We’re currently in a generation where it’s possible for long forgotten franchises to come back from the dead. Franchises such as Dead Rising, Metroid Prime, and Dead Space just to name a few, have been given new life in the form of a remaster or a full-blown remake. However, whereas titles like those are deserving of more entries, there are some franchises that many believe have ran their course and should be allowed to rest. Whether this is due to a poorly received installment, controversaries surrounding development, studio closures, or the series wrapping up in a satisfying way, there are some franchises that simply shouldn’t return.
Assassin’s Creed
Assassin’s Creed has been Ubisoft’s milk machine for decades. What started off as a instalment in the Prince of Persia series, quickly took off in popularity during the later 2000s. Players were enthralled with stunning period settings with a ton of history to learn, memorable characters such as Ezio and Altair, and gameplay that was satisfying despite the typical Ubisoft fluff. However, over the past couple of decades players have started to become disenfranchised with the once acclaimed series. Whilst this could be down to technical problems, or a lack of interesting stories, the main reason is one that has stuck with Ubisoft for decades: lack of evolution. Thanks to Ubisoft churning these out annually, the first few entries felt like a carbon copy of the last with no new innovative features.
Some attempts we’re made to spice up the gameplay such as the inclusion of ship combat and co-op, but each game largely felt the same. Ubisoft eventually did decide to change the formula when Origins released, however, in doing so, the franchise completely changed genre thanks to added RPG mechanics, which alienated a large portion of the player base. Cut to today and Assassin’s Creed is still being lambasted with negative press thanks to the controversary surrounding Shadows. It seems like this franchise can’t catch a break, and whilst it’s unlikely that Ubisoft will let the series die quietly, it might be for the best that Assassin’s Creed’s battered corpse is finally put out of it’s misery.
Saints Row
There was a time when Saints Row was standing side by side with GTA as the kings of open world crime simulators. However, awful decisions made by the developers since arguably Saints Row: The Third’s release has seen this franchise wither and decay slowly over time. For starters, the striking tonal shift from Saints Row 2 to The Third angered a lot of fans. Gone was the gritty street gang feel of the first two games and in its wake was a wacky over-the-top title filled with a lot of style but little substance.
When it came time for the fourth entry the developers doubled down on Saints Row’s zany new look and added superpowers, aliens and you’re character being the President of the United States. The final nail in the coffin came in the form of the 2022 reboot. Despite appearing to go back to the series roots, the game offered a barebones experience that felt so far removed from Saints Row than the third or fourth installments ever did. Thanks to the reboot’s failure and the developer shutting it’s doors in 2023, it’s unlikely that we’ll ever see the series return. All we can do now is pour out a 40-ounce and remember the homies we lost along the way.
Uncharted
Unlike other games on this list, Uncharted has only gotten stronger with every new entry. Drake’s Fortune laid the foundation for the series whilst also introducing us to the iconic characters like Nathan Drake, Elena Fisher and Victor “God-Damn” Sullivan. However, Among Thieves was when the series really took off and showed the world that Uncharted was a franchise with a lot of potential. The hot streak continued with the third and fourth entry, and continued to improve the gameplay and story. It looked like there was no stopping Uncharted, however, the fourth entry made it abundantly clear that this was Drake’s last outing – I mean the title is literally A Thief’s End.
The ending to Uncharted 4 was a perfect way to wrap everything up nicely. Nathan Drake has finally left his treasure hunting ways behind him and now is a family man, his journey has come full circle. The argument could be said that Uncharted doesn’t have to die with Drake and either his daughter or a new cast of characters could take over, but therein lies a the problem: Nathan Drake is Uncharted. This was proven in The Lost Legacy, which, albeit a decent game, pales in comparison to Drake’s adventures and wasn’t as memorable compared to the entries featuring the loveable hero. The story of Uncharted isn’t about the treasure or the action, but rather the journey of one man realizing that there’s more to life than a piece of gold. Whether you like it or not that journey reached it’s end and it should stay that way to avoid tainting A Thief’s End’s conclusion, but then again Sony will no doubt find a way to bring it back to life. Here’s to another remaster coming soon to a PS5 near you. Â
Borderlands
Much like Saints Row, Borderlands is full of whacky moments and gameplay mechanics. The series that boasted an absurd amount of guns for you to find and use was nothing short of a ton of fun. The first, second and the Pre-Sequel, kept the spirit of the franchise going by adding more guns, more loot and an absolute incredible villain in the form of Handsome Jack. However, when it was time for Borderlands 3 to release it marked the beginning of the franchise’s downfall.
Whilst many agree that the gunplay is solid, the post game is severely lacking in content and whatever content it did have is universally despised by fans. On top of that the story was poor in comparison to Borderlands 2, with terribly written villains and cringey dialogue that amounted to nothing but toilet humor. The same can also be said about the spin off game New Tales from the Borderlands, and the poorly received movie that came out last year. The main reoccurring factor in Borderlands’ downward spiral seems to be the writing staff who can’t seem to recapture the same magic that the early entries had. Whether or not Borderlands 4 can bring the series back to form remains to be seen, but if it continues to add to the series’ failures it might be time to lock the franchise in the vault and throw away the key.
Alone in the Dark
When you think about your favourite horror game franchises Alone in the Dark isn’t one that comes to mind. What was once seen as a grandfather to more popular horror franchises like Resident Evil and Silent Hill, Alone in the Dark has been lost in time. However, game publishers keep attempting to revive this franchise with not one, but two reboots. The first attempt came in the form of the 2008 reboot of Alone in the Dark, a then modern take on the franchise that was designed to be edgy and cool. Instead it was a glitchy mess with three different control schemes for the melee, exploration and gunplay and incredibly broken car physics. Not to mention the absurd, hilarious story with some of the most out-of-pocket dialogue in video-games. Despite all of these problems, the reboot was a financial success, however, there wouldn’t be any new entries in the franchise until the second reboot attempt.
The 2024 reboot looked promising, a star studded cast featuring David Harbour and Jodie Comer, a re-imagining of the 1992 classic, and the lead writer was Mikael Hedberg who worked on Soma and Amnesia: The Dark Descent. Unfortunately, the 2024 reboot was no better and received a lot of mixed reviews from critics. Complaints stemmed from the uninspired gameplay that does little to change the formula, simple puzzles, and once again a plethora of glitches. Unlike the 2008 reboot, this time it wasn’t a financial success and has hopefully confirmed to the publishers that nobody really cares about this franchise anymore. After two failed attempts to revitalize this franchise for a new generation, it may finally be time for Alone in the Dark to stay in the dark.
