15 video game franchises that need to end – Reader’s Feature

Are there too many Assassin’s Creed games already? (Ubisoft) A disillusioned reader lists over a dozen video game franchises he thinks have run their course, from Call Of Duty and Assassin’s Creed to Mortal Kombat and The Last Of Us. There are franchises that we grow up with and cherish over many years. In retrospect, we grow to appreciate what they brought to the table. Over time though, many eventually shift towards becoming stale, overdone, and repetitive, and are essentially only around to generate cash or are safer options, rather than risking new ideas or creative freedom. With that being said, I’d like to present a list of 15 franchises that I believe need to be wrapped up and hopefully, these studios can focus on innovation instead. 15. Outlast In 2013, Red Barrels presented us Outlast. It was a massive success and spawned DLC, a sequel, and a multiplayer title. But it’s been 13 years now. You can only milk this franchise so much, before it becomes tiring. It already has. The formula is stale and I’m hoping very much that it ends after the next title, because we deserve a new IP and a new genre from this talented developer. Expert, exclusive gaming analysis Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. 14. Doom So the general consensus is that The Dark Ages was a disappointment for the franchise. I say good to that, because it’s time to lay the slayer to rest. Id Software need to reset massively, because no matter how you innovate with these games, it is just treading old ground. I’d love them to tackle a new genre. A third person narrative title would be interesting and a fresh perspective would be satisfying. 13. Amnesia From one horror series to another, Amnesia: The Dark Descent was fantastic for its time in 2010 but it’s long overdue to put it to rest. Especially after the awful title that was Rebirth. Frictional has to go back to the drawing board and stop just relying on a franchise that should have ended years ago. 12. Five Nights at Freddy’s It’s a trilogy of horror franchises that need to end. This is quite honestly the most tired, outdated, and bland of the three. It’s long milked to death and just a concept that should have only remained a one title idea. But it has spawned unwanted sequels, two awful films, and horrendous additions. Let it die Scott, for all of our sakes. 11. Every sports franchise NBA, EA Sports FC, Madden, WWE 2K… it’s just squeezing money out of consumers and it has lasted far too long. The updates are minimal each year, the releases are tiring, the effort is non-existent. I’m just tired, boss. 10. Call Of Duty Do I need to say more? I’d say the failure of Black Ops 7 was a wake-up call, but who are we kidding? We’re getting an eighth game, at one point and even more suffering. As long as people keep buying, Activision will continue torturing us. It will never end. 9. Far Cry Far Cry 6 was released in 2021 and if fortune was kind, it would have been the last instalment. It should have been wrapped up years ago but Ubisoft is already developing a seventh game. By this point it’s just a franchise that peaked with the third game and continues to be churned out. It’s more outdated and tragic than the fact we will likely never see Sam Fisher again. 8. Dragon Age Mass Effect has one thing going for it: the return of Liara in the next instalment. Dragon Age is the opposite. After the failure of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. It’s time to pull the plug on Varric, Solas, and the entire franchise. Because it should have ended after Inquisition. 7. Metal Gear Solid It should have ended with the fourth title; that is the cold truth of Metal Gear Solid. But it refuses to lay down to rest. It was a legendary creation once, in Hideo Kojima. It is just a shell of its former self; a disappointing remake of the third title needs to be the signal that it’s time for Snake to rest for good. 6. The Last Of Us When you have created more remasters, remakes, ports, and a two season series rather than actually announcing a third title it’s just evidently a fact that it’s time to leave this world behind. A franchise created in 2013, it has left Naughty Dog without a single PlayStation 5 title in this generation so far. Just like Uncharted, it’s time for Ellie’s story to be finished. 5. Assassin’s Creed Ubisoft’s golden goose, that truly refuses to die. Assassin’s Creed is all Ubisoft has at this point and it shows. But how many times can we repeat old tropes? Assassin’s Creed Hexe is up next. Just what we need. More Templars and Assassins. God help us. 4. Ninja Gaiden So it’s a harsh truth that Ninja Gaiden 4 wasn’t a massive commercial success. Which makes sense for a franchise that is honestly overdone and just boring at this point. You can only slaughter enemies so many times, before you realise that it’s just been run into the ground. It’s time to kill this licence off for good. [That was the first new Ninja Gaiden in 13 years; in fact, many of the games you mention haven’t had any sequels for years – GC] 3. Red Dead Redemption The tale of the west is complete. So why even a possible third title could make sense is beyond me. We’ve had two stories revolving around the death of the outlaws and the modernisation of the world. The stories of two outlaws who achieved redemption through death. That’s more than enough reason to wave goodbye to a special franchise, pardner. 2. Mortal Kombat It’s long overdue. No matter how innovative the fatalities are or how stellar the graphical prowess is it’s lasted for far too long and the never ending narrative of this tournament needs to definitively end. 1. Halo It was a childhood journey, a cherished memory for friends and families, to spend hours in multiplayer, the campaigns, and to grow up playing through a special series of titles. But Halo truly fell when it was no longer Bungie’s creation. It lost the magic and the cinematic flair when 343 took over. It is now a shadow of its former self and it shows massively, with the fact it is no longer Xbox’s exclusive flagship franchise. It is also a PlayStation title as well. Halo was something amazing for fans growing up, but it’s absolutely time for a special soldier to put down his helmet and take his rest, for he has earned his retirement. I’d also like to include a final mention: 16. Gears Of War If a sixth game is to be made let it be the end of the Locust War and the end of Marcus Fenix’s story. Just end it all, please. This war is long overdue it’s finality. By reader Shahzaib Sadiq Gears Of War: E-Day – out next month (Xbox Game Studios) The reader’s features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro. You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot. Just contact us at gamecentral@metro.co.uk or use our Submit Stuff page and you won’t need to send an email. Arrow MORE: I have huge respect for fans protesting the PS5 no disc policy on social media - Reader's Feature Arrow MORE: How I got to play the Evercade Nexus early and what I think of it – Reader’s Feature Arrow MORE: Zero Company made an old Star Wars fan feel young again - Reader's Feature GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.