There are lots of great games to look forward to but that never stops us from revisiting our favourites. Now that a new console generation has arrived this is the perfect opportunity for some classic games to make a comeback.
Microsoft and Sony have announced a bunch of sequels to look forward to. There’s the next instalment in the Halo franchise, a sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn, a new Gran Turismo – all of which look to take advantage of everything next-gen has to offer. But if the return of Crash Bandicoot 4 and Super Mario 3D All-Stars are anything to go by, it’s that gamers still love nostalgia.
Here are some classic franchises that deserve a comeback on next-gen.
Deus Ex
Rumours of a new Deus Ex game have been circulating for a while, but there’s no doubt that gamers want to see this series come back. Deus Ex: Mankind came out five years ago and Eidos has since moved on to work on the new Tomb Raider games. But there are still indications that the developers want to return to the franchise when they have the time. Well, that time is now!
A Deus Ex next-gen game has huge potential. The series brought us cyberpunk before Cyberpunk 2077 was a thing and it would be nothing short of epic to see this dystopian world with the latest graphics. Plus there’s been plenty of conspiracy theories and technological developments since the last game that can be mined for a new Deus Ex story. Even a remaster on next-gen would be better than nothing.
Spyro
After Spyro’s PS1 companion Crash Bandicoot got a long-awaited sequel last year – which lived up to expectations – it’s the dragon’s turn. Spyro’s had some less than stellar reboot attempts over the years – remember that time when they made they tried to make Spyro gritty? But the Spyro Reignited Trilogy reminded us how fun it is to play these classics again, particularly when it had upgraded visuals to match.
Of course, any sequel to Spyro already comes with huge expectations. But if Crash can do it, Spyro can too and there’s never been a better time to try.
Quake
Now that Microsoft has purchased ZeniMax there has to be some small chance that a Quake reboot is back on the table. Sure, we still have Quake Champions, but there’s no better time to give a new Quake game a shot. The fandom is also very much alive – if the annual occurrence of QuakeCon is any kind of indicator – so give the people what they want.
Jak and Daxter
It’s a long shot now that Naughty Dog has moved onto games like The Last of Us, but Jak and Daxter is a classic PlayStation series that deserves a reboot. While a return to the nostalgia of the original games would be great on any day of the week, there’s an opportunity here to take Jak and Daxter in a different direction. Jak 2 and Jak 3 already introduced some darker ideas to the series but bringing out an even grittier science-fantasy open world on next-gen could be a way forward for the franchise.
Sly Cooper
Speaking of classic PlayStation franchises, can we please get a new Sly Cooper game? It has been a whole console generation since Sly 4: Thieves in Time released so now is as good a time as any to revive the franchise. Of course, Sucker Punch has gone on to the excellent Ghost of Tsushima now so I can’t see them returning to Sly. But if Sanzaru wants another shot or any other studio is looking for an old school stealth platformer to pick up – here is an easy win. I’d even take a remaster at this point, just let me play a Sly game again.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
We’re all hanging out for a new Knights of the Old Republic game. Heralded as some of the best Star Wars games on offer, it’s high time for the series to return. Star Wars is entering a resurgence in its film, TV and theme park branches, and while we’ve had plenty of Star Wars games in recent years, this is the one that deserves a next-gen reboot. Even a remaster of the original games would be great just so more players can experience what made them so special.
Dead Space
If any space horror game needs a reset on next-gen it’s Dead Space. The last game may not have lived up to expectations but the original Dead Space is still a hit. It brought us interesting characters, a new sci-fi world and some serious horror. Bringing Dead Space to next-gen seems like the perfect move to reinvigorate the franchise and take advantage of the latest hardware.
So many games deserve to make a comeback on next-gen. Are there others you think should be added to the list? Let us know!
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