Gamers frequently complain about developers and publishers overdoing it with hastily released sequels. On the other hand, sometimes there are sequels that are never released and players are left hanging on to the events from the end of a previous game. And then there’s the third kind – games that take forever to develop, build up a ton of hype, but fall flat upon release. Today we are talking about some of the biggest video game franchises that are being wasted right now in one way or the other – Who has a goldmine of classic characters, games, or ideas that have just sat and collected dust, when they should still be used today? Is there one IP in particular that has no business being ignored in today’s culture of gaming? Or are there franchises that need to take a break for a good long time?
Mass Effect
What started off an an epic journey across planets, inter-species tensions and aliens that were intent on wiping out all life form, has now become a mess of buggy facial animations, unwieldy narrative and a whole lot of disappointment. I can’t imagine five years ago someone telling me that a Mass Effect game could leave a sour taste in my mouth, but somehow Mass Effect: Andromeda did just that.
Dragon Age
Remember when Dragon Age was all about meaningful choices, interesting characters, tactical combat, and a story rife with political intrigue? I still try to put in a few hours every once in a while into Dragon Age: Inquisition and grind out a few more quests. Sadly, a dull grind is all that Inquisition has to offer.
Call of Duty
You know you’re in trouble when a Ubisoft open world game is beating you in sales and becoming the best seller. Oh, how low the might have fallen, but none as low as Call of Duty. From being the household to being an internet meme, Call of Duty could definitely take a year or five off..
Metal Gear Solid
Remember when Metal Gear Solid was all about surviving in a zombie apocalypse? Yeah, neither do I, but that is exactly what Konami intends to do probably the most iconic video game franchises of all time. I can agree that the Fox Engine deserves to be used in more games, but drag the Metal Gear name through the mud? Speaking of Fox Engine, how about a PUBG style game in that engine, huh Konami?
Silent Hill
If any of you have played Silent Hills PT, you know that Kojima was building a masterpiece with that game. It’s just too bad that Konami deems fit to shelve the good stuff and dole out yet another zombie shooter in this over-saturated market.
Half Life
If Gordon Freeman had a voice, he would be screaming right now.
Crysis
Crytek’s obsession with making a console friendly shooter for the attention deficit gamer lead to the death of one of the most beloved title for PC gamers. The original Crysis was an excellent open world shooter, and that too back when ‘open world’ hadn’t been done to death.
Skate
Despite the shade that gets thrown at Ubisoft, EA is probably the worst when it comes to handling franchises. Look at Dragon Age, Need For Speed, Mass Effect, SimCity, Medal of Honor, James Bond, Spore, Crysis, Mirror’s Edge, oh my God, I am sad now..
Need For Speed
Oh yeah, there’s a new one coming out soon, and you can pause the game this time around! Great! What’s it called? Need For Speed: I Wish I Was Burnout.
Max Payne
I can’t even blame Rockstar in not wanting to make anything other than GTA. I mean, who doesn’t like money? It’s sad that we probably may never get to see a new Max Payne game, unless some developer like Remedy picks up the IP.
