Classic PS2 Game Gets New Revival And It Makes Too Much Sense

One of this week’s biggest surprise announcements came in the form of a revival for a long-forgotten PS2 franchise.

During this week’s PlayStation State of Play, Saber Interactive dropped a trailer for Stuntman: Hollywood, an action game about being a stunt performer on a variety of different film sets.

If you’re unfamiliar with the fact that this is a franchise going back to the PS2 era, you’d be forgiven. The Stuntman games were fun, but never sold enough to become a mega-franchise or anything like that.

Originally created by Driver developer Reflections Interactive (later becoming Ubisoft Reflections), Stuntman was released in 2002 for the PlayStation 2. It got a sequel, Stuntman: Ignition, in 2007 for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.

However, the sequel underperformed massively, leading to the series being put on ice for two decades.

Stuntman: Hollywood has now been announced with a TBD release date, and there’s something about this one that just makes too much sense.

While previous Stuntman games used fictional movies to dress their movie sets, Stuntman: Hollywood is using some of that sweet, sweet Saber money to feature real IPs in the game.

Real films and television shows from Universal Pictures films and NBCUniversal TV shows like Fast & Furious, Back to the Future, Knight Rider, Miami Vice, and Death Race are confirmed to be appearing in the game so far, with more potentially revealed in the future.

Saber Interactive

Using Real IPs For A Game Like Stuntman: Hollywood Makes Sense, But Does Lead To A Big Problem

Using fictional IPs may avoid issues related to copyright, but it makes sense for Saber to splash some of that money to feature some real films and TV shows in the game.

The only problem I can see arising is when the licensing for some of these properties expire, what happens to Stuntman: Hollywood?

For example, if the rights holders and Saber only agreed to feature these IPs in the game for five years, does the game risk getting delisted after that period is up?

This has often been the reason why other games which use licensed properties have been delisted in the past, such as when games like Forza and Project Cars are delisted for featuring real car brands, or games like Guitar Hero and Just Dance are removed from sale for their music licenses.

Hopefully Saber has at least got a contingency plan in place for this, where it can continually sell Stuntman: Hollywood for as long as possible.

The blurb on Stuntman: Hollywood reads: “Become Hollywood's most sought-after stuntman. Perform explosive scenes inspired by blockbuster movies, defy danger, and drift your way to stardom.

“Chain together jumps, drifts, and near-misses as chaos unfolds around you, hitting every mark with precision. Rise through the ranks to become Hollywood’s most in-demand stunt performer, unlocking new challenges, vehicles, and increasingly ambitious set pieces as you prove your mastery behind the wheel. Chase perfection and cement your reputation as a true legend of the screen.”

Read Next: God of War Laufey Spin-Off Confirmed In Epic 20-Minute PS5 Gameplay Reveal