PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale originally launched on the PS3 back in 2012, and was Sony’s answer to Nintendo’s popular Smash Bros. series. It certainly didn’t gain the traction or popularity Sony hoped it would, but it did show us how a crossover fighter of PlayStation characters would perform.
Since the game’s release there has been an abundance of great titles and characters that have launched exclusively on PlayStation platforms. With a few tweaks to gameplay and the addition of more characters, a new PlayStation All-Stars game could be fantastic. Whether another All-Stars game is announced or not remains to be seen, but if such a game is in development, we would like to see these 10 characters added to the roster.
2B (Nier: Automata)
Nier: Automata’s 2B is one lethal android and we’d love to see her enter the fighting arenas of Sony’s action-packed brawler. Her lightning-fast attacks and acrobatic fighting style would make for a fun hyper-aggressive playstyle, while her Pod would provide some interesting special moves once she gains enough AP. Pod’s slow but damaging abilities could work perfectly as Super Attacks and would allow 2B to unleash either long-range lasers, devastating hammer blows or deadly barrage of spears towards her foe. Her unique look and overall fighting prowess would translate well to PlayStation All-Stars, and could potentially draw in gamers that would otherwise stay away from a crossover fighting game.
Crash Bandicoot
We were a little disappointed when we booted up the original PlayStation All-Stars to find the roster was missing Naughty Dog's iconic mascot. The old bandicoot had been left out and the success Crash enjoyed during the PS1 and PS2 era had seemingly vanished. However, the PS4 remaster of the N.Sane Trilogy quickly put Crash back in the spotlight. Including Crash in PlayStation All-Stars would help keep the bandicoot blues away and he’d certainly make for a fun addition. Players would be able to use his spin, body slam, slide attack and double jump to damage and dodge incoming attacks. Meanwhile, Super Attacks could see the bandicoot charge into his enemies with his pet polar bear cub, while another would allow him to empower his spin, creating a tornado effect that wipes out those that get in the way.
The Hunter (Bloodborne)
From Software’s PlayStation-exclusive Bloodborne continues to draw fans into its critically acclaimed dark and bloody world. The combat in Bloodborne is fast-paced and requires an offensive approach in order for players to combat dense hordes of enemies. As a result, The Hunter is agile and can avoid lethal attacks by strafing and rolling. It would be great to see The Hunter utilize both blade and firearm to deliver some seriously devastating hits before slinking away. We’d also love to see Bloodborne’s Rally system implemented into PlayStation All-stars when players use The Hunter. This mechanic rewards folks for being highly-aggressive and gives them a small window to recover portions of health upon subsequent attacks. Having a squishy fighter that is rewarded for being hyper-aggressive could add even more tension to a fight.
Aloy (Horizon Zero Dawn)
Sony's had a great year and there have been some fantastic character designs as a result, but few have earned as much praise or attention as Horizon: Zero Dawn. Taking control of Aloy and hunting mechanized behemoths always feels awesome, especially thanks to the game’s impressive visuals and engaging open-world. We’d like to take Aloy from her robotic roots and watch her duke it out against other famous PlayStation characters. Aloy could deliver some devastating blows with her bow, especially when using different arrows. For example, switching between elemental attacks like shock or freeze would make her opponent more vulnerable to follow-up attacks with her spear.
Joel and Ellie (The Last of Us)
This iconic combo would function as one single unit like Ratchet and Clank from the first game, but it would be neat to see the duo team up during special attacks. Having Joel beat his opponent silly with his bare hands before sending them flying with a swing of a baseball bat would certainly be entertaining. Joel could also place a few Nail Bombs around the map which only blow up when trodden on. This would allow him to zone his opponent and set up some long-range attacks with the help of Ellie, before throwing his enemy into the deadly explosives. We’re excited to see what the Last of Us 2 brings, but we’d love to see our favorite zombie-killing duo take on some of Sony’s fiercest characters.
Alicia Melchiott (Valkyria Chronicles)
Valkyria Chronicles proved incredibly popular in Japan, where its success spawned several manga titles and an anime series, but the game struggled in the west despite the high praise it received. More recently, the HD remaster of the original and the upcoming release of Valkyria Chronicles 4 put this unique turn-based game back on the map. Having Alicia playable in a new PlayStation All-Stars title would not only be a great way of pulling in new players, it would also add some interesting mechanics to the game. Alicia could use her rifle and grenades to deliver ranged damage and build up AP, before transforming into the Valkyrur. This special form would allow players to rampage across the arena with tremendous power, while also giving her a melee-based fighting style. Being able to switch between ranged and melee attacks poses some interesting strategies and playstyles.
Joker (Persona 5)
Persona 5 came out on PS3 and PS4 and is arguably the best JRPG to be released this year. The game oozes cool and its stylish cast of characters, jazzy vibe and gruelling dungeon exploration make it hard to put down. We feel Joker would make an excellent addition to the roster and his playstyle would be similar to those we’ve seen in Persona 4 Arena. Joker could use his melee weapon and gun to deliver small bursts of damage, while his Persona Arsene could be used in certain combos to add extra weight behind is blows.
William (Nioh)
The hack and slash combat of Nioh makes William an obvious candidate for those looking to slice and dice their way to victory. This sword-wielding samurai has access to dual swords, axes, polearms and kusarigama, while his bow, rifle and hand cannon give him decent amounts of ranged damage. William certainly has a deadly arsenal that would make him a frightening foe to face, but we’re more interested in the stances he could use. In Nioh, William can change between three stances, with each stance having different effects. For example, High Stance causes higher damage while lowering defense, Low Stance allows for quick attacks and better defense, while Middle Stance balances elements of the other two Stances. Having access to these three styles will make William hard to master, but extremely versatile and rewarding to play.
Spyro the Dragon
If Crash Bandicoot deserves a seat at the PlayStation All-Stars table, so does our favorite purple dragon. Just like Crash Bandicoot, Spyro the Dragon was one of PlayStation’s original mascots and his fire-breathing adventures sold many a system. However, the once popular dragon now only resides in the Skylanders franchise. We can’t help but feel a little sorry for Spyro and it would be great to see him take flight once again. Being able to glide around the arena, setting players ablaze with fiery attacks and then charging into the action head first would make for a fond return for the beloved dragon.
Delsin Rowe (Infamous Second Son)
Delsin Rowe is a great replacement for Evil Cole MacGrath, especially since we already had Cole MacGrath taking up a fighter slot in the previous All-Stars game. This ability-manipulating street artist is able to use different Conduit powers and can switch between various abilities freely. Delsin’s unique powers would allow him to utilise different movesets based on the Conduit he’s using. Imagine being able to use his Smoke Manipulation to dash through an enemy and rematerialize behind them, choke-slamming them to the ground in the process. The thought of chaining together combos from various Conduits has us feeling giddy!