Ape Escape is one of those quintessential titles that helped push the original Sony PlayStation into a new light. The introduction of the DualShock, just for a game where you smack and capture monkeys? Brilliant, I need about 15 more of these games. It’s popular enough to bring back for a beloved game like Astro Bot, so why can’t we just get a reboot or even a remake?
The Lack of ‘Ape Escape’ Is Driving Me Bananas
In an article by the Financial Times, Sony CFO Hiroki Totoki states that they don’t have enough original IPs, or even IPs that they’ve fostered from the ground up. There are countless games that are sitting in the Sony vault, my beloved Ape Escape included in this conversation. Japan Studios, the original creators of the Ape Escape franchise, are even part of Asobi. What’s the holdup here?
The last proper Ape Escape game we received was Ape Escape 3 in 2005. It’s been almost 20 years without a proper new entry in the franchise, and with the success of Astro Bot and other family-friendly creations pumped out by Sony and its subsidiaries, now may be the best time to bring these chimps back into the spotlight.
The DualSense is easily the most technologically advanced controller on the market. Could you imagine what the team at Asobi could do with the Ape Escape property and this device? I’m drooling at the possibilities. Seeing how well the Haptic Feedback was implemented in Astro Bot, I would love the same type of care to be put into a proper Ape Escape 4.
Half-Baked Ports Aren’t Enough in This Situation
Before saying anything; yes, I bought both of the currently available Ape Escape titles on my PS5. And that’s not enough. Have you seen the state of the Ape Escape 2 port? There is no good reason that this should be on the PlayStation store in this condition.
Ape Escape has more star power to its name than originally anticipated. With special appearances in games like Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, it’s astounding to me that Sony hasn’t decided to do anything further with the franchise. Instead, it sits, rotting away inside of the vaults until it’s time to parade the Apes in a new cameo for a different game.
It’s disappointing, but also not surprising. A lot of companies seem to forget that they have countless IPs rotting away in the figurative storage cellar of their respective companies. I just hope that Banjo, Sly Cooper, and all of the other forgotten mascots are having a good time in whatever form of video game purgatory they’ve all currently found themselves in.
The post Dear Sony: Stop Messing Around and Reboot or Remake ‘Ape Escape’ appeared first on VICE.
The post Dear Sony: Stop Messing Around and Reboot or Remake ‘Ape Escape’ appeared first on VICE.
