The video game industry has been around for a while now. However, since our medium is deeply related to technology, every breakthrough in this field has carried numerous transformations for interactive works.
10 Game Franchises That Peaked On The PS1
Don’t underestimate Sony’s humble gray box.
Consequently, many video game series have evolved over the years, adapting to keep pace with new advancements and market trends, but have increasingly strayedfrom the elements that once popularized them.
While this isn’t intrinsically bad, it has pushed many known names in other directions. With different stories, perspectives, focuses, and even mechanics,these ten long-running game franchises that are unrecognizable today show how much the industry has evolved.
10Syndicate
A Changed Gem
First game
Latest game
Syndicate (2012)
When I first discovered the shooter Syndicate, I was frankly amazed by its world, themes, and intense campaign, leaving a great impression on me.
It was just then that I learnedit was a remake of a homonymous title published in 1993, and given my love for classic experiences, I knew I had to get my hands on it.
Yet, to my surprise,it wasn’t another FPS, but a fully isometricRTTthat, despite sharing a universe and elements with the series' latest entry, felt notoriously different, just like its sequel, Syndicate Wars.
Going from real-time tactics to a first-person shooter is a significant change, and despite the remake not managing to become popular,it was a smooth transition that suited the franchise well.
And It’s Still Running
Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)
Shadow Generations (2024)
Having played at least one Sonic game in each generation since its first installment,witnessing its evolution has been a great ride.
It started as a 2D platformer and then went on as a 3D platformer, but it also has racing games, arcades, beat ‘em ups, RPGs, and even visual novels, so it has changed drastically.
Even if we stick to its main genres, there’s a world of difference between the firstSonic the Hedgehog,Sonic Adventure, and Shadow Generations, which finally gives Shadow his much-deserved protagonism.
Beyond having the same principles,Sonic as a franchise is one of the industry’s most ever-changing, which has allowed it to keep being relevant despite its ups and downs.
8Prince of Persia
Many Genres for One Franchise
Prince of Persia (1989)
The Rogue Prince of Persia (2024)
Prince of Persiais among the few franchises that, being born in the 80s, are still relevant to this day, despite not having its finest form in the last generations.
What originally started as a series of cinematic platformers with rotoscoping in two dimensions jumped to 3D in 1999, and thenadded action-adventure elements to the mixwith the unforgettablePrince of Persia: The Sands of Time.
This revolutionary gem was the blueprint for the franchise for many years, gradually growing away from its mechanical origins. Nevertheless, as the series’ state isn’t precisely optimal, it has now changed its course again.
Through the greatPrince of Persia: The Lost Crownand The Rogue Prince of Persia,the franchise now draws influence from the Metroidvania and roguelike genres, respectively, and I admit it feels better than ever.
7Final Fantasy
More and More Action
Final Fantasy (1987)
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (2024)
Like Prince of Persia,Final Fantasyisa historical classic that helped to shape the game industry, boasting nearly four decades of unique adventures.
Given it has been among us for so much time, its significant transformation was inevitable, going from a pixelated and static 2D JRPG to a dynamic ARPG with high-end graphics.
9 Popular Gaming Franchises Where The Original Is Best
Sometimes it can be hard to top the original.
The difference between the first Final Fantasy andFinal Fantasy 16is tremendous, although the series has kept its essence. Even with unusual pieces like the Final Fantasy 14 MMORPG,Square Enixhas maintained its main work updated to date.
While I prefer the turn-based combat system, and I would rather have new entries instead of more remakes,I still cherish the series for providing emotional epics like no other RPG can.
6God of War
Development at its Best
God of War (2005)
God of War: Ragnarök (2022)
Since its first entry,God of Warhas always beena PlayStation icon. The original trilogy is a complete hack-and-slash masterpiece, and even its portable counterparts and the often criticizedGod of War: Ascensionare good experiences.
Regardless, it was precisely the latter that ledSanta Monica Studioto understandthe genre was facing its twilight, providing us with a highly unexpected God of War (2018)that changed the franchise completely.
It went from a hack-and-slash to an action-adventure game that felt more likeDark SoulsthanDevil May Cry. Simultaneously, Kratos reappeared in a new mythology, leaving aside Olympus to focus on the Norse gods and actually growing a personality beyond revenge and lust.
ConsideringGod of War: Ragnarökeven has a roguelike DLC,it’s impossible to deny how much it has altered its core. However, coming from a franchise that was as beloved as it was, it’s a move I praise for its audacity and quality.
5Castlevania
A Fragmented Identity
Castlevania (1986)
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 (2014)
Speaking about franchises that revolutionized video games,Castlevaniahas been around for more time than I’ve been alive, always in a meaningful manner.
As one ofKonami’s best creations, it originated as an action-platformer with various arcade entries, and thenit established itself as the heart of what is now called MetroidvaniasthroughCastlevania: Symphony of the Night.
By combining RPG elements with action-platforming mechanics and a distinct level design, together withMetroid’s influence,it spawned a new genre, which it would follow for yearsuntil the arrival ofCastlevania: Lords of Shadow, shifting towards a hack-and-slash style.
Although we haven’t received a new entry from the franchise since 2014, the trilogy developed byMercurySteamremains my favorite part ofCastlevania, asit kept its heritage’s soul while feeling fresh and fascinating.
From Classics to Moderns
Fallout (1997)
Fallout 76 (2018)
Curiously, you can putFalloutin both a list ofthe best CRPG gamesand a list ofthe best open-world RPGs, which says more than I can about how much the series has changed.
When the franchise was in the hands ofInterplayand Black Isle,it was a series of trimetric role-playing adventures, widely known for their atmospheres, hardcore mechanics, and even their random natures.
10 Video Game Franchises That Need A Reboot
We want these games BACK!
After the IP was handed over toBethesda,Fallout 3turned out to be more accessible, with aswitchable first- and third-person perspective and gunplay that would become the staple for the next entries, includingFallout: New VegasbyObsidian.
Yet, the franchise’s most recent installments areFallout 76, a purely multiplayer experience, andFallout Shelter, a free-to-play tycoon game for mobile. Fallout’s presence in this list is more than obvious, although not everyone considers that good news.
3Metal Gear
A Natural Evolution
Metal Gear (1987)
Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater (2025)
Metal Gearhas always been a franchise about stealth and tactical infiltration, but the way it approaches its main focus is unrecognizable nowadays.
The series' natural evolution, motivated byHideo Kojima’s love for films, took them on a distinct path where cinematography and interactivity collided, evolving them from simpler adventures with straightforward objectives and dialogues to deeper and more introspective experiences.
In 1998,Metal Gear Solidproceeded to modify almost everything of its predecessors,including the camera,narrative,boss fights,traversal,and level design. It also paved the road for its successors, which further added political, cultural, mechanical, and visual depth to every new entry.
Even without considering spin-offs like the superbMetal Gear Rising: Revengeanceand the horribleMetal Gear Survive,the distance between the firstMetal Gearand the latest is colossal, and for all the good reasons you could think of.
2Resident Evil
Different Perspectives
Resident Evil (1996)
Resident Evil 4 Remake (2023)
Among the most prominent video games of all time, we must include several titles fromResident Evil, a franchise that has managed to stand the test of time despite being occasionally irregular.
Generation after generation,Capcomhas been able to provide us withmany horror games that transformed the genre, never backing out of trying different approaches to its main formula.
My first game in the franchise wasResident Evil: Code Veronica, and the latest wasResident Evil Village. We’ve had Resident Evil’s fixed camera,Resident Evil 4’s third-person perspective on the shoulder, the move to pure action inResident Evil 5andResident Evil 6, the shift to first-person inResident Evil 7…The series has become transformative by nature—not always for the better, but it has never been static.
1Assassin’s Creed
Complete Change of Course
Assassin’s Creed (2007)
Assassin’s Creed Shadows (2025)
Assassin’s Creedwas one of my favorite series while growing up, aseach new journeyalways added something new and valuable to the mix of stealth and platforming.
Building on the foundation laid by the first game,the franchise constantly integrated more content and polished the existing one, using the Animus to explain how we could go from fighting with bare fists to engaging in battles on ships.
As time went on,Ubisofthit a roadblock withAssassin’s Creed Syndicate’s already tired formula. At this point, the IP had already changed vastly, but it would take another turn thanks toAssassin’s Creed Origins.
With a heavy focus on RPG elements and an even bigger world, including levels, skill trees, and actual bosses,Assassin’s Creed ceased to be an action-adventure, stealth franchise—something true to this day, as Assassin’s Creed: Shadows demonstrates.
While it lost me after Origin’s deep divergence, the series' latest installments have been successful, thoughI’ll always prefer the classic AC approach to the modern one.
