Monday, March 2, 2020

9 Sequels That Would Make PS5 a Force to Reckon With

While Sony has begun to slowly reveal the PS5’s feature set, and a fancy new logo, we still know very little about the PlayStation 5’s games lineup, particularly what exclusives might be on the way. That said, there are plenty of follow-ups to PS4 exclusives we want to see on the PS5, ranging from sure bets to pipe dreams to chances for franchises to do it better the second time around. Below, we’ve picked eight unannounced sequels that would sing on the PS5. Shout out your own picks in the comments. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=9-sequels-that-would-make-ps5-a-force-to-reckon-with&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"]

Bloodborne 2

FromSoftware may have moved on from Bloodborne (for now), but the developer’s fans certainly haven’t. With each new FromSoft game come questions of a would-be Bloodborne sequel that would return fans of the Soulsborne genre to its nightmarish universe. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2015/03/27/bloodborne-review"] Take, for example, the first teasers for Sekiro — the immediate assumption, or hope perhaps in retrospect, was that it suggested a Bloodborne sequel was on the way. Sadly, it never came to fruition, and while FromSoft did expand on its world with excellent DLC, Bloodborne has remained largely untouched, never even getting a PS4 Pro performance patch. But given FromSoft’s willingness to jump from franchise to franchise, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the studio return to a world so beloved by PlayStation fans.

Days Gone 2

While Days Gone wasn’t our best-reviewed Sony first-party game of the generation, it certainly was one we saw brimming with potential — from its impressive freaker horde tech, to Deacon St John’s charming characterization, to the customizable motorcycle. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/08/death-strandings-bb-on-a-bike-in-days-gone"] And that’s not to mention the clear, evident teases developer Bend Studio made in Days Gone to one of its earlier franchises. Given that layered history, and the foundation of unique gameplay opportunities, a Days Gone sequel has plenty to build off of when starting a new adventure. It’s also clear Bend is invested in the world of Days Gone. The studio has done a fantastic job of keeping its community alive with post-launch free DLC challenges, along with plenty of patches to fix some of the adventure’s tech issues. Given the investment in its world so far, a Days Gone sequel could elevate the series to new heights.

God of War 2

Sony Santa Monica Studio blew us away with its 2018 take on God of War, which received a 10 in our review and was IGN’s Game of the Year for 2018. The evolution of Kratos obviously became a touchpoint for a large part of the PlayStation 4 fanbase, selling over 10 million copies in its first year on sale, a feature-length documentary about God of War’s development, and plenty of impressive fan creations like an animatronic Mimir head. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/12/21/why-god-of-war-is-igns-2018-game-of-the-year"] But after its initial release, Sony Santa Monica has remained relatively quiet on Kratos’ future. Opting not to do any major campaign or story-based DLC, God of War received a few updates after its launch like Photo Mode and New Game+. Instead, its post-launch life has been about celebrating its story, an elongated hunt for Easter eggs, and general wonder about where it could go next, particularly after the revelations of its ending. And while that remains a mystery, its sales, critical, and conversational success makes a sequel something the PS4, and likely PS5 audience, would very much want to play.

Horizon Zero Dawn 2

Horizon Zero Dawn represented an evolution for first-party studio Guerrilla Games. The studio known for Killzone shifted away from the first-person shooter genre to create a unique third-person action game set in an entirely new world dense with lore, characters, and rewarding hunting gameplay. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/28/celebrating-horizon-zero-dawns-anniversary-and-our-horizon-sequel-hopes-a-beyond-special-episode"] Following its DLC expansion, The Frozen Wilds, Horizon has remained relatively dormant, though. But considering Aloy has since been positioned as one of Sony’s most significant new first-party protagonists, the future of her world is brimming with potential. And for a completely new franchise, Horizon sold an impressive 10-plus million copies worldwide, received critical praise when it first launched, and demonstrated what Guerrilla could do in a brand new world. We’ve gotten bits and pieces of info suggesting a Horizon sequel is in the works, so it seems only a matter of when, not if, Horizon 2 is announced for PS5.

Infamous Sequel

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-playstation-first-party-exclusive-review&captions=true"] While Sucker Punch has seemingly moved on to the world of its yet-to-be-released Ghost of Tsushima, it set up an expansive, fascinating world with the Infamous franchise on the PS3. Exploring good and evil within people with superpowers is common fodder in film and TV, but is still a relatively unexplored in video games, given the dearth of quality licensed superhero games from Marvel and DC. Infamous’ last entry, Infamous: Second Son, sold an impressive million copies in just over a week when it debuted very early in the PS4’s life cycle. While the series has remained dormant since Second Son and standalone DLC First Light, the lack of other major superhero video game series, outside of Marvel’s Spider-Man and whatever WB is doing with Batman, leaves plenty of room for an Infamous comeback.

The Order: 1887

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2015/02/19/the-order-1886-review"] Hear us out. The Order: 1886 seemed full of potential before its launch, coming from Ready at Dawn, the developers behind God of War spinoffs and more. Its heightened cinematic style, unique story, and mix of historical fiction felt like a recipe for success. But sadly, its gameplay was extremely linear and limited, despite its beautiful world. Still, The Order has found somewhat of a second life, frequently going on sale on the PSN, and given its cliffhanger ending that perfectly set up an expansive new franchise, has left many hungry for more. Anecdotally, hundreds of people seemed to love the idea of a sequel when I suggested it on Twitter. And while Ready at Dawn has gone on to focus on VR, the series still feels like it has potential for a follow-up.

Ratchet & Clank 2

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2016/04/11/ratchet-clank-video-review"] 2016’s Ratchet and Clank reboot/remake brought to life one of Sony’s most charming mascot action-platformers for new and returning fans on the PS4. The reboot proved there’s plenty of life in the admittedly long-in-the-tooth franchise, but a sequel has been curiously absent, despite its franchise sales records. But with developer Insomniac Games now officially part of the Sony first-party family, Ratchet & Clank feels like a worthy franchise to continue as Sony heads into the PS5 generation. Family-friendly, visually beautiful fare is a great way to sell a new system to mass audiences and families, alongside the more serious fare geared at older gamers. s. But Ratchet bridges the gap and has plenty to appeal to both camps, making it a prime candidate for an early exclusive to hit the PS5. A launch game, maybe?

Marvel's Spider-Man 2

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/09/04/marvels-spider-man-ps4-review"] A sequel to Marvel's Spider-Man is another one of those when-not-if announced sequels we expect to be announced, but that doesn't mean we want it any less. And there's plenty of evidence to suggest that a sequel is inevitable given the original's success. Marvel's Spider-Man is the best-selling superhero game ever in North America, while Marvel Games saw Spider-Man as kicking off a new era for Marvel's video game output. Of course, the biggest signal coupled with its sales success that Sony sees a future in Spider-Man is Sony acquiring longtime partner and Spidey developer Insomniac Games as a first-party studio. And given how great Marvel's Spider-Man handled its story, and left plenty of hanging threads both in its core story and its DLC follow-ups, there's a clear path forward for this unique, fun take on the webhead's world.

Uncharted 5/Lost Legacy 2

While Naughty Dog isn’t afraid to say sayonara to its popular franchises - RIP Naughty Dog’s original Crash Bandicoot and Jak and Daxter series - the Uncharted series is still universally loved, and feels vital in 2020. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2016/05/05/uncharted-4-a-thiefs-end-review"] And while Uncharted 4 may have been a thief’s end for Nathan Drake, it turned in tremendous sales success as the highest-selling PS4 exclusive at the end of 2016, its launch year, with nearly 9 million copies sold. Outside of Drake himself, Uncharted: Lost Legacy proved the world is rife with globetrotting stories to tell with its ensemble cast. Whether Uncharted looks like the continuation of Chloe and Nadine’s journey in Lost Legacy or the story of another group of characters finding another character branch off into a (a Young Sully series, perhaps?), there are plenty of avenues the series could still go down. And it’s clear the franchise is one Sony still deeply cares about, given how it has kept its movie adaptation alive for years despite a revolving door of directors abandoning the project. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=big-ps4-ps5-games-coming-in-2020&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Those are just a few of our suggestions for PlayStation franchises we hope get another life on PS5. Be sure to let us know what franchises you’d like to see make the leap to next-gen and check out the latest episode of Podcast Beyond!, our weekly PlayStation show for more news, analysis, and impressions. And for everything else PlayStation 5, you’re already in the right place, IGN. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor, Podcast Beyond! host, and PlayStation lead. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.

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