The problem with video game series is that sometimes, certain game series barely ever make a comeback, getting forgotten in the annals of history. Various video game series have made their well-earned comeback over the years: Dead Island, Silent Hill, and Baldur’s Gate are some of the games off the top of my mind.
Some are also in the process of returning, but generally have a messy way of going about it. Take the troubled history of the new BioShock game’s development. It is chaotic, but we know a new game is coming out.
While many game series are fortunate to make a comeback on platforms like PlayStation, Xbox, and Steam, many of them can’t. Sometimes, it can happen because an IP gets stuck in limbo or due to other legal issues. To that end, here are five video game series I wish could return to the masses.
5 Video Game Series I Sorely Miss
These five game series have made their mark in the gaming industry, leaving behind a rich legacy for many gamers to remember them. However, while these game series share a similar legacy with some of the greatest in gaming, they haven’t enjoyed the liberty of getting themselves new entries in their series, making us wish for their much-needed comeback.
1. No One Lives Forever
Starting this list is a game that is extremely near to my heart, and as such, a video game series that has managed to break my heart by just not existing in the current year. The No One Lives Forever series was two first-person action-adventure shooters, paying homage to spy shows and movies like Austin Powers and James Bond.
You took charge of Agent Cate Archer, working for the clandestine group Unity, going on a globe-trotting adventure to stop the plan of the terrorist organization HARM. No One Lives Forever gave players the choice of either playing stealth or going guns blazing, along with a memorable story.
That is why the game would go on to spawn a sequel and build itself a cult-following. Unfortunately, over the years, while many video game series have managed to return, No One Lives Forever hasn’t enjoyed that freedom.
For starters, Sierra, the original developers, have shut down, and the only real revival attempts by indie darlings Nightdive Studio were unsuccessful after discovering that the game’s rights are possibly held by three companies: Activision, Warner Bros., and Universal.
With either of the three companies showing no interest in reviving No One Lives Forever, the chances of a brand-new Cate Archer adventure are next to nothing. However, someday we’ll hopefully get to replay the first two games in some official capacity.
2. TimeSplitters
TimeSplitters was the talk of the town back in the PlayStation 2 era thanks to its unique take on the first-person shooter genre. A spiritual successor to Nintendo 64 games like Perfect Dark and GoldenEye, TimeSplitters involved players going on an interdimensional adventure, controlling various characters across numerous timelines over 100 years.
Each of the games satirizes various Hollywood movies, helping the series connect with gamers worldwide. Additionally, the multiplayer portion received fanfare at a time when multiplayer gaming was slowly becoming popular. So, you’d think the series might’ve become this big franchise with multiple games coming out every so often.
The reality is far from that, unfortunately. The series hasn’t seen the light of day in the last 19 years, receiving no remaster, remake, or even a brand-new game. The series got stuck in a void for years, with the final attempt to create a brand-new game being in 2007 for PlayStation 3.
Now, with Free Radical Designs no longer existing as a studio, and Embracer pretty much keeping the game shut in a lockbox, the chances of getting a new TimeSplitters are close to zero. Maybe if Dambuster Studios somehow takes an interest in creating a new TimeSplitters, there might be a chance of reviving the series.
3. Sly Cooper
One of PlayStation’s beloved franchises is the Sly Cooper games, a series of stealth action-adventure games involving anthropomorphic characters. Primarily played in third-person perspective, players control Sly Cooper, a gentleman thief raccoon.
Players get to encounter various missions involving stealing riches from criminals, making him an anti-hero, sort of. You’ll get to see tons of Noir-inspired world, and gameplay-wise you’ll be planning heists, executing the said heists successfully, and fighting with the enemies.
Much like many PlayStation titles, Sly Cooper hasn’t received a new game post-PlayStation 3 era. The last title, Thieves in Time, was out back in 2013. Since then, the series has become dormant, with developer Sucker Punch Productions moving on to create games like Ghost of Tsushima and the upcoming Ghost of Yotei, which is full of new gameplay features.
On the other hand, Meta would go on to purchase Sanzaru Games. So, it seems the chances of getting a new Sly Cooper game are pretty much close to zero. Unless some studio swoops in to save the day and attempt to make a brand-new one, it seems Sly Cooper will be sleeping in his cozy home for a long time.
4. Resistance
The Resistance series of games by Insomniac Games is a series of first-person shooters that involves players fighting through an alien invasion on Earth in an alternate 1950s, where a civilization named Chimera has conquered the planet.
With humankind forcefully transformed into monster-like soldiers, characters across America and the United Kingdom collaborate to thwart the Alien’s plans and end the invasion once and for all. The games were known for their gritty, mature atmosphere and storytelling, and possibly why they connected well with gamers.
Resistance would go on to become a launch title for PlayStation 3, spawning two sequels. However, with both PlayStation and Insomniac Games losing interest in the title, the game series never received another brand-new title in the current year.
Hopefully, once all of this is over, maybe we can get ourselves one last rodeo in Resistance across the post-apocalyptic Earth in the current generation graphics. Think of something made for the next-generation console, with crisp visuals, fun gunplay with trigger haptics, and a mature storyline.
5. Legacy of Kain
One of the saddest situations of a video game series ending in a cliff-hanger, Legacy of Kain has seen some ray of light after last year’s Soul Reaver 1 & 2 remaster by Aspyr and Crystal Dynamics. However, the series, as a whole, is still very much dormant in the current year.
The Legacy of Kain games take place in the magical world of Nosgoth. In it, humans have, for the most part, perished, and the world is ruled by a ruthless Vampiric ruler named Kain and his lieutenants. Players control Raziel, a Vampire Nobleman who gets betrayed and killed by Kain, and later resurrected to exact revenge on Kain and stop his reign of terror.
Soul Reaver and the Legacy of Kain video games are known for their memorable storytelling, and the game series ended in a cliff-hanger. As such, gamers have always asked for a brand-new title in the series, tying up the storyline for good. Unfortunately, not much movement has happened with the series in over a decade, which promptly changed last year.
With the remaster releasing last month, many people are hoping that Crystal Dynamics will revisit the world of Legacy of Kain and complete what they started years ago. Maybe give us the final showing of what happens after the death of Raziel and Kain, realizing the errors of his ways.
