Most of history’s greatest games have come in franchises. After all, if you have one good game, why not make another one like it?
This similarity has propelled a lot of franchises through the years, but arguably the biggest impact in the overall direction of videogame development has come from when devs try to specifically break from previous titles.
These ten titles all come with a pedigree, but they dared to be different and transformed their franchises in the process.
10
Metro Exodus
The Tunnel Rats Go Exploring
4A Games spawned when four developers ditched the STALKER team to make their own game, based on the Metro novels by Russian author Dmitry Glukhovsky.
Metro 2033 and Metro Last Light painted a grim picture of life in the post-nuclear underground, but the game went in a completely new direction with Metro Exodus in 2019.
Exodus ditched the linear horror gameplay of its predecessors and instead went down the survival route. The game has vast open-world maps and not one trader in sight.
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Some fans of the older style dislike the direction the series went down, but the exploration and elevated production value make Metro Exodus stand out on its own.
9
Fallout 3
The Atomic Scrolls
Fallout launched in 1997 to rave reviews and enjoyed three titles and spin-offs that were broadly well received.
This was a popular series with a lot of soul, but when you mention Fallout today, no one thinks of Black Isle Studios, and that’s because everyone thinks of the Bethesda era.
The creators of The Elder Scrolls acquired the rights to the franchise in 2007 and launched Fallout 3 in 2008.
People sometimes jokingly call it “Nuclear Oblivion,” but that is endearing. Fallout 3 introduced an open world and survival like never seen before, with revolutionary mechanics that make you forget the poor combat and weak story.
Pokémon: Legend of Arceus
8
Pokémon Legends: Arceus
Exploring Old Hokkaido
- Platform(s)
-
Switch
- Released
-
- Engine
-
Proprietary Engine
- ESRB
-
e
- How Long To Beat
-
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Mighty
From its inception in 1996, the Pokémon game series has followed a straightforward format: you approach the professor, pick up a starting Pokémon, and then set off in a whimsical top-down adventure where every turn could mean a hostile encounter.
This gameplay loop has stayed intact even with the latest Pokémon titles, but there is a rogue element that has revitalized the franchise.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus came out in 2022, and with it came the best Pokémon title in years. This is an open-world game where you explore Hokkaido and the wild Pokémon on the island.
Arceus lets you progress at your own pace and has earned the moniker of “Breath of the Wild with Pokémon“, which is quite the honor considering the popularity of the Zelda title.
7
Assassin’s Creed Origins
Beyond Parkour
For years, Ubisoft cemented its place as the prime supplier of historical parkour. The first nine (yes, you read that right) entries had a very formulaic approach, with varying degrees of success, might I add, to movement and combat.
Assassin’s Creed Origins took what worked in previous games and then binned the rest, offering a more open, fun, and expansive adventure. This is the first title that completely sheds the pretense of realism or historical accuracy, going all in on things that Ubisoft considered fun.
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The combat is also very different, locked in a “shield on the left, weapon on the right” Soulslike format that players either love or hate.
This is a game about exploration first and foremost, and it opened a Pandora’s Box in the debate on what makes an Assassin’s Creed title.
6
Battlefield Bad Company
A Single-Player Breakthrough
- Released
-
June 23, 2008
- Developer
-
DICE
- Engine
-
Frostbite
- ESRB
-
m
Ever since the halcyon days of the Wake Island demo, Battlefield has had a simple formula: spawn, rush to the flag, and capture it.
Battlefield 1942 tried to disguise it with a “campaign” that played the battles in chronological order, and you could “lose” the war by having one too many defeats. But that wasn’t fooling anyone.
So, Inspired by the success of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, DICE repurposed the best combat elements of Battlefield 2 into an actual campaign. One that would actually serve as something out of left field for the series.
Powered by the revolutionary Frostbite engine, Battlefield: Bad Company added what Battlefield had been missing for years: a single-player purpose.
The concept reached its zenith with Battlefield 3, and players hope the upcoming series reboot will bring it back to its glory days.
5
Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
The First Jedi Classic
- Franchise
-
Star Wars
- Released
-
March 26, 2002
- Multiplayer
-
Local Multiplayer
- Engine
-
id Tech 3
- ESRB
-
t
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Weak
Star Wars: Dark Forces was a 2D first-person shooter released in 1995 by the defunct LucasArts. The studio released its sequel, Jedi Knight, in 1997, following a similar format.
The games had an interesting plot and decent execution within its limited technical means, but nothing could have prepared players for the 2002 entry.
Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast introduced a (then) beautiful semi-open world using the ID Tech 3 engine introduced by Quake III Arena.
Jedi Outcast had dynamic AI, lightsabers that could burn walls and dismember enemies, and as many Force abilities as you could fit on the F-keys. All of that combined in the greatest bearded scoundrel Star Wars ever created.
4
Ghost Recon Wildlands
Going Narco
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon was a pioneer tactical shooter introduced in 2001, and shockwaves caused by its release are still present in every major FPS today.
As time went on, Ghost Recon moved to a more accessible format that took more creative liberties, focusing on the developers’ vision for what combat would look like in the future.
All of that changed in 2017 when Ubisoft took a major gamble with Ghost Recon Wildlands.
Instead of chasing grandiose plots involving superpowers, Wildlands drops you off in the biggest open world map ever made.
Your team of four is all alone in Bolivia, supported only by a CIA officer of dubious morals, and a rebel group that does not inspire trust. This is special ops GTA, in the most beautiful way possible.
3
Final Fantasy VII
The Inception of the Modern JRPG
In 1997, SquareSoft launched yet another entry in the Final Fantasy series. This ambitious project was unlike any other game in the franchise and became the standard to beat for modern RPGs.
Final Fantasy VII completely switched up the focus of the game, moving from medieval-inspired fantasy to a heavily industrialized cyberpunk dystopia where a single company vies to control the Planet for its resources.
The environmentalist themes introduced in Final Fantasy VII are still relevant today, perhaps more than ever.
The game has a set of characters so dynamic that it has spawned multiple spin-offs, including a blockbuster film, and a remake that has set sales records for the PlayStation 4 and 5.
Any turn-based RPG made in the last 30 years is measured against Final Fantasy VII, as it should be.
2
Helldivers 2
For Super Earth
- Franchise
-
Helldivers
- Released
-
February 8, 2024
- Developer(s)
-
Arrowhead Game Studios
- Publisher(s)
-
Sony
- Multiplayer
-
Online Co-Op
- Engine
-
bitsquid
- ESRB
-
M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence
- Metascore
-
83
- Platforms That Support Crossplay
-
PC & PS5
- Number of Players
-
1-4
- PS Plus Availability
-
N/A
- OpenCritic Rating
-
Strong
- Cross-Platform Play
-
PC & PS5
In 2015, Swedish developer Arrowhead Game Studios put out Helldivers. This was a cute little top-down shooter where you and your friends help Super Earth maintain its managed democracy by shooting everything in sight.
In 2024, the franchise went from a niche small game to a best-selling live-action phenomenon with Helldivers 2, switching the top-down approach to a third-person gunnery fest.
The second title in the series leans hard on the tropes of the Starship Troopers film adaptation, where you and your friends are psycho super soldiers guided only by bloodlust and a love for democracy. As it should be.
1
Grand Theft Auto 3
The Open World Revolution
No franchise transformation had as big an impact on the gaming industry as a whole as that of Grand Theft Auto. The first two titles were top-down racing games where, as the title implies, you stole cars.
The second game leaned a bit harder on the criminal side of things, allowing you to shoot your way out of situations (and into a high wanted rating), but it was still all about driving.
Everything changed in 2001 when Rockstar put out Grand Theft Auto 3. You could now roam the streets freely in the third person, completing missions, picking fights, and just being an overall threat to society.
GTA 3 was a technological wonder for its time, with a previously unseen volume of 3D models, audio lines, and interactive elements. The concept would only fully mature with GTA: Vice City the year after, but it was GTA 3 that got the ball rolling.
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