Successful franchises often lead to spin-offs and sequels, allowing developers to keep popular series going. It’s impressive how many franchises from the 80s and 90s are still thriving today, as their creators continue to find ways to re-engage audiences between new installments.
Many beloved game series haven’t seen a new installment in a long time, such as Wild Arms and Kid Icarus. Others are still solid, but may have already had their peak popularity, either recently or in the past. The question is whether these series can recapture the public’s attention, or if they’ve already reached their full potential and can’t grow any further.
Call Of Duty
A Yearly Tradition
The early Call of Duty games were well-liked World War II shooters, but Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was a game-changer. Its move to a modern setting and the addition of RPG-style elements in multiplayer really pushed the shooter genre forward. Since then, Activision has released a new Call of Duty game every year, each with slight improvements and new ideas. For about ten years, fans eagerly anticipated each new release.
It feels like a new Call of Duty game comes out every year, almost like clockwork. While many people still enjoy it, the series has lost its initial excitement, even though the games themselves are consistently well-made.
The Legend of Zelda
Hard To Innovate On Perfection
With Breath of the Wild, the Legend of Zelda series took a bold new direction, becoming its first truly open-world adventure. It introduced innovative features like the paraglider and stamina meter, influencing both the Zelda franchise and open-world games in general. Tears of the Kingdom built upon this foundation with added building mechanics, while Echoes of Wisdom offered a similar open-world experience from a top-down perspective.
Both games were well-received when they came out, but Nintendo faces a big challenge to create something as captivating as the initial experience new Switch owners had with Breath of the Wild. It truly mesmerized players.
Assassin’s Creed
They Finally Went To Japan
After years of requests, Assassin’s Creed Shadows delivers a setting fans have long desired: feudal Japan. While it might not be the best Assassin’s Creed game ever made, it successfully brings that dream to life.
It’s difficult to pinpoint when the Assassin’s Creed fanbase started to shift, as popularity has varied between games. Many believe Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag was the last game to truly unite all players and become a major hit upon release. Assassin’s Creed Origins definitely improved the series with the addition of RPG elements. However, while the games still have fans, the series doesn’t hold the same level of influence in the gaming world that it once did.
Super Smash Bros.
Can You Go Beyond Ultimate?
When Super Smash Bros. first came out on the N64, it had a really memorable commercial. The concept of beloved Nintendo characters battling it out with fighters from other game companies was both hilarious and hinted at how enjoyable the game would be.
As a huge Smash fan, I was blown away by how many characters Nintendo packed into Super Smash Bros. Ultimate! They didn’t just bring back everyone we loved from previous games, but added a bunch of new faces, like Sora from Kingdom Hearts. While it’s fun to imagine what cool new characters they could add in a future game, honestly, the sheer surprise of getting all the old characters back together feels like something they’ll never be able to top.
God Of War
How Many Times Can Kratos Be Angry?
The original God of War game unexpectedly arrived late in the PlayStation 2’s lifecycle and shocked players with its intense violence. Fans loved the entire trilogy, especially the third installment, which felt like a fitting conclusion to Kratos’s story. Many thought that was the end of the series until the critically acclaimed 2018 sequel, which both continued and reimagined the franchise.
While the 2018 God of War game was popular, it’s unclear if it or the sequel attracted a larger audience than earlier titles in the series. The only way a future game could truly shock players would be to replace Kratos with a new protagonist or explore a different mythology, but some fans might argue that would fundamentally change what God of War is.
Mario Kart
Not Every Series Needs To Go Open-World
I still remember being blown away by Super Mario Kart on the SNES – it was such a fun, crazy take on racing! For years, everyone thought Mario Kart 64 was the best, but then Mario Kart 8 Deluxe came along and just dominated sales for years and years. What’s really cool is Nintendo kept supporting it with tons of new tracks and characters. It wasn’t just Mario characters either – they even added Link from Zelda and Isabelle from Animal Crossing, which was awesome!
While Mario Kart World offers a larger game experience with its open-world design, it’s debatable whether it’s actually a better game overall. It builds on the existing Mario Kart formula, but doesn’t fundamentally change it. Nintendo may be reaching a point where it’s difficult to significantly innovate further with the series, even with bigger worlds or more characters.
Final Fantasy
Will There Ever Be A Final?
As a huge fan, it’s always a debate which Final Fantasy game is the best, but for me, it really comes down to two: Final Fantasy 7 and Final Fantasy 10. Final Fantasy 7 was a total game-changer, bringing so many new people into the world of RPGs and really helping the PlayStation 1 take off. Then Final Fantasy 10 came along, and while it was different, it captured everyone’s hearts. I think the whole PlayStation 2 era was the last truly amazing time for the series, honestly.
Recently, Square Enix has focused heavily on revisiting its classic Final Fantasy titles with remakes and remastered versions. While Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is an enjoyable game, it largely relies on familiar elements from the past, reminding players of the series’ former glory rather than showcasing its current direction.
Metal Gear
Cannot Do Better Than Kojima
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain was the final Metal Gear game Hideo Kojima directed before leaving Konami. Since then, Konami has primarily released older titles and one spin-off game, Metal Gear Survive.
Since 1987, no one has truly built upon Hideo Kojima’s original vision for Metal Gear, and it’s unlikely Konami will risk creating something entirely new that could live up to his legacy. This suggests the Metal Gear series, aside from updated versions of older games, might be finished for fans of Kojima’s work.
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2025-10-28 05:05