Anytime a video game franchise exists long enough, it is bound to undergo some changes. However, the ten franchises listed below strayed further from their roots than most other series. This does not mean they are any worse than their inception, though many veteran fans often take such radical changes negatively.
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At the end of the day, however, even those who decry an intellectual property differing too much from its origins can always go back to play the classics they fell in love with. The best case scenario sees franchises transform into something new while still retaining the same spirit.
10Resident Evil
The first threeResident Evilgames are classic survival horror games using fixed camera angles and gorgeous pre-rendered environments. AfterResident Evil: Code Veronica, the series took a massive turn withResident Evil 4, taking place in a fully 3D environment and putting the camera behind the player’s shoulder. Survival was now less about managing scarce resources &solving puzzlesand became more about running away from massive hordes of enemies. After some time as an action franchise, the series toned down its scope and became a first-person horror experience starting withResident Evil 7.
9Call Of Duty
Call of Dutycame at a time whenWorld War IIshooters were all the rage, and three numbered titles took place during the international conflict. While always popular, it was not until the seriesbrought the action to the present day withCall of Duty 4: Modern Warfarethat the brand solidified its legendary status. The stories then got more outlandish, even going into the distant future. These days there is no telling where developers will takeCall of Dutynext.
8Alone In The Dark
The firstAlone in the Darkgame is anincredibly influential survival horror title, establishing numerous hallmarks of the genre. Three games exist in this style beforeA New Nightmarein 2001 took more cues from theResident Evilfranchise, making combat more prominent. After a modern day reboot in 2008, the series went an entirely different & negatively received direction in 2015 withAlone in the Dark: Illumination,afour-player cooperative experienceakin to theCall of DutyZombies mode.
7Ghost Recon
The first title in theGhost Reconfranchise is a squad-basedfirst-person shooterwhere preparation for a mission is just as vital as the actual action while out in the field.
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Shooting feels heavy and taking even the slightest amount of damage is a huge detriment to the mission. After some variations on this formula and a small hiatus, the series came back with a whole new look and open-world design withGhost Recon: Wildlands. The stealth gameplay remains, though this time with more exploration.
6Far Cry
With the word “Cry” in the title, one can assume the series started under developer Crytek.Fary Cryplayed similar toCrysis; striving for open sandboxes where one can approach combat situations in a variety of ways. After Ubisoft took over the series,they went full open-world and took away any science fiction elements.The setting also constantly changes, going from lush jungles to the American mid-west.Far Cry 6is set to take place in a fictional Caribbean island inspired by Cuba.
5The Witcher
The Witcher 3: Wild Huntis one of themost celebrated open-world RPGs of this generation. Those who played it as their entry into the franchise might want to check out the older games. While they may not be disappointed, they might be surprised at how different the first game plays compared to the most recent mainline entry. Gone is the open world and the player can even play from an isometric perspective. However, the importance of decision making is still a large driving force of the narrative.
4Fallout
While always an open-world franchise,Falloutstarted out as isometric RPGmore akin to the recently-releasedWasteland 3.Once Bethesda took over the games, they put the action into a first-person perspective, similar toThe Elder Scrolls.
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The games reached a wider audience, but not every veteran fan took the change positively.Fallout 4and76feel even more removed from the original releases, playing more like dungeon crawlers than choice-driven adventures.
3Assassin’s Creed
The firstAssassin’s Creedwas actually about taking out a list of targets and slowly progressing the story with each new assignment.Assassin’s Creed 2added more activities and mission variety in the open-world environment, but retained the core goal. Starting withOrigins, the RPG elements came more to the forefront and players were given more agency within the story. For the most part, this was received positively, as many had grown tired of the annual releases starting to blend in with each other.
2Final Fantasy
This legendary turn-basedJapanese RPG franchiseremained mostly recognizable for the first six entries. WhileFinal Fantasy VIItook place in a science fiction world, it still retained the turn-based gameplay. It was not untilFinal Fantasy XIIwhen random battles were taken out of the picture. WhileFinal Fantasy XVretains some turn-based elements, it also resembles western open-world RPGs with side-quests and exploration. Not only has the gameplay changed drastically, but the aesthetic is also worlds apart from the high fantasy of the NES classics. Fans are wondering ifFinal Fantasy XVIwill continue this trend or head back to its roots.
1God Of War
AfterGod of War: Ascension,fans were fatigued by the traditionalGod of Wargameplay. When the series reemerged for the PlayStaton 4, it eschewed the fixed camera angles and traded in Greek godsfor Norse Mythology. The new perspective makes the combat even more visceral, and Kratos thankfully grew as a character from a rage-filled maniac to a sorrowful father and mourning husband. The increased focus on exploration and discovery helped make it the longest game in the series by far.
