With many games being remade and the amazing news that the Borderlands franchise will finally get a third entry, it got me thinking about video game franchises we haven’t seen in a very long time. There were some great games released back in the day, providing quality experiences that I will always remember but some of them just seemed to have gone to sleep, with no indication of another entry.
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Some video game franchises have been dormant for so long that there will be many young gamers who might have never heard about them. However, if these video game franchises discussed below make a comeback at one stage, we might all be in for some glorious treats.
Counting to 3
Putting Left 4 Dead, Portal and Half-Life into their own section would be too easy as all three of these video game franchises really do need to make a comeback and everyone knows it, except maybe for Valve. If Gabe “GabeN” Newell could simply learn how to count to 3, it would be a momentous occasion for gamers everywhere.
The Half-Life franchise redefined the story-driven FPS formula back in the day, while Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2 still remain arguably the most fun co-op experience you can have. Portal and Portal 2 challenged gamers to no end and thanks to the community, new levels continue to flourish for Portal 2.
These games all had a massive impact on their respective genres and still, there is no official word of the third entry for any of these magnificent video game franchises. Left 4 Dead released in November 2009, Portal 2 released in April 2011 and Half-Life 2: Episode 2 released in October 2007… Someone out there please help GabeN overcome his fear of the number 3. Check out the brilliant video by Fence Post Productions below and try to hold back your tears.
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SiN
Many gamers might not remember the SiN franchise as the original was released all the way back in 1998, developed by Ritual Entertainment and published by Activision. Then, a sequel, called SiN Episodes, also got released but it didn’t quite hit the mark in my opinion. SiN is set in the not-so-distant future of 2037 in a world where police forces do not exist. You played with Colonel John R. “Rusty” Blade, the commander of one of the largest security forces (HardCorps) in the city of Freeport, all with an awesome Cyberpunk theme. Your enemy, SinTek, a massive biotechnology corporation, is run by Elexis Sinclaire, a beautiful yet deadly female antagonist that delivered some extremely memorable moments.
Everything was just so interactive in the original SiN game and it really felt ahead of its time for an FPS title. The game was built on the id Tech 2 engine and pushed the boundaries of what was possible at the time. SiN also introduced some features to the FPS genre, including that you could take damage from enemies on specific body parts and the ability to knock a weapon out of an enemy’s hand.
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Blood
The original Blood released all the way back in 1997 and just over a year later, Blood 2: The Chosen was unleashed as well. For those who never played the Blood games, they were absolutely fantastic FPS experiences, packed with action and, of course, a lot of gore. Blood, developed by Monolith, was one of the most awesome FPS titles out there, but it did get overshadowed a bit by other great titles of the time.
The franchise simply went dark after the first two games and if there is one FPS video game franchise that could blast onto the scene again, it should be Blood, in my opinion. Playing as the undead gunslinger Caleb and fighting against a variety of horrifying enemies with a very creative weapon arsenal was a joy from start to finish. Did I mention you can dual wield just about any weapon? Yeh, it was simply glorious fun.
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MDK
MDK stands for Murder Death Kill and if you played the original or even the sequel on release, you’ve probably had your first few grey hairs at least. This third-person shooter franchise was, without a doubt in my mind, one of the greatest gaming experiences I have ever had. It challenged me to no end, had weird and extremely interesting characters and combined so many unique features and elements into one awesome experience that it is difficult to describe.
Fighting the Minecrawlers army as Kurt Hectic, a janitor that didn’t really want to get involved but with the help of his mad scientist boss got access to some crazy suit, was so challenging and rewarding both in terms of gameplay and story. The games blended elements of sniping with fast-paced action and platforming to create a unique experience. MDK released all the way back in 1997 and its sequel in 2000, after which the franchise went silent. If there is one video game franchise above all others that I would love to see make a comeback for a new generation of gamers, it has to be MDK.
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Contra
Sticking with the extremely challenging titles for my last pick is Contra. When you discuss the Contra franchise with other old-school gamers, you will either see a look of fear on their faces or a massive smile, one that just shines with that pride of “I was there and I beat it, come closer fellow veteran”.
There has been so many Contra remakes and spinoffs, mobile titles and more. However, it all started with 1987 on an arcade machine developed by Konami. Then, Super Contra got released on the NES, PC and multiple other systems. However, what I would really love to see is a modern reboot of the franchise (not a mobile game) to take advantage of current or even next-gen hardware. Having only a set number of lives and working together in the 2-player co-op was rage-inducing, as the video game franchise was notoriously difficult. Even so, today, I look back at Contra and can’t help but feel a bit sad because the franchise could have been even better with real, solid main entries.
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Which other video game franchises to you hope to see make a comeback? Let us know in the comment section below.
