We seem to be entering an era of franchise revitalization in videogames. Tony Hawk, Rock Band, Guitar Hero, and Halo are returning with attempts to prove they’re still relevant in today’s gaming landscape.
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So we got to wondering what other game series should make a return. What series have missed and would welcome back with open arms? What series could still have a place in today’s gaming market?
Here are 5 videogames series we hope to see return.
Prince of Persia
The Prince of Persia series has already been rebooted twice by Ubisoft since they purchased the franchise. The first was the classic Sands of Time series, which was considered one of the best action-platformers of its era. Ubisoft tried a second reboot in 2008, with a new game simply titled Prince of Persia, but, despite a mostly positive reception and decent sales, it failed to revitalize the franchise, leading Ubisoft back to the Sands of Time chronology with the mediocre Forgotten Sands in 2010.
We want Prince of Persia back not just because it had excellent gameplay that included a unique (for its time) rewind hook, but because it’s one of the few games to take place in the Middle East that doesn’t mostly involve playing a foreign soldier killing locals. It immerses itself in Persian culture and legend, and that perspective is something gaming needs.
Chrono Series
Square Enix is all about Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts these days, but fans still have a place in their heart for the Chrono series. The first game in the series, Chrono Trigger, was created by a “dream team” of Hironobu Sakaguchi, Yuji Jorii, and Akira Toriyama. A sequel, Chrono Cross, appeared on the PlayStation years later, but whatever future plans Square Enix had for the franchise were abandoned.
Chrono Trigger is one of the most beloved games of all time, which makes it kind of shocking that Square Enix hasn’t returned to the well already. Maybe it’s time.
Streets of Rage
Streets of Rage was a pretty simple game. Players’ characters travelled from left to right on a 2D plane, pummeling criminals with whatever objects were nearby along the way. For the most fun, this was usually done with a buddy in co-op mode.
Now imagine that concept updated for 3D graphics, with a fight system inspired by the Batman Arkham series, and online multiplayer. This is a game we want.
Metroid Prime
Yes, there is technically a Metroid Prime game on Nintendo’s schedule for next year. That’s fine, but Federation Force is a first-person shooter. What we want is a return to the first-person action adventure gameplay of the original Metroid Prime trilogy.
Metroid Prime represented arguably the most successful 2D to 3D gameplay transition in videogame history, bringing all of the lonely, haunting exploration of the 2D Metroid franchise into the 3D realm. There simply hasn’t been another game like it, and we want more.
Final Fantasy Tactics
Final Fantasy Tactics was a singular gaming experience. The epitome of the gameplay first developed for the Ogre Tactics, married to a Shakespearean tale of intrigue and betrayal, the game left an indelible mark on anyone who played it.
There have been similar games. Disgaea is a long running series built on the same gameplay, but with a much goofier story and tone, and there were the Tactics Advance games, but they paled in comparison. We’d really like to see Tactics return in a modernized form. The XCOM reboot did exactly this, but in a sci-fi setting. Square Enix should look there for inspiration.
