Playstation Wrap-Up 2021 - FINALLY

Getting my "Playstation Wrap-Up" report was a real pain, for 2021. Some weird error on Playstation's website made it literally impossible for me to even see my stats for days, once they finally released the information to curious gamers. So that was frustrating. Then, when I finally got my numbers to show up, I just had a lot of other stuff going on. I went on a big vacation and was busy with a few other personal projects and hobbies, so here we are, two months later, and I finally have time to blog about it.

With no further ado, let's just jump right in and see how much gaming I did last year.

Total Hours:

Playstation says I played 1,203 hours in 2021. That's about 200 hours less than 2020, but 2020 was a really weird year where nobody really went outside, so cut me some slack.

As I've pondered previously, I'm not sure how accurate that is, and I think the math backs me up. Hear me out: Playstation also reports that I played on 355 days last year (11 more than in 2020). I divided that out, and it comes to a little less than 3 1/2 hours per day, every day last year but 10. That's a lot of playing, if that's true, and I can absolutely guarantee you that I didn't play video games for 3 1/2 hours nearly every day of 2021.

I think, rather, as I have speculated in the past, that this report may actually be pulling the number of hours that my Playstation was powered on, which would make more sense because (until recently) I have used my console to watch all of my movies and for all of my streaming services. Working from home, I know I have watched a ton of movies and TV (I mean, did you see my list of basically everything I watched for two years??).

Also, if a game is on but paused, does that count as "playing"? Probably, right? But what if I have a game on and I pause it to go eat food for half an hour? These are the things I think about because I'm weird.

This would throw into question the breakdown of time I spent playing PS4 titles vs PS5 titles, which is a fun statistic, but... I guess I'm just confused on what's actually being counted here. I don't know.

Anyway, Sony thinks I played a ton of video games last year, which is not entirely incorrect, just not entirely accurate, either. Also, I hardly played any of those hours "online" because I don't like being "pwned" by youths.

Games Played:

So, it appears that I played 38 unique games last year. Sounds reasonable. That, interestingly, is down 21 games from 2020, which is wild.

Retaining the top spot, as no surprise at all, is the newest installment of the "MLB The Show" franchise - and there's a good reason why I played so much of it this year: they paid me to do so. Yes, it's true. I was part of a paid research project that compensated me for playing "MLB The Show 21" a certain number of hours per week. Then, I'd have to answer a few questions about how I played and what I liked. It was a lot of fun, and I figured that if I was going to be playing the game anyway, they might as well pay me for it.

Up a spot from last year is the "NBA 2K" franchise, which is basically cut-and-paste, year after year, but the Jazz were playing really well and I needed my virtual basketball fix.

Speaking of "cut-and-paste," "Marvel's Avengers" debuts at number three this year. I spent 75 hours grinding out slightly different variations of the exact same missions, over and over and over and over again. Gamers and critics alike have maligned "Avengers" for its repetitive quests, but I put in a lot of hours before I realized how "Pay To Win" and dependent on its blind loot boxes it was becoming. I don't play it a lot anymore - I haven't played it at all since they brought Spiderman in as a DLC character - but I suspect that I'll go back to it at some point to clean up the trophies and try for that elusive "100%" completion rate.

"Watch Dogs: Legion" - number four last year - was a game I crushed during the second half of my paternity leave. Let's just say, that's a game that I probably couldn't have played if it wasn't for paternity leave and a sleepy child. Hoo boy, that dialogue was spicy. Awesome game, though. Sixty-one hours of walking around and randomly recruiting anybody I wanted to join my resistance movement. I was furious when my original team member died by, like, falling off a balcony or something. When they say "YOLO," they mean it.

The surprise of the year is the "Final Fantasy VII" remake, which I snagged as a free Playstation Plus game and, apparently, and into which clocked 57 hours. That was a very long game, I'll tell you what. Sheesh. Very long and a bit hard to master, but it ended up being all right. Little did I know that it was going to end of a cliffhanger. Does that mean I'm actually going to have to play the sequel?

Here are a few other games that I spent a lot of time playing last year:

• Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2
• Need For Speed Payback
• Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
• Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy
• Riders Republic
• Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory
• Planet Coaster
• Hot Wheels Unleashed
• Sackboy: A Big Adventure

Trophies Earned:

Playstation says I earned 1,091 trophies last year and you know what? They're dang right, I did! Sadly, that's down from 1,410 trophies in 2020, but hey, that's still a ton, ok?

There are two major factors that affect the number of trophies I earn when playing games:

1. Having a co-worker that is a major "trophy hunter"
2. Marrying a wife with completionist tendencies

Basically, I'm held to a high standard, when it comes to completion percentages. My wife and I pride ourselves on being a "three-star family," a phrase we picked up from a friend while playing "Overcooked" on the Nintendo Switch. Basically, it's all or nothing. We aim for 100% and, whenever possible, we get it.

Here are the 14 games that I beat to 100% completion for a glorious Platinum trophy:

• Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
• God of War
• Madden NFL 21
• Watch Dogs: Legion
• Ether One
• MLB The Show 21
• Far Cry 4
• Ratchet & Clank
• Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
• Hidden Agenda
• Overcooked: All You Can Eat
• Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy
• LEGO Dimensions
• Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory

That's a weird list. A couple of those games were purely just me going back to clean up some percentages on games that I thought I could finish. "Ether One," in particular, is a game I regret going back to. I probably played it one time, years ago, when it was free, but once I booted it back up, I just had to keep going. "Hidden Agenda" was another weird one that required me to play with multiple controllers, phones and tablets to complete. Why am I the way that I am? Who truly knows?

Some of those games were a lot of fun, though. The "Ratchet & Clank" games were both a blast. I'd never played that series before, and I remember thinking they were some of the most fun I'd had with games in a while. Just really unique, fun storytelling, and a great time to play. "LEGO Dimensions" was one of the dreaded toys-to-life games that I fell in love with a few years back (and spent way too much money on). It hasn't aged very well, and there are much better LEGO games that don't require me to get out a bunch of little figures to play every time, so I wrapped that one up and traded the disc back in to GameStop for like $1.25. I'll keep the little minifigs, of course. Can't be parting with those beauties.

I'm very proud of myself for completing a "Madden" game for the first time. Sports games are notoriously tough to "platinum," so a hearty pat on the back for me there.

"Melody of Memory" is a rhythm-based "Kingdom Hearts" game that I wasn't sure I'd ever pick up, but once I did (and realized that I actually liked it more than anticipated), I knew what had to be done. I spent hours and hours grinding out the achievements until I finally got the hang of it enough to beat some of the most difficult levels on the most difficulties. For instance, behold my perfect, nearly immaculate run of one of the trickiest songs in the game, which I recorded for posterity:

Yes, that's really me playing. I still can't believe I pulled that off. Ugh, what PTSD I just had while re-watching that clip.

Analysis and Conclusion:

Playstation didn't give quite as detailed of a breakdown for 2021 as they did in 2020, which is disappointing, so I don't have any other pointless numbers to crunch or tedious stats to mull over, but it was a nice little stroll down memory lane.

Video games have provided a really good amount of entertainment and leisure for me during the pandemic. Thankfully, life is a bit more "normal" now than it was a year ago, but having a kid has also resulted in me staying home more frequently than I did, years ago. It's nice to have something to help me pass the time indoors, and I'm grateful for websites and companies that keep track of all these ultimately meaningless things that I do when I have time for them.

One of the best things about the games I played in 2021 is that I was able to play a lot of them with my wife. In fact, she has even earned a couple platinum trophies, herself! Some of the most fun we had last year was beating the "Overcooked" collection together and, although it won't reflect in the report until next year, there were a couple other games we beat cooperatively, too. What a good sport. What a cool wife.

I don't want to put any pressure on myself but we're now three months into 2022 and I just hit my sixth platinum trophy of the year, so I'm on pace for a record-setting review when the new year rolls around. I guess we'll see what happens.

*****

What games have you been enjoying lately? We'd love to chat about them. Hit us up in the comments, follow us on Twitter (here and here), find us on Facebook or, heck, why not add us on Playstation and join us on our quest for greatness?

Until next time.

Playstation Wrap-up 2020

At long last, Playstation has released personalized statistics for the year on 2020. (See yours here, through March 2, 2021!) They had done so at the end of 2019, so I was curious as to whether they'd do it again. After a month of wondering, my prayers were answered this morning.

Listen, 2020 featured a global pandemic, my shifting to working from home, as well as six weeks of paternity leave, so I was stuck at home most of the year and I spent quite a bit of time playing video games. I would be ashamed, but hey - I was stuck at home like the rest of you. It's not like I could go outside and do anything. Being the stat freak that I am, I love crap like this. No regrets.

More than anything else, I'm just blogging about this so I have the information in writing somewhere where it's not going to expire. Join me, if you will, for a look back on my year in gaming.

Games Played:

One of the first games I played in 2020 was the remastered PS4 version of "Ghostbusters: The Video Game." That, coincidentally was one of the first games I ever played on the Playstation 3, years ago. Over the past year, I played a wide array of games, from sports games to third-person, all the way to farming and city-building simulators, there was certainly a lot of variety in my entertainment. Playstation officially reports that I played 59 different games last year, but here are 20 of my favorites:

• Stardew Valley (PS4)
• Far Cry Primal (PS4)
• Mass Effect 3 (PS3)
• LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 (PS4)
• Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance (PS4 remaster)
• NBA 2K20 (PS4)
• Kingdom Hearts III (PS4)
• MLB The Show 20 (PS4)
• Back to the Future: The Game (PS4)
• Mass Effect: Andromeda (PS4)
• Cities: Skylines (PS4)
• The Outer Worlds (PS4)
• Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 (PS4 remaster)
• Marvel's Avengers (PS4)
• Red Dead Redemption 2 (PS4)
• Fallout 3 (PS3)
• Star Wars: Squadrons (PS4)
• Astro's Playroom (PS5)
• Marvel's Spider-man: Miles Morales (PS5)
• Planet Coaster (PS5)

Top Games:

Unsurprisingly, MLB The Show 20 topped my list of most frequently played games, just like MLB The Show 19 did the year prior. I have a tendency to put a ton of time into my baseball games, and 2020 was no different.

2020 was also the year where I went through on the promise I made to play through the entire Kingdom Hearts franchise, as I've blogged about several times in the past (you can find all of my previous posts on that subject by clicking here). It comes as no surprise, then, that "Kingdom Hearts - HD 1.5+2.5 Remix" is listed as my second most-played game; I believe that disc had like three games on it, so it spent plenty of time nestled into my PS4 disc drive.

NBA 2K20 rounds out my top three, which is not totally unexpected, as the game's "daily check-in" feature kept me coming back most days for free login rewards - plus, I played the game a ton during NBA season to get my Utah Jazz fix.

Other games that clocked a ton of hours but didn't crack Playstation's "Wrap-up" list likely would have included the following:

• Stardew Valley
• LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2
• Kingdom Hearts III
• Assassin's Creed Syndicate (PS4)
• Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2
• Batman: Arkham City (PS4 remaster)
• Red Dead Redemption 2

Total Hours Played:

Wow. 2,419 hours... That's, um, like 100 days of having the Playstation systems booted up. I'll justify it by saying this: Playstation likely logged just that - the number of hours that I had a game running, not the actual amount of time I was physically playing. That means that if I paused a game to eat dinner or turned off the TV to run to the store without logging out of the game, the clock kept ticking.

As far as the number of days played, I can chalk that one up to the aforementioned daily check-ins on NBA 2K. Often times, I would hop on for literally like two minutes to get my login reward, then power the system back down, so I find this stat to be somewhat misleading.

Regardless, if that's the quantity of time I'm spending with my consoles, I'm getting a pretty good return on investment. Thanks, quarantine!

Games like Red Dead Redemption 2, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS4 remaster), Far Cry 3: Classic Edition (PS4) and The Outer Worlds would have been games in the "Action-Adventure" genre, so I spent my fair share of hours shooting 'em up and slashing 'em down, as it were. That's a lot of hours.

Total Trophies:

"Trophies" are in-game achievements and goals, such as "Defeat [X Number] of Enemies," "Beat the Game on Hard Difficulty," "Hit a Home Run with a Player from Each Side of the Plate in the Same Game," and so on and so forth. To say that, in the past several years, I've become more focused on what gamers call "trophy hunting" would be accurate.

Platinum trophies are an indicator that one has completed all the goals for a given game - 100% completion, so to speak. Here are the 15 games for which I obtained the elusive platinum trophy during 2020:

• Star Wars - Jedi: Fallen Order (PS4)
• Far Cry Primal
• The Sims 4 (PS4)
• WWE SmackDown vs RAW 2010 (PS3)
• LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2
• Monster Jam: Battlegrounds (PS3)
• Kingdom Hearts III
• Assassin's Creed Syndicate
• Far Cry 3: Classic Edition
• MLB The Show 20
• WWE 2K20
• Back to the Future: The Game
• Fallout 3
• Need for Speed (PS4)
• Astro's Playroom

In addition, I also got 100% completion on the following games, which did not have an associated platinum trophy:

• Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep: A Fragmentary Passage
• AdVenture Capitalist

Hooray for me.

Playstation 5:

As if it were a literal Christmas miracle, I beat the odds and somehow, some way was lucky enough to get my hands on a Playstation 5; it was delivered to me on Christmas Eve. Once it was delivered, I got a chance to play it a handful of times in the final week of 2020, so the sample size is quite small. Nevertheless, Sony provided me some insight, as follows:

Editor's note: There is no way that I got 141 PS5 trophies between December 24 - 31. Not a chance. Not sure where that number came from.

Playstation Plus and Online Gaming:

Playstation Plus is a subscription service that not only allows users to play online against other gamers but also provides several free games each month. In 2020, I took advantage of downloading 19 of those games. Thanks for the savings!

I very rarely play games online (cooperatively or competitively) with others because I don't like getting my butt handed to me by children. However, it looks like I spent seven hours playing the highly divisive, online-only Fallout 76, likely with my brother. It didn't happen often, which is a shame. We had pretty high hopes for that game - hopes that were not entirely fulfilled.

Analysis and Conclusion:

After chatting with some, apparently, judgmental co-workers about these stats, one of them ran my numbers and accused me of playing an average of six and a half hours of Playstation per day last year. He told me not to tell my wife. I subsequently pulled out my calculators and verified his math. It is inconceivable that those numbers are accurate. Granted, there are definitely some days when I play multiple hours of video games, but I definitely did not play an average of six hours per day, every single day of the year - not unless the "hours played" is also counting the number of hours my console was running Netflix and Hulu because I totally got my money's worth out of my streaming service subscriptions during the quarantine.

In conclusion, I'm not sure that one stat is completely accurate, but other than that, at least I feel like I'm getting some good entertainment value out of my Playstations. Everybody has a hobby, right? Nobody would judge me if I said that I read 40 books last year. Reading books, watching shows, playing games... It's all pretty much the same thing, right? My family comes first, but I see nothing wrong with having a little digital entertainment on the side. Judge away, haters.

My video gaming in 2020 took me to outer space, through plenty of classic Disney locations, to the Old West, through a re-imagined continuation of my favorite movie trilogy, to sports arenas across the country (even when COVID wouldn't allow me to watch games in real life) and beyond. I played some incredible games that told fantastic stories and spent a few nights playing others that I wish I wouldn't have. All in all, 2020 will probably go down as the year in which I spent more time playing video games in my entire life. I'd never wish another pandemic upon us, but, during the one that we got last year, at least I made a pretty sizeable dent in my ever-growing backlog of games.

*****

What are your gaming memories from 2020? Which games did you enjoy? Which didn't you care for? Which games are you playing (or looking forward to playing) in 2021? I'd love to get your thoughts in the comments section below, on Twitter (here and here) or, as always, on Facebook.

Until next time.

Proposed Roster for "Playstation All-Stars" 2

Well, unless you've been hiding under a rock somewhere for the past week, you've probably heard that the Playstation 5 launched on November 12. Similarly, you probably heard that release was nothing short of an abject failure. The new, next-generation console sold out from all major retailers within minutes and is now virtually impossible to find anywhere. How on earth a major company like Sony (and Microsoft, who experienced the same problems with their new Xbox models) could have years to prepare for the release of a product they must have known would be in incredibly high demand, then fail to deliver on such a massive scale truly boggles the mind.

Eventually, at some point in the near or distant future, I will finally get my hands on a PS5, but for now I must wait like the rest of the hundreds of thousands of peasants who failed to successfully pre-order a console this week. Until then, all I can do is dream. And while I'm dreaming, I figured I'd write a blog about video games.

Over the past few months, I've been trying to make my way through the gigantic backlog of Playstation games that I either never touched or never finished. One such game was a Playstation 3 game called "Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale." Originally released in 2012, "All-Stars" is a fighting game featuring various characters from Playstation franchises, such as "God of War," "Uncharted" and "Infamous," among others. The characters fight each other through a handful of 2-D battle arenas until only one is left standing. If you've ever played Nintendo's "Super Smash Bros." series, it's basically the same thing.

All in all, it's not a terrible game, but it certainly feels outdated in 2020. Here is the original roster of characters:

• Big Daddy (BioShock)
• Cole MacGrath (Infamous)
• Colonel Radec (Killzone)
• Dante (DmC: Devil May Cry)
• Emmett Graves (Starhawk)
• Evil Cole MacGrath (Infamous)
• Fat Princess (Fat Princess)
• Heihachi Mishima (Tekken)
• Isaac Clarke (Dead Space)
• Jak and Daxter (Jak and Daxter)
• Kat and Dusty (Gravity Rush)
• Kratos (God of War)
• Nariko (Heavenly Sword)
• Nathan Drake (Uncharted)
• Parappa (PaRappa the Rapper)
• Raiden (Metal Gear)
• Ratchet & Clank (Ratchet & Clank)
• Sackboy (LittleBigPlanet)
• Sir Daniel Fortesque (MediEvil)
• Sly Cooper (Sly Cooper)
• Spike (Ape Escape)
• Sweet Tooth (Twisted Metal)
• Toro Inoue (Doko Demo Issyo)
• Zeus (God of War)

While I was familiar with many of the characters in the original roster, there were a few that I didn't recognize at all. As I played, I couldn't help but wonder what the roster would look like if the series was rebooted today. Some of the original cast should certainly make a return appearance, as "All-Stars" included some of Playstation's most iconic franchises. Here are the five characters I'd keep:

Big Daddy (BioShock)

Big Daddy remains one of the most iconic-looking villains in recent video game history, with his signature helmet and drill. His brute force and sheer power make him a significant threat in any type of close combat brawl. Throw in some tag team attacks with his faithful Little Sisters and you've got a powerhouse combatant that must be included on the roster.

Kratos (God of War)

Kratos is arguably the face of the "Playstation exclusive." His "God of War 4" received nearly universal praise from critics and fans alike, cementing his spot in a would-be "Playstation All-Stars" sequel. His violent style of combat would undoubtedly make him a top choice for gamers. The inclusion of his new companion, Atreus, would be an obvious update from the previous game, and would make for some impressive team attacks and special maneuvers.

Nathan Drake (Uncharted)

The less M-rated face of Playstation is none other than Nathan Drake, the ultra-popular treasure hunter from the "Uncharted" series. His ability to mix hand-to-hand combat with firearms and explosives would make him one of the more versatile fighters in a game such as this. It would also be nice to use the "Uncharted 4" model of the character, as opposed to the slightly younger version used in the original "All-Stars" game.

Ratchet & Clank (Ratchet & Clank)

The quirky companionship is about to receive the Playstation 5 treatment, with "Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart" set to release in 2021, so adding them to a potential "All-Stars" reboot is a no-brainer. The ability to use both characters simultaneously would set them apart from other fighters, and their futuristic space-shooter style would be unique from other more realistic characters with similar skill sets.

Sackboy (LittleBigPlanet)

Sackboy is perhaps the most lovable character ever to grace the screens of a Playstation game, and his ability to delve into the LittleBigPlanet "Imagisphere" to conjure up any fathomable skill could breed an endless plethora of options. Spunky, goofy and limitlessly agile, Sackboy is one of the most underrated heroes from the original game, and he's looking to do damage in a next-gen iteration of "All-Stars."

New Characters

After much thought and contemplation, I came up with 15 brand-new fighters to include in an updated roster. Here they are for your consideration, in alphabetical order:

Aloy (Horizon Zero Dawn)

The red-haired heroine from the 2017 smash hit "Horizon Zero Dawn" is a must for the "Playstation All-Stars" sequel. Her expert marksmanship with ranged weapons, combined with her proclivity for setting traps, would make her a versatile threat in a game like this. She also has upper-echelon agility and speed, making her an instant frontrunner the most popular new character. Her override skill and Focus tool would also make for an interesting and robust combat moveset.

Cayde-6 (Destiny)

The wisecracking, sharpshooting leader of the Hunter class would certainly be an out-of-this-world addition to the roster. Give the man a couple space-pistols and let him hurl sarcastic comments at his opponents while zipping across the screen on his Sparrow bike or using his Ghost companion in a fit of explosive mayhem. I'd love to whoop on some competition with the legend known as Cayde-6.

Crash Bandicoot (Crash Bandicoot)

Probably the most glaring old-school omission from the original roster is the genetically modified animal known as Crash Bandicoot. Crash originally spun his way into pop culture in the mid-90s as what some might call the original breakout star for Playstation. Throughout the years, he has appeared in a variety of roles, including go-kart racing. He's Sony's answer to Mario, essentially. There is no question that he deserves a spot on the new roster.

Commander Shepard (Mass Effect)

Another franchise conspicuous by its absence in the original "All-Stars" game is "Mass Effect." The alien shoot-em-up saga is getting a next-gen remaster in 2021, so including Shepard should be completely timely. Armed with an Omni Tool and a generous selection of guns, Shepard would be a slick new combatant in the battle royale. One unique feature would be the option to play as either gender, as is the case in the "Mass Effect" games; players would be able to choose between the male and female version of the protagonist in the character selection menu.

Connor (Detroit: Become Human)

"Detroit: Become Human" is one of the most fascinating (albeit profane) video games I have ever played. It follows the story of Connor, a conflicted AI police investigator, as he hunts down deviant androids. The complex storytelling was fascinating and Connor became one of the most interesting characters I have ever come across in a Playstation game. How, exactly, he would fit into a fighting game such as "Playstation All-Stars" would be equally fascinating, but he is deadly accurate with a pistol and a tough target to take down. I say we give Connor a shot and see how everything plays out.

Ellie (The Last of Us)

Many gamers would argue that "The Last of Us" is the best Playstation game ever made. Despite its divisive sequel, which was released earlier this year, Ellie has cemented herself as one of the cornerstones of Sony-exclusive video games. Her ability to survive in the brutal post-apocalyptic world at such a young age is truly a marvel and, if you've ever played either of the games, you know that she is a girl you would not want to mess with. Armed with a knife, machete, rifle or Molotov cocktail, Ellie's M-rated violence would make her a force to be reckoned with. It would also be a nice touch to include her TLOU father figure Joel in some of her special moves.

Fall Guys (Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout)

In August 2020, "Fall Guys" became the most downloaded Playstation+ game of all time. If nothing else, that makes the jellybean-like character used in the game deserving of a "goofball" spot on our imaginary roster. Perhaps the Fall Guy would be akin to Jigglypuff in "Super Smash Bros." Nobody uses her, but it's kind of funny that she's included, anyway. I imagine that the Fall Guy would have a bunch of bodyslam-style attacks, and its special move might be something like a stampede of other Fall Guys that comes to trample opponents. I don't know. Might be funny.

Geralt of Rivia (The Witcher)

Toss a coin to your Witcher! Let's add Geralt of Rivia to "Playstation All-Stars 2." An expert swordsman with superhuman strength and speed, plus heightened senses and parkour skills to boot, Geralt would be a powerhouse combatant. He can take down the mightiest of beasts, but how would he match up against other superstars of the console? There is only one way to find out.

Jin Sakai (Ghost of Tsushima)

One of Playstation's biggest releases of 2020 was "Ghost of Tsushima," an open-world action/adventure tale of a samurai named Jin Sakai on his journey to protect feudal Japan. His stealth and ninja expertise would be a blast in a battle royale environment, and I can imagine some epic hand-to-hand showdowns between Jin and other new characters like Aloy and Geralt.

John Marston (Red Dead Redemption)

Marston is one of the deadliest gunslingers in the American West. A crack-shot with any type of firearm, the scar-faced outlaw should absolutely ride his way into "All-Stars 2." He could utilize any number of companions for team-up special moves - most likely his son, Jack, or RDR 2's Arthur Morgan - and his "Dead Eye" capability would make for some truly devastating knockouts.

Lara Croft (Tomb Raider)

Lara Croft has been a Playstation mainstay since 1996. Her legacy is undisputed and her exploration and combat-survival skills are second to none. Croft got a more realistic portrayal in the 2013 series reboot, adding a climbing axe and a bow and arrow to her repertoire and locking her in as a video game icon for years to come. Naturally, she would become an instant rival of fellow treasure hunter Nathan Drake; their similar skill sets would set up some classic battles in "All-Stars 2." 

Sora (Kingdom Hearts)

The keyblade-wielding hero of "Kingdom Hearts" has etched a spot into JRPG-style gaming for nearly 20 years now. Sora, a boy with a tragic backstory and friendships that span multiple dimensions, has slayed more than his fair share of baddies and conquered some formidable villains over the years but has yet to be featured in a combat game like "Playstation All-Stars." He's good with a sword and an expert magician. There's no way you'd be able to put Sora in a game without having some cameos from Donald, Goofy and King Mickey, either, and that's not a bad thing. May your heart be your guiding key, Sora!

Spider-man (Marvel's Spider-man)

Sony has bent over backwards since 2018 to proclaim Spider-man as Sony's ultimate "exclusive" character. That means Peter Parker won't be appearing in any solo games on Xbox or Nintendo anytime in the near future. Spider-man belongs to Sony, so Spider-man has to be included in "Playstation All-Stars 2." The web-slinger would almost unquestionably become the most-used fighter in the game, and his speed and agility would make him a tough out against any of his opposition. Taking into account his ability to thwip ranged attacks from all the way across the arena and the capability to swing out of danger in an instant, and you've got yourself a top contender and maybe the most powerful character on the proposed roster.

Vaas Montenegro (Far Cry 3)

Vaas is the utterly psychotic (and extremely foul-mouthed) villain of "Far Cry 3." Take it from me when I say that this man verifiably has no conscience. He's a drug dealer and a murderer, capable of doing terrible things to anyone who crosses him. Vaas would be a primary antagonist on our "All-Stars 2" wishlist, likely squaring off in Story Mode against fellow island dwellers like Nathan Drake and Lara Croft. He's a madman with impressive weapon accuracy and a desire to blow stuff up. Violence is this man's middle name and he can't wait to get to the middle of the action.

Vault Boy (Fallout)

Finally, I submit another idea for the "goofball" category. Why not include Vault-Tec's mascot, Vault Boy? He's the cartoonish face of the "Fallout" series, often shown performing tasks in tutorials and skill trees, and is quite frequently seen giving a smile and a thumbs-up. Portraying him in his typical, animated, 2-D form, in contrast to the remainder of the 3-D cast, would be fun, and there is a great likelihood that his finishing move would include some form of nuclear blast, so that's too glorious to pass up.

*****

There you have it! That's my proposed roster if they ever reboot "Playstation All-Stars." I would 10/10 buy that game, so if anybody has connections to Sony and can hook me up, I'd gladly pitch it to them.

What do you think? Who did I get right? Who did I leave out? Feel free to leave a comment below, find me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter (here and here).

Kingdom Hearts: 15 New Worlds That Should Be in KH4

If the ending sequence of "Kingdom Hearts 3" is any indication, Sora's story is not over yet. Here are 15 brand new worlds that I'd love to see in "Kingdom Hearts 4."

15. Star Wars

The "Star Wars" universe is a long shot, mainly because it is simply too big. There are so many movies and shows that narrowing everything down to a two-hour chapter of a "Kingdom Hearts" game might be a tough task. However, if they could somehow pull it off, seeing Sora in space alongside the likes of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda and Darth Vader could be a lot of fun.

14. Marvel

Again, there is simply too much Marvel content these days that stuffing one concise, coherent storyline into a "Kingdom Hearts" game just doesn't seem plausible. However, with KH publisher Square Enix about to release their a stand-alone Avengers video game, the bridge between Sora and Earth's Mightiest may not be as improbable as it once may have seemed.

13. Cars

One intriguing option is the world of Lightning McQueen, Mater and company from "Cars." When Disneyland announced that they were making an entire land based on Radiator Springs, I didn't know how it would work. However, it turned into a completely immersive experience, and one of the best-looking and most fun areas of the entire park. Admittedly, sending "Kingdom Hearts" to the world of "Cars" would likely be one of the most difficult worlds to implement, as it would probably require the transformation of Sora, Donald and Goofy into vehicle-inspired characters. This would, in turn, need a unique set of controls (drive, brake, etc.), but the button configuration used in the "Lion King" world from "Kingdom Hearts 2" was a bit off the beaten path, so it wouldn't be completely improbable. If they could somehow make it work, it would be awesome.

12. TaleSpin

A fun, nostalgic option would be a globetrotting adventure with a handful of new allies like Baloo, Kit Cloudkicker and King Louie. "TaleSpin" is an all-time favorite of 90s Kids and "Disney Afternoon" lovers everywhere, and sending Sora to eradicate the Darkness from the tropical cartoon world of our childhood would certainly be a lot of fun.

11. Muppets

Another interesting possibility would be introducing the Muppets into "Kingdom Hearts" canon. Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo and the gang are some of the most beloved fictional characters under the Disney umbrella, and their presence in video games is practically non-existent. One major benefit of a Muppets arc is that you could have it set pretty much anywhere. I feel like a "Great Gonzo" theme could be hysterical. Here's a thought - Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker could be brought in as part of a scientific side quest, similar to how Chip and Dale are utilized with the Gummy Ship missions or Huey, Dewey and Louie are used as in-game vendors.

10. Up

"Up" is an strange one. There's got to be a demand for it; it's one of Pixar's most popular movies. But how would it work? Certainly, the world can't be confined to Carl's floating house, but would an "Up" level be any fun if it was set in the movie after the house lands in South America? Perhaps the best way to work in characters from this movie is to make Carl or Russell a Summon, or give Dug and Kevin a Link.

9. Finding Nemo

"Finding Nemo" or "Finding Dory" could very easily replace the underwater "Little Mermaid" worlds they've used in previous games. "Nemo" has universal appeal and is basically a license for Disney to print money, and sending Sora to Sydney and the Great Barrier Reef would provide a bright and vibrant upgrade to the somewhat dated purpose that Ariel served in the past.

8. A Bug's Life

One of the most underrated Disney video games of all time has got to be the 1998 adaptation of "A Bug's Life," which I played on Nintendo 64. What a better way to re-introduce those classic characters than to give them their own world in "Kingdom Hearts"? Shrink Sora and the crew down to the size of an ant and let them run amok, fighting off Hopper and the Heartless. That could be a lot of fun. Also of note is the fact that the "Bug's Life" score is awesome, and any excuse to hear that music again would be totally welcome.

7. Wreck-It Ralph

Wreck-It Ralph appears as an Summon power in "Kingdom Hearts 3," so it would only be logical for him to have a larger role moving forward. Litwack's Arcade would be an ideal location for a "Wreck-It" world, and I imagine it would be pretty similar to the "Tron" levels they've previously done. Otherwise, a "Sugar Rush" racing course or a "Hero's Duty" shooting challenge could easily be plugged in, either as side quests or mini-games.

6. DuckTales

Wouldn't it be great to see Donald get a portion of the game dedicated specifically to his own world? Donald and Goofy have been there for Sora every step of the way, so why not have Sora visit another beloved "Disney Afternoon" environment - "DuckTales"? Rubbing shoulders with Uncle Scrooge, Launchpad McQuack and our other friendly fowls could play a meaningful role in the further development of Donald's character.

5. A Goofy Movie

But why stop there? Perhaps there are things back home that Goofy needs to check on, as well! "Kingdom Hearts 4" would be a perfect opportunity to introduce characters like Max, P.J. and Powerline, who could give additional depth to Goofy's role in the grander scheme of things. This, of course, would also be an opportune time for Pete - a longtime "Kingdom Hearts" nemesis - to throw a wrench in the works yet again. He and Maleficent seem to have a few loose ends to tie up, so traveling to Goofy and Pete's backyard would make total sense. Also, PLEASE give us a "Lester's Possum Park" musical mini-game.

4. Coco

Visually, no other Disney or Pixar movie begs for a video game more than "Coco." Miguel's journey to the other side lit up the screen, and I'd love to see what a video game recreation of the movie looked like. Thematically, a Day of the Dead-themed world would be a perfect fit for the villains of the "Kingdom Hearts" franchise. Organization XIII would probably be frothing at the mouth to stake a claim on the afterlife, similar to what they've tried to do with Hades' Underworld in the past. I would imagine that there is a very good chance that Sora will be teaming up with the young guitar slinger to eliminate a common supernatural foe in the future. "Coco" could also provide a really cool-looking Keyblade, and I imagine there would be some fun, musical team-up abilities for Sora and Miguel. Give us a "Coco" world, please!

3. The Incredibles

"The Incredibles" would provide a much more succinct option for a superhero world than the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A journey with the Parr family would parallel what Sora experienced in the "Kingdom Hearts 3" world of "Big Hero 6," where he teamed up a similar team of heroes. Story-wise, this is an easy choice, to; a new faction of evil "Supers" has shown up and is terrorizing the city. As usual, Sora and the gang show up and help the Incredibles fight off the onslaught. Here, again, "Kingdom Hearts 4" would have the opportunity to include some really cool team-up abilities, bring in a variety of different characters, and throw players into some large-scale battles in downtown Metroville.

2. Onward

Perhaps no movie provides as many possibilities as "Onward," which exists in a world where literally anything can happen. Sora, Donald and Goofy would fit right into the magical land of New Mushroomton, and it wouldn't be unrealistic for the Darkness, Heartless or the Nobodies to show up in Ian and Barley's backyard. Two intriguing storylines would be for Master Yen Sid, the expert magician of the "Kingdom Hearts" universe, to show up, seeking new Guardians of Light or magic-wielders, or for New Mushroomton to serve as a magical training ground for Sora to hone his craft. He could be trained by Ian and Barley, learning new speels, on top of the typical Fire, Blizzard, Thunder and Water variety that we're used to seeing.

1. Inside Out

Without a doubt, "Inside Out" should be a shoo-in for "Kingdom Hearts 4." Sora's story has always been about heart, friendship and love, making the Emotions perfect candidates for new additions to this franchise. Conversely, Organization XIII (or at least what remains of it) would also thrive in this environment, preying on Sora's nightmares with one the most negative and destructive emotions of all: Fear. Hypothetically, "Inside Out" would be a late-game level, where the story could really ramp up. This would be a place where you could bring in a real heavy-hitter of a villain, something to challenge the player in the final movie-based world before heading off for the final stage, like the Keyblade Graveyard or The World That Never Was.

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What do you think? Did we get it right? Did we leave something out? Let us know in the comments section below, find me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter (here and here).

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Until next time,

May your heart be your guiding key!