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[mindsale]

After this E3 - and the glaring hole in our hearts that a still unannounced but clearly on the front of most gamers' minds PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale 2 has left - it's clear that the title could be stronger than ever with brand new characters.

Hell, with just a modification of some mechanics (namely Ring Out over awful Supers), a sequel could be the series' Smash Bros Melee - a second outing that remains the pinnacle of the franchise.

Could this be Sucker Punch's in-development project?

Could Sony bring a mascot platform Fighter where Nintendo has not announced Smash 4 Switch / Smash 5?

E3 brings a torrent of new possible fighters for the game -

Wander fresh from his Shadow of the Colossus Remake!
Deacon St. John from Days Gone!
Sony's exclusive Spider-Man 2018!
The new God of War himself, Kraxetos!

And more -

Adult Ellie - The Last of Us Part II
Aloy - Horizon Zero Dawn
Alucard - Castlevania Symphony of the Night
Atoi / Iota - Tearaway
Bentley - Sly Cooper
Big Daddy / Songbird / Elizabeth - BioShock
Bound Princess - Bound
Captain Quark - Ratchet & Clank
Chie - Persona 4
Chloe Frazier - Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
Cloud - Final Fantasy VII
Cole MacGrath - Infamous
Colonel Radec - Killzone 2
Crash Bandicoot - Crash Bandicoot
Dart Feld - Legend of Dragoon
Deacon St, John - Days Gone
Delson Rowe - Infamous
Diver - Abzu
Elena Fisher - Uncharted
Ezio - Assassin's Creed
Fat Princess - Fat Princess
"Fetch" Walker - Infamous
Gabe Logan - Syphon Filter
Gallahad - The Order 1886
Heihachi - Tekken
Hunter - Bloodborne
Ico & Yorda - Ico
Isi - The Order 1886
Jade - Beyond Good & Evil
Jak, Daxter - Jak and Daxter
Jodi Holmes - Beyond Two Souls
Joel - The Last of Us
Joseph Cappelli - Resistance III
Journeyman - Journey
Kara - Detroit, Become Human
Kat - Gravity Rush
Kazuma Kiryu- Yakuza
Knack - Knack (who's there?)
Kratos - God of War (Greek wielding Chains of Chaos)
Kratos - God of War (Norse wielding bow & glowing axe)
Kutaro - Puppeteer
Lammy - Um Jammer Lammy
Lara Croft - Tomb Raider
Leon Kennedy - Resident Evil 4
Lightning - FFXIII
LocoRoco - LocoRoco
Lynx / Serge - Chrono Cross
Madison Paige - Heavy Rain
Maya "Echo" Visari - Killzone Shadow Fall
Monster Hunter player character - Monster Hunter
Murray - Sly Cooper
Nadine Ross - Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
Nariko - Heavenly Sword
Nathan Drake - Uncharted
Nathan Hale - Resistance
Nefarious - Ratchet & Clank
Nil - Horizon Zero Dawn
Noctis - FFXV
Parappa - PaRappa the Rapper
Patapon - Patapon
Pilot - Wipeout
Pomeranian - Tokyo Jungle
Psycho - Until Dawn
Rau - Mark of Kri
Raven - Gravity Rush
Raiden - MGS2
Ratchet & Clank - Ratchet & Clank
Robbit - Jumping Flash
Sam Fischer - Splinter Cell
Selvaria Bles- Valkyria Chronicles
Snake / Big Boss - Metal Gear
Scott Shelby - Heavy Rain
Spider-Man - Spider-Man (2018)
Tati - Mark of Kri II
Trico - The Last Guardian
(this will be Sony's Ridley - "too big," they'll cry)
Sackboy - LittleBigPlanet
Sir Daniel Fortesque - MediEvil
Sly Cooper - Sly Cooper
Shantae - Shantae
Shovel Knight- Shovel Knight
Spike - Ape Escape
Spyro the Dragon - Spyro
Sweet Tooth - Twisted Metal
Toro Inoue - Doko Demo Issyo
Undyne - Undertale
Victor Sullivan - Uncharted
Wander - Shadow of the Colossus
X / Zero / Vile / Sigma - Mega Man X
Yunica - Gravity Rush
Zeus - God of War


What do you think? Are you also stoked for what could be this series' Melee? Do you long for the silky smooth combos with just a modicum of changes to dispatching? Are there any characters you think would be great in a hypothetical sequel? Is this Sucker Punch's in-development game? Will we see its reveal at PSX?


(Via edit - bunch of third parties and your suggestions)

 

[Pai Pai Master]

They can start by changing that awful name.

 

[FluxWaveZ]

The OP is mainly focusing on the game's cast, when that wasn't the primary problem with the first game.

They would need to put in the effort to make this an actually fun, competitive, and balanced fighting game in the first place, and I'm not sure they have the will to do so. Oh, and it needs to be polished, and not have a UI that looks like garbage.

 

[Bane]

Didn't care the first time around, can't see why I would a second.

 

[ShadowgeistX]

Melee was great because the base game it was building off of was already great. Take from that what you will.

 

[iosefe]

They can start by changing that awful name.

Playstation Battle Royale would be enough.

i love me a good PBR

 

[……forgetit]

They can start by changing that awful name.

Super Battle Royal?

PlayStation really shouldn't be in the name, it should be self explanatory

 

[Toni]

Jesus christ that long ass abbreviation

 

[Kuro]

Its not going to happen but if it does Sony need to invest a lot more than they did with the first game because that game had no presentation or presence. Menus looked like some cheap flash game. They'd also have to completely revamp the gameplay as you said. Needs to be much closer to melee. Hell they have to potential to be successful if they cater to the esports crowd unlike Smash 4.

 

[Wanda/Wander]

- Fix the name

- Hire an actual art director

- Crash + Spyro

 

[Brian_FETO]

I don't like the idea of ripping off Smash with their properties because they don't really suit that style of game

Would rather see Sony come up with their own unique take on that sort of thing. Even a 3D battle arena type deal would be cool. Since so many of their games are third person action

I guess then it loses the casual appeal but it's still a mashup of favorites

 

[timetokill]

But Melee was built off of a fantastic game in Smash 64, whereas there's no real reason to expect PASBSR 2 to be any better than the original especially since it would essentially be rebuilt from the ground up and need to be completely different.

 

[Munty]

Considering most of Sony's big games now are 3rd person adventure/action games, if they were ever going to have another crack at something like that, they should make it a 3rd Person arena fighter game, like the Uncharted multiplayer but with power-ups and more arcade-y.

 

[Watch Da Birdie]

I feel like the best way for Sony to go is to perhaps copy Overwatch and go for a game like that with their cross-over cast, since many Sony icons wouldn't be that much of a stretch to include.

 

[JStein0222]

I need roughly a dozen more smash clones and I love playstation characters. A sequel would be a dream...I enjoyed the first!

 

[mindsale]

I need roughly a dozen more smash clones and I love playstation characters. A sequel would be a dream...I enjoyed the first!

I will keep banging this drum until they haul me away on a gurney.

 

[RootCause]

The winning mechanic needs to be changed. I'll be honest, I'd rather they make a new ip, with a cohesive cast of characters. I propose a party brawler, that uses humanoid robots, with unique powers, and abilities.

 

[Crimsonclaw111]

Sorry man but that roster is still god awful. Sony should just hang it up.

 

[Jawmuncher]

A PSAS 2 with reworked mechanics could be something special. However it'd need to be given the love and care it deserves. Not the half ass budget and unproven studio.

If you gave the game to someone like Bamco or KoeiTecmo they could probably do something with it. It does feel like for this sort of thing to really work, it'd need to be in a Japanese devs hands.

 

[solidraul]

the 90% of your list are literally who, more pj not always is better, smash 64 only have 12 characters and is more representative than the list you posted.

also, no crash and spyro in your list? wtf

 

[AlexBasch]

Remove that stupid elimination system or whatever it's called with the supers and I'm set. I wanted to like that game but could put up with that thing.

 

[night814]

Pretty sure it's dead man, if they were going to sequelize PSA they likely would have already especially with the PS4 selling so we'll.

 

[PKrockin]

Melee was built off a great foundation, and to my knowledge it became a great competitive game mostly by accident when the team didn't have time to realize the full implications and tone down some of the things they implemented in their party game.

 

[Tregard]

Missing the most important new roster addition

 

[Pai Pai Master]

Melee was built off a great foundation, and to my knowledge it became a great competitive game mostly by accident when the team didn't have time to realize the full implications and tone down some of the things they implemented in their party game.

The ultimate Lightning in a Bottle game. No Smash will ever touch it IMO (they're still great!).

 

[Cyber Caesar]

It would work if they make it a traditional fighter and not a melee game.

 

[iosefe]

Missing the most important new roster addition

i'll take it.

 

[get2sammyb]

Scrap the Smash stuff. Instead, give it to Arc System Works, get them a great cast, turn it into a more traditional 2D fighter (an accessible one with a bit of depth), and unify the art direction.

 

[funkystudent]

Just toss Capcom or the Tekken people money and make PlayStation versus whoever in the versus style.


Going for a Smash clone is a fools errand.

 

[99Luffy]

The problem with the first game was that so many attacks were 'smashes' where opponents would fly off to the other side of the screen. But that made no sense what so ever because there was no ringout mechanic.

That said I dont think it would be succesful with ringouts because it would probably just be a worse Smash brothers. They shouldve just used a regular lifebar imo.

 

[13randO]

I've always referred to this game as 'Playstation Blahblahblah,' and people always know what game I'm talkin' about. Get that name out. I would love to see another game in the series though, the first was severely underappreciated.

 

[PSqueak]

Im not feeling your roster.

Also, Bloodborne rep should be Gehrman, not a generic hunter (playable character).

 

[Dy_Cy]

How about instead of making the terrible mistake that a sequel to PSASBR would be, you just make a new MediEvil game and a new Ape Escape.

 

[Napalm_Frank]

Pretty sure it's dead man, if they were going to sequelize PSA they likely would have already especially with the PS4 selling so we'll.

It's in bit of an awkward position to be sure. The first game was a million seller with seemingly small budget so sequel probably would have been on the table but there was a huge backlash towards the game and there was a bit of bad blood during the whole period before launch (Platinum devs being pissed because Raiden reveal didn't turn out how they expected or something, the constant leaks during development ect.) And of course the team behind it kinda dissapearing.

At this point the biggest question would be who would even develop it and if Sony really wants to go through the whole hurdle again. They already have backed Capcom on Street Fighter and especially giving stage presence to Marvel VS Capcom which kinda fits into the same type of category of crossover fighter.

I think a semi sequel will eventually happen but it will be with a different name and style to drop the baggage. There is audience for the game but they need to nail the image of the game.

 

[Lingitiz]

Whenever I read posts like this, I feel like it's from people who don't understand what makes Smash good. Smash has a level of attention to detail, polish, and overall cohesiveness that I think comes from Sakurai's direction, as evidenced by his ability to create each game utilizing different teams and still maintain an insanely high level of quality. It goes beyond just having a dope roster of characters and a high budget.

 

[Jigolo]

Whenever I read posts like this, I feel like it's from people who don't understand what makes Smash good. Smash has a level of attention to detail, polish, and overall cohesiveness that I think comes from Sakurai's direction, as evidenced by his ability to create each game utilizing different teams and still maintain an insanely high level of quality. It goes beyond just having a dope roster of characters and a high budget.

bingo. i can't see any developer other than sakurais team to make a good "smash clone"

 

[AALLx]

That ship has already sailed.

Besides, I don't think realistic characters really work well with mash-up party fighters. It'd probably work better as a traditional fighter ala Injustice.

 

[sinonobu]

There's really few 'iconic' characters on Sony's side.

 

[mindsale]

Missing the most important new roster addition

I love it!

 

[Phu]

Putting aside the gameplay aspects of the first game [the true problem] the roster proposed is always gonna be weird...

Nintendo characters have a wide variety of art styles, but even the most 'realistic' characters have some kind of anime/stylized aesthetic to them. There's a similar thing with the tone of the characters, even the most serious series have a certain level of levity or camp. While Sony has characters that fit these outlines, they also have realistic characters and characters from serious worlds.

Mario and Shulk don't really fit together but it's a much easier thing to look past than Joel cracking Fat Princess's head with a brick or Wander summoning Agro for a super or something. If they wanna make a roster that meshes well I think they need to push away stuff like Ico or Heavy Rain and focus more on the Gravity Rush and Ratchet stuff they've got.

Even Snake fits into Smash better than some Sony characters fit with other Sony characters.

 

[Lionel Richie]

Whenever I read posts like this, I feel like it's from people who don't understand what makes Smash good. Smash has a level of attention to detail, polish, and overall cohesiveness that I think comes from Sakurai's direction, as evidenced by his ability to create each game utilizing different teams and still maintain an insanely high level of quality. It goes beyond just having a dope roster of characters and a high budget.

This, it feels like people think making a game as good as any Smash is as simple as assembling characters from a given publisher. There's not another Sakurai around the corner.

 

[Napalm_Frank]

There's really few 'iconic' characters on Sony's side.

People get way too hung up on the whole 'iconic' thing. Fans will love a crossover fighter even if many on the roster are niche.

Parappa+Spike were easily fan favourites and that shit is dead, Heihachi got a ton of hate (not from me doe, love it) and he is as relevant as ever.

 

[Continental 0p]

Well, it would be the second game, so that's pretty obvious

Spoiler

somewhat /s

 

[JordanN]

Solution to PSABR2

-Start with Crash
-Remove everyone else

Call it Crash Bash 2

 

[Clefargle]

Fever dreams

 

[trixx]

The mechanics is why pros keep asking for melee HD or melee 2

If it has wave dashing and similar archetype characters I think some may pick it up. Doesn't brawhalla or whatever​ use melee mechanics though?

 

[SatoAilDarko]

That list is pure fan-fiction.

Sony is much better offer making an arena fighter like Power Stone to not only separate from Smash but fill and underfilled niche.

Not to mention aiming with guns would be better.

 

[fernoca]

People get way too hung up on the whole 'iconic' thing. Fans will love a crossover fighter even if many on the roster are niche.

Parappa+Spike were easily fan favourites and that shit is dead, Heihachi got a ton of hate (not from me doe, love it) and he is as relevant as ever.

Yeah. Jak and Daxter too despite only getting a PSP game and a remaster in years.

If anything they do need to make it more cohesive. Every character should be designed waround the same style.

And also be a bit more crazy. With every character having a PSone like skin of sorts, characters like a PocketStation, etc.

 

[Nev]

The game was already very solid in terms of 'pure' gameplay.

It's basically everything else that failed miserably. The trash UI was a disgrace for sure, but the completely obtuse super only system effectively handicapped the game big time.

Pathetic decision to hamper your game in such a drastic way only to differentiate yourself from the game you ultimately copied anyways.

 

[DrZeus]

Hire Capcom to make it in the vein of Powerstone and profit.