Shack Chat: Which IP do you want to see revived by Embracer Group?

Embracer Group has made waves with its acquisitions, having recently acquired Eidos, Crystal Dynamics, Square Enix Montreal, along with several IP like Tomb Raider for good measure. Previously, Embracer spent big money to acquire other companies of interest like Gearbox Software, Dark Horse Media, and Asmodee to name just a few more.

Given Embracer's mission of snatching up studios left and right, we thought it'd be fun to pose the question of which IP you'd like to see brought back by Embracer. To answer this, the Shacknews staff has a number of IP they'd like to see from beloved classics, to titles you might've forgotten about, and more! 

Question: Which IP do you want to see revived by Embracer Group? 

Sleeping Dogs - Ozzie Mejia, Senior Insomnia Editor

I realize I subtly wrote the words "Sleeping Dogs" a few times when breaking down exactly what this purchase meant, but it's also fair to wonder whether Embracer Group even technically owns this IP. In doing further research, the question of who owns what becomes pretty muddled.

Still, if Sleeping Dogs is any kind of possibility, I'd love to see this game make a comeback. In a world with Grand Theft Auto, Cyberpunk 2077, Saints Row, and the Yakuza games, a modern Sleeping Dogs for a new generation would be great and rife with storytelling possibilities.

Thief - Donovan Erskine, Wants to steal things

It’s fair to say that the Thief franchise is effectively dead. With the last entry released in 2014 to middling reviews and practically zero news out of the franchise since, it’s the perfect franchise for Embracer Group to revive.

A lot of advancements have been made in the stealth genre over the past eight years, and a new Thief game could introduce a bevy of new mechanics for players to experiment with. I think of games like Deathloop, Dishonored, and Hitman that could serve as inspiration for a new Thief.

Gex - Blake Morse, Co-EIC

If I’m being honest, the Gex games of the past weren’t anything mind blowing. They were decent platformers for the time, but this was during a mascot renaissance period. I mean, every game company was trying to make the next Bubsy here! Gex was an interesting one though, because he wasn’t really cartoonish.

Anthropomorphized for sure, but more along the lines of the Geico lizard than the over-the-top designs of many other would-be franchises lost to time. On top of that, lately it seems like Gex has become somewhat of a meme, and Embracer would be smart to strike while the iron is hot so to speak. Get a new Gex out there fast and fill it full of the dankest memes you can find and who knows what could happen!

Thief - Bill Lavoy, Pro Leafs Fan

For me it’s Thief. My only exposure to the franchise was the 2014 reboot but I loved it. I really dug the gameplay. Watching some videos from back when it was released, I’m reminded that I enjoyed the stealth quite a bit, and it sort of gives off Dishonored vibes. It’s definitely looking a little on the old side, so I’d love to see Thief make a return in the next few years.

Soul Reaver/Legacy of Kain - TJ Denzer, can get down with Nosgoth

Raziel may be one of the coolest vampire-like beings in all of gaming. He was done extremely dirty by a prophecy that demanded he do battle with Kain and went on a quest of vengeance. I know there’s more to it than that, but my experience with the Legacy of Kain and Soul Reaver series is mostly tied to the Soul Reaver games and I would love to explore them in a modernly polished fashion.

Also, these games had some of the best action-platforming around in my opinion. With the IP now in Embracer’s hands, I would be thrilled to see a return to this series. They’ve shown willingness to retread old ground before with the likes of Spongebob: Battle for Bikini Bottom and Destroy All Humans!. If they gave similar treatment to Soul Reaver, I would be delighted.

Gex - Steve Tyminski, Stevetendo show host, Old-school platformer!

It must be a good time to be a gaming company that other companies’ want as the buy-out scene is in full force. That being said, Embracer Group now owns a lot of gaming intellectual property so it gets you thinking what IP could be revived. It turns out my first choice, Tales from the Borderlands is coming back, per an announcement from Gearbox at PAX East.

That being said, I think GEX is the perfect franchise to bring back. It feels like old-school platforming characters are making a comeback of late so why shouldn’t GEX. You see Kao the Kangaroo and Klonoa making comebacks and GEX has that kickass attitude that could strive in these tough times. I missed out on GEX the first time around but it would be interesting to see how the franchise would be viewed a 2nd time around.

Legacy of Kain/Soul Reaver - Dennis White

I have wanted to see elements of Legacy of Kain revived for so long. But especially, elements of Soul Reaver! I used to read previews and lore breakdowns in gaming magazines, wanting more of that world at my fingertips and I always thought Raziel’s story was good enough to expand upon or reboot.

With the success of games like Darksiders and the Soulsborne genre, I think there would be ways to reboot the franchise and add even more rich lore to the mythos. There’s also room to create new IP from the world of Legacy of Kain and approach the overall franchise in different ways outside of just remakes. I think that it’s truly a series that’s been gone long enough that it could really take off now with some polish and new core gameplay elements.

F.E.A.R. - Morgan Shaver, won’t stop begging the universe for a F.E.A.R. remake

I feel like there are a number of studios out there that Embracer could acquire who could do a F.E.A.R. remake proper justice. The core game itself is strong, all it needs is a fresh coat of paint to spark interest in the series again among horror fans.

That, and there’s a lot of potential for a “F.E.A.R. 4” given how the third game ends, not to mention how the story content of the series lends itself quite well to a prequel about Alma’s origins. It doesn’t have to be Embracer, but if Embracer wants to throw money around and acquire studios left and right like they’ve been doing, they might as well put money towards a series like F.E.A.R. because… I want it back, ok? I just want it back lol. The series is too good to stay dead forever.

And there you have it, a look at some of the IP the Shacknews staff would like to see revived by Embracer Group. Now we throw the question over to you in Chatty, if Embracer Group could acquire any studio or IP, which IP would you like to see them bring back from the dead?

For more on Embracer Group, also be sure to read through our coverage of the company's acquistion of Eidos, Crystal Dynamics, and Square Enix Montreal, among other IP. 

Shack Staff

Shack Staff stories are a collective effort with multiple staff members contributing. Many of our lists often involve entires from several editors, and our weekly Shack Chat is something we all contribute to as a group.