5 Long-Running Video Game Franchises With No Bad Games

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The video game world is full of sequels – some franchises have been popular for decades! But maintaining quality and freshness over such a long period is tough. After many installments, it’s challenging to come up with new ideas or meet fans’ high expectations. While not every game can be a hit, a few franchises consistently deliver excellent games, sometimes even surpassing previous entries. Remarkably, these franchises often become more popular with each release, even though they’re already incredibly well-known and successful.

This isn’t a ranking, just a group of video game series known for consistently delivering quality games. There are likely other franchises with similar track records, but these five stand out as particularly strong examples.

5) Forza Horizon

The Forza Horizon series has consistently been a strong performer for Xbox. While franchises like Halo and Gears of War have seen ups and downs in quality, Forza Horizon has steadily grown in popularity, particularly with the recent release of Forza Horizon 5 on PlayStation 5. The game takes the beautiful graphics and precise handling of the Forza Motorsport series but makes it more approachable and fun for a wider range of players, focusing on arcade-style racing. It’s currently one of the best racing series available, and it’s even surpassed the longevity of the Motorsport games.

4) God of War

God of War is a flagship franchise for PlayStation, originally launching on the PS2 and becoming a defining series for the platform. It’s known for its intense violence, fast-paced combat, and engaging gameplay. The original trilogy wrapped up in 2010, followed by the prequel, God of War: Ascension, in 2013. Though not a revolutionary title, Ascension was well-received by players and marked the end of a significant chapter for the series.

Five years after the original games, God of War was reimagined. While still continuing the story of Kratos, the new game was designed to be accessible to new players. It featured a completely different style of gameplay and a new tone, which revitalized the series and brought it even more popularity.

3) Hitman

The Hitman series found a winning formula with its original game and has continued to refine it over time. While Hitman: Absolution experimented with a more focused storyline and linear levels, it was still a strong entry with enjoyable gameplay, reliable stealth, and another excellent performance by David Bateson as Agent 47. However, the series truly shined with Hitman: World of Assassination, a trilogy of games that embraced open-ended, sandbox-style missions designed for endless replayability.

While IO Interactive is currently working on the James Bond game, they do plan to revisit the Hitman series in the future. It’s unclear what a new Hitman game will be like, but given their success with the series so far, it’s likely to be excellent.

2) Batman Arkham

As a gamer, I can honestly say the Batman Arkham games were a game-changer. They completely redefined what action-adventure games could be. That whole flow to the combat system? It set the bar super high – you can see its influence all over the place, especially in games like Spider-Man and Shadow of Mordor. But it wasn’t just the fighting; each Arkham game told a really compelling Batman story that felt fresh and different from anything I’d seen before with the character.

Even though Arkham Knight finished the core story in 2015, the Batman: Arkham series continues. Batman: Arkham Shadow, despite being a virtual reality game, is a truly excellent Batman experience and could be considered one of the best in the entire franchise. It’s a shame more people can’t easily play it, but it’s still a worthwhile game for fans of the series.

1) Grand Theft Auto

The Grand Theft Auto series has been a huge success since the 1990s, and is arguably the most popular gaming franchise ever. Players are eagerly anticipating the next installment, Grand Theft Auto VI, but the existing games continue to thrive. GTA 5 remains incredibly popular, selling millions of copies annually, while earlier titles like GTA 4 and the original GTA trilogy are considered timeless classics.

The remastered GTA trilogy was a clear disappointment, but those were updates to existing games, not entirely new titles. Overall, Grand Theft Auto remains remarkably consistent in quality, a testament to Rockstar Games’ dedication to making excellent games.

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2025-12-30 02:19