13 Sony PlayStation Franchises We Need Back on PS5 & PS6

Sony has relied on the same few franchises and studios in recent years to propel PS4 and PS5 sales. But it’s time for some new blood, and by new blood, I mean the return of some of PlayStation’s purest franchises that were a gateway for nostalgia and enormous fun.

Many of you won’t admit it, but there’s probably one gaming brand you have a certain attachment to. I grew up with PlayStation consoles as a kid, and I’ve played many Sony-exclusive offerings over the last 25-30 years.

While I adore the work Santa Monica is doing with God of War, what Naughty Dog has done with The Last of Us, and will do with Intergalactic, what Insomniac has done with Spider-Man and eventually Wolverine, Sucker Punch with the ‘Ghost’ series, and Housemarque with Returnal and Saros, Sony has become heavily reliant on the same few teams and IPs.

Best Sony PlayStation Franchises That Need New Games

IPs frequently change hands as a studio decides it no longer wants to work on the series. This is fine! Many of the games on this list were made famous by a certain developer, but they can easily carry on their legacy in the hands of someone else just as competent.

Here are 13 classic Sony PlayStation franchises that deserve another go.

Killzone

While Killzone never quite reached the levels of a ‘Halo killer’—but certainly fared better than the mess that was Haze—Guerrilla Games created one of the most iconic enemies in the Helghast. Those red eyes still stick with me, and Killzone 2 was about as close to a perfect game as the developer achieved.

Killzone Shadow Fall was a PS4-launch title, and felt like the shooter had run out of steam. Guerrilla Games has moved on to Horizon since, but a PS5 (or PS6) Killzone game could give PlayStation a marquee shooter again.

LittleBigPlanet

Here’s something that might shock you: Media Molecule moved on from LittleBigPlanet after the second game!

This reinforces the idea that a series doesn’t necessarily need its creator, as LBP3 was also fantastic. Media Molecule moved on to Dreams and is now working on an open-world project. Sumo Digital handled the third mainline game wonderfully, and followed it up with a terrifically underrated Sackboy: A Big Adventure.

A modern LBP on current-gen hardware could give you limitless options and creativity for the most interconnected LittleBigPlanet yet.

Resistance

Do you know how I said Killzone could become Sony’s marquee shooter franchise? That’s because my hopes for a new Resistance game have faded more than the Chimera invasion. The most overlooked quality of each title is how good the story is—which shouldn’t be a shock with Insomniac at the helm.

These were the days of proper FPS campaigns before the deluge of tacked-on, blink-and-you-miss-it, single-player modes to warm players up for multiplayer. Like Killzone, Insomniac created an iconic villainous force in the Chimera, and the stellar arsenal of weapons (gimme that Fareye all day long) made for a fantastic FPS series.

With Halo and Gears stepping up for XBOX again, it’s time for Sony to rally its best soldiers.

Motorstorm

As I dive through this list, I’m left with more questions: What happened to fun? I love me a tightly woven single-player adventure with action, but we need variety. All the Motorstorm games threw the rulebook out the window and decided you could have supercars, bikes, monster trucks, and big rigs all in the same race!

The locales were always stunning, apart from Apocalypse, which decided to systematically destroy every map in a way that Battlefield’s Levelution would be proud. Two console generations later, and we’re no closer to a new Motorstorm. Like many on this list, I simply wonder what chaos a developer could create with Motorstorm on PS5.

Syphon Filter

Syphon Filter is an odd one, as it felt like the franchise was getting better and better, thanks to the PSP games: Dark Mirror and Logan’s Shadow. Bend Studio had a brief foray into Resistance and Uncharted games on the PSP and PlayStation Vita, before turning its attention to a brand-new IP. You might have heard of it: Days Gone.

The team has been very quiet since its release in 2019. Bend had a live-service game get canceled, and new reports suggest it’s hiring for a new multiplayer game. This leaves no time for Gabe Logan to mercilessly taze some bad guys, and with how successful the old Syphon Filter games on PS Plus Premium have been, Sony, do the right thing and hand over the reins.

Sly Cooper

A new Sly Cooper game continues to be hinted at, with continued reports that Sony is looking at its older IPs in a bid to see what can be revived and brought back. I don’t think anyone would begrudge another Sly game being made.

Sanzaru did an admirable job with Sly 4, and Sucker Punch seems to have its hands full, although the team has suggested it might return to Sly or inFamous.

Sly’s not quite on the level of Crash or Spyro as a mascot, but he should be. Sony, get the gangius backus togetheress. Thank you.

Ape Escape

Attitudes and times can change. I say this because legendary PlayStation icon Shuhei Yoshida said Japan Studio was closed because PlayStation didn’t want AA games. The team was at the heart of Ape Escape, and the energetic and hilarious franchise is another victim of ‘eras,’ as we haven’t seen a new Ape Escape game in 15 years.

There’s no reason why a studio can’t be entrusted to deliver a fun and frantic 3D platformer, which Astro Bot has shown that people still want.

Buzz!

This might be the one entry you’re looking at the screen in disbelief, or are convinced I’ve made up. The reason I know Buzz! is real and deserves to come back for real is because my family and I were addicted to this silly series.

Buzz! is a quiz show, in the simplest explanation possible. Part of the experience of buying Buzz! were the novelty buzzers that came with most purchases, as we had them AND all the expansions. The rounds were always interesting; you felt like you were part of a game show, and the variety of questions was top-notch. What made Buzz so special, though, was host Jason Donovan—who absolutely steals every line of dialogue, and the franchise has a secret charm I can’t put my finger on.

A new Buzz! game with constant updates, adding new questions and features could make a final Buzz! game a purchase for life and fun for all the family.

Video game adaptations thankfully survived the horrendous efforts of the 80s through the early 00s. Hits like Fallout and The Last of Us have suddenly begun a never-ending wave of green-lit game adaptations, and I definitely raised an eyebrow at Twisted Metal. However, Peacock’s Twisted Metal has been renewed for a third season.

Surely this is as good a time as any to finally give long-time fans a new game, and open the eyes of a new generation to some of the most violent car combat gaming has ever seen?

Jak & Daxter

If looking at the image of Jak and Daxter above doesn’t trigger something in you, then you might need to see someone.

Naughty Dog is pretty good at making a dynamic duo. I’ll be controversial and upset some people here, but the series peaked with the first Jak & Daxter, before it went a bit too GTA from the second game onwards. Nevertheless, it’s still a fantastic IP that everyone has been desperate to see a new game from for years.

Gravity Rush

Gravity Rush started as a PlayStation Vita game. It wasn’t long before it got a PS4 port, and then a sequel was released exclusively on PS4. There was clearly a magic here that translates well to the PlayStation audience, and Kat and Dusty (a different type of cat) became a tag-team tour de force of physics-bending fun.

The Gravity Rush IP is likely under that unwanted AA umbrella that I’ve already mentioned. If Sony has a change of heart, Gravity Rush deserves to rise.

inFamous

Sucker Punch tends to make a few games of one series and move on. It happened with Sly, and then it happened with inFamous. I remember being absolutely wowed by inFamous: Second Son on PlayStation 4, and it gave me a window into the technical capabilities of the PS4—and SP one-upped itself with the Ghost games years later.

Troy Baker gave Delsin Rowe an edge either way you decided to play him, but I’m confident there’s a strong urge to see another chapter of Cole MacGrath’s life—the power of scripwriting can do this.

Uncharted

I thought it fitting to end on a banger.

If you believe reports, Sony isn’t happy that Naughty Dog hasn’t released a single new game in the PS5 generation, discounting remasters and remakes, and only three in the entire PS4 period. Intergalactic is probably still years away, and the team could be working on new projects without any of us knowing: The Last of Us Part 3 and a new Uncharted are reported.

Uncharted is far too successful for ND to walk away from. It could be that everyone is reeling from Naughty Dog almost shutting down Uncharted 4 because it ‘Sucked’—which you can learn more about in the incredible Uncharted 4 documentary revealing huge differences in Amy Hennig’s version.

Whether it’s Nathan Drake, Cassie, or even a Sully spin-off, Uncharted has more to explore.

I feel these are the 13 top picks for PlayStation franchises. At the end of the day, this is my opinion, so let me know which Sony PlayStation franchises YOU want to see return in 2026 and beyond. Let me know through the Insider Gaming Discord.

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