Welcome back to The PlayStation Report! We’re spending some time running our way through Sony’s list of IP to determine how they’re doing these days. As this is our second entry, we’re moving on to the letter B. How have things been going? Let’s find out in The PlayStation Report! 

Beyond: Two Souls

This is a Quantic Dream game, which Sony published. As usual, it isn’t necessarily 100% clear if Sony actually owns this brand or if they just published it, but as the vast majority of Quantic Dream’s works are pretty well associated with the PlayStation brand, I think it’s safe enough to put this one here. 

Anyway, like most of Quantic Dream’s stuff, this is a very “artsy” game. It’s an action-adventure game with various celebrities portraying the characters. There’s a bit of a supernatural element, including psychic connections and wacky effects. It’s a bit heady, but people sure seemed to like it.  

Health rating: Hard to say

This game’s still relatively new, having originally been released in 2019. That said, it’s got a number of factors going against it for any sort of return. First and foremost, Quantic Dream doesn’t seem to like to do sequels. Their projects tend to be one and done. But there’s also the issue of the game’s protagonist having been famously played by Elliot Page. A sequel’s narrative could accommodate in a similar fashion to Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy, but given the nature of Quantic Dream’s catalog, I doubt it. 

Beyond the Beyond

Beyond the Beyond is a classic-style RPG from Camelot. It’s entirely possible that they own the brand, but Sony both published the game and handled its English translation, so it’s safe to assume they’ve got some skin in the game here. At any rate, this is actually one of the earliest RPGs released for the PlayStation in the West, from before it earned its reputation as THE RPG machine post-Final Fantasy VII. 

Health rating: Basically dead

Unfortunately, this game can best be described as “generic RPG.” Its reviews at the time were middling, and it doesn’t seem to have much of a legacy to speak of. It’s never been re-released as far as I can tell, even on PSN. It’s just one of those games that came and went, lost forever on a platform overflowing with far more memorable RPGs. I can’t imagine this one resurfacing anytime soon. 

Blasto

Blasto, for those who may not already know, is a PS1 3rd person action shooter that plays out like a spoof on old sci-fi classics like Buck Rogers. It stars a beefy space guy named Captain Blasto, voiced brilliantly by the late Phil Hartman, who goes around, well, blasting stuff! Some critics noted that the gameplay wasn’t exactly top of the heap, but the game’s personality has earned it a decent cult following in the decades since its 1998 debut. 

Health rating: Basically dead

This game was never released in Japan for some reason. Its reviews didn’t exactly set the world on fire, but as far as I can tell its sales were decent enough. Unfortunately, Phil Hartman passed away, which probably had a lot to do with this one never resurfacing since he was a big part of the character’s creation and personality. This one’s a real shame because there was certainly something worth building on here. The character designs are good, the world is fun, and even without Hartman, the character himself still has a lot to offer. Unfortunately, this one, like Beyond the Beyond, has never been re-released in any form (as far as I can tell). And sadly, I’d be surprised to see it brought back. 

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Blast Radius

Originally developed and published by Psygnosis (now owned by Sony) Blast Radius is one of those PlayStation games that seems to be largely forgotten. It’s a space flight/combat simulator that’s well, kind of bland. 

Health rating: Very dead

Here’s another example of a game that has never been re-released AND never made it to Japan. Unlike Blasto though, it seems like this is just as well, as the game didn’t exactly review well when it launched. I’m sure it’s got its fans, but I’ve never heard anyone talk about this game, even back when I was working in video game retail. We always had a couple of copies in stock, but they always just sat there. This one’s not coming back, and honestly, I think that’s okay. 

Bloodborne

From Software is a pretty big deal these days. So when they made a new IP just for the PS4, people took notice. Bloodborne is one of their trademark action RPGs akin to Dark Souls, and it was a huge hit. It’s got a tremendous reputation from both critics and players alike. It looks, sounds, and plays extremely well, and garnered a heck of a lot of sales because of it. 

Health rating: Hard to say

So, with all this success, where’s Bloodborne 2? Sure, it’s my understanding that the story didn’t leave much room for a follow up, but when has that stopped a successful video game in the past? Bloodborne was released in 2015, and it’s been nearly a decade without any sort of followup. The game’s director, as I’m told, isn’t the biggest fan of doing direct sequels to projects, but it's really strange to see something this big not even get a high profile remake or release by his point. This one might be another one-and-done, but only time will tell. 

Boku no Natsuyasumi

If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’ve never heard of this series before. I know I hadn’t before I started writing this! It’s an adventure game that originally came out on PS1 only in Japan. It’s name translates roughly to “My Summer Vacation” and that’s what the game is all about. No supernatural threats or anything like that, just a kid spending time doing fun normal stuff on his summer vacation. 

Health rating: Basically dead

This one’s getting the rating of Basically Dead because it seems to have done all it wanted to. It’s more “over” than “dead.” There were a number of sequels on PS2, PS3, with the last entry seeming to be Boku no Natsuyasumi Portable 2 for PSP in 2006. Series developer Millennium Kitchen is still active, so it’s always possible they’ll return to the series someday, but I suspect this one’s just run its course. 

Buzz! 

This is an unusual tale for a PlayStation property, as Buzz’s original release was exclusively European! What’s stranger for those of us who know this series elsewhere in the world is that the first game was actually specifically a music quiz game instead of a general knowledge one. In case you’re unfamiliar, Buzz! Is a quiz show game that came with a set of buzzer controllers to recreate a sort of game show appearance. Its 4th iteration was the first one to make it to the US, and the rest, as they say, is history. 

Health rating: Basically dead

Between 2005 and 2010, there were 19 Buzz! games released, including the Buzz! Jr. spinoffs. They all seemed to perform relatively well, too! So why did it stop? I have two theories. First there was a lawsuit against Sony over the game’s concept. It was apparently settled out of court in Sony’s favor, but it’s possible Sony considers the series to not be worth the trouble anymore. The second theory is that Sony doesn't want to make new Buzz controllers. This is silly though, as there are so many ways to skirt the Buzz!-specific controller issue, especially considering Nintendo, of all people, allowed players in Everybody 1-2- Switch to use their cell phones as controllers. Regardless of the why, it’s been almost 15 years since there’s been a new Buzz! game. The host character has appeared in various Sony properties like Astro’s Playroom and PlayStation All-Stars, but alas, I think we’ve seen the last of this series. 

And that wraps up this edition of the PlayStation report. And wow, what a negative report this was! Not a single game on the list today was in good standing. It’s very interesting writing these reports concurrently with Nintendo’s because Sony’s catalog appears to have been created with a bigger sense of disposability in mind. That or they just don’t want to invest the time and energy into developing any IP that isn’t a humongous blockbuster. Regardless, the approach between these two companies is fascinating to see. We’ll be tackling the letter C next time, and if I’m being honest, things aren’t looking a whole lot better. But we’ll see!