By Evan Regan
The 2000s in the gaming industry were a lot like the Wild West. Unlike today, where a handful of big-name series dominate the sales charts, back then, there were dozens of series vying for supremacy. Not all of them survived the experience. From big names that we simply haven't seen in a while to series that might be nearly forgotten, there are a lot of abandoned franchises out there.
Unfortunately, not all of those franchises deserved it. These next series were excellent in their day, and have all the elements to be successful in the modern gaming space as well, but for a variety of reasons (some known, others not so much), we haven't heard from any of them in years. These franchises have been abandoned as well, but they are too good to stay dead. They were all dropped too soon, and there's a good chance that gamers would be overjoyed to see them make a comeback.
Resistance
Sony's "Halo Killer" Was Great On Its Own Terms
- Games in the Series: Resistance: Fall of Man, Resistance 2, Resistance: Retribution, Resistance 3, Resistance: Burning Skies
With the launch of the PS3, Sony knew they had an uphill battle when competing with Microsoft's breakout hit, the Xbox 360. One part of that battle was developing a response to the Halo series, and Sony's solution was Resistance. This series of alternate history FPS games wears its Halo influence on its sleeve, with weird weapons, alien enemies, and epic firefights against a seemingly insurmountable enemy.
Did Resistance topple Halo's reign? No, and that should come as no surprise. That said, while the online component wasn't much to boast about, all three mainline Resistance games are excellent single-player experiences with tight shooting, epic set pieces, and stories and characters that are severely underrated. The portable releases are more of a mixed bag (Retribution is pretty good, though), but it's hard to believe a modern console release wouldn't get a lot of attention. Sadly, with Insomniac currently focused on their Marvel projects, it's hard to see a new Resistancegame happening any time soon.
InFAMOUS
Excellent Open-World Superhero Games With No Marvel Or DC Connections
- Games in the Series: InFAMOUS, InFAMOUS 2, InFAMOUS: Second Son
In 2009, back before the MCU (or at the beginning of the MCU, really), there was a showdown between two superhero games: Prototype and InFAMOUS. The former was a game built around a power fantasy and causing chaos, while the latter was a more narrative-focused experience with RPG mechanics like a morality system and associated skill trees.
This was followed by InFAMOUS 2, which was an improvement in almost every way, and InFAMOUS: Second Son, which was a technical improvement but a bit uninspired in the narrative and gameplay department. Apparently, that's all it took. There hasn't been an InFAMOUS game since Second Son, and Sucker Punch has since moved on to their Ghost of... series. The first game is just ripe for a remake, and maybe that would generate some momentum for a modern sequel, because nothing in the gaming world has really replaced this series.
Sly Cooper
Stealth-Action Noir Games Starring A Slick Raccoon
- Games in the Series: Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus, Sly 2: Band of Thieves, Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves, Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time
Speaking of Sucker Punch, before the studio created the InFAMOUS series, the devs made their name with the Sly Cooper series. They developed a trilogy of stealth-action games starring an anthropomorphic raccoon antihero named Sly who, along with his companions (Bentley the turtle and Murray the hippo), performs a series of heists around the world.
The first three games in this series are beloved by those who played them. They're purely stealth-focused, and while there is combat, Sly prefers to work in the shadows, and the games are designed with that playstyle in mind. The fourth game, Thieves in Time, was handed off to Sanzaru Games, as Sucker Punch was focused on InFAMOUS at that point. Thieves in Time wasn't received well, but maybe a remake of Thievius Raccoonus would capture more players. This series is just too good to fade into history.
Thief
All-Time Great Medieval Immersive Sims
- Games in the Series: Thief: The Dark Project, Thief 2: The Metal Age, Thief: Deadly Shadows, Thief (2014), Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow
Talking about stealth games, there really has never been another series like the Thief games. These medieval immersive sims are similarly stealth-focused and built around performing heists, but where Sly Cooper was lighthearted and accessible, Thief is a legit stealth game that isn't afraid to challenge you. Success requires snuffing out candles and lanterns to create more darkness, sneaking around enemies (or taking them out from the shadows), and finding alternate routes to avoid more mystical threats.
While the second game, The Metal Age, isn't as beloved as The Dark Project and Deadly Shadows, these are all still impressively deep games for the era. The 2014 remake, simply called Thief, misses the point entirely, removing much of the creative freedom found in choosing your own approach and making levels linear and uninspired. With the last entry being a flop, that may spell the end for this series, which is a shame, because if a new entry could capture what made those older games so special, it would almost certainly be a hit.
SOCOM
Where Did All The Third-Person Tactical Shooters Go?
- Games in the Series: SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs, SOCOM 2 U.S. Navy SEALs, SOCOM 3 U.S. Navy SEALs, SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs: Fireteam Bravo, SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs: Combined Assault, SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs: Fireteam Bravo 2, SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs: Tactical Strike, SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs: Confrontation, SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs: Fireteam Bravo 3, SOCOM 4 U.S. Navy SEALs
By far the most expansive series on this list, the SOCOM games were a series of tactical military third-person shooters centered specifically on the Navy Seals. Rather than taking the cinematic approach of Call of Duty or the more grounded approach of Battlefield, SOCOM was all about squad tactics, rewarding planning and execution over playing like a one-person killing machine.
The most recent game in this series was released in 2011, and it hasn't been seen since. It would be nice to have it make a return, both to diversify the military shooter space and to provide some more tactical shooters to balance the cinematic FPS games that currently dominate. Plus, the SOCOM games were great. They were challenging, which made them a bit unapproachable for some, but the result was a series that felt incredibly rewarding to learn. A modern SOCOM with stronger hardware to support more complex tactics and environments would be really engaging.
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This article originally appeared on GameRant and is republished here with permission.
