The best franchises that haven't had a great game since 2010

Time flies forever and keeping up with the winds of change is exhausting. while The Legend of Zelda, god of war, total warand tomb raider Although they've reinvented themselves for a new generation, not every franchise can do the same. Some of the best video game series of all time reached their peak in the 1990s or 2000s, but then lost momentum or faded into obscurity.

Let's celebrate a few video game franchises that have traveled decades and achieved legendary fame, but have struggled to recapture their initial magic over the past 15 years. Their legacy is safe and will not be broken if they never release another great game. But it would be nice if they could get back to their glory days and remind everyone who they are.

Some criteria and notes:

• 2010 may be the end year, but that doesn't mean the franchise has until 2009 to release its last great game.

• “Really great” is an important phrase. Many of the upcoming IPs have dropped decent titles over the past decade.

• To qualify, a franchise must have produced at least two new games since 2010 (including 2010 itself).

• To keep things simple, each franchise has four images. The first two are from his prime, the second two are from games after 2010.

fable

If Fable 3 is the best game since 2010, things have been rough

• Legendary Games: fable, lost chapterand fable 2
• Games from 2010: fable 3, fable hero, Fable: Travel, fable luckand fable anniversary

Peter Molyneux may have set the bar too high. fableBut make no mistake. The first game was fantastic and charming as hell. With lovely visuals, a great setting, cute humor, and more player freedom than it gets credit for, fable It's aged incredibly well, and the sequel may be even better. fable 2 In particular, it solidified the franchise's legendary status by introducing Albion, which exudes character and vitality. At this point, most people knew what to expect from the series, and expectations were relatively realistic.

then fable 3 This is what happened, and the series has yet to fully recover. Now, just to be clear, the 2010 game isn't terrible or unplayable, and if you enjoyed both of its predecessors, you should give it a try. But it's far less ambitious and genre-forward enough to barely qualify as an RPG. The most interesting ideas, such as the option to become a ruler, fail to reach their full potential, leading to an experience that screams wasted potential.

exception fable anniversaryIt's a great remaster. fable Since the third main entry, it has produced several lackluster spin-offs. The franchise seemed doomed to die, but Playground's upcoming game may be the solution to that problem.

fatal frame

Iconic horror franchise plays too safe

• Legendary Games: Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly and Fatal Frame 3: The Sufferer
• Games from 2010: spirit camera, project zero 2, Fatal Frame: Girl of Black Waterand Fatal Frame: Lunar Eclipse Remastered Mask

After the first game, which served as a proof of concept; fatal frame We have reached the top of the Mountain of Fear. Crimson ButterflyOne of the genre's best efforts of the 2000s. Acting like a ghostly Japanese horror movie, fatal frame 2 It blends accessible, fun gameplay with a scary story that rewards multiple playthroughs. Camera Obscura-based loops were still fresh at this point, so fatal frame 3 There was no need to reinvent the wheel and it ended up being a great follow-up.

since, fatal frame The game continued to do the same thing, although it added a few special effects based on the console you chose. 2012 spirit camera It was a failed experiment and the worst game in the franchise, but in 2014 maiden of black water It was just a little better. By barely developing the formula, fatal frame They seemed happy to keep going without any notable innovation or experimentation. To be honest, after a while it seemed like it was following in the footsteps of iconic horror movie franchises that were happy just to play the hits.

crisis of time

The pinnacle of the lightgun genre died with a whimper, not a bang.

• Legendary Games: Time Crisis 1-3
• Games from 2010: Time Crisis 2nd Attack and Time Crisis 5

It's not complicated at all, but crisis of time It was really fun at the arcade. The original trilogy was a blast (and so were the penny eaters). The console port was a solid on-rails shooter, even though the genre (as a whole) struggled to excel without a cabinet. By 2010, the series had been in decline for some time, and its arcade heyday was long gone. Nonetheless, the franchise's recognition should have allowed it to adapt or persevere into other genres, such as modern first-person shooters.

Instead, crisis of time It just disappeared like it was nothing. 2nd attack Although it went off sale in 2015, it was a decent iOS game that lasted for a few years. In fact, that year became the franchise's swan song, and it also saw the release of the finale. crisis of time game. Although it can be judged that there were two opportunities to play, Time Crisis 5 They tried to update the formula in a way that resulted in a more cumbersome gameplay loop. The dual cover and weapon rotation system may work in a traditional FPS game, but it mars the beautiful simplicity of a light gun shooter. The Unreal Engine 3 graphics looked good on their own, but lacked the appeal of the classic art style.

flat out

Talk about a video game franchise that crashed and burned spectacularly.

• Legendary Games: Flat Out 1 & 2
• Games from 2010: FlatOut 3: Chaos and Destruction, FlatOut 4: Absolute Madnessand flat out stuntman

Okay, maybe “legend” is forcing it, but flat out It was amazing back in the PS2 days. shit, flat out 2 It's still awesome, and I recommend picking up the PC version if you're unfamiliar with the series. A series of arcade racing games about destroying stuffed toys. flat out It was a bit like that burnout On steroids. The franchise is especially known for its stunt minigames that can launch humans into the air in moves that would put Evil Kinevil to shame.

Unfortunately, after that flat out 2 And with the improved port, the franchise suffered upheaval that involved losing its original developer (Bugbear). Processed by Team6 Game Studios flat out 3It's the sequel that drove the IP's momentum into a brick wall. poor quality between flat out 2 and 3 It may have been the steepest in the game's history, and extraordinary measures would have been needed to repair the damage. flat out 4 Compared to the previous work, it's great, but other than that, it's ordinary.

Fortunately, bugbears continue to flat outthe spirit of is alive wreck.

Medal of Honor

Call of Duty Coins Chase the Creativity of Broken Medal of Honor

• Legendary Games: medal of honor, Allied attack, frontmost lineand Pacific Assault. airlift It was pretty good.
• Games from 2010: medal of honor (2010), combatantand above and beyond

The game world is worse off without it. medal of honorAt least that's the version that attempts to tell a grounded historical story of World War II. Even though it is very old, the original medal of honor It was an impressive game for its time, and it was followed by two great games. Allied attack and frontmost line. The former is one of the best FPS games of all time, while the latter was a (relatively) early example of a great console shooter. I never reached those heights again, medal of honor The 2000s were generally good. More importantly, the franchise has retained most of its originality.

2010s medal of honor It was a big (and sad) turning point as the series largely adopted the ideas of its competitors. call of duty Even EA's own battlefield. In its hiatus, the reboot is rather good and one of the better entries in the franchise. but it has been eroded medal of honorHe loses his identity and transforms into another military marksman. combatant It was an all-out train wreck that dashed any hope that the reinvention of its predecessor could result in at least a mildly successful reboot run. above and beyond It's too niche and forgettable, but it's a great VR shooter.

house of the dead

walking corpse

• Legendary Games: house of the Dead 1 & 2, Typing of the Deadand overabundance
• Games from 2010: Overkill: Extended Cut, Typing of the Dead: Overkill, Scarlet Dawnand House of the Dead 1 and 2 Remake

Perhaps even more so. crisis of time, house of the dead It was the pinnacle of arcade shooting games. Especially if you like the flavor of zombie horror. More than just iconic, the first two games were replayable, addictive, and, of course, ambitious. Typing of the Dead The spraying was also much better than the original. The series peaked in the '90s but continued to go strong in the 2000s. House of the Dead: Overkill One of the last hurrahs of the light gun genre and the best console game in the franchise.

Except enhanced ports overabundanceand it's okay enough Dead Man's Typing: Overkill, house of the dead It hasn't received any attention since 2010. crisis of timeThe series stagnated somewhat, resulting in lackluster results. Scarlet Dawn Two average remakes at best.