It’s always tough to see one of your favorite franchises come to an end. In the world of video games, this happens far too often. Luckily, what also sometimes happens is the resurrection of franchises. We’re much more fond of the latter, and that’s why we rounded up this group of eight franchises we’d love to see return to the market.
Think we missed one? Tell us what it is in the comments!
SSX
The SSX series kicked off in 2000, and it immediately captured the attention of gamers with its outlandish stunts, over-the-top courses, and unique characters. The sequel, SSX Tricky, only upped the ante making things even more wacky. The third game was a bit of a step back, and the 2007 Wii version was just OK. In 2012, EA decided to reboot the series with a more realistic, darker theme. It failed to capture the interest of series fans, but a return to the style of SSX Tricky would definitely turn some heads.
Dino Crisis
Capcom shied away from the Dino Crisis series after the poorly-received third game. Instead of turning their back on it, they should consider a new game that goes back to the roots of the first two games. Dino Crisis 3 suffered from a number of problems, including a terrible camera system, repetitive enemies (who weren’t even dinosaurs, but instead lab-created mutations), and sub-par dialog. A new game that fixed these issues and pitted gamers against dinosaurs could easily be a big hit.
Gex
Yeah, I know. Gex was a series that could only exists in the 90’s, right? Consider this: Gex was all about pop culture, throwing the titular lizard into levels that were loosely based on popular TV and film concepts. While the gameplay would obviously need to be updated, bringing Gex back into a world that’s mostly obsessed with pop culture could make for a huge hit.
Timesplitters
One game that often pops up in discussions of franchises gamers miss is Timesplitters, and with good reason. The first-person shooter series were created by Free Radical Design, the studio that became Crytek UK (now Dambuster Studios). The characters in Timesplitters parodied pop culture stereotypes, like a suave secret agent. Despite countless rumors and clamoring from fans, there’s no sign of a sequel.
X-Wing / TIE Fighter
Although they were released with updated graphics in 1999, we still want more from X-Wing and TIE Fighter. If you were a fan of the films, these two games put you in the cockpit of familiar starfighters, and tasked you with missions to further your side’s cause. Perhaps their greatest accomplishment was that no matter which side you were flying for, the game’s story made you feel like you were the good guy. Diverting power to shields, taking out Imperial transports, and flying alongside Darth Vader are just a few of the things that made you feel like you were in the Star Wars universe.
Legacy of Kain
I know, I always have to bring this one up. But if you played the Legacy of Kain games, you know just what today’s gamers are missing out on. Great gameplay, impeccable voice acting, and solid storytelling. While 2003’s Legacy of Kain: Defiance was supposed to wrap up the story of Kain and Raziel, but it seems that there could be more yet untold. Even a remastered HD release would be worth discussing, but a new game that adds to the story would be ideal.
The Lost Vikings
Blizzard’s long-lost puzzle platformer has been forgotten by many, even though the main characters were added to Heroes of the Storm earlier this year. In the game, the three vikings use their varied abilities to escape after being kidnapped by the alien emperor Tomator, and then to make their way back home. Even though Blizzard seems content to focus on their core franchises, we keep hoping that we’ll get to see a modern version of The Lost Vikings before long. After all, pretty much anything they touch seems to sell like mad, so why not?
Star Wars: Jedi Knight
The most recent games to let you exercise your Force powers are the Force Unleashed titles, but they pale in comparison to the Jedi Knight series. It began with Dark Forces in 1995, and the most recent release was Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy in 2003. The early games followed one Kyle Katarn as he transitioned from mercenary to Jedi Knight, and in the case of Jedi Academy, gave you control of Jaden Korr, a student learning from Katarn. The series featured some of the best implementation of lightsaber combat in any games, and with the launch of a new Star Wars movie looming, there’s never been a better time to revive the series.
