By Freedom Wars 2 was also in development.
Soul Sacrifice, especially its enhanced re-release Soul Sacrifice Delta, was truly exceptional.
Launched solely on the PS Vita, we suspect that many of you may not have experienced it, but it emerged when Sony sought to address the significant gap left by Monster Hunter’s abrupt shift from PSP to exclusive availability on the Nintendo 3DS.
The game showcased a striking dark fantasy aesthetic, and its mechanics intertwined with themes of “sacrifice” in the most chilling ways, allowing players to trade body parts in battle for severe debuffs. It was genius.
In a noteworthy episode of Sacred Symbols (subscription required), former Sony first-party leader Shuhei Yoshida stated that a sequel was in progress, along with a follow-up to the similarly intriguing Monster Hunter counterpart Freedom Wars.
“We were indeed developing Soul Sacrifice 2 and Freedom Wars 2, but due to budget constraints, we had to halt and transition to PS4,” he disclosed.
Freedom Wars received a remastered edition earlier this year for the PS5 and Nintendo Switch, with Sony unexpectedly licensing many of its intellectual properties to partner Bandai Namco. Titles like Patapon and Everybody’s Golf are also seeing re-releases through this avenue.
Clearly, the disappointing sales of the PS Vita contributed to the cancellation of these projects, but it’s unfortunate that Soul Sacrifice 2 and Freedom Wars 2 couldn’t have advanced on the PS4, as they likely would have found their audience there.
[source patreon.com]
As the Editor of Push Square, Sammy boasts over 15 years of expertise evaluating the PlayStation landscape, from PS3 through PS5 and all that lies in between. He’s well-versed in PS Studios and industry issues, along with sports games and simulators. He particularly enjoys RPGs when time allows, and has a penchant for gacha games.