The Checkpoint 5.19.08: Seven Game Franchises That Deserve the Old Yeller Treatment
Posted by John Curry on 05.19.2008
It seems that any time a game is successful it deserves a sequel. I agree. If the sequel is successful it deserves another sequel. Yes. But at some point the franchise runs its course and is no longer as innovative as it once was, or it just repeats the last game over with slight changes. When a game gets to a point where it is too old or no longer serving its purpose it needs to be taken out behind the barn and given the Old Yeller treatment. The Checkpoint looks at seven franchises that deserve this.
Somewhere in life there is a philosophy that says if you succeed at something you should continue to do it. To an extent I agree with this. In the world of gaming this philosophy is evident. This isn't so much as someone's personal preference to make a game, or let someone who doesn't deserve it to keep making things, i.e. Uwe Boll, but simple economics. If something succeeds once it is likely that it will succeed again. However, some game franchises just keep putting out games regardless of how much of something new they add to the franchise or to the world of gaming. When a game gets to this point it is only fair to ask them to bow out gracefully and create another series of games that they can run in to the ground. If they don't want to bail out then it becomes time to take them out behind the barn and send them off Old Yeller style.
While I want you to know that I am a fan of most of the games on this list, I still believe they have run their course and should be sent out as there are now better options for these series. So without further delay, let's look at the games that won't be coming back from behind the barn.
The Medal of Honor Series
Games in Series
a. Medal of Honor
b. Medal of Honor: Underground
c. Medal of Honor: Allied Assault
d. Medal of Honor: Frontline
e. Medal of Honor: Rising Sun
f. Medal of Honor: Infiltrator
g. Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault
h. Medal of Honor: European Assault
i. Medal of Honor: Heroes
j. Medal of Honor: Vanguard
k. Medal of Honor: Airborne
l. Medal of Honor: Heroes 2
As an avid history buff (My Degree is in Integrated Social Studies with a focus on History) the Medal of Honor games have always been one of my favorite games to play. The first Medal of Honor game came out my senior year of high school and I fell in love with the series. After Frontline, I began to ask myself "Self, even though you like this game, what does each sequel bring new to the series?" The answer I came to was nothing. Then Airborne came out. I was excited at the premise of a new vantage point on this game, the 101st Airborne Division. Sadly, I was let down. Outside of the landing's, which really weren't that important, nothing new was brought to the series. Now with the Frontlines, Fall of Liberty, Brothers in Arms, and Call of Duty series stepping into the modern warfare arena, and quite successfully I might add, it is time for the Medal of Honor series to step aside. There are only so many WWII games you can make. If EA decides they want to continue on with the Medal of Honor style then they should create a new series and focus on Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Cuba or any of the other military conflicts.
Hitman Series
Games in Series
a. Hitman: Codename 47
b. Hitman 2: Silent Assassin
c. Hitman: Contracts
d. Hitman: Blood Money
When Hitman first came out I was enthusiastic about the option to release my inner Luca Brasi and indulge in gratuitous violence with a mission. The sneaky silent assassin kills, the full out guns a blazing violence and all. The story was intriguing. A clone hell bent on discovering his past and seeking revenge think a bald headed Jason Bourne style character. As the games continued to be release I bought every one of them. I again noticed that not only was the game almost identical in each one, but the story lines that drove the first one and second one were gone, half assed to the point of not knowing their purpose. Now my inner Luca Brasi is satisfied by the Manhunt's and Condemned's of the gaming worlds. Don't forget the Bourne Supremacy series begins before long. The Hitman film's lack of success should be evident that the Hitman series is declining in popularity. Maybe the game's developers would do better to create a time traveling Hitman, kill Hitler, Kill John Wilkes Booth, Kill the government agent who had Kennedy Killed, Kill the chick who shot JR. I don't care just do something different.
Final Fantasy Series (total 28 games including spin offs and sequels)
Games in Series
a. Final Fantasy
b. Final Fantasy II
c. Final Fantasy III
d. Final Fantasy IV
e. Final Fantasy V
f. Final Fantasy VI
g. Final Fantasy VII
h. Final Fantasy VIII
i. Final Fantasy IX
j. Final Fantasy X
k. Final Fantasy XI
l. Final Fantasy XII
m. Final Fantasy XIII
I will be the first to admit that I am not the greatest fan of the final fantasy series. I have played many of them until I discovered the beauty that is the Elder Scrolls series. Many people love the Final Fantasy series; I however feel that anything that has been done more than 20 times is overdoing it. It is like a guy a work who tells a joke that was funny, everyone laughs, has a great time, but the guy gets the wrong idea and tells that joke everywhere he is regardless of whether it is warranted. This is how the Final Fantasy series is in my book. The game has been done so many times, has been copied more than a drunks ass at a Kinko's, and has lost the originality that made this game famous.
Guitar Hero
Games in Series
a. Guitar Hero
b. Guitar Hero II
c. Guitar Hero III
d. Guitar Hero: On Tour
e. Guitar Hero Carabiner
f. Guitar Hero: Aerosmith
g. Guitar Hero: Beatles (Rumored)
This is one of the few games that I really don't understand a sequel to. I loved the first GH, rocking out to "Carry on my wayward son….there'll be peace when….." was the highlight of a day plagued by shitty college classes. I bought the 360 version of GH 2 as soon as I had the chance and loved every bit of it. However, this is a genre that is being run into the ground. There is nothing but different songs. No matter how hard I practice my guitar hero game I will never be the next Eddie Van Halen on a real guitar. Now that Guitar Hero has been upstaged by the more exciting RockBand it is time for the Guitar Hero Franchise to stop making games and focus on their downloadable content. Every song they could ever add to the game could be added at less cost to the respective download markets while still providing fans with an option to continue playing their game. Tell me what the next thing the Guitar Hero series can really do but change the songs you play.
Resident Evil
Games in Series
a. Resident Evil
b. Resident Evil 2
c. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
d. Resident Evil Survivor
e. Resident Evil: Code Veronica
f. Resident Evil: Survivor 2 code Veronica
g. Resident Evil: Gaiden
h. Resident Evil: Zero
i. Resident Evil: Outbreak
j. Resident Evil: Dead Aim
k. Resident Evil: Outbreak File #2
l. Resident Evil 4
m. Resident Evil: Confidential Report
n. Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles
o. Resident Evil: Genesis
p. Resident Evil 5 (Rumored)
Resident Evil was one of the original innovators of horror based games. I absolutely loved playing the Resident Evil game in the dark on my Playstation One. The game was everything you could ask of a shooter. It was innovative, well told, and most importantly scary as hell. That was then. Today the Resident Evil series is a diluted series relying solely on everything they have done in the past. They bring nothing new to a generation of gamers who have been scarred shitless by Fatal Frame, F.E.A.R., Condemned, and a thousand other horror based games. Yet through all of this Resident Evil continues to put out more games, the days are numbered that Resident Evil still sells millions of games.
Silent Hill
Games in Series
a. Silent Hill
b. Silent Hill 2
c. Silent Hill 3
d. Silent Hill 4: the Room
e. Silent Hill: Origins
f. Silent Hill: Homecoming
g. Silent Hill: Play Novel
h. Silent Hill: Double Under Dusk
i. Silent Hill: Orphan
j. Silent Hill: The Escape
k. Silent Hill: The Arcade
You know I can break this game down like Resident Evil but the fact is they are both in the same sinking boat. Innovative years ago but replaced by scarier more challenging games.
Tony Hawk Skate Games
Games in Series
a. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater
b. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
c. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3
d. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4
e. Tony Hawk's Underground
f. Tony Hawk's Underground 2
g. Tony Hawk's Underground 2: Remix
h. Tony Hawk's Wasteland
i. Tony Hawk's American Sk8land
j. Tony Hawk's Project 8
k. Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam
l. Tony Hawk's Proving Ground
m. Tony Hawk's 10 (Fall 2008)
When I bought my first PS2 I couldn't wait to get my hands on Tony Hawk. The game play was enjoyable and the soundtrack was top notch. I absolutely loved this game. I played everything that came out from this series. Everything was the same, sure add a little story line to the game but everything was essentially the same. This never really bothered me until I picked up SK8. Everything I thought about the skateboarding era had changed. I didn't care what Tony Hawk did next, because he could never compete with SK8. If he tried it was only copying the competition. The innovation is gone. Pack up. You are still a legend in the skate world but now everyone knows Rob. It is time for this series to leave the market. Move on to something else.
A lot of these games I would be sad to see go, but in life you come to understand the necessity of a loss. It is for the best. Allow your game creators to develop something new and innovative. If you are going to continue making games in your series, at least try to bring something new to the game world, for example look at the difference between Call of Duty 3 and Call of Duty 4. Compare Elder Scrolls: Morrowind with Elder Scrolls: Oblivion. That is how you keep yourself fresh and in the now. So while I am sad to see them go, I think it is time to give these franchises the Old Yeller treatment and get a new puppy.
I disagree about the Resident Evil Series. Things were looking bleak until they unleashed RE4 on the world.
That game is one of the greatest games ever and single handily revived the franchise.
It gave the series a much needed upgrade, and fixed the camera problems of previous RE games.
Posted By: Robert Leighty Jr. (Registered) on May 19, 2008 at 12:45 AM
Good article. I would add the follow franchises that should retire: Sonic, Madden, Dance Dance Revolution, Mario, Castlevania, and Zelda.
Posted By: Bruce (Guest) on May 19, 2008 at 12:49 AM
Can't say that I agree with Resident Evil being there, either. RE4 was indeed great.
Posted By: Guest#5599 (Guest) on May 19, 2008 at 01:06 AM
I have bought 5 of the resident evil series and I agree 100%. The first 3 on the ps1 were scary as hell cos nothing like this had ever been done before it way new and origanal. I got 2 on the gamecube (resident evil and resident evil zero) and the buzz was not there anymore.
Guitar hero is a cool idea but why pay £40 every 6-8 months for a new list of songs. Unless they start to use the market place a bit more rock band will chew them up and spit them out.
Here are some others i think need to taken out back and shot. The Devil May Cry series is a bit stale. Mortal Kombat is also another one that is going downhiill fast. Sonic has not been good for me since Sonic and Knuckles.
Posted By: Tony Dorian (Guest) on May 19, 2008 at 01:41 AM
I'm surprised that Sonic, Spyro & Crap Bandicoot weren't mentioned.
Sonic jumped the shark when Traveller's Tales came out with Sonic 3D Blast on the Megadrive. Then there were the Sonic Adventure games. Then there was Shadow the Hedgehog, which was the Sonic series getting the Warrior Within treatment. Sonic Rush on the DS was actually good, but it ranked below the Megadrive stuff. Lastly, there's Sonic 2006 (I will NOT call that steaming heap of shit Sonic the Hedgehog).
Spyro was never in the same league as Megadrive era Sonic or Mario, but he was definitely better when Insomniac was developing the series.
Lastly, there's Crash Bandicoot. That series jumped the shark at Wrath of Cortex by Traveller's Tales (Wrath of Cortex got embarrassed even further when Naughty Dog put Jak & Daxter out at the same time). There was a classic quote from Naughty Dog Co-President Evan Wells. When asked what he thought of Crash games from other developers, he responded with "It's a bit like watching your daughter do porn".
Posted By: WadeMcG (Guest) on May 19, 2008 at 01:52 AM
I agree with MOH and Tony Hawk but how you can describe the PSX RE games as ''shooters'' is beyond me. Anyway RE5 will sell millions, wait and see, the game graphics alone will make al ot of people take notice.
Hitman is still a great series and is unique as there's nothing out there really like it, Manhunt is nothing like Hitman.
Posted By: aussiegamer (Guest) on May 19, 2008 at 03:13 AM
"Tell me what the next thing the Guitar Hero series can really do but change the songs you play."
They could throw in note charts that make sense instead of adding in phantom notes to make it "harder" to play.
I'd like to see them add open strumming, but I doubt they will.
Posted By: Rod Oracheski (Registered) on May 19, 2008 at 03:19 AM
With RE, I think the bigger concern is keeping a coherent storyline. You can keep up a storyline centered around zombies for only so long.
Posted By: JT (Guest) on May 19, 2008 at 06:36 AM
final fantasy.... um let me see NO!.
this series shouldn't be here as EVERY final fantasy is different from story to game mechanics.
guitar hero and eventually rock band will be too (you all know it will be milked more then a Angelina's "twins"). are the same game with the same game mechanics just with a few extra songs in the next release (i do realise i am generalising here).
tony hawk is way overdone... especially when it really started to defy the laws of physics... more then what is acceptable...
Resident Evil i also disagree with 4 = awesome, and so will the next. with resident evil i don't think the shit movies helped the series...(however this rumoured cg movie should be good)
silent hill i can't comment on as i haven't played any of the games unfortunately.
medal of honor i agree with also that is also way overdone.
Hitman i disagree with also...
there are other series that aren't on this list that should be... Crash Bandicoot anyone or perhaps Sonic(hopefully biowares rpg will be as good as it looks to be) or mario party. those are three series that deserve to be on this list... half the series you put on here don't
Posted By: dean (Guest) on May 19, 2008 at 07:26 AM
How can you make a column like this and not include the Mario Party series? Talk about a dire lack of innovation there.
Posted By: KM (Guest) on May 19, 2008 at 07:41 AM
I was the same way with Guitar Hero. The first one was awesome, the second one was decent...but then the third one felt like it had lost its soul. After that abomination I'm done with the Guitar Hero franchise.
Posted By: Drew Robbins (Guest) on May 19, 2008 at 08:05 AM
I've got one series I would remove from your list and two I would add.
Remove: Resident Evil. RE4 reinvented the franchise. Before it, the series was falling apart by treading the same water over and over with no change in gameplay. RE4 changed all that and created one of the most adrenaline pumping action games I've ever played. RE4 is still my favorite game released in the last 2 console generations.
Add: Sonic the Hedgehog. The mistakes in Sonic Adventure 1 and 2 (poor camera and controls leading to death by bottomless pits at every turn among other problems) were somewhat forgivable because Sega was still learning 3D game play. But here we are four 3D Sonic games later and the same problems persist.
Add: Mortal Kombat. When it was 2D, comparing it to Capcom and SNK fighting games made it obvious it was the most shallow 2D fighting game series ever. Now that it's 3D, it's the most shallow 3D fighting game series when compared to Tekken, Virtua Fighter, and (to a lesser degree) Dead Or Alive. Even Super Smash Bros. has more depth than MK. MK's original claim to fame was it's gore. Now that it's not the only gory game on the market, it has nothing in particular that sets it apart.
Posted By: Matt (Guest) on May 19, 2008 at 09:43 AM
Mentioning games that had the most sequals...AND not throwing Madden into that list...really shows your hypocritical nature. Hmmmm...tsk tsk tsk.
Posted By: David R (Guest) on May 19, 2008 at 10:37 AM
THE SIMS??
Posted By: Guest#9915 (Guest) on May 19, 2008 at 10:47 AM
don't forget to add every sports game ever made to this list
Posted By: Dean (again) (Guest) on May 19, 2008 at 11:00 AM
Coul dnot disagree more that the RE series is on its way out. RE4 was one of the greatest games EVER. It changed everything and made the transitions away from the fixed backrounds that were so prominent in the originals but did it flawlessly. The RE games are th eonly game sI have played through mulitple times and RE4 was the ONLY game I have ever played through more than twice. The RE5 that keeps getting delayed for the 360 and PS3 is due out sometime in 2009 and I have GTA4, MGS4 and Resistance 2 to bridge the gap until it does. Your right on the money with the rest of them though.
Posted By: FCT (Guest) on May 19, 2008 at 11:22 AM
I take it that this was written by a seriously disturbed fan boy. How the h*ll can two of the best gaming franchises ever be the worst? I agree om RE loosing it's touch for a while, but it came back. Look at what they've done to Sonic, The Sims, Mortal Kombat. Do you want me to add more, that's worse?
Posted By: Anonymous (Guest) on May 19, 2008 at 11:44 AM
I don't think you could be more wrong about FF, RE, or SH. There are quite a few other franchises that would have been better fits for the list.
The others, yeah, I can see those.
Posted By: Gorvi (Guest) on May 19, 2008 at 12:05 PM
You're aware that the article title is "Six Game Franchises..." and you listed seven, right?
Anyway, what's to say about the RE franchise has already been said; I can't personally agree with its inclusion either, as RE4 did for that series what Sonic '06 TRIED to do for that franchise. (For the record, I wouldn't put Sonic out to pasture either--he just needs a proper reboot to get back on the right track. How many people wanted him in Brawl again? Exactly.) On the other hand, Silent Hill hasn't had much in the way of changed gameplay, so unless Homecoming brings something new to the table, I can see your point with that series.
Posted By: Hunter (Guest) on May 19, 2008 at 12:08 PM
What about Mario? He needs to away permanantly.
Posted By: Mr. Hankey (Guest) on May 19, 2008 at 12:12 PM
Have to disagree with Resident Evil. $ reinvented the whole franchise, and I wouldn't bet the farm if I was you about it not selling a million+ copies. Hate to see one of the writers of 411 homeless. The rest I can agree with, most definitely, although it is looking like Guitar Hero is adding a new feature, that if it works, could be really awesome, with the custom tracks thing.
To David R: you should really look up the definition of hypocrite. Because unless there is another column where he talks about how bad Madden is and how it needs to end, there is nothing hypocritical about not including it on this list.
Posted By: Toddo (Guest) on May 19, 2008 at 12:19 PM
This is a pretty piss poor list. I see Sonic has been mentioned several times, as has Mario Party. Hitman? Seriously? Because of the film? That was a cheap half assed attempt to cash in on the series, Blood Money was an excellent game that improved on every aspect of the earlier titles. It feels more like you glanced at your game collection and listed those you didn't like rather than actually think about series that have become stale crapheaps.
Posted By: Guest#4387 (Guest) on May 19, 2008 at 12:21 PM
I actually agree with this list except for Hitman. Each game in the Hitman series gets better and better. Besides that there is nothing else like Hitman.
Tony Hawk peaked at 2. After that they just sucked.
Posted By: Marcus (Guest) on May 19, 2008 at 12:38 PM
Why isnt Halo on that list?
Posted By: Derk (Guest) on May 19, 2008 at 12:55 PM
No one mentioned Dynasty warriors. Talk about dried up... I played the first few fanatically, The promise of fighting hundreds or thousands of soldier was great. You have the same characters, in the same historical time frame, with the same game play, it just gets tedious.
Posted By: Dan (Guest) on May 19, 2008 at 01:17 PM
Also, I definitely agree with Sonic, I haven't enjoyed a sonic game since it was 2D.
Posted By: Dan (Guest) on May 19, 2008 at 01:20 PM
So you want Resident Evil shutdown, yet make no mention of Madden? You sir ... are strange. No MegaMan? Ugh, so many things wrong with this article, not enough time to list. Worst ... list ... ever.
Posted By: daniel (Guest) on May 19, 2008 at 01:38 PM
4 is too much for Hitman? I loved the last game, really the only one I actually did like that much, so I'm hoping for something even better next time around...
but yeah I agree on pretty much all the rest, even Tony Hawk, which I used to love and have slowly grown to dread the release of, every year...
Sequels for the SAKE of sequels, not for enrichment of story or even for lack of a clientele actually wanting anything new, should stop being made.
Posted By: Drue (Guest) on May 19, 2008 at 01:56 PM
I know the definition of hypocrite. It was the wrong word (typo, if you will). Delusional would be the best word. The author of this column seems a bit delusional.
Posted By: David R (Guest) on May 19, 2008 at 02:12 PM
Resident Evil? You're going to include a franchise that completely changed it's mechanics (RE4), and say it needs to die? That's just dumb. Also, I think it's ridiculous that the list doesn't include Madden or Sonic, which are two franchises that need to go away. It's also worth noting that there will not be a Tony Hawk game in 2008 (as announced at an Activision business summit last week) so your information on some games is wrong as well.
Posted By: Epic Fail (Guest) on May 19, 2008 at 03:42 PM
Hitman? Final Fantasy? Resident Evil?
Hitman games are great, sure... next one they could sure do with mixing it up and adding a good story like in... 2? (Or was it 3, the one where you had a clone of yourself try to kill you anyway)
Final Fantasy seems to change with almost every game, the theme, story, characters, graphical style. It will never die either unless Japan sinks, and it shouldn't die either. It's one game that always benefits from advances in graphics because they always make such epic parts and cutscenes to the game.
Resident Evil games, how that made it to the list i dont even know, the franchise is strong. :/
You could have added (as already said) a lot of Mario + Sonic ideas, MADDEN games (dear god)... The Sims, etc.
Pretty terrible list.
Posted By: Fat (Guest) on May 19, 2008 at 04:49 PM
Now I know 99.9% of people here will disagree with me, but I am sick of the GTA series. I mean I was psyched about the release of the new game, but after 2 days play, I was bored as fuck. There are a few nice touches to the game that aren't in previous ones, but that's all they are little additions. The gameplay is the same shit I've been playing in the last 5 games, the missions follow the same blueprint as is used for all GTA games, and after playing all the previous games, I am sick of the same repetitive gameplay
Posted By: The Gunman (Guest) on May 19, 2008 at 05:41 PM
lol...kill the RE franchise ...
not innovative...RE4 started all these over the shoulder third person shooters
RE5 will probably be on of the best games on this generation of consoles...
also i dont think u've played any of the final fantasy games or u'll know that each game has a different storyline and method of playing.
hitman has only had four games...so i dont think it deserves to be on the list.
so all in all this is a pretty 5hitty list.
Posted By: guestoh (Guest) on May 19, 2008 at 07:40 PM
Wow I think 80% of the people that read this laugh. You include Resident Evil, Hitma, and even Final Fantasy, but you dont include things like Mario (Done about a million times), Madden, Other sport games, Crash bandicoot, zelda, nothin. The final fantasy series has evolved so much in each game, it shouldnt be here. Resident evil 4 completely re-invigorated the series. And hitman is a great game. THe movie wasnt as good though. Your list fails.
Posted By: Drake (Guest) on May 19, 2008 at 08:01 PM
Resident Evil was getting old then they released RE 4 which changed the series and made it fun again. But I agree they need good storylines. Regardless that game is sick on the Wii.
Posted By: JM (Guest) on May 19, 2008 at 08:29 PM
Mario??
Posted By: Pads (Guest) on May 19, 2008 at 10:06 PM
GTA (how about Rockstar as a company?) and the FPS genre could really use a good old putting down.
Posted By: chris (Guest) on May 19, 2008 at 10:34 PM
Why are people saying Mario? Did any of you actually play Galaxy? Mario Party 'jumped the shark', but Mario himself? No.
I agree with Guitar Hero. Some games (like Guitar Hero or Madden or SDvsRaw) should just be downloadable content from now on. Release new songs/stages/characters that way, instead of making people buy the same game over and over.
Posted By: Brent (Guest) on May 19, 2008 at 11:37 PM
Medal of Honour: Haven't played any since the first one on the PS1 but I have heard they bring nothing new to the table and I LOVE the Call Of Duty franchise so I agree here.
Hitman: I never really got played Hitman so I cant say...isn't it a little like Splinter Cell?
Final Fantasy: I liked number 8 but haven't played any of the others, not really my cuppa but millions of people cant be wrong!
Guitar Hero: I played number 2 and found it pretty fun but I agree that instead of releasing new versions each year they sound just have downloadable content.
Resident Evil: I loved the first 3 titles, especially Nemesis. I didnt play any of the other ones until RE4, which is still one of my favourite games.
Silent Hill: Haven't played any of them so I couldnt say, although I liked the film!
Tony Hawk: I played number 3 to death and loved it, tried number 4 and Underground but it just didn't feel right so I agree about this one.
I agree about sporting franchises; Madden, FIFA etc...not that I play them but it seems that each year it just gets an updated roster and slight graphical tweek. Another genre which needs downloadable content.
FPS' need a new injection of life. I have a friend who buys ALL the good ones, and whilst I enjoy playing them most of them bring nothing new to the table except Bioshock. Saying that though I can't suggest what needs to be done!
Posted By: Armitage Shanks (Guest) on May 20, 2008 at 04:52 AM
WTF??? Silent Hill and Resident Evil?!? You must be out of your mind. These games pioneered the survival horror genre. Once the new versions of these games come out I'm sure they will not be on anymore lists. However, I agree with the movie ideas based off these games being retired.
Posted By: Scott (Guest) on May 20, 2008 at 09:19 AM
Sonic should be at the top of this list- there hasn't been a decent sonic game in over a decade. As for everyone saying "Mario" I guess no ones played Galaxy here
Posted By: Ultra Gepetto (Guest) on May 20, 2008 at 12:45 PM
I am tired of the resident evil games too. What kind of president sends a man in to rescue his daughter with only a pistol. And has anyone at Capcom of heard of strafing. Move and shoot. I had a problem with this series ever since the get go. What happened to the stars team. TEAM. Would it honestly be that hard to make a rainbow six two to four player game of the stars w basic weapons and make the zombies or mega humans harder. Especially with our technology now. There are no excuses for it. Tired of one man on a mission sometimes outnumbered 20 to 1. Now make it 2 to 4 players outnumbered that way and you have a fun new aspect of the game. Make the characters different some are better shooters others are smarter. Not hard at all.
Posted By: x (Guest) on May 20, 2008 at 03:43 PM
As for the hitman series it is easy to restart that one. Make it a new person. Create your own hitmans look. that will instantly make it fresh. If you have created a woman with a big bust. Let her be able to use her body to seduce her way into some kills. If you create a big guy make let him be able to choke someone out or some other violent kills based on his size. Create a little gymnist and use the assassins creed mentality and have him be able to scale walls to get to the mark.
Posted By: x (Guest) on May 20, 2008 at 03:47 PM
Im gonna have to diagree with you on almost every single point here.
The Final Fantasy series is treasured for its storyline and innovative battle mechanics. You shouldn't knock games that you haven't played. Most people who have disliked the series will still agree that FFXII was one of the best FF games ever released. Also the Elder Scrolls games are in a whole different RPG category completely, don't compare them.
As for Resident Evil, well RE4 was rated as one of the greatest games ever made, completely redefining the 3rd person shooter genre, but we should probably cancel it, seeing as it just hit its prime.
Not every game needs a "fresh" new start. Some of these games are treasured because there the only companies still doing this thing right. Tearing down a franchise for the mere sake of tearing down isn't right. Just because you haven't played these games doesn't mean there terrible.
Posted By: Robert (Guest) on May 20, 2008 at 04:05 PM
I think that it's safe to say that everyone can agree that the Tony Hawk series needs to take a LONG sabbital.
Posted By: Johnny Kinard (Guest) on May 20, 2008 at 06:57 PM
I'm stunned at all of you defending Resident Evil by raving over RE4. It was okay, but I certainly didn't love it. First, having basically the whole game in shades of brown didn't work for me at all. Second, even after the learning curve I was never really comfortable with the shooting mechanics. Third, the excessive use of button pushing minigames killed major moments for me if it took multiple tries. And the best I could do to remember the plot is "creepy Napoleon looking guy unleashes Puppetmaster creatures on town". Haunting Ground shows what Capcom can do in this genre when they go to something new; they should try it more often.
I only played Hitman 2, and only two levels before screaming in frustration and cursing Eidos for making it. To quote another gamer: "He's RIGHT THERE, strangle him!"
Guitar Hero 3 was horrible and I'll be pissed at Activision for life over it, but by Rock the 80's the magic was fading, so I have to agree, just add new songs online, or innovate the duel mode.
Posted By: Shockmaster (Guest) on May 20, 2008 at 09:04 PM
While I agree with most that the FF games shouldn't be killed off, I do thnk they could take a break from making them and concentrate on a looooong overdue new entry into the chrono trigger series and a GOOD secret of mana game, and a new DQ game since VII was so good
Posted By: derek (Guest) on May 20, 2008 at 11:41 PM
"Why isnt Halo on that list?"
Oh, yeah. 3 games released over the course of SIX YEARS is so overkill.
Posted By: His Bubbliness (Guest) on May 21, 2008 at 04:56 PM
MoH - agreed
Hitman - I disagree. I think as a series Hitman has done the best job of any similar series of players playing the role of an assassin. Yes, a change in pace would be helpful, but that series isn't done yet, there's still a lot of room for innovation.
Final Fantasy - completely agreed. Whoever said these games have different stories and mechanics are wrong. The differences are mostly superficial outside of FFXII. What this series is, is a brand name that is used to to justify the constant reuse of old, poor ideas and that actually hurts Square Enix's production of other games because FF is their money hog. By all means, this needs a bullet to the brain.
Guitar Hero - Yes.
Residen Evil - I dunno. I love the old games and in truth all I wanted was a decent finale for the Umbrella story that Capcom never gave us. I don't think I'd be against it as RE4 and RE5 are pretty shallow and lack personality.
Silent Hill - in 5 attempts they produced one good game, so yeah, kill it with fire.
Tony Hawks - agreed.
Posted By: Sean McCabe (Guest) on May 22, 2008 at 09:05 AM
"Final Fantasy - completely agreed. Whoever said these games have different
stories and mechanics are wrong. The differences are mostly superficial outside
of FFXII. What this series is, is a brand name that is used to to justify the
constant reuse of old, poor ideas and that actually hurts Square Enix's
production of other games because FF is their money hog. By all means, this
needs a bullet to the brain." - Sean McCabe
obviously you have no idea what you are on about. find me a final fantasy game that has the same story as the previous one. secondly the game mechanics change all the time. sometimes just a few additions or a complete overhaul. you can't have a game series that has been on so many systems with the same mechanics. you sir are a idiot.
"I don't think
I'd be against it as RE4 and RE5 are pretty shallow and lack personality" - Sean McCabe
umm dude you do know RE5 hasn't been released yet and won't be for like a year...
so how can you call it shallow and lacking of personality.
dude you reek of noob.
lol
Posted By: dean (Guest) on May 25, 2008 at 12:21 PM
Dynasty Warriors (or maybe every Koei franchise) needs to be on this list. Rehash after rehash with barely enough tweaks to be able to market each game as a new version.
Posted By: Jason (Guest) on June 25, 2008 at 01:22 PM
Kingdom Hearts is the one who needs to die anyways. Ugh. I can't stand it.
Posted By: Fox (Guest) on January 30, 2009 at 03:15 AM
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