Many of the most successful gaming series of all time developed their core fan base by consistently releasing acclaimed titles. However,triple-A gamescost millions to make, and sometimes it can just take one negatively received title to force a studio to totally rethink its entire approach or even tank the series altogether.
Whilst there are series such asUncharted,God Of WarandSuper Mariothat haven’t put a foot wrong so far, there have also been series, such asSonicandResident Evilthat have suffered over the years from a handful of underwhelming releases. But what about those near-perfect gaming series featuring only a singular underwhelming release and what did they spell for the future of their respected series?
Part ofBethesda’scharm comes from its glitches, and even their best games have suffered from a rough launch. But whenFallout’sfirst online game launched in a barren and borderline unplayable state, Bethesda’s signature charm was nowhere to be seen, as they made matters worse through a plethora of controversial decisions.
Many took issue with Bethesda’s cosmetic prices and premium subscription, but the most infamous controversy surrounding the game has to be the Power Armor edition canvas bag controversy. The game is in a much better place today, but a lot of goodwill was burned, andFallout 76sticks out as a rare dud in the Fallout series.
9Metal Gear Survive
Metal Gear Series
With the news ofKonamiremakingMetal Gear Solid3: Snake Eater, it’s hard to not be skeptical of this release after the company infamously parted ways with series directorHideo Kojimaand then released the online Metal Gear game, Metal Gear Survive. After Kojima’s departure, Survive had to prove to fans that the series could work without its primary creative force and fans quickly declared that Konami failed with this endeavor.
Switching the genre to a generic zombie survival game, fans were truly confused by Metal Gear’s online outing. Konami also further soured fans with predatory micro-transactions, such as paid save slots. Ultimately, Metal Gear Survive didn’t feel like a Metal Gear game and potentially, should the new remake flop, could mark the beginning of the end for the classic stealth series.
WhilstCapcomwent from strength to strength with Resident Evil, its sister series,Dino Crisisran into a brick wall with its third, and subsequently final, installment. In an attempt to evolve its dinosaur-centric series by bringing it to space, the game strangely didn’t evolve enough for the game to be effective.
Despite being a survival horror game in space with dinosaurs, Dino Crisis 3 was surprisingly bland as it featured a lack of enemy variations, whilst predominantly taking place within dull gray corridors. Additionally, the fixed camera angle of the game clashed with the fast-paced nature of the game’s new jetpack mechanic, making playing the game frustrating. Dino Crisis 3 would spell the end of the series, however, fans are still holding out hope for a reboot, remake, or much belated sequel.
7Gears of War: Judgment
Gears of War Series
Despite not being a terrible game,Gears of War: Judgmentis easily the weakest link in the Gears series. Taking around 7 hours to complete, as opposed to 9 and 11 hours the mainline titles would take to complete, many viewed Judgment as a glorified, and overpriced, story DLC rather than an actual Gears of War title.
Many fans also felt the multiplayer was simplified and underwhelming with much of its changes to the Gears' formula being for the worse. Judgment is a short but sweet game, but overall was deemed too short to be worth the price tag. The game didn’t sell well, but fortunately not bad enough to derail the series, as Gears of War 4 and Gears 5 would release to universal acclaim, and with longer play times.
The iconic horror gaming series that can be played on anything from a calculator to a pregnancy test,Doomhas gained its legendary status due to its fast-paced gameplay, which made Doom 3’s decision to slow everything down a real head scratcher.
Switching to a survival horror game, the game did garner some praise, but is largely remembered for its boring locations, repetitive gameplay, and easy-to-calculate jump scares. Fortunately, the series returned to its former glory with the 2016 reboot and its equally praised sequelDoom Eternal.
5Devil May Cry 2
Devil May Cry Series
Fans infamously hated the edgy character redesign of Dante inDMC: Devil May Cry, but the game itself was very good, the same can not be said however, for the series' first sequel, Devil May Cry 2. In the game’s attempt to improve on the original in both size and quality, the former was universally understood to be the only thing the game came anywhere close to achieving.
Fans took issue with just about everything from the combat design to the easy difficulty and Capcom very much noticed. For all Devil May Cry 2’s failings, the game fortunately did ensure Capcom didn’t make the same mistake twice, with the following 4 installments all being revered by critics and fans alike.
The story ofDead Spaceis rather similar to that of Resident Evil. Both series established themselves as landmark survival horror titles that maneuvered towards action, losing the effectiveness of its horror in the process, until returning to its horror roots through remakes.
Whilst Resident Evil pushed the series back in the right direction with sequelsResident Evil: BiohazardandVillage, Dead Space would be left dormant until its remake in 2023. Other reasons Dead Space 3 wasn’t as lauded as its predecessors were its introduction of micro-transactions to the series, as well as, co-op gameplay which lessened the fear factor, and an overall feeling the game focused on attracting a wider audience.
3Metroid Prime: Federation Force
Metroid Series
TheMetroidseries may have some divisive entries such as Metroid: Other M, however, the gameplay was enjoyed by fans and critics, even if some found the story to be controversial. WithMetroid PrimeFederation Force on the other hand, fans voiced their dissatisfaction from the very announcement.
Eager for another mainline title, many were frustrated by this spin-off announcement and felt, once the game came out, that it lacked much of what made the Metroid series great. The game does have its defenders, quoting its poor timing of release as the main issue. This being said, this generic, repetitive, and generally mediocre co-op shooter was simply a game no one asked for nor wanted.
Final Fantasyhas always been less than final, with many of the mainline entries getting their own sequels and spin-offs. With so many games in its arsenal, there is bound to be an inconsistency in quality. But when only addressing the mainline titles,Final Fantasy 13stands out as the series' most underwhelming entry to date.
Many took issue with the game fundamentally taking place in one long and drab-looking hallway, whilst the tutorial lasts for much of the game, making those playing it feels like their hand was held the whole time. The series would continue in a less than satisfactory path withFinal Fantasy 14’sdisaster of a release, however,Square Enixsaved that title from the ground up with Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn, and the series has been on top form ever since.
Mass Effectis easily one of the best trilogies in all gaming and a milestone in the RPG genre. The ending of Mass Effect 3 may have received backlash for effectively undermining the hundreds of player hours and decisions made throughout, but fortunately,Biowarewould remedy this with DLC, eventually making Mass Effect 3 a satisfactory entry to the series. The same can not be said ofMass Effect Andromeda.
Following up on one of the best space RPGs of all time is a tough thing to do, nonetheless, Andromeda wasn’t just disappointing, it was decidedly less polished. Plagued with technical issues, nonexistent facial animation’s and a far less engaging story, the game didn’t just mark the downfall of Mass Effect, but of Bioware as well, lest we forget Anthem.
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