5 Gaming Franchises We’d Like To See Again

Some franchises, without naming names, outlive their welcome with sequel after sequel pumped out every single year. Others die out after a single installment. The reasons for this are many - it could be that the developer simply wants to move on to another project; it could be that the publisher decides the sales of the last game weren’t high enough to justify funding a new game in the series.

Here’s our list of 5 gaming franchises that we’d like to see returning to our screens.

5. Viva Pinata

Viva Pinata was Rare’s attempt at the strategy genre on the Xbox 360, and it was excellent. Confining players to small space - even after it had been fully upgraded and expanded - was a stroke of genius, as it forced players to really think about how to plan their garden. A small army of adorable papier mache critters and a colorful, cartoon-like aesthetic meant that many mistook it for a kid’s game; but make no mistake, Viva Pinata has depth in spades. You need to meet different requirements in order to entice every creature into your garden, but doing so may mean that you need to redesign the layout. You can only house a limited number of creatures, so you’ll find yourself having to make difficult decisions about what to keep and what to release back into the world. Viva Pinata received a sequel, a (terrible) minigame compilation, a port to the Nintendo DS, and a short-lived cartoon series. Despite its ignominious slide into obscurity, it remains one of the best management games of the last generation, and we’d love to see a fresh take on it. If only Rare could tear themselves away from producing rubbish Kinect games…

4. System Shock

Forget Bioshock; System Shock 2 was the highpoint of Ken Levine’s career. An epic sci-fi horror RPG, players explored the derelict spaceship Von Braun. While it looks dated now, it remains extremely atmospheric and playable. Filled to the brim with scares, tension and an incredible script, System Shock 2 is quite possibly one of the best games ever made. It also has an iconic gaming villain in Shodan. While she doesn’t reveal herself until late into the game’s story, she does so with pure malice, ensuring that you’ll never forget her.

“Look at you, hacker: a pathetic creature of meat and bone, panting and sweating as you run through my corridors. How can you challenge a perfect, immortal machine?”

Ken Levine went on to create Bioshock. As good as that series is, it gutted much of the depth that System Shock was known for. How can he rectify that? Simple: He can give us System Shock 3. Go on, Ken - you know you want to.

3. Jade Empire

These days, Bioware is best known for Dragon Age and Mass Effect. But back in 2007, they released Jade Empire. Built on the same gameplay foundations as Knights of the Old Republic, Jade Empire differentiated itself from previous offerings through its oriental setting. There aren’t many RPGs that cast you as a kung-fu master in a fantasy world, and nothing since has come close to replicating the mix of deep, character-driven writing with martial-arts bad-assery. Jade Empire was a true classic and thanks to a lovely artstyle, its graphics still hold up well today. With deep combat, a well-written story and plenty of replayability thanks to its morality system, the game remains incredibly playable. We’ve had 3 installments of Mass Effect now, we’re coming up to 3 installments of Dragon Age; but, criminally, we haven’t been treated to a sequel to Jade Empire. Come on Bioware - tear yourself away from your space operas and your D&D fantasies - give us the sequel we really want.

2. Bully

Titled Canis Canem Edit outside of the States - thanks to some questionable censorship decisions - Bully saw players inhabiting the shoes of Jimmy Hopkins, a teenage delinquent newly enrolled in Bullworth Academy. While the game lacked the ultra-violence which Rockstar has become known for, it nevertheless remained an excellent game. Players could play truant from lessons, explore the world, and a vibrant cast of characters - all of whom had their own name and personality - ensured that the town of Bullworth felt like a coherent, living world. Interestingly, it also belongs in the same universe as Grand Theft Auto - both franchises reference each other on occasion. Bully has yet to receive a sequel, but Rockstar has hinted over the years that it would like to return to the world of Bullworth.

Here’s hoping they do.

1. Knights of the Old Republic

Another Bioware classic, Knights of the Old Republic took George Lucas’ classic universe and reimagined it as a deep, mature RPG experience. Set thousands of years before the films, Bioware were at liberty to explore themes and ideas without being hampered by needing to stick too closely to established lore. And boy, did they deliver. The revelation at the center of the first game remains one of the biggest “WTF” moments in gaming, while the second game - developed by Obsidian and famously rushed out by LucasArts before it was finished - added a much needed gray area to the franchise’s traditionally black and white morality.

Sure, we have Star Wars: The Old Republic - an MMO that holds the record for being the most expensive game ever created. Unfortunately, it’s not what players wanted; they wanted another deep single-player experience, not the need to run through the same areas over and over and over again. Not to mention that SW:TOR makes a mockery of Revan’s legacy from the previous games.

So then, Bioware: Can we have Knights of the Old Republic 3 now? Please?

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Dale Morgan

Founder, Editor in Chief

When Dale isn't crying over his keyboard about his never-ending workload, he's playing games - lots of them. Dale has a particular love for RPGs, Roguelikes and Metroidvanias.