Highlights
- Games like Helldivers 2 show how a new perspective can reinvent the gameplay experience.
- Resident Evil 7 's shift to first-person brought back the series' horror roots effectively.
- Final Fantasy 15 's modern take and real-time combat offer a fresh twist on the RPG genre.
A good number of games have made a splash in the industry right off the bat, or with just a few entries in their franchise. Studios might see that a given formula is working for them or the rest of the industry, and decide to keep going with that trend. And honestly, it may work.
8 Linear Sequels & Spin-Offs To Open-World Games
It's not uncommon for a game series to become open-world as it gains popularity, but these series did the opposite and became more linear instead.
But other times, that formula just doesn't cut it anymore. Whether a game or series has run an idea into the ground, or that idea failed to yield great initial results, the only option left would be to try something new. The result is a game that might share themes or gameplay elements with its prequel, but offers an entirely new experience.
1 Helldivers 2
A Top-Down Shooter Becomes A Third-Person Shooter
As human, bug, and automaton parts get tossed about in equal measure, it becomes clear that the player is not meant to live long in this world. But with a little teamwork, they might make it through a few more mission objectives.
While the guts of Helldivers remain the same, Helldivers 2 takes the camera and brings it closer to the explosive action. This means that buddies have to watch each other's backs even closer if they want to spread managed democracy through the cosmos, with gameplay reminiscent of Metal Gear Solid 5 rather than the original game.
2 Grand Theft Auto 3
A Top-Down Arcade Game Becomes A Third-Person Open-World Adventure
Grand Theft Auto 3
- Platform(s)
- PS2 , Xbox (Original) , PC , macOS , Android , iOS
- Released
- October 23, 2001
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Genre(s)
- Action , Adventure
GTA 3 revolutionized the modern open-world gaming experience while placing fans squarely in the shoes of a morally bankrupt protagonist. It was now possible to terrorize the streets of a fully 3D-rendered Liberty City and become more immersed than ever before.
7 Darkest Endings In The Grand Theft Auto Games, Ranked
The best Grand Theft Auto games involve plenty of crime and violence, so it's no wonder that some of their endings are truly dark.
But before it did any of this, the series was a run-of-the-mill, top-down action-adventure title. These first few games are where some of the series' staples originated, like the criminal main character, or fun radio stations that play in the car. However, GTA 3 is where the game truly came into its own.
3 Resident Evil 7
Leaving The Tank-Like Third-Person Scheme For Immersive First-Person
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
- Platform(s)
- PS5 , PS4 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , Xbox One , Switch , Stadia , PC
- Released
- January 24, 2017
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
The mainline Resident Evil Series has gone through a number of large shifts over the years. From first being about hard survival-horror elements with fixed camera angles, to eventually incorporating 3rd-person-shooter action, all of which run the gamut in terms of quality.
Resident Evil 7's release showed players that Capcom hadn't forgotten the series' roots, though. Grounding the story in a single house in the middle of a swamp, the game managed to make players feel isolated in genuine fear, thanks in no small part to its first-person perspective.
4 Final Fantasy 15
A Real-Time Action RPG, Instead Of The Usual Turn-Based
Typically, an anthology, the series' fantastical elements got a more modern look and feel in Final Fantasy 15. Characters are decked out in leather and are given a car to accompany their chocobo. The game's combat is also real-time action-focused instead of the usual turn-based affair.
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Here's how the highest-rated Final Fantasy games did on Metacritic, ranked by their exact scores.
Players will still battle every manner of beast and armored knight, but it's hard to escape the chill road trip vibe that the game gives off, and that is wholly unique to Final Fantasy 15. Luckily, for those looking for a more straightforward FF experience, later chapters in the game reign in the scope, from an open world to a more linear one.
5 Fallout 3
A Turn-Based RPG Becomes A First-Person RPG
Fallout has always been a bit on the nose with its satirical themes of American stoicism, to the point where it wouldn't be a stretch to call the games a little goofy at times. Regardless, the first 2 games were both commercially and critically applauded for establishing a wasteland with many interesting people and situations to get involved with.
So it was certainly a shock when the main series burst back onto the scene, after a few spin-offs, as an excellent first-person shooter. The best part was that it still retained its excellent RPG elements that allowed players to shape their story how they see fit.
6 Titanfall 2
Gives Players A Single-Player Campaign Mode
The exclusion of a story mode in the original Titanfall was certainly...a choice. One that played a major part in the game's quick demise. And yet Respawn saw fit to give the series another go, putting out what many critics consider to be one of the best campaigns in a modern FPS, period.
Titanfall 2 included a lot of what the original established, from weapons, to gunplay, to the amazing verticality of movement, all packaged in a fun buddy-comedy between a man and his robot friend. It's all so good, in fact, that it just makes the game's flop all the more tragic.
7 Jak 2
A Bolder New Open-World Action Game
Jak 2
- Released
- October 14, 2003
- Developer(s)
- Naughty Dog
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure , Third-Person Shooter
Naughty Dog decided to re-brand their flagship franchise, Jak and Daxter, dropping the furry companion's name from the title. Further, Jak 2 adopted a full open-world, third-person shooter elements, and has a setting that serves as a great entry point for newbies to the games.
The game went full Grand Theft Auto clone in the best way possible, allowing players to do things like hijack cars and get chased by guards. Arguably, the platforming action was more focused in the first game, but every new element that Jak 2 incorporates seems to come together as if it was always
8 Red Dead Redemption
An Open-World Western Adventure
Red Dead Redemption
- Released
- May 18, 2010
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar San Diego
- Genre(s)
- Open-World , Adventure
Red DeadRevolver had one of the wildest gaming glow-ups ever, trading in its mission-based arcade-style action gameplay, for a mature open-world cowboy romp. Now, instead of cartoonish, tongue-in-cheek enemies, like Pig Josh, players got nuanced antagonists like Dutch Van Der Linde.
Red Dead Redemption 2: 11 Actors Who Could Play Arthur Morgan
If Red Dead Redemption 2 gets a TV or movie adaptation, the following eleven actors would be great choices to play Arthur Morgan.
Red Dead Redemption came onto the scene during a time when Rockstar was becoming truly distinguished. In many ways, it helped to solidify the studio's legendary status, as it was the beginning of an incredible streak of high-quality output.
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Releasing nothing but sequels can create stagnation, but waiting too long to release a sequel can also hurt a game franchise.