With The Last of Us Part 1 being met with critical praise, Sony's first party offerings are once again on the minds of many. God of War: Ragnarok isn't far away, but as remakes are the topic of the month thanks to Naughty Dog's revitalizing of its 2013 project, rumors are swirling about which Sony-owned game will be next. Horizon Zero Dawn is tipped as the favorite to be given a makeover, but the reality is that there are plenty of other PlayStation titles that are far more deserving, with InFamous being at the top of the list.
Horizon Zero Dawn is simply too new to justify a remake, especially as The Last of Us Part 1 was criticized for its existence given Naughty Dog's rich history of other quality releases. The Horizon story isn’t even finished, as Forbidden West was the next chapter of something bigger, and as the PlayStation 3 generation is quickly becoming retro, there is more and more of a need for some of its games to return to modern hardware. 2009's InFamous has yet to be rereleased since launch, and the near-universal cultural love of superheroes today means it is perhaps the best possible option for Sony if it is looking to remake another one of its first party classics.
InFamous was the Start of Something Great
Having launched months before Batman: Arkham Asylum, InFamous was the first truly great open-world superhero game, following the unlikely story if Cole MacGrath after he activated the Ray Sphere, granting him superhuman abilities. The story was all-new from developer Sucker Punch, and was praised for its combat gameplay, interesting setting, and charming characters. Creating a compelling protagonist to stand alongside comic veterans was a feat in and of itself, but InFamous did so much more than that, and two sequels would further flesh out the fluid traversal while focusing on other cities and stories.
Releasing over 13 years ago, it's difficult to justify returning to it today, especially as superhero games and open-worlds are far greater in number in 2022. It's an experience that doesn't deserve to be lost in time, though, and remaking it would be a prime excuse for Sony to enter the budding world of superhero games once again and offer something different to Insomniac's Spider-Man franchise. InFamous could be the perfect cure for those who are jaded by the over-availability of Marvel/DC properties, and with Sucker Punch seemingly fully dedicated to Ghost of Tsushima, there's little chance that a remake of the first game would interrupt the sales of a potential new entry in the franchise.
Remakes are Function, Not Just Fashion
For a project to be remade it has to have lost some of the charm it once had. Be it through outdated gameplay, blocky visuals, or inconsistent storytelling. Horizon Zero Dawn suffers from none of these, but InFamous is old enough and, critically, not available on hardware other than its native PS3. InFamous being made more beautiful, fun to play, and accessible would allow the game to capture an entirely new audience, which is an essential reason that remakes exist.
As The Last of Us Part 1 proved, there is no set time on how long a game has to be out before it justifies a full-scale do-over, yet the magic of a remake will be far more prominent on an older title. Resident Evil 2 Remake was better received and more exciting than The Last of Us Part 1 because it dragged an old, now ugly, and near-unplayable game to the modern age, implementing visuals and mechanics that are in like with what is expected today. An InFamous remake would have a similar effect, and Sony would be wise to take advantage of the potential it clearly still has.
InFamous is available on PS3.