In your opinion, the franchises that went down hill this gen?
- Thread starter fluffydelusions
- Start date
TheRagnCajun
Member
All of them. The best new games this gen are all new ips.
Barry Burton
Member
First post gets it.
Series that went backwards: Resident Evil, Metal Gear, Splinter Cell, Max Payne, Silent Hill, Prince of Persia, Metroid, God of War, Grand Theft Auto. I'm sure there's more.
Certainly, the list of franchises that got better is a lot shorter. I guess Mario and Donkey Kong were both better on Wii than on GameCube. I suppose I should lump Zelda in there as well, since both Wii efforts were better than the disaster Wind Waker was, even if both games were disappointing in their own right. The series is still on an overall downward trend since the N64.
Boo! RE4, great game as it is, was the start of the franchise's downfall with its "survival horror for dummies" approach. In a lot of ways, the game ushered in the overall decline in game design that was to come, as it was one of the first big examples of a franchise abandoning its native genre altogether for something dumbed-down and tailored for the masses. MGS4 did the same thing a few years later when they made a game designed for fans of the MG story that didn't like the stealth gameplay of the older games (the main difference being that RE4 was very successful at being a good action game at the expense of survival horror, whereas MGS4 was neither a good action game nor stealth game).
I think it's more of a reflection on the depths that the franchise has gone since RE4 that creates the illusion of the RE4-era being some sort of "glory days" for the series. As much as I'd rather see the series return to the pre-RE4 roots (which, let's face it, isn't going to happen), I'd greet a return to the RE4-era with open arms. Which makes me incredibly sad.
REmake is a masterpiece, and I wish it got more recognition. It's Mikami's best game.
Series that went backwards: Resident Evil, Metal Gear, Splinter Cell, Max Payne, Silent Hill, Prince of Persia, Metroid, God of War, Grand Theft Auto. I'm sure there's more.
Certainly, the list of franchises that got better is a lot shorter. I guess Mario and Donkey Kong were both better on Wii than on GameCube. I suppose I should lump Zelda in there as well, since both Wii efforts were better than the disaster Wind Waker was, even if both games were disappointing in their own right. The series is still on an overall downward trend since the N64.
Boo! RE4, great game as it is, was the start of the franchise's downfall with its "survival horror for dummies" approach. In a lot of ways, the game ushered in the overall decline in game design that was to come, as it was one of the first big examples of a franchise abandoning its native genre altogether for something dumbed-down and tailored for the masses. MGS4 did the same thing a few years later when they made a game designed for fans of the MG story that didn't like the stealth gameplay of the older games (the main difference being that RE4 was very successful at being a good action game at the expense of survival horror, whereas MGS4 was neither a good action game nor stealth game).
I think it's more of a reflection on the depths that the franchise has gone since RE4 that creates the illusion of the RE4-era being some sort of "glory days" for the series. As much as I'd rather see the series return to the pre-RE4 roots (which, let's face it, isn't going to happen), I'd greet a return to the RE4-era with open arms. Which makes me incredibly sad.
REmake is a masterpiece, and I wish it got more recognition. It's Mikami's best game.
Avallon
Member
A series that came out this generation can go downhill. If the first was better than the second, which was better than the third, etc.
Acquiescence
Member
What is this garbage I'm reading? A series doesn't deteriorate based on when the installments are released, it deteriorates based on the content of the game itself. Fact of the matter is, judging by the gameplay footage released (and there was a hefty amount shown by IGN recently), the game is shaping up to be excellent. Of course, I'm not going to judge the merits of Sly 4 until it's actually out and I've played it.
seattle6418
Member
This gen was very hard on sequels. I would say most of the good games i played were new IP´s, with a few exeptions.
So many choices, it´s hard to pinpoint, but i´ll just give the ones i´ve played:
Need for Speed - Hot Pursuit and Underground were huge last gen, now with this burnoutification of the series, it just went downhill faster than you can imagine. Was one of my favorites, now i can´t even look at it.
NBA Live - Not only the series went downhill, it got killed during this gen
Madden - Once a juggernaut, never made any significant improvements, and looks like one of the series needing next gen the most.
Pro Evo Soccer - It was the king, now it´s almost irrelevant. Even the die hard fans think the series is shit now.
Splinter Cell - Never knew what to do this gen, and it was just a mess all around.
Colin McRae/Dirt - Changed the name, dropped any hopes of simulation and went completely arcade in a market that has no place for arcade rally games anymore. Will die soon.
---------------
I would like to mention two series that came back from dead this gen: Tomb Raider and Sonic. Lara was starting to come out of the wombs in Legend (360/PS2/PC release), but the real jump was in this gen. Sonic had generations, and that was a lot better then the PS2 days.
---------------
Also, i don´t get the hate for Silent Hill. Haven´t played the last one, but i think it´s still on par with last gen efforts. (my favorite is 4, so i know i have a crazy taste for the series).
In general you could say that 90% of all the few things that came out of japan this gen were garbage, and this really affected our generation. Hopefully they worked out their HD bugs and come back stronger, because we all suffered from they abysmal display of games in the last few years (few exceptions, to me the best ones were MGS4 and GT5).
So many choices, it´s hard to pinpoint, but i´ll just give the ones i´ve played:
Need for Speed - Hot Pursuit and Underground were huge last gen, now with this burnoutification of the series, it just went downhill faster than you can imagine. Was one of my favorites, now i can´t even look at it.
NBA Live - Not only the series went downhill, it got killed during this gen
Madden - Once a juggernaut, never made any significant improvements, and looks like one of the series needing next gen the most.
Pro Evo Soccer - It was the king, now it´s almost irrelevant. Even the die hard fans think the series is shit now.
Splinter Cell - Never knew what to do this gen, and it was just a mess all around.
Colin McRae/Dirt - Changed the name, dropped any hopes of simulation and went completely arcade in a market that has no place for arcade rally games anymore. Will die soon.
---------------
I would like to mention two series that came back from dead this gen: Tomb Raider and Sonic. Lara was starting to come out of the wombs in Legend (360/PS2/PC release), but the real jump was in this gen. Sonic had generations, and that was a lot better then the PS2 days.
---------------
Also, i don´t get the hate for Silent Hill. Haven´t played the last one, but i think it´s still on par with last gen efforts. (my favorite is 4, so i know i have a crazy taste for the series).
In general you could say that 90% of all the few things that came out of japan this gen were garbage, and this really affected our generation. Hopefully they worked out their HD bugs and come back stronger, because we all suffered from they abysmal display of games in the last few years (few exceptions, to me the best ones were MGS4 and GT5).
But that's not the discussion that the OP is presenting with this thread. Did you just start playing games six years ago?
PedroPanache
Member
Sometimes you have to be grateful for small mercies, and even though we didn't get a proper Suikoden game this gen, looking at the way Star Ocean and Final Fantasy got beaten into the ground, perhaps it was for the best.
Aquamarine
Member
I know...it's just been frustrating that Sony put the series on an 8 year hiatus.
I don't see how anyone can argue Mario. Do you not remember last gen? We got Mario Sunshine and that is about it. This gen we got 2 amazing 3D Mario games in the Galaxy series and a return to form in the 2D Marios.
Acquiescence
Member
You have got to be kidding me. Paradise and Crash versus the godly likes of Point of Impact, Takedown and Revenge. It's no contest - Burnout has deteriorated this gen.
Avallon
Member
Where does it say that in the OP?
In regards to your other question: I'm 25. I started gaming approximately 23 years ago.
Dark Octave
Banned
There is nothing in the OP that states that a series had to be around before this gen. He simply asks what series have gotten worse this gen, so it really only takes 2 games if the second game was worse than the first.
Yeah, that game overcame it's forced shoulder button controls for me it's so good.
ding-ding-ding
Winner!
Halo as well in my opinion.
Maybe the worst, Splinter Cell. Poor Fisher.
Raging Spaniard
If they are Dutch, upright and breathing they are more racist than your favorite player
You have got to be kidding me. Paradise and Crash versus the godly likes of Point of Impact, Takedown and Revenge. It's no contest - Burnout has deteriorated this gen.
Ooooh noooo, not the laughing gif. Im so ashamed!
3 was my personal favorite, but Revenge and Paradise are better games.
Fuck....I forgot about star ocean.. this gen just has not been kind to jrpgs as a whole especially in reguards to the classic franchises.
Kind of funny that level 5 seems like they are about to release the jrpg I have wanted all this gen. I generally like level 5, but I would have expected it from Square abit more readily.
Kind of funny that level 5 seems like they are about to release the jrpg I have wanted all this gen. I generally like level 5, but I would have expected it from Square abit more readily.
BigTnaples
Todd Howard's Secret GAF Account
It's pretty obviously what the OP meant. Otherwise it would have just been "game franchises that have gone down hill".
This conversation is about franchises that got worse as they entered this gen, not franchises that born and died on this gen.
Not really a tough concept...
PedroPanache
Member
A return to form suggests that were actually bad 2D Marios. I like the Wii and DS games, but they can't hold a candle to Super Mario World.
Avallon
Member
That's your interpretation. The OP just asks which game franchises got worse in this generation.
Alright, fair enough. It's boring it say UC2 is better than UC3, but I suppose that's within the question presented. Still, given the examples in the op, I was under the impression that we were talking series that have crashed out this gen. Meaning, expectations were that they would get better on better hardware, not worse.
Also gets my vote. It's like the had the (almost) perfect formula and scrapped everything to make these atrocities.
BigTnaples
Todd Howard's Secret GAF Account
You're say Halo 2 to games like 3, ODST, Reach and Halo 4 is a dowhill trend?
Halo 2 was by far the worst of those games. (Though I still loved it).
Muddy textures, barely any sandbox, a story that literally had the last 3rd of it cut out, unpolished campaign. Etc. the multiplayer was great especially for its time, but every aspect of Halo got better this gen...
IMO of course,
PedroPanache
Member
I think everyone would like to forget Star Ocean. This generation basically killed my love of JRPG's stone dead. There may be some kind of redemption for the genre in Ni No Kuni, but pretty much every JRPG developer has found themselves woefully out of their depth in the HD era.
Not really. I thought NSMB Wii was fantastic, probably just below SMW but tied with SMB3. I can't say anything about the DS games since I never played them.
Only previous generation franchise that slightly disappointed me this generation was Grand Theft Auto. GTAIV was a beauty to look at but it didn't feel like it had all the stuff San Andreas did so it felt slightly "downhill" from what I got from San Andreas but it was still fun.. But other than that I've been ok with this generation of older franchises I'm familiar with.
Killzone 2 was better of the first, imho.
True. It's still a really mediocre franchise but 1 was just really bad for its time.
Avallon
Member
Batman
Naaah, 2 is ok, mediocre is too much.
Wipeout?
pants
Member
Monster Hunter, Yakuza, Phantasy Star
BigTnaples
Todd Howard's Secret GAF Account
Killzone
Halo
Turok
Deus Ex
Fallout
Battlefield
Call of Duty
Red Dead
Forza
Far Cry (debatable)
Watch Da Birdie
I buy cakes for myself on my birthday it's not weird lots of people do it I bet
Donkey Kong, man. First non-spin off since the SNES days (although I do like Jungle Beat).
Kirby too.
BaroqueSampson
Member
People talking about fighting games are blowing my mind. We're in a golden age right now. SFIV is still insanely popular, competitive, and incredibly fun. Sure, it's technically easier than Third Strike, but it's still an amazingly solid game.
And Tekken? TTT2 is one of the best Tekken games hands down.
And Tekken? TTT2 is one of the best Tekken games hands down.
shinobi602
Member
Say what
SmokedMeat
Gamer™
Metroid is the only that comes to mind
Silent Hill took the biggest hit. Downpour was a step in the right direction, but they definitely implemented some awful ideas (limiting the weapons you can carry and the "run away" sequences). Next is probably Resident Evil. The last generation ended on a major high note: REmake, Zero, and 4 were awesome. Now they're just a bunch of Xtr3me Brosef games, like everything else...
FUNKNOWN iXi
Member
In terms of gameplay?
The entire FPS genre. Seriously, where's my Halo 1/2? Where's my Turok 2: Seeds of Evil? Where's my Unreal Championship on OG Live?
The loose controls and lack of unique weapons N64 Turok spoiled me with are what turned me off about that game ;[
People can say what they want about PDZ, but that game had some slick weapons.
The entire FPS genre. Seriously, where's my Halo 1/2? Where's my Turok 2: Seeds of Evil? Where's my Unreal Championship on OG Live?
The loose controls and lack of unique weapons N64 Turok spoiled me with are what turned me off about that game ;[
Cerebral Bore!
BigTnaples
Todd Howard's Secret GAF Account
Turok Evolution to Turok reboot is a great leap. Turok on 360 was a solid 8-8.5. Gets way too much hate here.
Now from n64 to last gen the series definitely went downhill.
Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil, Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Dead or Alive, Marvel vs Capcom, Tales of, Tekken, Soul Calibur, Pokemon, and many more.