Major video game franchises that never recovered from one bad game

After years or even decades of waiting, it can be an amazing feeling to see a franchise return with a good game. For example, 2025 was a big year for recovery Ninja Gaiden franchise supplemented by two new games –Ninja Gaiden 4 and Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound — and remaster, Ninja Gaiden 2 Blackwith all three receiving good reviews.

That's the dream of fans and developers, but not every franchise can come back with a bang, especially if they release a game that's so bad it undermines the entire brand. Maybe one day these franchises will come back with a great new game, but for now their fates are sealed because of one bad play.

Dino Crisis

Beyond Extinction

• The first game: Dino Crisis (1999)
• A disastrous game that heralded the end: Dino Crisis 3 (2003)

Dino Crisis debuted on the PS1 in 1999 as a Jurassic Park-like version Resident Evil. The first two games on the PS1 were widely praised and seemingly opened the door for another huge horror franchise for Capcom, but then the next generation of consoles saw a decline in the franchise.

Dino Stalker it was released in 2002 as a light cannon spinoff on rails, which was not well received. However, since it had a different name and was a spinoff, it didn't hurt the brand too much. On the other hand, Dino Crisis 3released on the original Xbox in 2003, it was a huge hit for PlayStation fans. The game was critically reviewed in most gaming magazines and early websites at the time due to poor camera angles and overall poor gameplay, killing the franchise here and there.

Duke Nukem

All From Bubblegum

• The first game: Duke Nukem (1991)

• Dthe disastrous game That Spell The End: Duke Nukem forever (2011)

Most players today may not know this, but Duke Nukem started as a side-scrolling shooter for MS-DOS computers in 1991. While this game was okay, the series exploded a few years later Duke Nukem 3D in 1996 also for computers running MS-DOS. It gave the fans something Fate and Wolfenstein 3D missing: humor.

The titular duke was popular for his catchphrases and the plays were popular for their action and scantily clad women. In the 1990s, Duke was king for a few years, and even ports and remasters were well received by critics. What wasn't well reviewed was Duke Nukem forevera sequel that took more than a decade to develop. When it was released in 2011, no one thought it was worth the wait, thanks to the bad humor that didn't age and the disappointingly short campaign.

The final fight

From Brawl Champion to Dude

• The first game: The final fight (1989, Japan)
• A disastrous game that heralded the end: Final Fight: Streetwise (2006)

The final fight debuted in arcades in 1989 in Japan and a year later in North America as a major new beat 'em up franchise. The trilogy was met with praise from fans who went to the arcades and spent their quarters like there was no tomorrow. On the consoles, there was a cuter version of the so-called A massive final fightalong with any main series ports.

Things were going well until Capcom decided to rebrand the series as a fighting game in 1999. The debut in the arcades was Last Battle Revengewhich fighting game fans didn't like mechanically. This was one instance where the series died, but was revived in 2006 with a 3D brawler on PS2 and Xbox called Final Fight: Streetwise. This was the final nail in the coffin, as it is still considered one of the worst games on both systems due to its disappointing brawl mechanics.

Genji

Promising samurai series abridged

• The first game: Genji: Dawn of the Samurai (2005)
• A disastrous game that heralded the end: Genji: Days of the Blade (2006)

The Genji the series was very short, which is unfortunate because the first game had a lot of promise. Genji: Dawn of the Samurai is the series' debut title. It was a short but fun samurai action game that was exclusive to the PS2 in 2005.

In 2006, Sony was preparing for the launch of the PS3, and alongside it should be a sleeker sequel to the so-called Genji: Days of the Blade. Unfortunately, the game's preview has already been met with criticism after the “giant enemy crabs” debacle on stage at E3. Bad demos are nothing because games can recover from them, but unfortunately, the final product was just as poorly received, mainly due to slower combat and a heavy emphasis on fast-paced events.

Escape

London GTA

• The first game: Escape (2002, Europe)
• A disastrous game that heralded the end: Escape: Black Monday (2004, Europe)

Grand Theft Auto was huge on the PS2 in 2001, leading to many GTA copiers, including Sony's own Escape series. It first debuted in Europe in 2002, followed by its North American launch a year later. With a more mature story, a London setting, and fresh gameplay perspectives, it was another promising start, but the sequel, Escape: Black Mondaydampened that momentum.

Gangs of London was a PSP spinoff and an attempt to fix the ship, which she failed to do, meaning she plans to Escape 3 were cancelled. Interestingly, the series technically lives on today through a loosely connected TV series of the same name Gangs of Londonwhich debuted in 2020.

The lost planet

Starship Bloopers

• The first game: Lost Planet: Extreme condition (2006, Japan)
• A disastrous game that heralded the end: The Lost Planet 3 (2013)

The The lost planet the series debuted as an Xbox 360 exclusive in 2006 in Japan, then called Lost Planet: Extreme conditionwhich a year later received the western port. Fans of both horror and shooters loved it because it was more action with scary vibes than just another horror game from Capcom. After that, Capcom didn't seem to be entirely clear on where the franchise should go. The Lost Planet 2 he was more like Monster Hunterbecause it focused on multiplayer and killing giant enemies. The sequel received some praise, though not as much as the original games.

The third post received a worse rating. It changed again and became a more heartfelt story about a father trying to make money for his family at home. Before that, Japan got a 3DS and PS3 exclusive spinoff called EX Trooperswhich was like a hyper-stylized anime take on the franchise. Sadly, due to the poor reception of the series in the West, neither version left Japan and the franchise as a whole died.

Medal of Honor

Call Of Duty cannot be emulated

• The first game: Medal of Honor (1999)
• A disastrous game that heralded the end: Medal of Honor: Warfighter (2012)

Before Call of Duty and Halo, Medal of Honor the series was and the premier first-person military shooter on consoles. Medal of Honor debuted on the PS1 in 1999. Fans loved the World War 2 setting, which led to many sequels. Medal of Honor: Frontline is often considered the best of the series, which debuted on the PS2 in 2002 and revolutionized the way D-Day was portrayed in games.

Even Halo and Call of Duty gaining traction, EA kept supporting MoH for many years, even rebooting it in a more modern setting with 2010 Medal of Honor. That was the beginning of the end, even though it received decent reviews. Despite this, its continuation Medal of Honor: Warfighterlaunched with an audible thud in 2012. EA tried to revive the brand in 2020 Medal of Honor: Above and Beyondbut considering it's a VR-exclusive experience and few stellar reviews, it looks like it Medal of Honor he really is toast.

Steel Banner

Press the Eject!

• The first game: Steel Banner (2002)
• A disastrous game that heralded the end: Steel Banner: Heavy armor (2012)

Steel Banner it was adored by the original Xbox fans in 2002 for those who could afford it. This game was expensive because it came with a controller that mirrored the cockpit of the game mech. It even had an eject button which was cool, although it would delete the current save if players didn't press it before their mech exploded.

The first game reviewed very well and while its sequel, Steel Battalion: Contact Linewasn't as well received, fans and critics alike still thought it was good overall. The brand took a hiatus for essentially eight years before reawakening with an Xbox 360 title Steel Banner: Heavy armor. To call it a massive failure would be an understatement. Gamers simply did not respond well to the game's Kinect-based controls, leading to abysmal reviews, which was common for most Kinect games.