Most of us here are gamers and we appreciate the joy that the following franchises have brought us over the years. Despite their once-great reputation, it saddens us to see such iconic series plagued with tired old features, broken gameplay mechanics and a lack of innovation overall.
With great displeasure, here are 7 video game franchises that need to die – or at least take an indefinite and much-needed break from public appearances.
7. Castlevania
Some games can only be played in 2D, as they tend not to transition into a 3-dimensional environment very well for one reason or another. Castlevania is a classic example of this curse, proven by the likes of Lords of Shadow and similar titles. At this rate, Castlevania is one of many video game franchises that need to take a break, and we mean that because we care. Considering they haven’t made a worthy successor to the Nintendo DS and Gameboy Advance versions after all these years, Konami might as well call it quits with the series. We love Castlevania as a whole; we’re just not fans of the way developers are treating it.
6. Resident Evil
We have mixed feelings about Resident Evil, which made it difficult to include here. In its defense, Resident Evil: Revelations was great while older titles like Resident Evil 5 also attempted some fresh ideas and settings. After the release of Resident Evil 6 and various HD remakes, though, you can clearly see that zombies aren’t the only thing deteriorating here. We are willing to give the beloved series another shot, but its life signs are not looking very strong.
5. Assassin’s Creed
The 2007 original was an amazing experience that raised the bar for open-world games. Going back in time and playing around historical settings is breathtaking to say the least. Unfortunately, sequels can only drive a franchise so far. The last couple of games, more specifically, have been rather spotty and mediocre at best, and Assassin’s Creed is now begging to be put to sleep. If Assassin’s Creed III and Unity were meant to show where the series is heading, Ubisoft should do us all a favor and spare us from further disappointment.
4. Lego Games
Lego Star Wars was intuitive and a breath of fresh air in the otherwise violent video game landscape. Subsequent Lego titles were certainly fun, but you could tell that this whole idea was starting to feel dull and repetitive. Although recent releases like Lego Batman 3 were not a huge disappointment, these games are merely adorable at best – generally speaking. While newcomers may still find joy and uniqueness in these titles, veteran players couldn’t possibly care less if the franchise took a long, long nap. Perhaps in a few years someone could implement new ideas into this old toy.
3. Final Fantasy
Remember the days when Final Fantasy was a real turn-based RPG rather than an action/adventure hybrid? We dearly miss the style of classics like Final Fantasy IV and VII, which popularized the series beyond all reasonable expectations. It’s too bad that hardcore RPG fans are continuously treated to average-at-best sequels like Final Fantasy XIII and other recent offerings. The only good news here is that Square Enix gave us Bravely Default, proving that the company still has some great potential. Otherwise, we are fine if the franchise lives up to its name and the next game truly becomes the final fantasy.
2. Call of Duty
Call of Duty has been on the radar practically every year, with absolutely no signs of stopping any time soon. As epic as each sequel and spinoff is, how many times do we want to run and shoot while witnessing cinematic, Michael-Bay-like explosions? Sadly the expensive, yet profitable series have brought very little to the table over the years. Sure, there are the occasional surprises and stunts here and there; at this point, however, it’s time for developers to come up with a new series or resume one of their older, neglected ones.
1. Sonic
Although Sega ceased the production of home consoles many years ago, the company has kept releasing flagship titles for multiple systems non-stop. One such franchise is Sonic, a mascot that they have mercilessly slaughtered and now has very little redeeming qualities. Sonic Generations and Colors were good examples of what the well-known hedgehog could do; sadly Sega tends to be a roller coaster when it comes to producing winning formulas. In any case, this franchise should either improve drastically or leave us with the very few good memories we have of it.
Dishonorable mentions: Need for Speed, Angry Birds, Dynasty Warriors and spinoffs.
In your opinion, what are some video game franchises that need to die or are in need of a serious makeover?
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