5 PS2 Franchises That Could Be the ‘Big’ PS4 Exclusive

Dark Cloud 3

In 2003, Sony and Level-5 released a critically acclaimed action-RPG called Dark Cloud 2 (also known as Dark Chronicle). The game follows the exploits of Max, inventor from the present day & Monica, a sword-wielding heroine flung from a dystopian future. Together,  they fight against the tyrannical machinations of Emperor Griffin within the past, present, and future while rebuilding the world in the process.

There were many things to love about the game: its beautiful cel-shaded graphics, its dynamic item creation system, complex and rewarding character customization, excellent voice acting & spoken dialogue for each character, and an in-game photography system that would have made Pokemon Snap proud. Even today, the series retains a strong cult following with repeated calls for a new game, but to no avail. In the time elapsed since Level-5 had released Dark Cloud 2, they have stretched their wings and refined their craft for RPG games with additions such as the White Chronicle series & the award winning Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch. In addition, Level-5 has undoubtedly increased their fanbase with popular handheld game franchises including Professor Layton, Inazuma Eleven, and Yokai Watch. Time will only tell whether or not this JRPG will see new life. Keep your fingers crossed if Dark Cloud 3 happens to be the identity of the secret PS4 release Level-5 had teased for a reveal at E3 2015.

Ape Escape 4

It has been nearly ten years since the last main game in the series, Ape Escape 3, has been released. During its heyday, Ape Escape brought many gamers a sense of wonder and satisfaction due to its silly & over the top story premise, its light-hearted humor, unique gameplay mechanics, and enough pop culture references to give Edgar Wright a run for his money. Not to mention, the game made PlayStation history by being the first game to require players to exclusively utilize the DualShock controller.

In 2006, there were plans and talks for a fourth installment into the franchise. However, no such title or further development information ever materialized. Doesn’t that drive you bananas? Are we going to let this franchise’s potential esc-ape us? When will we stop monkeying around? And are you sick of all these horrible puns?

Like many other Sony classic franchises mentioned in this feature, enough time has passed where a reboot/revamp of the franchise can be introduced to a brand new generation of young gamers, as well as its older nostalgic fanbase. How about this for a premise? You know how Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy is responsible for the mass Hollywood trend of the “gritty reboot”? And remember how much Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes made a killing at the box offices? What this franchise needs to do is jump on that gravy train and give us a serious, grimdark re-imagining of the original Ape Escape storyline… or a callback to the cartoony zaniness of the original – we wouldn’t mind either way.

Crash Bandicoot 4

In the world of action-platforming gaming, Nintendo’s crown jewel is the Mario franchise. And Sony? It had Crash Bandicoot. The franchise’s enduring popularity was never in question. Take for example a poll conducted by Official PlayStation Magazine this past January where Crash Bandicoot was named the most iconic PlayStation character beating out the likes of Solid Snake, Kratos, and Nathan Drake. It has been nearly five years since the last installment within the Crash franchise – albeit, this installment was Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 2.  The last addition to the main series, Crash: Mind Over Mutant, had been released two years earlier.

On multiple occasions in the past, talks of another sequel or reboot have occurred – though in each one of those development conversations nothing concrete had materialized. The most recent statement came from a Nov. 2013 Game Informer piece which clarified that the Crash Bandicoot IP still currently belongs to ActiVision. There were discussions held among the staff to “continue to explore ways in which we could bring the beloved series back to life.” Diehard fans would readily appreciate a sequel, or perhaps a complete revamp of the series entirely. The game could return with a dynamic but familiar action-platformer format, or perhaps it can be set within a open world, sandbox environment. Either way, fans new and old would undoubtedly flock to a new title if any were to come to fruition.

Jak IV (Jak and Daxter) Reboot

Avid fans and loyalists to the PS2 owe a deep debt of gratitude to Naughty Dog Studios back in the day. It broke into mainstream success with its widely successful run with the Crash Bandicoot franchise starting on the original PlayStation. With the advent of the PS2, Naughty Dog expanded on their dominance in 3-D action platformer gaming design with the debut of Jak and Daxter spawning three main titles and a number of spinoffs. Why was the Jak and Daxter series so popular? The series had well developed and memorable characters, large bustling worlds to explore, fine tuned gameplay mechanics, and a bold willingness to innovate and evolve over the course of each game. For these reasons, fans have begged and wished for the grand return of this franchise.

Since the last and final release of the Jak and Daxter Collection in 2012, no other games have been released. Notwithstanding, the duo has appeared here and there as Easter Eggs in other Naughty Dog productions. In the same year, fans were subject to unfortunate revelations from game developers Neil Druckmann and Bruce Straley about how the Jak and Daxter revamp/reboot project had been abandoned – with examples of what could have been can be found here. After much soul searching, the Druckmann-Straley team let the project go to pursue projects that could explore new horizons and play to their strengths uninhibited. This would mark the first steps towards the marvel that is The Last of Us. With such inarguable results, could we blame them? Well…. yes. Yes, we can. Bring back Jak and Daxter, darn it!!!

Okami 3

One of the last games to be produced for the PlayStation 2 console, Okami was a video game that could truly be elevated to the level of exquisite, high art. It combined the iconography of classical Japanese mythology with a beautiful and complex cel-shaded animations inspired by watercolor, ink/sumi-e paintings, and wood carvings in the Ukiyo-e artstyle. Its gameplay was a wonderful mix of action, platforming, and puzzle solving in which game director Hideki Kamiya had admitted was influenced by The Legend of Zelda game series. Adding to the depth and complexity of the game was the Celestial Brush mechanic that used specific strokes and strokes created by the user to produce dynamic effects in each of the three facets of gameplay.

Since then, a direct sequel called Okamiden was released in the United States in 2011. While the events of the first game featured the sun/wolf goddess, Amaterasu, the player controls a much smaller and cuter incarnation of the character – Chibiterasu, the child of the Amaterasu. Okamiden shared many similarities with its predecessor and was also met with critical acclaim.

While the gameplay was undoubtedly well suited to the control layout of the DS, if yet another Okami sequel were to be created, the decision to develop it for the PS4 would yield certain benefits. The PS4’s processing power could accentuate and push the boundaries of Okami’s exemplary watercolor visual style. Furthermore, the Celestial Brush mechanic could utilize an optional integration with the PlayStation Camera accessory. Whether or not a new character would be introduced is up to pure speculation. It would hard pressed to find/create a character more beloved than Chibiterasu, but perhaps the game could introduce a multi-player option to have mother and son fight alongside each other against the forces of darkness.

What PS2 games do you believe should be adapted, rebooted, or brought to the PS4? Please leave your comments below!