One of the hottest games this summer isn't a completely new experience or a sequel to an established franchise. On the contrary, one of the summer's most popular games this year is Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, a remastered collection of the first three games in the Crash Bandicoot series.
The hype for the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy has proven that nostalgic fans will take any opportunity to revisit some of their favorite games from the era of the original PlayStation. With that in mind, we decided to name the five classic PlayStation games and franchises that should follow Crash Bandicoot's lead with fully remastered releases designed for modern consoles.
5 Chrono Cross
The successor to Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross is one of the most critically-acclaimed JRPGs available on the original PlayStation. Despite the game's massive critical and sales success, however, it has yet to had a true followup or even a remaster, with Chrono Trigger getting all the love from Square Enix. It's about time that Chrono Cross had its turn in the spotlight.
4 Dino Crisis
While Resident Evil is Capcom's premiere horror gaming franchise, the company has another quality horror series under its belt in the form of Dino Crisis. The original Dino Crisis released in 1999 to strong reviews, tasking heroine Regina with staying alive on an island infested with deadly prehistoric dinosaurs. The game was a hit with fans of the genre, prompting Capcom to release two sequels that were more action-oriented and in the case of the third game, a complete flop.
It's hard to deny that the series went a bit off the rails with Dino Crisis 3, but that's even more reason for Capcom to renew interest in the series by remastering the original gam. A successful remaster of the original Dino Crisis could open the door for Capcom to produce brand new sequels, or perhaps revisit the Dino Crisis reboot that was reportedly in development at Capcom Vancouver at one point in time.
3 Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
Besides Tomb Raider, Crystal Dynamics is best known for its work on the Legacy of Kain franchise. With Uncharted writer and director Amy Hennig leading the charge, the Legacy of Kain series was noted for its strong storytelling elements and cutscenes, but the franchise fell off the map not long into the sixth generation of gaming hardware.
Soul Reaver, arguably the best game in the series, has puzzles and action that still hold up to this day. Even so, the game could do with a graphical overhaul and new visuals for its cutscenes, which feel a little dated at this point. If a Soul Reaver remaster or a remastered collection of the entire series did well enough, Square Enix may be convinced to give Crystal Dynamics the backing to reboot the franchise properly, as it did with Tomb Raider.
2 Spyro the Dragon
Besides Crash Bandicoot, one of the most beloved PlayStation-era platformers is Spyro the Dragon from Insomniac Games. Out of all the video game franchises featured on this list, a remastered collection of Spyro seems to make the most sense, as Sony seems to have a strong relationship with Activision (the company that now owns the Spyro IP), as well as Insomniac, who is currently working on the PS4-exclusive Spider-Man game. If the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy does well, one has to imagine that a similar take on the PS1 Spyro trilogy won't be too far behind.
1 Syphon Filter
Like Spyro the Dragon, Syphon Filter seems like a no-brainer when it comes to PS1 games and franchises that deserve remasters. Innovative third-person shooters with puzzle-solving and stealth elements, the Syphon Filter games were once one of the most popular under the PlayStation brand. A remastered trilogy collecting the PS1-era Syphon Filter games would be nice, but Sony could sweeten the pot by including the two PSP entries in the series as well.
At the time of this writing, Sony's Bend Studio, the studio behind Syphon Filter, is currently working on a survival-horror game featuring massive hordes of zombies called Days Gone. As the company's first home console game in over a decade, the success of Days Gone may play a direct role in whether or not Sony Bend is given a chance to bring the Syphon Filter series back to life in a remastered collection.
Besides the five games and franchises listed here, the original PlayStation is home to many titles that could benefit greatly from a Crash Bandicoot-style remaster. Games like Suikoden, Silent Hill, Vagrant Story, and many others could all be big hits today if given fresh coats of paint and some new features. Here's hoping the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy hits its mark and we see more classic PlayStation games get a new lease on life.
Which PlayStation games would you like to see remastered for modern consoles? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy will be available on June 30, 2017 for PS4.