PlayStation Explores Reviving Classic Games, Inspired by Astro Bot’s Reminder of Forgotten Gems

Astro Bot has certainly proven to be one of the standout games this year, serving as a poignant reminder of the treasure trove of intellectual properties PlayStation holds, many of which have sadly been neglected over the years. However, it seems that might be on the brink of a change.

Astro Bot took home the prestigious Game of the Year Award at this year’s The Game Awards, and during its moment in the spotlight, it highlighted several cherished PlayStation classics that haven’t seen a new installment in ages. We’re talking about the likes of Spyro and Crash—though they’re under Xbox’s umbrella now—and even games like Okami, which thankfully is in line for a sequel despite being a third-party title. Among the bunch, there are several fan favorites such as Ape Escape, Gravity Rush, and Bloodborne that many would love to see revived and given another chance in the gaming world.

There’s no concrete news of any new entries for these games, and honestly, some of them feel like a long shot. Nonetheless, Hermen Hulst, the head honcho at PlayStation, hinted at an interest in reviving some of these classic titles. In an interview with Famitsu, translated by VGC, Hulst expressed, “The various IPs that we own are an important asset to PlayStation, and as part of our efforts to strengthen our portfolio, we are continually looking at opportunities to leverage past IP, as well as develop new franchises. Our goal is to publish games by the world’s best creators, both inside and outside of PlayStation, and we have achieved many successes so far by working closely with external development studios.”

Hopefully, this doesn’t mean we’ll see Ape Escape return as some kind of gacha game featuring collectible apes—though, admittedly, that sounds intriguing as I think about it. But with Sony’s current focus on live-service games, even if that’s facing some bumps along the way, anything is possible. Seriously, Sony, at the very least, how about a Bloodborne remaster? We’re counting on you!