Some video game franchises release new titles every year to keep audiences interested in their projects and meet annual targets. While this may seem like an effective strategy to boost sales, game developers also need to understand that quality is important.
Certain video game series seem to have an expansive universe, but it’s the same story expanded and repeated for too long in another open world. In addition to the storyline, video game franchises have to introduce new gameplay elements in their latest installments to avoid being repetitive.
Sometimes video game franchises get old, and that’s when pausing can help them more than ramping up new releases every year.
Note: This article is subjective and reflects the opinion of the author.
Five video game franchises that need to be temporarily halted
1) FIFA
Admittedly, FIFA games have gotten awful in recent years. Gone are the days when the series produced gold every year.
EA developed additional gameplay features and engaging elements of the Manager mode in each new edition that made everyone love the franchise. Unfortunately, FIFA has become just a colossal roster update.
Still, franchise enthusiasts around the world are guilty of buying the same repackage every year full of glitches and bugs. Flying goalkeepers, players who can turn their heads 360 degrees like owls, ghost targets – the list of bugs and glitches gets crazier with each new edition.
FIFA is a sports franchise that seriously needs a break. However, it’s not their fault that they don’t live up to their gold standards. There is not enough competition to wake FIFA from its slumber.
Obviously this isn’t going to happen. FIFA has multi-million dollar contracts with all major leagues and brands, as well as registered FIFA countries. As long as the money is flowing, the developers wouldn’t even bat an eyelid.
2) Sonic the hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog, the famous Japanese 3D adventure video game franchise that everyone loved in the late 1990s and early 2000s, has released so many games that no one knows what direction the franchise is headed these days.
Every year it’s just the same old boring Sonic adventure. While game developers have introduced SEGA tons of cool ways to maneuver Sonic around puzzles, most of the titles, such as Sonic Adventure and Sonic Boom, run into various problems.
The Sonic adventure series has yet to launch a critically acclaimed title since the 3D adventure days. It deserves a very long break, as the franchise seems to have lost any sort of coherent identity.
3) Call of Duty
Call of Duty is yet another role-playing first-person shooter video game franchise that can’t stop handing out games every year. There is just no holding back from developers Activision at this point. Expect the franchise to keep coming out with new titles every year for a long time to come.
There is doubt that Call of Duty has been one of the most consistent video game franchises to produce hits. It has continued to make minor tweaks to the gameplay mechanics in each individual edition.
In every title they nailed the storyline and the backstories of the characters. However, everything has a limit.
The COD that everyone fell in love with from the mid-2000s to the mid-2010s has overcooked past and possible war scenarios. It’s about time the franchise did something completely out-of-the-box, or it goes in the direction of FIFA.
4) hello
Halo is a first-person shooter video game franchise that spawned many novels, toys, and television series. Gamers fell in love with the Halo series because of the brilliant futuristic story that the Halo titles delivered and the cyborg soldier Master Chief they brought under control.
It’s another video game franchise that did too much of the same in its sequels and ended up getting too repetitive in its overarching story.
In a final effort, in 2014, the series released a compilation of the six previous titles in one, the Halo Master Chief Collection, which failed to draw attention. However, that didn’t stop the developers from releasing five more titles between 2015 and 2021.
While the latest installment, Halo Infinite, is widely regarded as the best entry in the Halo series, this particular video game franchise should consider taking an extended vacation before coming back even stronger with a fresh new story.
5) Far Cry
The Far Cry series has spawned some of the most complete action-adventure shooters in the open world. However, it is also the perfect example of how things can go wrong when the bar is set too high.
Far Cary is probably the only open-world series from Ubisoft where the game developers stuck to the same old formula that has worked well in the past. However, it now gets to a point where it feels repetitive and boring.
The final installment, Far Cry 6, isn’t a bad game by any means, but it’s the same old open-world shooter in terms of gameplay mechanics, just in a different open-world setup. Far Cry is definitely a video game franchise in dire need of new imagination.
Five video game franchises that kept their creativity
After dissecting some of the most popular video game franchises of all time, it’s time to look at some series with a uniquely positive vibe.
1) Total War
Developed by British team Creative Assembly, Total War is a series of strategy games that take players through different historical time frames. The franchise revolutionized the way strategy titles are played through dynamic turn-based campaign maps filled with court intrigue and close-knit diplomacy on the one hand.
On the other hand, users can control some of history’s most iconic generals such as Caesar, Alexander and Atilla and lead their armies in colossal battles involving thousands of troops.
Since the first installment, Total War: Shogun, in 2000, the franchise has released 14 more independent titles representing different historical eras. What makes this strategy game franchise special is that it has managed to keep its unique combat mechanics. With each subsequent edition, it has been able to refine the games to make them look as historically accurate as possible.
In 2016, the Total War series went one step further, introducing the uniquely colossal battlefield and siege gameplay to the fantasy world of Total War: Warhammer. This allowed gamers to control not only large-scale armies, but also heroes, monsters and beasts with supernatural abilities in massive battles.
2) Demise
Doom is an archetypal first-person shooter series that inspired an entire generation of such games, numbering hundreds.
There are too many design concepts inspired by the 90s Doom series in later games. The use of 3D graphics at a time when games were still being made on 2D platforms was a groundbreaking moment in video game history.
Doom (1993) was the first shooter title to introduce sharp corners and narrow corridors leading into open arenas and secret rooms full of treasure and death.
Nearly three decades have passed and the series continues to inspire modern first-person shooters even today. The latest and fifth installment of the Doom Eternal series is a joy to play without the hassle of crafting the perfect weapon, XP progression, and no unnecessary weapon upgrades.
In Doom Eternal, the franchise has kept its simplistic arcade-style first-person shooter features with detailed to flawless graphics and an engaging storyline that spans the entire Doom universe.
3) Bioshock
Developed by 2K Games, Bioshock is a futuristic first-person shooter video game franchise known for its compelling storylines and artistically designed open-world environments. Their plots are thought-provoking and deal with deep philosophies that reflect on the implications of quantum mechanics.
Bioshock (2007) and Bioshock 2 (2010) took place in an underwater city. Critics especially liked the overall game graphics and environment of the first two installments of the series.
However, the video game franchise surprised everyone with a city in the sky called Columbia in its third installment released in 2013. With Bioshock 4 rumored to be in development, it would be interesting to see what open world the Bioshock franchise comes with this time.
4) Forza Horizon
Forza Horizon is a series of open world racing simulation games that can put the open worlds of Ubisoft to shame. From racing challenges, sponsored events, PR stunts and retro car rumours, the open world of every title is littered with such events.
Forza Horizon games are just a gold mine for car enthusiasts as they allow users to tune and customize their cars endlessly. The franchise also offers an extensive collection of cars ranging from industrial-era classics to modern tuners and supercars.
Moreover, the racing franchise continues to amaze gamers with its beautifully decorated open worlds.
The franchise has nailed the driving physics in Forza Horizon 4 (2018). Players can feel the weight of the car models shift in different ways as they take a sharp turn.
The racing video game franchise has made each subsequent open world much richer and more aesthetically pleasing than the previous editions.
5) World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft is arguably one of the most story-rich fantasy universes. Developed by Blizzard Entertainment, it is an open-world role-playing game that follows the MMORPG combat style.
World of Warcraft allows players to create their own avatars and embark on journeys full of mystery, magical abilities, monster-crushing missions and discoveries.
Since its launch in 2004, the video game franchise has launched eight expansion packs. The great thing about the Warcraft series is that none of the DLCs feel repetitive or old.
The World of Warcraft franchise is the master of creating an infinite and story-rich fantasy world full of lore, legends and heroes.
The latest installment of the MMORPG series, World of Warcraft: Shadowlands, brings back legendary heroes from past editions such as Thrall (Orc) and Jaina Proudmoore (Human). The game also opens up a never-before-seen part of the World of Warcraft universe.
It’s not the first time the developers have introduced new regions outside of Azeroth. However, Shadowlands offers an entirely different scale of creation in terms of size. This could be the start of a new chapter in the World of Warcraft universe.
Available soon!
.
0 Comments