Top 10 Video Game Franchises that Have Become Most Stale in 2022
A lot has changed in the world of gaming in the last few years and the landscape is quite different. New video games and new genres have come out for example and many companies have lost fan approval in recent controversies. As a result, and due to other outside causes, certain franchises have prospered less than others with many becoming stale for different reasons; some because of lack of creativity and others because of poor storytelling and gameplay which make fans completely check out. Now this doesn't mean that these beloved franchises can't bounce back, but for now things look grim for the ones listed on this list.
Whether you like this franchise or not, there is no denying that Call of Duty has shaped the gaming world into what it is today, with the many first-person shooter games currently on the market. One reason this franchise is so well known is that there are many games in the series, some might say too many.
At this point, however, it feels like the developers are just releasing new games because they know they will make money. While there is no denying that the franchise still makes tons of money, it doesn't make it feel any less stale.
Though there are not many main games in the series, one thing Capcom loves doing is giving their games re-releases. For example, the second game in the series has six different editions. Capcom also angered many fans by making four different editions of Street Fighter IV before making a fifth game, which, to be honest, is just more of the same.
Street Fighter V is no better, with the game having three different editions so far.
I'm sure if Street Fighter VI came out, it would sell well and have good reviews. However, Capcom making money with different editions kills the mood.
With Hideo Kojima gone from Konami, people have lost a lot of interest in the Metal Gear series, especially after the disaster that was Metal Gear Survive. Fans have much less faith in Konami's ability to release a good Metal Gear game in the future. Without the original creator of the series, any future game is almost doomed to fail and be blasted by fans.
It is sad for me to admit this, but as a big fan of the Metal Gear series, fan interest is not there anymore. Metal Gear Survive was complete garbage. Konami just took the game mechanics from MGS5 and made a cheap survival game. Without Hideo Kojima, I'm out.
The rhythm game craze took over the market for a good while, but fast forward to 2022, and this genre has completely fallen from grace, especially the Guitar Hero franchise. The same goes for its competitor, Rock Band. This decline is partly due to oversaturation and a lack of innovation. Some rhythm games have been released since the hype surrounding the genre died off, but these failed to capture mainstream success.
These games used to be fun. I'm sure if I booted one back up and played it for a while, I'd have a lot of fun. However, once you've played one of them, there's no reason to purchase another.
One of Ubisoft's newer franchises now seems completely dead after only three games, the last one being underwhelming. The first Watch Dogs was a success and is a solid game despite the controversy regarding the downgrade in graphics. The second installment had fun gameplay but a poor story.
The last game as of this list is Legion. Admittedly, it took many risks, which Ubisoft can be applauded for. The ability to recruit any NPC and then play as that character was very creative. However, it ultimately fell short and killed most fan interest in the series.
Battlefield is becoming stale like its competitor Call of Duty, but I'm placing it lower because it doesn't feel like the franchise overstays its welcome as much. The reason the franchise has fallen from its former glory is that the last few games have failed to satisfy fans, especially the most recent entry, Battlefield 2042.
Battlefield 2042 was criticized at launch for bugs, missing content, disappointing implementation of new features like the tornado, and the lack of "legacy features." Since its launch, the player count has dropped to unprecedented lows.
Uncharted is one of the biggest PlayStation exclusive franchises, and for good reason, as these games have top-notch storytelling and amazing voice acting. However, with main protagonist Nathan Drake's story seemingly coming to a close in Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, and with the recent live-action film that came out in 2022 receiving mixed reviews, interest in the franchise is now at an all-time low.
We'll have to wait and see what the developers at Naughty Dog have in store for the future of the franchise.
Gears of War was in its prime with the first three games, which are considered all-time classics. The last two mainline games, Gears of War 4 and 5, are struggling to find their footing and have not garnered as much enthusiasm from fans compared to their predecessors.
The latest game in the series is a spin-off called Gears Tactics, a turn-based tactics video game. While not terrible, it is not what fans of the series are looking for. There is still a chance that the developers can make a sixth game that will change all that, but we will have to wait and see.
The reboot of the Tomb Raider franchise with the 2013 game was a massive success. Many games followed after it, including two mainline titles, Rise of the Tomb Raider and Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and multiple mobile games. Unfortunately, the developers decided to keep the core gameplay of each game practically the same, making each game more boring than the last for many players.
Assassin's Creed is a franchise beloved by many gamers. The last few entries were a massive success for Ubisoft. However, the RPG formula is making the franchise feel stale. In short, these new games, while bringing something new to the franchise, have also taken away something very important: everything that made Assassin's Creed feel like Assassin's Creed.
The story no longer focuses on the Assassin's brotherhood and their fight against the Templars. Instead, the last two games, Odyssey and Valhalla, focus on a main protagonist who is not an Assassin and on The First Civilization, also known as the Isu. Stealth is no longer a core mechanic in the gameplay, and the RPG elements make the games a grind to complete.
Many fans wish for a return to form for the franchise. Hopefully, the upcoming games can start that process.
Insert any sports series here: FIFA, NBA 2K, but none are more obviously rinse and repeat from year to year than Madden. EA is lazy and knows they don't have to try because people will buy the game just because it's Madden. They just change the visuals slightly and call it a day. That's why I've lost interest in this series over the past 6-7 years.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned this on the list yet, especially with how dry the Switch era is.
