5 Video Game Franchises That Died This Decade (& 5 That Came Back To Life)

Nintendo’s surprise Smash Bros. Ultimate reveal was the addition of Banjo-Kazooie as a DLC fighter , something that seems incredible considering that Microsoft owns the license to the franchise. But many fans were hoping for more than just a cameo in a fighting game, they wanted a full-fledged Banjo-Kazooie title – something that apparently just isn’t in the cards right

One of the big selling points for the Xbox Game Pass service is the fact that it has all of Microsoft’s first-party games, and this includes the entire Gears of War franchise. Every Gears of War game offers local co-op for the campaign, and Gears of War 2 onward also features Horde Mode as well. Players can play through the entire Gears of War saga from the beginning on Xbox Game Pass, all the way up to the most recent main series game, Gears 5 . The games have all aged well for the most part, offering players intense, action-packed campaigns that are a blast to play through in local co

Children of Morta is a rogue-like action-RPG that has players take members of the Bergson family through dangerous dungeons, battling monsters, leveling up, and earning things for their home. The game has a great sense of progression and a lot of forward momentum, so even in failure, players always feel like they’re making a difference. Playing through Children of Morta with a friend in couch co-op makes the game that much more fun, and with each Bergson family member being distinctly different from each other, the game caters to a lot of different play-styles and preferen

Some may not even realize this, but it’s possible to play through Fable 2 in local co-op. The second player takes on the role of a henchman, and they can transfer any gold or items they earn into their own saved game. Admittedly, Fable 2 ‘s local co-op mode does feel a little tacked on, and it doesn’t really enhance the main game much, but it’s great for just messing around and wreaking havoc across Albion with a fri

Sam Fisher has to be one of the biggest crossover characters in games right now, being featured in multiple events and various Ubisoft mobile games. When Ghost Recon: Wildlands ran an event featuring the Third Echelon agent, fans were almost certain that a Splinter Cell game was on the horizon. But, another year has passed and still no new game has been announced. As if that wasn’t enough, there’s a rumor that no new Splinter Cell game is even in active development right

At the beginning of the Square Enix E3 2019 presentation, fans received a very long glimpse at the Final Fantasy 7 Remake . A lengthy trailer also provided another glimpse at the game including the new combat mechanics , boss battles, and previously unrevealed characters like Tifa Lockhart and Sephiroth. The trailer helped win over many fans who were worried about the game’s lengthy development cycle and phased roll out pl

Mafia 2 is a 1940s and early 50s mobster game inspired by classic movies like The Godfather and Goodfellas . It was updated and remastered for the PS4 and Xbox Developer Direct One, but it wasn’t as definitive as the remake of Mafia’s first ti

The Mass Effect trilogy is a crowning achievement in gaming. These three titles came together to tell one epic story, and players’ decisions in one game influenced events in the sequel. After wrapping up the trilogy, BioWare got to work on a successor, Mass Effect: Andromeda . This new story came out to a lackluster reception due to its buggy nature and unexciting gamep

The Rabbids kind of kicked Rayman out of his own franchise for a while, and the last true Rayman game before the Wii party game, Rayman 3 , didn’t live up to its predecessors. 2011 saw a return to form, however, with Rayman: Origins . The 2D side-scrolling platformer brought back all the charm, difficulty, and engaging gameplay from the character’s debut. Origins and its sequel are often seen as two of the best in the genre from the past ten ye

There are pretty much endless rumors about what Rocksteady will wind up releasing next. Word of everything from a Superman game to a Nightwing Arkham City spin-off have made the rounds at this point, but the developer still hasn’t come out and said what it is working on. Fans had anticipated some news during this E3 but had their hopes dashed when Rocksteady Co-Founder and Game Director Sefton Hill stated that the studio would be staying at home in London during E3 to work on the studio’s “next big proje

Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass service has been a huge hit for the company so far, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. Xbox Game Pass gives subscribers over 100 games to play representing all kinds of genres, including plenty of local co-op ga

Following all of the rumors/leaks surrounding an upcoming Fable game, we now know that the title is indeed in the works. Despite the fact that the game is already in development, there was nothing on it during Microsoft’s E3 2019 presentation and it did not tell us why.