PlayStation Needs to Revisit This Failed PS3 Game Now More Than Ever

by

PlayStation has come a long way since the early 2010s. The brand is now incredibly strong, with well-known studios and characters that resonate with players. Games like God of War, The Last of Us, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Ghost of Tsushima, and Spider-Man have established PlayStation as a leader in gaming storytelling. These titles consistently generate buzz, win awards, and top sales charts. PlayStation exclusives are now seen as major cultural moments, going beyond simply selling consoles. However, despite all this success, there’s still one area where PlayStation feels incomplete for many fans.

I have fond memories of playing on my PlayStation 3 and hoping Sony would create a game that brought all their most popular characters together. Nintendo had already shown how fun that could be with Super Smash Bros., and fans loved seeing those characters battle each other. When Sony finally tried it with PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, it felt like a great idea, even if the game didn’t quite live up to expectations. It seemed like Sony had all the right characters, but maybe wasn’t quite sure how to make it all work.

Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale Should Have Been the Smash Rival

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale was created as a direct competitor to Super Smash Bros. Released in 2012 for PlayStation 3 and Vita, the game featured a lineup of characters exclusively from PlayStation’s history. For the first time, players could battle as iconic figures like Kratos, Nathan Drake, Ratchet & Clank, and Sly Cooper. It seemed like everything I wanted – a way to celebrate PlayStation’s rich history by letting players control beloved characters from its many games.

Sony had a huge library of well-known characters and worlds that players already loved. A competitive fighting game seemed like a perfect fit for the PlayStation brand. Back then, games that brought together characters from different franchises weren’t common—Nintendo was the main exception—so the idea felt fresh and exciting. It felt like Sony was finally recognizing just how popular its characters had become. What impressed me most was how ambitious the whole project was.

Sony wasn’t aiming to simply copy Super Smash Bros. Instead, they created stages that changed during battles, combining different PlayStation game worlds into one. The game’s style was also distinct, feeling more dramatic and polished than the bright, frantic energy of Nintendo’s game. For a brief time, it seemed like Sony had a real chance to compete with Nintendo in the platform fighter genre.

What Went Wrong With Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale?

Although it had potential, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale didn’t become very popular with gamers. A major reason was its unusual fighting style. Unlike most fighting games where you knock opponents off the screen, this game only counted kills made with special attacks. While intended to make the game unique, this system felt limiting and confusing, particularly for players used to more traditional fighting games.

One major issue was the character lineup. Although the game included many well-known faces, some popular characters weren’t available when it first launched. Fans were disappointed not to see characters like Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon, and this sparked criticism about what the game was missing. Given that the game relied so much on nostalgia and recognizable brands, these absences were hard to overlook and became a central part of the discussion surrounding it.

The game’s release timing wasn’t ideal. It came out near the end of the PlayStation 3’s lifespan, as people were starting to focus on the next generation of consoles. Without continued updates or a strong sense of what made it unique, the number of players dropped off rapidly. Sony ultimately closed the game’s servers, and it was largely forgotten. Instead of launching a successful franchise, it served as a warning about what can go wrong.

Now Is the Time for Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale to Return

Today’s gaming world is much more open to a game like PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale. Fighting games and free-for-all brawlers are becoming popular again, driven by live streaming, active online communities, and a rising interest in competitive games that are easy to pick up and play. The success of games like MultiVersus and Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl shows there’s a strong desire for alternatives to Super Smash Bros., and players are excited to try fresh takes on the genre.

Sony is currently experiencing a creative resurgence, consistently releasing successful games and boasting incredibly popular characters. They could easily create a new fighting game like PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale featuring characters from recent hits like Ghost of Tsushima, The Last of Us Part II, Horizon Forbidden West, and Marvel’s Spider-Man, alongside beloved characters from older games. A lineup like that would immediately generate excitement and discussion within the gaming world.

Sony has taken important lessons from the past, particularly the PS3 era. A new fighting game could be more accessible and easier to understand, while still offering a challenging experience for dedicated players. By consistently updating the game after release and allowing players to compete across different platforms, Sony could finally create the competitive fighting game it originally envisioned. Now, the time is right, players are eager for it, and PlayStation is more prepared than ever.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

Read More

2026-02-03 18:13