We love stories. It’s ingrained in us from childhood – we root for a hero, and want to see them go on that hero’s journey – one with a beginning, middle, and end. And that last bit is key – there’s an importance to finality. Every great story needs a coda.
But we gamers, in a year or two, can usually pick up where we left off.
These days, when we finish a game, we can often take comfort in the fact that a sequel, prequel, spinoff – hell, even DLC – isn’t too far away. Sure, there are the occasional titles that stand on their own and choose not to go on, but generally speaking, even the greatest standalone games eventually become franchises.
Until they don’t anymore.
Some game series decide that they’ve told all the story they can tell. Sometimes, the studio goes bankrupt, or decides not to continue. But in all of the following cases, we wanted more.
Twisted Metal
While it’s only been a few years since the last release of a Twisted Metal game, the last release didn’t exactly set the world on fire, and all signs have pointed to 2012’s outing being the last in the franchise. Still, the mayhem of Sweet Tooth and company was something we never knew we wanted until we had it. Younger gamers may not know that the franchise pre-dates GTA, and was one of the first times you could truly cause 3D mayhem with a vehicle.
Grandia
Grandia came out right at the height of the late 90’s JRPG boom, and with its innovative combat, engaging characters and story, it quickly became a favorite for those who played it. It spawned two direct sequels, a couple of spinoffs, and even an MMO. But after the latter was shut down in 2012, it doesn’t look like we’ll be seeing anymore out of the franchise for the foreseeable future.
Lemmings
Lemmings was one of the first games to employ methods that would later be expanded on by Real-Time Strategy games – as you had to quickly deploy bombers, climbers, floaters, blockers, and more to reach your objective. It was great strategy and great fun, and the sequels and remakes it led to were as well. Sadly, there are no plans for a new Lemmings game.
Quake
The Quake series of games were some of the most exciting FPS games of their generations, paving the way for countless franchises that you know and love today. Unlike the Doom series, which still has its legs, it doesn’t appear that there will be another entry here – the last title debuted in September 2007 and there hasn’t been any indication since then that the series would be returning.
Zone of the Enders
Kojima’s Zone of the Enders franchise was good, mech-based fun. With great critical success but moderate sales, this franchise, though beloved, has been struggling to get a new title for a couple years now – and that was before the Kojima-Konami split. Now, with that news, it’s not likely we’ll see a new Zone for a good long while, if ever.
Suikoden
The Suikoden series is known for its large cast of playable characters (108 – per game!), traditional but engaging turn-based combat, and sprawling stories. However, the franchise hasn’t put out a main game since 2006, at the end of the PS2 lifespan, and it’s owned by Konami, who doesn’t seem interested in reviving the franchise.
Legacy of Kain
Known for its gothic action, and setting a high standard for writing and voice acting, the Legacy of Kain franchise was immensely popular in its era. With a healthy mix of action, puzzle-solving, and RPG elements, many viewed this franchise as ahead of it’s time. The journeys of both Kain and Raziel resonated with players – sadly, we haven’t seen an entry in this series since 2003.
Earthbound (Mother)
Despite giving us one of the most popular Smash characters, and being one of the most beloved cult games of its generation, and its 3rd game finally getting a US release 9 years later, there are no plans to continue this beloved franchise. This one seems to have less to do with the studio and more with the creator, who has repeatedly expressed that he has no plans to continue the series.
Jak and Daxter
This platformer helped define the PlayStation 2 era, and gave us a taste as to what we could expect from developer Naughty Dog. Notoriously, the developer only focuses on one title at a time, so while it’s feasible we could see another title after the release of Uncharted 4, there’s been no indication that the team will be going back to their roots.
Chrono Trigger/Cross
The fact that Chrono Trigger happened in the first place is kind of crazy – some of the best RPG minds of their time came together and created what is widely considered one of the greatest games ever. It took a few years, but a proper sequel, Chrono Cross, later appeared. A trademark was registered for another entry, “Chrono Break”, but the trademark was allowed to expire, and it seems like we truly may never get another Chrono game.
What series do you miss most? Do you have any hope that it will return? And what’re some of your favorite series that are still active? Let us know in the comments below!
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This post was originally written by Anthony Galleran.
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