Two Classic PlayStation Franchises Need a Revival Now More Than Ever

The seventh console generation was a time of great experimentation for PlayStation. After the disastrous unveiling of the PS3, Sony had to do everything in its power to win back the loyalty of its customers, especially given how stiff the competition from Microsoft and Nintendo was at the time. While the early years of the beleaguered system were somewhat underwhelming when it came to major exclusive releases, Sony eventually managed to turn things around for the PS3 in the latter half of the console's lifespan. During this period in PlayStation history, the Japanese firm prioritized diversity in its first-party lineup of games to make its portfolio appeal to as many audiences as possible, both casual and hardcore. This led to the creation of various PlayStation titles in an array of different genres, from puzzle platformers and survival games to arcade racers and action RPGs.

Out of all the unique Sony properties from the PlayStation 3 generation, Resistance and Killzone were arguably some of the most significant ones. These sci-fi first-person shooter franchises not only found their footing in the then-crowded FPS genre, they were also some of the most critically-acclaimed PlayStation-published series of their time. Despite the success they enjoyed on the PS3, however, these Sony IPs have sadly remained dormant for more than a decade. Killzone and Resistance may not have reached the same level of popularity as some of the franchises they were often compared to, like Halo or Call of Duty, but if they were to be revived, they could fill in the major FPS gap that's sorely missing in Sony's first-party portfolio these days.

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By  Jason Wojnar

It's Time for Sony to Bring Back Killzone and Resistance

Resistance Was One of the Multiple Sony-Owned Franchises That Debuted on the PS3

One of these two FPS properties, the Resistance series, was created by Insomniac Games, the famed developer behind Ratchet & Clank and Marvel's Spider-Man. The franchise consists only of five installments, two of which were released exclusively for Sony's handheld consoles. The first Resistance game, Resistance: Fall of Man, was actually a launch title for the PlayStation 3, and one of the best-selling ones at that. Subsequent mainline entries in the series, meanwhile, also made their debut on the PS3 and have remained trapped on the aging console to this day.

The Killzone Series Was at Its Peak During the PS3 Era

Unlike Resistance, the Killzone series didn't start off on the PlayStation 3. Instead, the earliest installment in the Guerrilla Games-developed franchise, 2004's Killzone, came out exclusively on the PS2. The series didn't really hit its stride until the PS3 generation, however, thanks to the release of widely-acclaimed titles like Killzone 2 and 3, both of which were considered big improvements over the first entry in the franchise. Killzone took a bit of a dip in quality after the release of the divisive 2013 game Killzone: Shadow Fall, which was launched alongside the PS4 and was met with lukewarm reception from fans. Shadow Fall was the last entry in the Killzone franchise, and it was also the final, non-VR first-person shooter that Sony ever developed; that is, until the release of Concord.

After The Failure of Concord, Sony Needs a Successful FPS Series like Killzone, Resistance

Concord was the first flat-screen FPS game from a first-party PlayStation studio in over 10 years. However, as many may know by now, this troubled live service title wasn't exactly the triumphant return to the first-person shooter genre that many were hoping for from Sony; rather, it was the exact opposite. The hero shooter was a massive critical and commercial failure. It sold so poorly, in fact, that it was swiftly shut down by PlayStation only two weeks after its release on August 23, 2024.

Now that Concord has seemingly been thrown to the wayside, Sony sorely needs a high-quality first-person shooter more than ever before. If the company wants to diversify its lineup like it did in the PS3 era, then it should consider bringing Killzone and Resistance back to fill the hole that Concord left. These two PlayStation franchises would easily stand out among Sony's catalog of predominantly third-person games and could have the potential to serve as strong competitors to the numerous FPS series that rival console manufacturer Microsoft now owns.