Over the decades we have seen some really incredible video game franchises launch into the market. Some of these franchises are still going strong to this very day and while they may have altered some of the gameplay mechanics and genres, it’s always thrilling to see what how the next incarnation of the game does with the latest generation of platforms.
With that said there are some video game franchises that were killed off from a single video game. In some cases, the gameplay was so poorly received that the IP owners just gave up faith on the franchise altogether. Some of the franchises were also big hits and continues to have a strong cult following with fans hoping that a new installment or reboot will be announced.
We have listed out ten video game titles that may have ultimately killed off their video game franchise forever.
Dino Crisis 3
It’s actually a bit surprising that we haven’t seen this game receive a new installment or reboot. Dino Crisis is often described as Resident Evil but with dinosaurs and other monsters that lurk the environment. This series has only three main installments with the last being Dino Crisis 3, a game that launched for the Xbox in 2003.
Again, this is a survival horror title that played out similar to the Resident Evil franchise and while the latter was able to continue on with new releases and spinoff titles, Dino Crisis has remained dormant. Unfortunately, the third game was a bit mixed in response but even with its mixed response, there was still a cult following eagerly awaiting for a Dino Crisis 4.
Now years have passed by with only rumors and wishes from fans that Capcom would go back to the series for current generation consoles. Sadly, none of the rumors have rung true so we’re left waiting to see if Capcom will surprise fans with a Dino Crisis revival in the near future.
Medal of Honor Warfighter
There have been all sorts of FPS video games over the years with Medal of Honor being available on a wide selection of platforms. The series had its ups and downs with most of the games actually taking place in historical wars such as World War II. However, in 2012 we would receive the last installment to the franchise.
Medal of Honor: Warfighter launched for the PC, PlayStation 3, and lastly, Xbox 360. Overall, the game follows the events of Medal of Honor, a 2010 reboot to the franchise. As a result, the story was expanded on within the campaign along with the standard multiplayer component for players to face against each other. However, when the title was finally available for purchase, gamers found Medal of Honor: Warfighter to be lacking in the visuals department along with the gameplay having poor AI and a variety of bugs.
Because the game shipped well below the numbers EA had originally estimated the franchise was put on hold with publishers focusing more on the successful Battlefield franchise.
Red Faction Armageddon
Red Faction was a hit when it released in 2001 and since then the franchise has spawned three other installments. The game series had seen a transformation of its gameplay mechanics over the years though fans still enjoyed each installment with Red Faction: Guerrilla being immensely praised for its open-world gameplay and destructible environments.
Developers Volition and publishers THQ was also hoping to capitalize on the success of Red Faction: Guerrilla with the release of Red Faction: Armageddon. But instead, the developers were met with poor sales. Instead of going with the open world design, developers decided to make the game completely the opposite as it featured close quarter levels and a linear progression system.
The title was such a letdown for fans of the series that THQ suffered big and likely played a role in the company later going bankrupt. Now THQ has been acquired by Nordic Games though there has been no word on when or if a new Red Faction title will ever be released into the market.
Dead space 3
The survival horror genre doesn’t seem to be lacking with video game releases though few seem to last very long in terms of receiving new installments. Some of these games even lose the initial vision of the franchise such as Dead Space. This was a beloved survival horror series that contained three main installments.
It’s unfortunate how Dead Space 3 turned out as the first two titles were rather solid survival horror games. Dead Space 3 featured a more action horror experience with micro-transactions. This was apparently EA’s doing as the developers were looking for a similar experience with the first installment but was forced into making significant changes. After failing to meet the high expectations set for the game, Visceral Games was shutdown along with EA shelving the franchise.
Banjo-Kazooie Nuts & Bolts
Banjo-Kazooie is an iconic platformer that first came out in 1998 for the Nintendo 64. This game was such a huge hit that it influenced other platforming video games over the years so it was a big surprise that a new title for the series was announced in 2008. Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts was Rare’s latest take on their classic series for the Xbox 360.
This latest installment contained most of the same mechanics that were present in the past video game releases though the game did make a few changes to keep the franchise fresh. Over the months the game managed to surpass a hundred thousand units with the game also being included in Rare’s compilation disc, Rare Replay for the Xbox One. Despite the amount of units the developers were able to move for the last Banjo-Kazooie game, ten years have passed with no signs of developers going back to the franchise anytime soon.
