The PlayStation Report: Dragons, Derbys, and Goals

Welcome again to The PlayStation Report! We’re spending a while operating our approach by means of Sony’s record of IP to find out how they’re doing lately. This time, we’re going to be diving into the letter D. There’s an honest variety of video games on this class, so right here’s hoping a few of them are nonetheless round, proper? I imply, PlayStation has to have SOME manufacturers nonetheless energetic, don’t they? Let’s discover out in The PlayStation Report! 

Darkish Cloud

Darkish Cloud is that sport that everybody thought was The Legend of Zelda on PS2. In spite of everything, its field artwork featured a closeup of an elven child with pointy ears and a inexperienced hat that appears suspiciously like Hyperlink so long as you don’t zoom the digicam out, proper? Whether or not or not that cowl artwork alternative was a coincidence, the sport was fairly properly favored. It’s an motion RPG developed by Stage-5, an organization in all probability identified finest lately for his or her Professor Layton sequence and Yo-kai Watch video games, each of that are strongly tied to Nintendo. Bizarre. Anyway, it’s a few child named Toan attempting to cease an evil genie. 

Well being ranking: Mainly Useless 

Apparently this sport underperformed in Japan, however bought like gangbusters within the US. Having labored within the online game retail market throughout that point, I can say that the Zelda similarity performed no small half in that. Regardless, these gross sales led to the sport getting a sequel, or at the least it appeared like one within the US the place it was known as Darkish Cloud 2. Elsewhere on this planet it was known as Darkish Chronicle, because it had little to do with the unique sport’s plot or characters. There was chatter a few potential third sport within the sequence as just lately as 2017, however nothing has ever come to fruition. It’s attainable we’ll see it once more, however I wouldn’t maintain my breath.

Demon’s Souls

Demon’s Souls is a FromSoftware joint and is mainly the sport that led to Darkish Souls, a multiplatform sequence that successfully spawned the Soulslike style of video games. Demon’s Souls although, I consider is at the least partially owned by Sony, if not utterly. In case you’ve ever performed Darkish Souls, Demon’s Souls is quite a bit like that. It’s an motion RPG that’s tremendous exhausting, appears cool, and could be very enjoyable. 

Well being ranking: Okay…

Demon’s Souls hasn’t gotten any official comply with ups, however it was remade again in 2020 by the workforce that finally grew to become Workforce Asobi, the parents behind the superb Astro Bot. It was very properly obtained, and with Darkish Souls changing into an astronomical success, the sport’s legacy is, on the very least, tangentially simply tremendous. However an precise comply with as much as the sport has continued to elude followers. Possibly that remake was simply a great way to get the workforce used to creating this type of sport. We’ll see. 

Destruction Derby

That is a type of outdated longbox PlayStation video games that everybody appeared to have at one level or one other again within the day. As you’ll be able to in all probability guess from the title and field artwork, it’s a vehicular fight sport the place you drive round attempting to bust up different automobiles. The unique sport was truly launched on Sega Saturn as properly, however since PlayStation now owns Psygnosis, I’m fairly certain it’s theirs now. 

Well being ranking: Mainly Useless

Destruction Derby had a fairly good run. It acquired two sequels on PlayStation, and one authentic iteration on the Nintendo 64, resulting in 2004’s Destruction Derby Arenas for PlayStation 2, which was the final authentic entry within the sequence. So far as I do know, none of them have been re-released on any digital distribution providers although, making it fairly properly lifeless within the water. Once more, something is feasible, however I believe we’ve heard the final of this model.  

Doko Demo Issyo

It’s doubtless that in the event you’re studying this, it’s totally attainable you’ve by no means heard of this sequence earlier than. However you’ve in all probability at the least seen its important character, Toro. That white cat that tends to indicate up in numerous Sony-related issues? That is the place he’s from. Having by no means performed it myself, I can’t communicate to its gameplay all that a lot, however it’s my understanding that it’s a digital pet of some type. Bizarre. 

Well being ranking: Okay…

There have been properly over a dozen video games launched on this sequence on PlayStation, PSP, Vita, PS3, and PS4. The newest launch was truly a cellular sport known as Toro and Buddies: Onsen City from 2019. Its service resulted in 2021, which actually wasn’t that way back, so it’s doubtless this model is simply chilling till its subsequent launch, however I don’t know, it looks like it’s been going by means of some pains in its previous few releases. Earlier than the cellular sport was Japan Studio VR Music Pageant for PS4, and earlier than that was Toro’s Buddy Community on Vita. I’m not totally certain this sport has what you could possibly name “mainline” entries, however these scent like spinoffs to me. We’ll have to attend and see how this one’s going after its subsequent launch. 

Downhill Domination

This was a fairly neat bicycle racing sport with some mild fight parts in it. Virtually like Street Rash, however with out the engines. You select a racer, and experience your bike as quick as you’ll be able to to win a race. Not a lot else to say about it, actually. 

Well being ranking: Very lifeless

Downhill Domination had precisely one launch in 2003, and that is it. It hasn’t been seen or heard from since. It was a fairly respectable sport although, garnering strong critiques throughout the board, and promoting comparatively properly. The issue was, it didn’t actually do something all that particular, so whereas it match the area of interest of the time, what with Excessive Sports activities nonetheless being fairly in style, it’s not a sport people have a tendency to return to. I really feel assured in saying this one’s gone for good. 

Drakan

That is one other a type of video games Sony acquired with Psygnosis (I feel). The primary sport was initially launched on PC again in 1999. It’s a third particular person motion sport the place you management Rynn, as she hacks and slashes her approach by means of numerous Wartoks to defeat the evil Navaros! How very Tolkeinian! There are even cool dragon driving bits. Neato! 

Well being ranking: Very lifeless

Drakan acquired one sequel, Drakan: The Ancients’ Gates for PlayStation 2. It reviewed fairly properly, however sadly, that was the top of it. Which is a disgrace as a result of any sport that features hand handy fight in a fantasy setting coupled with dragon driving I really feel is filled with sufficient potential to be tremendous cool. Alas, Drakan hasn’t been seen in over 20 years. I feel it’s lifeless.

Goals

Media Molecule caught the gaming world’s consideration with LittleBigPlanet again in 2008. And as soon as that they had just a few of these video games below their belts, they moved on to one thing much more bold, Goals. See, LittleBigPlanet was a captivating sport by itself, however it was lauded most for its degree enhancing instruments. Goals aimed to take that stuff even additional into full on sport creation. It went by means of a variety of iterations throughout its lengthy growth (I feel its first demonstration was again in 2013), however they lastly acquired it figured and it’s been on the market, fulfilling gamers’ goals since 2020.

Well being ranking: Good

4 years is hardly a protracted sufficient period of time to declare this IP as something aside from Good. It reviewed properly, and gamers appeared to love it simply tremendous. It gained a bunch of awards, too, in order that’s cool. It didn’t actually take off the best way I believe Media Molecule hoped it could, however players are a fickle bunch relating to video games that allow you to make your personal video games. Regardless, I feel this model goes to be simply tremendous.  

DriveClub

DriveClub is a type of video games that form of baffles me. Sony already has Gran Turismo, THE premiere hyper-realistic racing sport. Kicking off a model new racing IP looks like a bizarre transfer to me, however no matter. I’m not the CEO of a multi million greenback company, so what do I do know? As you’ve in all probability guessed, DriveClub is a practical racing sport. Neat. 

Well being ranking: Mainly lifeless

DriveClub was a hit for Sony. It moved over 2 million copies, no matter its combined critiques. Its on-line servers ran till March of 2020, so it had a superb few years in the marketplace, too. So, why is it mainly lifeless? As a result of if Sony goes to attempt one thing like this once more, I’d wager {dollars} to donuts they’d provide you with a complete new IP for it. There was some cool DLC made for the sport, together with a VR mode and Bikes, however I feel this membership is closed down perpetually. 

And that wraps up one other PlayStation report. On one hand, it’s loopy simply how a lot stuff Sony owns that they aren’t doing something with. On the opposite, at the least this time round, a few of it actually does make sense. I don’t suppose the world is craving a brand new Downhill Domination, and it’s not like there’s a scarcity of video games on this planet that do what DriveClub did. Nonetheless, I’m hoping that our subsequent Report is a little more chipper. We’ll be hitting up each E and F, so right here’s hoping these two letters have just a few issues within the works. Till subsequent time!