Bluepoint Games have quietly built up a solid reputation. This is a development team that can revive old games efficiently and impressively consistently.
The Texas-based studio have handled great remasters of Uncharted, Metal Gear Solid 3, Ico, and Gravity Rush in the past. Now, it has moved on to remaking a game from the ground up with Shadow of the Colossus on the PS4. If you hadn’t noticed, it’s done a superb job on it too.
There’s already murmurs on what’s next for Bluepoint. So we here at PlayStation Universe have a few suggestions.
Metal Gear Solid Remake
As with Shadow of the Colossus, Bluepoint already have a bit of history with Metal Gear. The developer oversaw the remasters of Metal Gear Solid 2,3, and Peace Walker on PS3 and PS Vita, and surprise, surprise, they did a bloody fantastic job.
In recent weeks there were whispers that Bluepoint’s next project would be another PlayStation Classic. Namely the original Metal Gear Solid. It’s entirely feasible that Konami want to continue making money off the Metal Gear franchise in ways that aren’t turning it into a zombie survival game. And what better way to garner goodwill and money than a ground up remake of Metal Gear Solid that isn’t The Twin Snakes?
Time truly hasn’t been kind on Hideo Kojima’s breakout hit. Bluepoint has proven that it knows how to strike a balance between an original game’s purity and bringing it up to date. Come on Konami, it’s a no brainer.
Shenmue Remake
It’s fair to say that despite Shenmue being a fond favorite of many, it still didn’t get the audience it truly deserved. With Shenmue 3 on the horizon, the call for a remaster of the original two entries has intensified. No small wonder as not only are they cult classics, it would give a great refresher course in what Shenmue is about.
Sega are already looking into remastering the games, hopefully they’ve seen what Bluepoint can do.
Ico Remake
Another game Bluepoint have previously remastered, Ico, was done alongside Shadow of the Colossus on PS3. So it would be a lovely touch if Bluepoint could refine and revitalise the touching, simple beauty of Ico. It’s a lot more limited and certainly shorter than its spiritual sequels so a budget release would have to be in order. That shouldn’t be an issue, especially if it means we get all three games on PS4.
Syphon Filter Remake
Perhaps the most herculean task of all the games listed here. Syphon Filter has aged horribly. Yet there’s a core there that could give Bluepoint its best amount of freedom of creativity yet. As a short, sharp punchy action espionage treat jazzed up to the nines, Gabe Logan may yet live again.
Alright, I just want to taser enemies to a crisp in 4K. Not a lot to ask is it?
Demon’s Souls Remake
Dark Souls is still bloody popular. The first game in that series is gaining a remaster of its own this year if that shows you anything. What about the Sony-backed progenitor to that series? Demon’s Souls is another victim of the PS3’s second fiddle status. It did well enough to act as a launchpad for From Software to become huge though.
Demon’s Souls, with some tweaking and refreshing visually, should be on par with what has succeeded it in the past eight or so years. More importantly, it’s structurally different enough that it might be a breath of fresh air for the genre it helped create. The servers for the original are going down later this year too, so what better time to rebirth it?
Warhawk Remake
PS3’s online infrastructure was, to say it politely, a bit rubbish. Couple that with the console dying on its arse early in its life, and you must curse your luck to be releasing an online sci-fi multiplayer-based shooter with on-foot and vehicular combat. That’s exactly what happened to Warhawk. Yet the game built up a community of loyal players, and it was easily one of the early highlights of the PS3’s troubled launch period.
A Bluepoint remake of Warhawk makes a lot of sense. A budget remake of a genuinely good online shooter that was born at the wrong time first time around? It’s a low risk shot at making Warhawk relevant, and it’s worth taking. Especially if split-screen multiplayer turns up again.