PlayStation's masterpiece series that will never get another game

While PlayStation is currently home to many critically acclaimed and beloved game series, such as The God of War, The last of usand HorizonSony has been criticized by its fans for forgetting some of its most beloved IPs over the past two generations, even those that shaped the PlayStation brand in its early years.

The PS1, PS2, and PS3 used to have exclusive qualities so high that they were instantly considered masterpieces, not to mention helping PlayStation become one of the “Big 3” in the home console market. Unfortunately, apart from the occasional cameo in games like Astro Botthe brand has mostly forgotten about these excellent IPs, and it is highly unlikely that they will ever return. The following eight 10/10 series are the most notorious examples of this unfortunate phenomenon.

Wipeout

The Quintessential Futuristic Racing Game (and F-Zero's biggest competitor)

There was a time then Wipeout was one of PlayStation's biggest and most emblematic franchises. Born fairly early in the PS1's lifespan, these futuristic anti-gravity racing games gave gamers thousands of hours of fun with their exciting, fast-paced gameplay and stylized graphics and music. It really felt like Sony's answer to Nintendo's F-zero franchise.

Wipeout saw most of its success during the PS1 generation, but new releases eventually slowed down during the PS2 and PS3 eras. Unfortunately, this franchise has been dormant since 2012, and with its original developer, Psygnosis, shutting down that same year, it will most likely never see another entry. Still, Wipeout's the spirit still lives on in indie spiritual followers, who Antigravity and BallisticNG.

PaRappa the rapper

One of the most important Rhythm game series ever made

Although it may seem rather silly at first, it is worth mentioning PaRappa the rapper was quite groundbreaking for its time. The concept of a rhythm game with gameplay that relied on well-timed player inputs was absolutely incredible back in the mid-90s, not to mention its unique art style, wacky characters, and light-hearted tone helped this series stand out even more.

PaRappa himself became one of PlayStation's most beloved unofficial mascots during that period, but after two mainline entries and a spin-off, he was slowly forgotten by both Sony and his own fans. Although these types of simple but charming projects are not as popular as they used to be, similar IPs like it Rhythm Heaven and Taiko no Tatsujin have massive fan bases today, so it would technically be possible for PaRappa the rapper to make a comeback if Sony decides to give it another shot.

MediEvil

This gothic action-adventure franchise made a comeback a few years ago

MediEvil was arguably one of the PS1's best and most underrated franchises. Not only were these two action-adventure games incredibly fun, but they also had a unique “Tim Burton-esque” aesthetic and an impeccable sense of humor that made them extremely memorable. Oddly the first one MediEvil the title was remade twice: the first time in 2005 for the PSP in 2005, and the second time in 2019 for the PS4.

In fact, the latest PS4 remake was a huge (but delightful) surprise for seasoned PlayStation fans, many of whom were sure it would lead to a much-needed revival of this franchise. Unfortunately, nothing came of it, as it seems the mixed reception and disappointing sales of MediaEvil ​​(2019) discouraged Sony from greenlighting either a MediEvil 2 remake and/or a MediEvil 3.

Ape Escape

The once innovative franchise has been relegated to random cameos

It is important to note how important it is Ape Escape The IP was for the growth of the PlayStation brand during its first years in the gaming landscape. Just when it seemed that the Nintendo 64 had gained the upper hand thanks to its innovative controller with an analog stick, Sony released the PS1's Dual Analog Controller in response, making an exclusive that would take perfect advantage of its features.

Needless to say, the combination of cutting-edge 3D platforming and a bunch of colorful and likable characters allowed Ape Escape to became a huge success, and like PaRappa, Pipo Monkeys eventually became one of PlayStation's most iconic characters. While the IP still saw moderate success during the PS2/PSP era, the very last one Ape Escape the title was released exclusively for the PlayStation Move in 2010, and the franchise has been pretty much dead ever since (most likely caused by the advent of hyper-realistic AAA games in the 2010s). Oddly enough, despite not receiving a new game in over fifteen years, Pipo Monkeys themselves have featured in a large number of modern titles such as Astro Bot and Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater.

The Legend of the Dragon

The greatest turn-based RPG on PS1 (that didn't have the words “Final Fantasy” in its title)

Sometimes it's easy to forget how popular turn-based JRPGs were in the 90s, especially on the original PlayStation. In fact, Square's massive critical and financial success Final Fantasy 7 inspired Sony to make their own first-party game in this genre, leading to the creation of The Legend of the Dragon.

JRPG fans immediately fell in love with this title, praising its dynamic, fast-paced combat system (which is quite similar to modern masterpieces like Expedition 33), its stunning presentation and its deep and fascinating story. Unfortunately, Legend of Dragon is basically a one-and-done series, as Sony has never been able to bring it back in any shape or form (not including a digital PS4/PS5 port). Its protagonist, Dart, would become a DLC fighter for PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, though he was eventually scrapped (luckily he popped in Astro Bot along with many other forgotten PlayStation icons).

Resistance

An awesome First-Person Shooter from another era

As previously mentioned, the gaming industry was full of dark, gritty and hyper-realistic shooters in the late 2000s and early 2010s, to the point that even Insomniac Games – the developer behind colorful and whimsical franchises like Spyro the dragon and Ratchet and Clank — created an original series of FPS games during that time period, simply titled Resistance.

Fortunately, because Insomniac is such a talented studio, these games ended up being masterpieces from that era and are now considered some of the best exclusives in the PS3's catalog. As expected by the creators of Ratchet and Clankthe Resistance the trilogy boasted satisfying shooting mechanics, a variety of inventive weapons, and a variety of terrifying enemies known as the Chimera. As entertaining as these first-person shooters were, they're also a holdover from another era in the industry, and Insomniac is now busy with titles that appeal to modern audiences, such as Marvel's Spider-Man and Marvel's Wolverine.

Notorious

PlayStation used to have its own (non-Marvel) superheroes

Similarly, Sucker Punch Productions (creator of Sly Cooper franchise) also went on to make a more mature and darker series during the PS3 era, but they opted for an open world game with playable superheroes instead of creating an FPS like everyone else. The result was Notoriouswhich quickly grew to become one of PlayStation's most popular exclusive IPs in the late 2000s and early 2010s.

Not only do these games allow players to explore large open-world environments where they can use a selection of superpowers to their heart's content, but they also feature an amazing morality system that changes the plot depending on whatever decisions they make. This franchise was successful to the point that Cole MacGrath became one of the most iconic non-comic book superheroes, not to mention that Famous second son was one of the PS4's first true exclusives that actually encouraged people to buy that console in 2014. Yet Sucker Punch is now busy with Ghost series, and Sony has exclusive video game rights to Marvel superheroes like Spider-Man, so it's unlikely we'll see Notorious soon again.

Puppet player

PS3's greatest hidden gem

While the PS3's catalog was filled to the brim with mature and violent exclusives such as The last of us or God of War 3Sony's seventh-generation home console also had a solid lineup of colorful, more experimental platformers, of which only LittleBigPlanet seems to have succeeded somewhat. Among these forgotten hidden gems, Puppet player is the most notable so far, and it's a real shame not many people have heard of it.

Developed by Sony's Japan Studio, Puppet player is an endlessly charming 2.5D platformer with a unique puppetry aesthetic and a vibrant art style that made it stand out in a generation where most people didn't pay attention to this genre. Despite receiving glowing reviews from critics, this game failed to catch on and received no sequels or ports. It's not all bad news though, as Japan Studio eventually merged with Team Asobi and some of the people who worked on Puppet player continued to work on Astro Bot (which of course features a cameo from this game's main character, Kutaro).