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Best previous gen PlayStation games we would love to see on ps5

As the launch of PS5 draws closer, we thought we'd make a list of PS1, 2, and 3 games we'd love to see emulated through the streaming service

Best previous gen PlayStation games we would love to see on ps5

With only a few months away from launch, we are all on tenterhooks waiting for the next announcement from Sony and Microsoft. Some exciting news for PlayStation gamers is that the PS5 has confirmed backward compatibility with over 4000 PS4 titles. This is great news if you haven’t gotten around to some of the classics that have been ported or remastered on PS4. PS5 emulated games could shape up to be something really great for new buyers.

PS5 hardware

But what about the PS1, PS2, and PS3 games that we haven’t been able to play since selling those systems to pay for the PS4? The most recent information we have learned from Sony’s side (unofficially), is that they have acquired a patent that would allow emulation of PS1, PS2, and PS3 titles via streaming.

Naturally, we compiled a list of games we want to see available for streaming on our shiny new PS5 that will fill the time between Cyberpunk 2077 and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.

Croc emulated on PS5

So, instead, let’s talk about the next best thing: Croc: Legend of the Gobbos. The game is about a crocodile named Croc (who would’ve thought?), who eats crystals and liberates cute fuzzy creatures called Gobbos.

As with any other platform game, you can run, jump, climb, and swim your way to the gong at the end of each level. All the while, you’ll need to avoid fire-balls, tornadoes, lava, and cliff edges – among other things – as well as the various bosses guarding each island. Combat mostly consists of beating up enemies with your croc tail, or just belly-flopping them to death.

If you’re looking for a game with depth, you should probably give this one a miss. However, if you feel like killing a few hours with an old-school puzzle/platformer, this is a great choice. Generally, classic PS1 platformers coming back as PS5 emulated games on the cheap would be really fun!

Sidenote: I find it truly bizarre that early gaming was dominated by miniaturized animals. Crash Bandicoot was based on the small marsupials native to Australia and New Guinea. Sonic the Hedgehog was based on one of the cutest animals on earth, but they are certainly not known for their cuddliness or their speed. Then, of course, Croc was an incredibly watered-down, child-friendly version of a terrifying prehistoric creature that cannot even jump.

4. Persona 4 (PS2/PS Vita) – JRPG

Have you played Persona 5? Have you sunk 100s of hours living the life of a not-so-ordinary teen moonlighting as a vigilante in an extraordinary world? So have literally millions of other satisfied gamers.

So why is it that such a critically acclaimed game would be ported from PS3 to PS4, but its predecessor, 2008’s Persona 4 (in many ways, just as influential) is still stuck on PS2 (and the discontinued PS Vita)?

Persona 4 emulated on PS5

[Image credit: PC Invasion]

For a very long time, Sony had a monopoly on JRPGs. A notable exception to this was Lost Odyssey, which was made exclusively for the Xbox 360, and as such did not receive the love and attention it deserved. My point is, there are so many amazing JRPGs made for PS4’s predecessors that have been overlooked. Persona 4 is one of them.

Events unfold a little less randomly in Persona 4 than they did in Persona 5. There’s a very specific story drawing you into the game – a murder mystery at that. I honestly never felt bored in the rural Japanese setting, because there were so many characters to interact with, and just as many in-game events to keep me on my toes.

I also loved the analogy of “entering another world” through the TV sets in-game. It felt very meta, considering that is exactly what we, as gamers do. But by far what I loved the most about this game was the approach to identity, particularly gender identity and sexuality when it comes to characters like Kanji and Naoto. Of course, Atlus was not the first game to introduce gender-fluid characters, but they definitely had the balls to address the discrimination faced by such individuals before it was en vogue in mainstream gaming.

If Persona 4 does become available as a PS5 emulated game, be sure you have plenty of time on your hands. As with Persona 5, you’ll be sinking many, many, many happy hours into this game.

3. Silent Hill (PS1) – Survival Horror

Have you ever peed yourself from sheer terror?

Sure. Neither have I.

But I came very close while watching my older cousins play Silent Hill on the original PlayStation. I was 8-years-old when the game was released in 1999. This game has terrified grown people for over two decades, so naturally, it completely traumatized me.

Yet, despite my personal biases (and irrational fear of nurses), this game was a revelation to me. It was one of the first that utterly engrossed me. I remember begging my cousin to keep playing because I needed to see how the story would resolve itself.

Silent Hill emulated on PS5

[Image credit: The Guardian]

If your only experience of Silent Hill is the truly terrible movie adaptations, then I send my condolences: I know what it’s like when two whole hours of your life have died needlessly and you’ll never get them back. The original game had a pretty intricate, sometimes baffling, narrative (typical of Japanese horror), but it was still miles better than the film.

You are Harry Mason, a man trapped in the mysterious town of Silent Hill, searching for your (adoptive) daughter, Cheryl. In the film version, it is Cheryl’s mother, Rose, who is the main protagonist. I’ll give the film points for including the mother/daughter facet to the film, but that’s all I’ll give it props for. Anyway, the game begins with a car crash caused by an apparition in the road just as you enter Silent Hill. Naturally, this derails the duo’s vacation plans. Upon waking, Harry finds Cheryl gone, and the nightmare begins.

The game is basically an exercise in bladder control while walking through fog with only a flashlight, waiting for hellish creatures to attack. However, it’s not all jump scares and frantically running away screaming. Behind the mysterious events occurring in Silent Hill, there are dark secrets of occult rituals, abuse, and the manifestation of pure hatred. The films didn’t even scrape the surface.

Silent Hill 2 and up have been remastered for PS4, and will likely be available as one of the PS5 emulated games. The original Silent Hill, on the other hand, remains dormant, waiting for the opportunity to allow players into the town of nightmares to learn why the nightmares exist in the first place.

2. Enslaved: Odyssey to the West (PS3) – Action-Adventure

Everyone knows Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice was an amazing game (in terms of story – not so much in terms of gameplay), and the upcoming Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is eagerly awaited by fans, but to me, Ninja Theory’s true magnum opus will always be Enslaved: Odyssey to the West.

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[Image credit: Engadget] It might not seem like much now, but back in 2010, the facial mapping was pretty amazing (to me)

Released in 2010 on PS3, I distinctly remember being utterly entranced by how incredibly realistic the facial expressions were (especially Trip’s). I truly believe most of the heart of that game came from Lindsey Shaw’s performance.

The game is set in a futuristic post-apocalyptic world overrun by “mechs” – self-aware machines that have all-but eliminated life on earth.

Sound familiar? As I was playing Horizon Zero Dawn, I couldn’t help but draw comparisons. I could never pick a favorite because they were made at different times for different audiences. However, I will say that I believe many post-apocalyptic games that were released post-2010 were influenced by Enslaved.

The game is based on Journey to the West, a 16th-century account of a monk’s legendary pilgrimage from China to central Asia and India. You play as Monkey, a warrior captured by mechs and on a slave ship bound for the mysterious “Pyramid”. While Monkey is knocked out, Trip (a tech genius), installs a self-destructing headband to him. If Trip’s heart stops, the headband will blow up. Monkey straying too far from Trip? Explosion. Basically, if Monkey pisses Trip off in any way, he’s done for. Harsh? Maybe. But if I were a technological wunderkind trying to stay alive, I’d have done the same thing. The initial goal of the game is to get Trip safely back to her colony, but the story successfully opens up to offer a lot more

At only around 10 hours long, it definitely is a bite-sized game. It was designed to pack a punch while you have some free time on your hands. But boy, did that punch ache for days after.

1. A Dragon Age Bundle (PS3/PS4) – Action RPG

I’ve been praying to the Maker for this one since Dragon Age: Inquisition was released in 2014. For years I’ve been on message boards, Facebook groups, and signing petitions to being Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age 2 to the PS4. But no. Instead, Bioware chose to sink capital into the failure that is Anthem.

But now is the time for Bioware to do a little market research, and figure out that there is way more demand for Dragon Age 4 than any kind of Anthem overhaul. What better way to plug Dragon Age than by offering a bargain bundle deal on the same platform?

As a serial completionist, I’ve been aching to Platinum the previous two games in the franchise (which I played on Xbox360, not PS3), and I know I am not the only one who would jump at the chance to buy a bundle like this as a PS5 emulated game all in one?

Dragon Age bundle on PS5

The ultimate dream bundle

It would be amazing if Bioware took the initiative for once and released a ‘trilogy’, right before the release of DA4. Although considering there has been radio silence on that subject, we may not see DA4 until the PS6 release.

Final Thoughts

In all honesty, Sony and developers have (in most cases) listened to the cries of fans. They have remastered and remade various games that were popular at launch, and were requested for current-generation gaming. Although, obviously, that isn’t the same as some great PS5 emulated games.

That doesn’t mean that all of our favorite childhood games have been saved from the ‘Abyss of Forgotten Games’. These are only 5 games we’d love to play on PS5 – five of many. Maybe, we have finally reached a time in technological advancement when we no longer need to dust off the old emulator, because Sony has finally wizened up and built one right in.

We would love to know which PS5 emulated games you want to see available for streaming once the PS5 launches. Comment your picks below! Or why not check out all our other PS5 news? As always, thanks for reading COG!

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