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Up to now, only some famous PlayStation games have only used loot boxes or mystery boxes, and those have come with a lot of differing opinions from gamers. Sony seems to be wary of including them in popular gaming franchises because of the opinions of some fans, despite many others loving the way these mechanisms work.
Despite some amazing franchises not offering mystery boxes, it’s fun to imagine what those would be like if Sony could incorporate ethical mystery boxes in five of their most popular titles. Here’s how this could enrich gameplay or satisfy fan demand if implemented. Please note that the ideas explored here are hypothetical PlayStation mystery box options and are not actually available or in existence.
God of War, originally launched in 2005, won global Game of the Year with its 2018 relaunch, and has since become a flagship PS5 title.
A popular collectible mystery box might contain God of War “Realm-Forged Relics”. This could include a mini-Leviathan axe, Blades of Chaos keychain, Atreus pin, digital Kratos skin, or mini lore art book.
Such a box might be hidden in Nornir chests that unlocks after solving a rune puzzle or might appear in Yggdrasil’s branches as glowing “fruits”.
Gran Turismo could certainly do with some mystery boxes containing cosmetic or collectible items. How cool would it be to receive a limited edition die-cast replica of the Nissan ’05 NISMO R34 GT-R Z-tune which GT7’s free 1.61 update included, for example?
Mystery boxes in GT7 could be named something like a “Racer’s Pit Stop” box, containing in-game items such as cosmetic car skins or garage décor.
On the other hand, the release of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 broke sales records with Insomniac’s release of the title in 2018, with PS5’s Miles Morales and Spider-Man 2 short to follow.
Spider-Man fans might enjoy a box of “Friendly Neighborhood Essentials”. Such boxes could be dropped as rewards after stopping random crimes or found in Oscorp labs after completing stealth or hacking challenges.
Ideas collectibles to be included in the boxes could be a spider-tech phone stand, Peter and Miles pins, web-glove grips, villain art prints, or different digital suits to show off in game.
Fans of the popular duo Ratchet and Clank might appreciate an “Interdimensional Toolbox” full of lore items and cosmetic gadgets. Ratchet and Clank is a perfect showcase of the speed of PS5, and since its launch, the witty weapon design and colorful worlds have had gamers hooked.
Mystery box items that might go down well with fans could be a toy holo-bomb or pixelizer, Clank pin, Ratchet plush keyring, in-game bolt skin, or dimension dossier. Such “Interdimensional Toolboxes” could appear in dimensional rifts using the Rift Tether or dispensed from Gadgetron vending pods after players successfully completed mini-puzzles.
Finally, the Uncharted franchise, winning multiple Game of the Year awards, could do with some bounty reflecting the cinematic glory of this popular game. A “Explorer’s Relic Bundle” could be in keeping with Sony’s safe approach to mystery boxes, containing only exploration rewards, puzzles, or cosmetic items.
Such items could be old map posters, a replica of Drake’s ring, adventure flask, or digital Nate skin. These could be hidden in ancient ruins or found in shoreline caves, accessible only via optional climbing sequences for extra fun.
