1’s analog Dual Shock controller. Plus it had a story that didn’t take itself too seriously — after all, it had you trying to thwart a bunch of monkeys trying to take over the world.
The game was held back by the hardware. However, the developers similarly innovate with the PS5 as they did with the PS1 by taking advantage of the new controller to make for a truly unique experience.
3 Twisted Metal
In a lot of ways, Twisted Metal hopped on the whole Battle Royale craze two decades before it had happened. The game is a vehicular combat game where players choose from a variety of different vehicles to duke it out in an arena. The last driver alive wins.
The game was truly unique for the time and spawned a number of copycats. The series last saw a reboot released in 2012 for the PS3. With both the battle royale craze and the success of similar games like Rocket League, now would be a good time to resurrect the series for the PS5.
2 Sly Cooper
Since the first game released in 2002, there have been few games quite like Sly Cooper. The games follow the titular thief and his gang on their adventures as they trot ‘round the globe.
Sly Cooper is an earnestly compelling character — he’s a thief that only steals from other criminals, which gives him a distinct Robin Hood vibe. A PS5 release is essential for narrative alone since the last game, Thieves In Time for the PS3, ends on a cliffhanger. But other than that, it would be a good way for others to reexperience what made one of the PS2’s best games so great to begin with.
1 Jak And Daxter
Jak and Daxter was the third part of the PS2 platforming trio, joining Ratchet and Clank and Sly Cooper. It managed to separate itself through its unique world and satisfying platforming. Future games took a slightly grittier approach but still maintained the aesthetic that drew people in initially.
While Ratchet and Clank is still going strong, Jak and Daxter has not seen a game since 2009’s The Last Frontier. It is perhaps the most missed out all of the games on this list, and the PS5 should see this series make a comeback to draw more people in.
