For all our love of brand new IPs the video games industry is built upon massive series and the nostalgia of fans. It’s no different from TV, books or movies with fans clamouring for more entries or modern reboots. People love new stuff but crave the familiar. Friends repeats, the Book of Dust trilogy set before the Dark Materials books, Mission Impossible somehow getting new movies.
There’s a reason people want more of the same, it’s why you have a ‘usual’ in the pub or always order the same dishes for every takeaway. Humans don't tend to like surprises. They want the same old faces with slight changes to the story. Games, like any other creative media, play up to this as it's far easier to use ideas you already have than trying to come up with something brand new. It’s also less of a risk, if you are going to spend £100million on a new game; better off making it another Sonic the Hedgehog game than having to build up a new mascot and awareness.
Keeping the series going has its problems though, particularly in TV and Film. Often these all suffer from stakes being raised so high it's hard to match that, there's only so many times Doctor Who can save the universe. AAA blockbuster games take so long to make, many spilling over into five years or more that the market for it is not oversaturated and the stakes of the last title have faded enough to want something new. That's not to say that Ubisoft, Activision and EA have not tried to stuff various series down our throats….
That’s my long winded way of saying; for the most part game series are a good and necessary aspect of the industry. Though things can and often do go wrong. We complain it wasn't like the stand out title from 20 years ago (looking at you Paper Mario fans) or that we have too many bloody Assassin Creed games. However, I want to have a look at the biggest pitfalls and how some series can possibly be saved (or at least given a fighting chance). Let's delve into the big four problems long running series suffer from!
Staying too samey
I’ve already said it, yes we want more games in a series. 2D Mario is an absolute staple of the past 35 years but it seems to have lost its way. I think the introduction of the New Super Mario Bros series has hung a giant weight around Mario’s neck. Personally I never really got on with it and I can’t figure out why. Sure they are the best looking 2D Mario games but they feel far too samey. I swear if you put the same resolution pictures of New Super Mario Bros, Wii, 2 and U next to each other without power ups there's no way you could tell them apart.
The levels are all the same stock of grasslands, desert, underwater. 6 Golden Coins took you to the moon for fucks sake! These titles came out in a 6 year splurge of sameyness, Nintendo played it far too safe. Sure the DS and Wii titles didn't want to alienate the ‘casual’ audience but then why the hell didn't they ramp it up in later titles? Small tweaks were made like a couple of new power ups rather than bringing something new to the title.
Even with the re-release of Mario U Deluxe on the Switch in 2019 there has been a long break for these games which hopefully is a good thing. They must be cooking up something new and I think a soft reboot of the series is needed. The Mario Maker games in hindsight were such a non brainer, the obvious next step in the series. The original was a huge event and so well supported, the second seems to have been a bit of a misstep. Missing features, UI changes… I wish these games had come out when I was in my teens, would have been brilliant. Now I have too much to play to really get to grips with it.
It’s weird as the creativity shown in the 3D Mario games is never replicated in its 2D compatriots. How can you come up with the brilliant Mario Odyssey yet chuck out the same old shit in the New Mario Bros series? I suppose they don't want to alienate casual fans with anything too radical but 3D is way harder! Maybe they are just so backed into a corner that they can only really add some new power ups and enemies? A rigid formula that they feel they need to stick to.
Why not go all out on the wackier ideas for power ups, we have had the carrot power up and Frog Mario before. Go weirder, add some space shit. In fact lean into aliens with the enemies and settings. Make it a weird departure from what's come before. Maybe people will like it! You can always go back to the tried and tested if it fails. The Nintendo Switch has sold 70 million units, there is going to be enough people who would want this.
The character list has grown slowly but is so stale now. Mix up the classic Bowser / Peach story (I mean make Bowser playable from the get go surely!?) and add certain zones in the world map locked to a character until you complete it? Level designs can be more attuned to each characters’ abilities and it will force players to try them all out. Complete the zone and you unlock the character to play in other ones. Simple!
Game modes seem like an easy change as well. I’d lean into the speed running side of things, give players an in game timer that runs across all levels. An option to turn off cutscenes and another to lock or unlock shortcuts. Make it all in a sub menu for those that want them. The Speed running scene is huge now and Mario is usually a great starting point for people. Basically any small quality of life things would be awesome to see!
If they don't try to implement stuff like this the future looks bleak, if not in sales then just in hype. Sure the games they make will be fine and will sell millions but it won't be a big event anymore. After many days thinking about it I may just have an idea that moves the series forward but keeps all the main elements in place. Make it an ‘open world’ 2D game. The thought struck me from Terraria, the 2D Minecraftesque title. The player is plonked on a 2D world and can move left or right into new biomes. It’s one continuous world to explore and craft in.
Do that but with Mario. Sure it wouldn't be able to load the whole world but break it into chunks and make it feel continuous. Like you were traversing the planet. It means you can keep the usual biomes but having them much bigger with secrets to find, doors to go to mini areas and even challenges / dungeons would be an enticing way. Make it the usual platforming challenge with lots of enemies. To finish the game you have to explore the whole ‘World’ with the end of level flag poles working as checkpoints but also as a warp station for fast travel. Add in towns, keep the money adding up with some things to buy such as power ups / unlock areas.
It would be all about exploring though not necessarily a metroidvania. It might well be a one and done but adding verticality (and underground stuff) will give plenty of things for players to explore. It would be fascinating to see how they could run with this idea. Rather than just beating all the levels; you have explored the world. It would mean they would need to put a bit more effort into the story but it's not beyond them. They have done it in the past!
Of course this is not going to happen but I would love to see them try. Throw caution to the wind and make something as new as possible. Fuck, Nintendo tried open world with the Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild and absolutely nailed it. Try new genres, throw caution to the wind! A 2D Mario game is such an easy win in terms of sales, surely it’s the safest game out there to experiment in?
Overcomplicating the Formula
I think the most common fault for long running series is either changing far too much from the formula that worked or just outright overcomplicating it. Change is necessary (as shown above) but too much or for just the sake of it can make something go from a classic to dead in the water. I think Bethesda is a great case study, for a few years they released hit after hit with Fallout 3, Skyrim, even the Doom reboot coming out great. But since then it’s been almost one disaster after another, Fallout 76 anyone? Sure they have made huge updates that radically changed the game to make it playable but it still stinks. But we will come to that.
First a quick history. Fallout was a top down turn based RPG series that I completely missed out on (though surely would have loved had I known about it). Up there with Baldur's Gate and Planescape: Torment in terms of 90’s RPGS. The series is set in the future after an apocalyptic nuclear war kills off most of humankind and mutates much of the wildlife. The protagonist is usually someone who managed to escape to a Vault who emerges into the world to avenge something….
Anyway the second game was released in 1998 after which the studio Black Isles Studios was closed and a action game spin off Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel was created. This was just tiny steps on to a full sequel, Fallout 3 developed and published by Bethesda.
The big move was to a full 3D first or third person view (First person is the correct answer btw) creating this sprawling wasteland just itching to be explored. I didn’t realise at the time but Bethesda just had this knack of creation worlds you want to explore every nook and cranny off. I actually borrowed this off my editor (thanks man!) completed it but came away with my socks still on. I am not so sure why, I beat the game after all. Maybe the closed ending wrapped things up but didn't let me go out and fully explore unencumbered by the main story?
It took a couple of years until a second playthrough and now it blew my socks off! Having this radiation riddled world full of crazy monsters and desperate people was brilliant. I can't think of anything else like it at the time (that I was aware of). Sure it had its flaws, character models stared at you like shop mannequins imbued with basic AI. The SPECIAL system could be gamed to make you way OP very early. DLC items could break the game. It was so so fucking grey. What was it with Xbox 360 era games with the browns and grey backdrops? Soul suckingly boring now.
Anyhow, I still love it. Next up was the spin off Fallout New Vegas, a fantastic follow up with some key changes. Surviving was ramped up with food, water and sleep regularly needed, this added a new layer of stress to exploration! Factions came in as well, helping one out would piss off another. I am not a huge fan of this, partly due to options being cut off (I’d rather play a game once for 300 hours than twice for 150 hours...) but the nice guy in me wants everyone to like me! Overall cult classic.
Seven years after Fallout 3 and we get the big follow up Fallout 4. The colour complaints have been taken on board, creating this beautifully varied world. In so many places it looks utterly gorgeous. With it came factions, sadly locking the player in at the end. The worst culprit was the Minecraft influence. Crafting and base building. Don’t get me wrong, these were pretty well implemented, allowing people to build up majestic bases and even their own vaults in the DLC!
Fine but that's not what this series is all about to me. You are a wanderer, exploring around the wastelands to help people, hunt monsters and see what the world has to offer. It’s not about farming or settling down. Well not to me anyway. Still a good game, lots of the original aspects that made it great were still here. Then they go one step further with Fallout 76. Ugh. I miss my single player game!
It was designed as an online only experience, lots of PvP and base building. Can you survive and craft in the Fallout Online world? Nope. Not me. Launch was a disaster, terrible reviews and so many problems. Bethesda started chasing microtransactions with its Atoms currency, making you spend real world money on digital items… Why, just why? You make enough fucking money. Anyway, other design flaws such as having no human NPCs was eventually overturned in the Wastelanders update that seemed to have fixed things for those still playing.
The progression from 2D to 3D worked. The one that chased wider gaming trends has not. The series doesn't really need you to be able to build a base but I suppose that's locked in for future titles. Fine but it does make me wonder how much effort goes into designing this that could be used on far better quests or more imaginative story lines? There is a limited budget after all. Still one can but hope Fallout 5 is another 5 or so years away. We are oversaturated with these games now and a break is needed with hope they can get it back on track.
These trends do have me very worried for the Elder Scrolls 6. Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is one of my all time favourite games. Fuck I was playing as we entered into 2021! It hit upon a brilliant formula that millions enjoyed. Pissing around with them could really fuck up the series. Still the Bethesda sale to Microsoft should go through at some point in 2021 and we can only hope that they keep the Elder Scrolls to what it does best. Single player (though co-op would be fun) world exploring with that impeccable upgrade system in Tamriel. Remember Bethesda, The Witcher 3 is your competition and inspiration, not Destiny 2...
Keeping Pace with the Fans
Hype can be killer and for some of the biggest series out there fan expectation can be so great that any final product might never even come close to the hopes of fans. There is however room to meet in the middle. Pokemon is one such franchise that is suffering from fans desires. It’s a 25 year old series that has come a long way from its humble origins on GameBoy. Sadly it's not grown up like its fans have.
Pokemon Sword and Shield was a first in two ways, the first mainline entry in true HD and a first full blown game on a home console. Rather than being a triumph it was an absolute shit storm following the announcement with the Wild Area coming in for deserved criticism. Games far older and ported to the Switch like Ni No Kuni looked a million miles better. This is particularly galling with the money Game Freak and in particular the Pokemon company makes.
Being a huge fan of the series I can see how through each generation the company was brought kicking and screaming to the latest update. Moving on from 2D pixel art was very hard for a company that's all it really knew. It’s alleged they expected the Switch to be a flop so were not even going to bother with games on it, rigidly sticking to the 3DS and its huge install base.
How wrong they were.
I am not here to beat them around the head with a stick about not seeing which way the wind was blowing. I am though for their disregard for the fan base. For a game series that started out as pretty tough (the RNG particularly causing havoc) it has become far too easy a series with almost insufferable hand holding. ‘Do you know how to catch a Pokemon?’ FUCKING YES YOU DICK, THIS IS MY 12th BLOODY POKEMON GAME’
Sure it's a product for kids, with the trading card game, anime series and millions of plushies. But it trades so heavily on nostalgia it's shocking how little it does for adult fans. There is only one mode to play Sword and Shield, so its the same for new fans and the hardcore alike. It’s absolutely crying out for a hard mode, which was seen in Black 2 & White 2 titles Challenge mode. Why skip it now Game Freak?! It can’t be hard to implement. Most games have one.
A simple ‘have you played Pokemon before?’ on start up would help established players cut out a lot of crap to fully enjoy the title. Add in a Hard mode that gives AI trainers better intelligence in fights with a wider scope of Pokemon, moves and abilities would really mix up the games. It’s not a challenge for most people, you can beat the game with any Pokemon in your team which is not fun for the hardcore.
To be fair it has created a raft of player made modes that are generally self imposed. Nuzlocke where a Pokemon faints you can't use it anymore. Typelocke meaning you can only catch and use, say, Bug pokemon. But it's not as fun if you need to be so disciplined. Temtem is a new monster battler out on consoles some time this Spring that heavily leans into these modes and difficulty. It looks amazing and I cannot wait to jump on it.
I get that Nintendo doesn't want to alienate its broad player base but it means we get too many boring easy games that no one gives a shit about. Chibi-Robo! Ziplash anyone? Give the fans who have spent decades playing this series the options they deserve. There's a reason they still love the old games, and it's because they are an achievement to beat. If you don’t want a mode, make an adult version of the game. It’s never going to be 18 rated but that doesn't stop series in that bracket selling millions.
You can easily keep the Let’s Go line going for kids and the casual market. It would mean more games and sales, which is win win all round. Even pushing up from aiming at kids to teens would help. Some people play these games for the stories and talking up to kids, rather than down, goes a long way. It has been 25 years this month since the release of Red and Blue, we have grown up Game Freak, can you?
Knowing When To Stop
Admitting when you are wrong is incredibly difficult for an individual, let alone a company. Plugging away at a series again and again in the hope that one of them sets fans alight. You could argue that fans should stop buying shit games but A. they might actually like them. And B. if reviews are deliberately blocked until launch day what can they do? The greed shown in these cases, trying to scoop up as many pre orders before the truth is out is capitalism at its worst.
Most companies can take the hit on a series with bad sales, they should do it more often. If the game is crap, just don’t release it. Simple. Let’s look at our ‘friends’ CD Projekt Red. They knew that the last gen versions of Cyberpunk 2077 were unplayable. They should have come clean, made it a next gen game and refunded everyone. It would have sold well enough in the future to make up the money. Fucking hell, the Witcher 3 had its best sales figures in 2020!
For all its flaws there are many elements on Cyberpunk that I like (first person, stealth based) so there is a chance with a lot of work they could turn it into a good game. CD Projekt Red has already made it’s money, it owes us those that bought it to try and fix it. Though the goodwill and trust they built up is now certainly gone. Good luck with that.
Let’s start with a very easy one. Sega. Please stop making 3D Sonic games. They are never good (and I should know). Hell you can barely make a 2D Sonic game anymore. What the fuck is going on? It took the fan made Sonic Mania to actually make a great Sonic game. Aiming at the pre teens for a series that originally called to young adults seems a huge misstep. Pack it up and come back when you have a good idea. The break would do you good.
Weirdly we can look at Nintendo for a good example of knowing when to stop. In the 90’s F-Zero was a huge racing series that fans loved with the last main entry coming in 2003 with F-Zero GX. Since then nothing and there's a good reason for that. Nintendo admits that they don’t have any good ideas to move the series on. Sure this sucks for the fans but honestly this is great. Why churn out any old crap but wait until someone has a good idea. Considering it’s almost been 20 years the series may be dead.
Ubisoft kind of did this with Assassins Creed. The yearly release model was draining with the same fucking game over and over again. Syndicate launched in 2015 and I cannot tell you another fucking thing about this shitty game. A two year break later and back they come with Origin’s set in Ancient Egypt. A lot of fans dug this and still enjoyed the follow up Odyssey. But with the launch of Valhalla in 2020 it feels like overkill is setting in again. Make it an event Ubisoft, give us a break! Every other year would be fine, the games are arguable too big anyway.
Rockstar. It has so many faults that I could spend another thousand words writing about them. But they absolutely nail the once in a generation release. Look at GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2. Games that took many years to make that went on to make over a billion dollars each and hover up all the awards. Incredibly crafted worlds with dense story and characters. Ridiculously addictive online play. They don't knock out a new GTA every year and for good reason. It weakens the brand. Why make 5 mediocre games when we can create one brilliant one?
Many companies don’t have that luxury and must work with what they have. Oh Konami. I really want you to succeed with PES. You seem to nail the game play but fuck up on modes and UI. For hardcore fans like myself I can forgive these transgressions. But going up against the Juggernaut of EA’s FIFA series I do wonder how much longer you can last churning out new games. 2020 you took a break, released a cheaper version with only player and club updates. I bought it in the hopes it would fund the next great Football game. Giving themselves breathing room of 2 years was a wise move and I really really hope it works.
There are some complete mysteries mind. Pikmin 4 was announced back in 2015 by series creator Shigeru Miyamoto as ‘almost complete’. Since then we have heard and seen NOTHING. Presumably either the game was actually crap or some issues with it launching on Wii U has it in no man's land. Considering Pikmin 3 did reasonably well with 2 million sales (I liked it!) you may think it could be revived. That doesn't sound like enough to me so again this is probably a dead game even though it’s finished? Weird but maybe the quality is just not there.
Activision released Call of Duty after Call of Duty and who is with me in not giving a shit? (Outside of Warzone). Sure 4 changed everything but we have had a billion games too many. Warzone and its continuous online was a great move in theory allowing the mainline series to pause. Which it hasn’t. Maybe I am just a jaded old games blogger but I am done with the series. I would rather go back to an old Halo game. Take a break, make us anticipate it and then blow us out of the water!
I think we can all agree big video game series are going to continue. Fans clamour for sequels and companies give them to us. They want dead certs in sales. A new God of War or Mario game brings in big numbers and a lot of money. Seriously, among those that liked Breath of the Wild, who does not want BoTW 2?! I cannot see Nintendo fucking it up too much, particularly if it’s 90% like the original. Most people will like it.
It bewilders me that there isn’t someone at each of these companies who is paid to step back and go ‘is this the right thing to do?’. Maybe there is and they are ignored or money trumps them. But there seem to be so many missteps that could have been easily avoided. Increasing the price of Xbox Live Gold anyone? Releasing Cyberpunk on last gen consoles when it was obviously fucked? Hindsight is so easy buy surely someone raised concerns? More needs to be done on this for consumers.
One last series I want to look , Mass Effect. They are finally going to release the original trilogy in May with some major changes. No online as it’s too tricky to implement. Less sexist cutscenes. They acknowledge that times have moved on and so they need the games to. Bravo! Andromeda was a disaster though it has its fans (right Editor?). The creators seemed to have forgotten what had made the series great. Though even with ME3, the fans expectations were so high that maybe this is one of the hardest series to control.
I am hopeful. Though with the information pointing to a lot of the great staff at Bioware left at the beginning of the last decade it could be a bit hit and miss. They had a break, given themselves more time, learnt from a failed game and relaunching the original brilliant series. With all these elements together hopefully they can make a great brand new Mass Effect game again in the future and provide a template for all other lost series. We need one.
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