Given the long history of gaming, it’s only a given thatseveral franchises have come upthat utilize most of its established tropes and mechanics to give their fans a steady stream of immersive and enjoyable gameplay. However, there are times when theselong-running franchises do end up stumbling on their way to successand release a few duds as well.
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It’s genuinely surprising to see howmany great franchises have been tainted with their fair share of terrible entriesthat most people would just prefer to forget entirely. Thankfully, regardless of how many bad games might come out in these long-running series, there’s no denying that the allure of these iconic names will still remain for quite some time.
8Sonic The Hedgehog
There was a time whenSonic the Hedgehogis as high regard asMario. However, hard times have befallen upon this beloved SEGA mascot, withMarioskyrocketing upwards in quality with each successive entry whileSonicfollowed more of a wayward path with several ups-and-downs.
There’s no denying that the classicSonicgames and some of the modern 3D iterations have been a ton of fun to play in their own right. However, other abominations have also been released thatSonicfans would prefer to forget entirely.
7Resident Evil
Recently, theResident Evilseries has been on an upward trajectory with its string of new and remade titles in the franchise. However, there was a time when this name was just slapped on every mediocre game and rushed out to dupe as many fans as possible into believing that these games were class.
Fans ofResident Evilare thankful that Capcom has treated this franchise with the respect it deserves in recent times. The low times of the franchise are better forgotten by many, who can’t believe the sheer number of absurd and downright broken titles that have been released in this series.
6Final Fantasy
There was a time whenFinal Fantasywas hailed as the golden standard of JRPGs, with each mainline numbered entry being something to eagerly await and covet. It helped that the franchise’s spinoffs also used to be pretty great in their own right.
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However, ever since the Enix merger, the quality of the franchise has been pretty wayward. That being said, the best MMORPG around right now is aFinal Fantasygame, so it would be highly short-sighted to see that the franchise isn’t at its amazing heights anymore.
5Call Of Duty
It seems that the internet will forever have mixed feelings when it comes to quality. Many people believe that the games are completely devoid of creativity and only push the same game with a fresh coat of paint… only forCall of Dutyto quickly shoot up the ranks asone of the most popular multiplayer FPS titles around.
That being said, there are times whenCall of Dutyhas released entries with half-baked campaigns, predictable stories, and paper-thin characters that deserve the criticism. However, for everyGhosts, there’s anInfinite Warfarethat actually puts a ton of effort into their campaign… despite being lambasted by the internet all the way till release.
4Assassin’s Creed
Assassin’s Creedis another series that was absolutely beloved during its high period before turning into another shameless cash cow. It’s a shame that the lack of sales was what prompted Ubisoft to change the formula of the series, not realizing thatSyndicatehad some good ideas despite its by-the-numbers gameplay.
Thelatest string ofAssassin’s Creedtitlesstill feels like the same game with different settings being recycled over and over again. The truly great games in the series are in a class of their own… but most other titles feel like a chore to play at times.
3Pokémon
Pokémonwas bound to make this list at some point. After all, there’s no other popular franchise around that has received as much criticism and backlash asPokémonhas during the current gaming generation.
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The lazy work that was apparent inSword & Shieldmight’ve reduced a bit inArceus, but there are still many areas where GameFreak is just behind the times.Perhaps the release ofScarlet & Violetmight change this perception… although that’s an answer only time can give.
2Need For Speed
Need for Speedis a franchise that has seen many bumps during its run in the industry. The latest reboot has been a pretty great idea, but it’s just poetic that the games have still seen many drops in quality.
Need for Speed Paybackalmost feels like a mistake, butHeatis a step in a good direction. However, fans still have no faith in the next entry in the series, which could either be a smashing hit or a complete mistake.
1Fallout
Falloutwas a beloved CRPG series that turned intoan open-world action-adventureshortly after Bethesda’s acquisition. The franchise has seen a pretty rocky time since then.
Fallout 3was a promising title despite its narrative flaws, andNew Vegasstill stands strong as one of the greatest games of all time despite its rocky launch. However,Fallout 4and76have seen a mixed reception of sorts — the former was criticized for its poor writing, while the latter was absolutely bashed across the board for being a soulless MMO that was completely broken upon launch, further exacerbated by Bethesda’s poor handling of this situation.
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