The rapid success ofMarvel Rivalshas proven that with great IPs must also come great gameplay, something whichPlayStation All-Stars Battle Royalefell short of achieving. Focusing too heavily on brand recognition to carry the game to success may have been the downfall ofPlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale.
The ability to team up with a diverse cast ofMarvelcharacters isMarvel Rivals’ primary hook, but what gives it real staying power is the execution of its game design, standing out as one of the best modern hero shooters. This is somethingPlayStation All-Starscould learn from. WhereMarvel Rivalsuses its characters to enhance gameplay,PlayStation All-Starslacked the contentand appeal offered by other major platform fighter series likeSuper Smash Bros.A sequel is not entirely ruled out, but to truly succeed, it may be a good decision to change genre and followMarvel Rivals’ lead.
PlayStation All-Stars Should Return as a Hero Shooter
Hero Shooters Are Bigger Than Ever
In recent years, the hero shooter has slowly become one of the most popular genres. This surge started with titles likeTeam Fortress 2andOverwatch, with more recent additions includingDeadlock,FragPunk, andMarvel Rivals. The future of the genre looked bleak due to the cancellation ofHyenasandConcordshutting down, butMarvel Rivalspushed the boundaries of hero shootersand breathed new life into the genre. Though the Sony-publishedConcordwas short-lived, this doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t try again with a different franchise.
Much likeMarvel Rivals, aPlayStation All-Starshero shooter may have a competitive edge over others in the genre because of the power of its IPs.PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale’s roster was the game’s main selling point, and since its initial release, PlayStation’s first-party catalog has expanded massively. APlayStation All-Starsfollow-up using PlayStation’s new IPscould set itself apart in the expanding hero shooter genre and live up to its title by including more beloved gaming all-stars.
The hero shooter genre may actually be a better fit for PlayStation’s characters. While it aimed to differentiate itself fromSuper Smash Bros.by leaning more into traditional fighting game mechanics, some ofPlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale’splayable charactersoriginated in shooters. Their skills were generally adapted well to fit a platform fighter moveset, but they would transition much more smoothly into a hero shooter.
PlayStation’s Perfect Opportunity To Revive Older IPs
PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royalecelebrates the games of PlayStation’s past, collecting a varied cast of first-party characters, as well as guests who played a prominent role in PlayStation’s history. Recent reports claim thatPlayStation plans on reviving its old IPs, and reintroducing them in a game gathering multiple gaming icons may be a great way to do this. This could help to reinvent some characters and give them another chance in the spotlight, giving new players a chance to learn about these older characters whilst acknowledging longtime fans who have patiently awaited their return.
A newPlayStation All-Starsgame could benefit PlayStation in a similar way to Marvel Comics.Marvel Rivalsfrequently calls back to the comics, and in doing this, some players have started to take an interest in the source material. Marvel capitalized on this with a recentMarvel Unlimited promotion inMarvel Rivals, giving players a better opportunity to learn more about their favorite characters. If PlayStation is considering returning to its older properties, a hero shooter with thePlayStation All-Starsbranding may be a good entry point.
Players may have already had a taste of this with 2024’s Game of the YearAstro Bot. The game is a love letter to PlayStation and a nostalgia trip for fans.Astro Botis full of cameos, referencing everything from retro PlayStation originals likeApe Escapeto modern third-party favorites likePersona 5. The game succeeded in celebrating PlayStation’s history, and a newPlayStation All-Starscould expand on this by giving these deep-cut franchises more focus.
What A Hero Shooter PlayStation All-Stars Game Could Look Like
A follow-up toPlayStation All-Stars Battle Royalewould likely freshen up its roster, adding representation from some of PlayStation’s more recent titles. Possible returning characters like Ratchet and Clank and Kratos would likely use their modern designs, but PlayStation now has many new additions to draw from.Aloy could lead aPlayStation All-Stars 2, and with the popularity ofThe Last of UsandGhost of Tsushima, it’s likely that the protagonists of these series would join the cast.
Another interesting character to include could even be Spider-Man. Insomniac’sSpider-Mangames saw massive success, solidifying them as a staple PlayStation franchise. Because ofMarvel Rivals’ Insomniac Spider-Man crossover, this could be the gateway to his inclusion in a potentialPlayStation All-Starshero shooter as well asMarvel Rivals.
Along with adding newer franchises to the game,aPlayStation All-Starshero shooter should not overlook the classics. The original included iconic PS1 characters like PaRappa the Rapper andMediEvil’s Sir Daniel Fortesque, but it was missing some guest characters that were important to this era. Adding icons likeCrash Bandicoot and Spyro inPlayStation All-Starswould give the game more fan service that the original was missing.
ThoughPlayStation All-Stars Battle Royaleborrowed some ideas fromSuper Smash Bros., it managed the crossover aspect in a unique way. As much as the playable roster represented many different franchises,PlayStation All-Stars’ stages were mashupsof multiple series at once, taking the idea of crossovers even further. These included references to series that were not represented by the playable cast, such as Patapons attackingGod of War’s Hades. A follow-up title should retain this, adding unique stage mechanics from multiple PlayStation titles.
PlayStation, wanting to revive its underutilized franchises, should not overlookPlayStation All-Stars. It’s deserving of its own revival, and would be a great way to show dedication to these revival plans by preparing players for which series will be revisited.PlayStation All-Starshas the potential to be a great hero shooter, and with the success ofMarvel Rivals, now might be the perfect time for this to become a reality.
