The return to Fortnite OG was an impressive move and it has given the player base a reason to hop on the Battle Bus to reminisce and return to the original experience that made us all fall in love with it. There’s no denying that the game has changed over the years, and Fortnite OG gave us all the chance to realize and appreciate, at the same time as just enjoy some simple fun!
Change is inevitable; however, some game developers bit more than they could chew and lead iconic gaming franchises astray. Here are a few gaming franchises that should follow Epic Games’ creative strategy and reignite the fan’s interest.
9. Assassin’s Creed
While Fortnite (and now Fortnite OG) became the gold standard for a battle royale game, the earlier Assassin’s Creed titles quickly became a staple for the action-adventure and stealth genre. The franchise tackles various historical moments with great gameplay and compelling storytelling; unfortunately, the recent entries couldn’t hold a candle to what the developers did years ago.
Ubisoft opted for a more RPG approach for the later entries which did not sit well with fans. While the games did improve in certain areas such as the graphics, visuals, physics, gameplay, and other minor details, the story and world-building took a massive hit. Perhaps Ubisoft should cut losses and return to the initial formula by focusing on storytelling to avoid losing the fans’ goodwill.
8. Uncharted
The original trilogy thrived during the PlayStation 3 era with improvements to action set pieces and character moments. Naughty Dog struck gold with the Uncharted franchise and gave the gaming community Nathan Drake, a treasure hunter with an insane amount of luck by his side and a penchant for blowing stuff up.
The developers decided to give Drake a well-earned retirement by the end of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End which deals heavily with his character rather than the history and world-building the original trilogy was renowned for. Naughty Dog crafted a great story for the fourth entry and perfected the gameplay; however, some fans are not into deep character lore and are interested in seeing massive explosions. Perhaps the developers could make more spinoff games featuring other characters like Sam, Chloe, Nadine, and Sully.
7. Halo
The Halo franchise has seen better days, there’s no denying, but after being a huge draw for players as a dependable, fun, and groundbreaking Xbox first-party title, it’s time to admit it needs the Fortnite OG treatment. While the franchise is recognized for the themes of intergalactic warfare, science fiction, and romanticizing combat over storytelling, some fans can’t help but notice the developers are slowly losing touch and fail to realize the importance of listening to the community’s opinions.
The developers would introduce new story points and forget them entirely. The demands of modern triple-A games affected the development process and Halo became a laughing stock or a prime example of butchering an iconic franchise.
While Halo Infinite has a few redeeming factors like improved gameplay, music, and game modes, the developers should focus on the positives moving forward, especially now that 343 Industries has been rebranded as Halo Studios. Fans will expect high-quality content in the future.
6. Red Dead Redemption
Rockstar Games has always been ahead of the competition in game development and the studio’s previous works speak for themselves. The developers pay close attention to detail and have reached a new level with Red Dead Redemption 2 for a realistic gaming experience, grounded storytelling, player freedom, and more. Unfortunately, this genre is not long for modern gaming trends and Fortnite has that in spades.
Earlier Rockstar Games like the Grand Theft Auto franchise were renowned for mindless fun, carnage, and mayhem but the developers took a major turn while working on Red Dead Redemption. Both franchises are opposites; however, they share a similar DNA which is prevalent. The online mode for GTA 5 is faring well whereas Red Dead Online couldn’t. The developers can integrate similar features to appeal to more fans.
5. Overwatch
Overwatch 2 is successful because of its expansive roster of diverse characters and gameplay features. It may not be in a bad spot at the moment; however, it could do better, especially with the recent release of Marvel Rivals which features similar gameplay mechanics with more recognizable characters.
The developers could innovate by introducing newer characters to appeal to the player base and keep up. In a last-ditch effort to gain more publicity, the developers released a new trailer featuring a new playable hero for a limited time reminding the gaming community that the game is still kicking.
4. The Last of Us
The gaming community was caught off guard with this original Naughty Dog project and it quickly earned its place as one of the best video game experiences in history. Looking back, the original version of The Last of Us on the PlayStation 3 is quite dated and the graphics received a necessary upgrade in the remake version for the PlayStation 5. The stealth mechanics and gameplay were among the best; unfortunately, the developers dialed up the violence and themes of revenge in the sequel which did not sit well with most fans.
Regardless of the franchise’s direction, Naughty Dog must craft another enticing story to wrap up the trilogy on a high note. The themes of love and second chances resonated well with fans in the first game and director Neil Druckmann took them on an emotional and traumatic journey. Hopefully, the inevitable sequel could carry all the graphical improvements of Part 2 with the level of storytelling from Part 1 to get the best of both worlds. Failing that, just give us a Fortnite OG-inspired battle royale.
3. Pokémon
The Pokémon franchise is arguably one of the most successful media franchises generating countless television series, animated films, video games, trading cards, merchandise, and even a live-action adaptation. The earlier video games thrived on the limited horsepower of the Game Boy handheld console and were a doorway for fans to become the trainers they envisioned to be. With the Nintendo Switch, Game Freak bit more than they could chew and while the games were considered great, the quality was harrowing.
The 2D games on the Game Boy and Nintendo DS were praised despite being limited by the graphics and other modern requirements for a great gaming experience. Recent entries like Pokémon Scarlet and Violet were practically broken at launch and plagued with countless visual bugs. Rather than going overboard with 3D iterations, Game Freak should consider looking back at its roots to remind the developers what made the early games timeless masterpieces.
2. God of War
Santa Monica Studio exclusively worked on the God of War franchise for the last 19 years on the PlayStation ecosystem, and it paid off immensely given how the developers creatively redirected the life of Kratos from a bloodthirsty god in the original trilogy who kills without remorse to a calmer and wiser god in the Norse Saga. While the last two games are universally praised, some fans still prefer the original version of the character and miss the carnage.
While violence will forever be a part of the God of War series and the Norse Saga did not shy away from that aspect, perhaps the next major entries could somehow appeal to fans of the original trilogy by giving Kratos more rage moments, or the developers could release a remaster to please those fans while not undermining the incredible progress Kratos has gone through as a character as seen in the Valhalla expansion.
1. Call of Duty
If fans were to compare the quality of the earlier Call of Duty games to what they are getting today, some would say the best thing that the rebooted Modern Warfare trilogy and the recent Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 games have to show are the improved graphics, visuals, and gameplay mechanics but the story couldn’t compete what the earlier games achieved. The obvious decline in quality hurts diehard fans and the developers should be held accountable.
The first two entries in the rebooted Modern Warfare trilogy; however, the third game was everything fans hoped the franchise would avoid. The shorter campaign paired with mission objectives ripped from the online multiplayer sent a clear message that the developers don’t care about the single-player campaign and are focused on competing with Fortnite (and now Fortnite OG by extension) and other popular online games. Fortunately, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 redeemed the franchise slightly with a better story and gameplay.
For more Thumb Wars Gaming coverage, check out our list of games that could appear during this year’s The Game Awards, or look at a thorough guide on how to use and defeat Captain America in Marvel Rivals.
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Rouvin Josef Quirimit is a Content Writer, an avid gamer (on his PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch), and film enthusiast. He was fortunate to grow up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe and was enamored by the storytelling of a shared universe full of heart and spectacle. His love for movies led him to great single-player games and he intends to cover major franchises for years to come!
