Most of history’s greatest games have come infranchises. After all, if you have one good game, why not make another one like it?
This similarity has propelled a lot of franchises through the years, but arguably the biggest impact in the overall direction of videogame development has come from when devs try to specifically break from previous titles.
These ten titles all come with a pedigree, but they dared to be differentand transformed their franchises in the process.
10Metro Exodus
The Tunnel Rats Go Exploring
Metro Exodus
4A Games spawned when four developers ditched theSTALKERteam to make their own game, based on the Metro novels by Russian author Dmitry Glukhovsky.
Metro 2033andMetro Last Lightpainted a grim picture of life in the post-nuclear underground, but the game went in a completely new direction withMetro Exodusin 2019.
Exodusditched the linear horror gameplay of its predecessors and instead went down the survival route.The game has vast open-world maps and not one trader in sight.
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Some fans of the older style dislike the direction the series went down, but the exploration and elevated production value makeMetro Exodusstand out on its own.
9Fallout 3
The Atomic Scrolls
Falloutlaunched in 1997 to rave reviews and enjoyed three titles and spin-offs that were broadly well received.
This was a popular series with a lot of soul, but when you mentionFallouttoday, no one thinks of Black Isle Studios, and that’s because everyone thinks of the Bethesda era.
The creators ofThe Elder Scrollsacquired the rights to the franchise in 2007 and launchedFallout 3in 2008.
People sometimes jokingly call it “Nuclear Oblivion,” but that is endearing.Fallout 3introduced an open world and survival like never seen before, with revolutionary mechanics that make you forget the poor combat and weak story.
Pokémon: Legend of Arceus
8Pokémon Legends: Arceus
Exploring Old Hokkaido
Pokémon Legends Arceus
From its inception in 1996, thePokémongame series has followed a straightforward format: you approach the professor, pick up a startingPokémon, and then set off in a whimsical top-down adventure where every turn could mean a hostile encounter.
This gameplay loop has stayed intact even with the latestPokémontitles, but there is a rogue element that has revitalized the franchise.
Pokémon Legends: Arceuscame out in 2022, and with it came the bestPokémontitle in years. This is an open-world game where you explore Hokkaido and the wild Pokémon on the island.
Arceuslets you progress at your own pace and has earned the moniker of “Breath of the WildwithPokémon”, which is quite the honor considering the popularity of theZeldatitle.
7Assassin’s Creed Origins
Beyond Parkour
Assassin’s Creed Origins
For years, Ubisoft cemented its place as the prime supplier of historical parkour. The first nine (yes, you read that right) entries had a very formulaic approach, with varying degrees of success, might I add, to movement and combat.
Assassin’s Creed Originstook what worked in previous games and then binned the rest, offering a more open, fun, and expansive adventure.This is the first title that completely sheds the pretense of realism or historical accuracy, going all in on things that Ubisoft considered fun.
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The combat is also very different, locked in a “shield on the left, weapon on the right” Soulslike format that players either love or hate.
This is a game about exploration first and foremost, and it opened a Pandora’s Box in the debate on what makes anAssassin’s Creedtitle.
A Single-Player Breakthrough
Battlefield: Bad Company
Ever since the halcyon days of the Wake Island demo,Battlefieldhas had a simple formula: spawn, rush to the flag, and capture it.
Battlefield 1942tried to disguise it with a “campaign” that played the battles in chronological order, and you could “lose” the war by having one too many defeats. But that wasn’t fooling anyone.
So, Inspired by the success ofCall of Duty: Modern Warfare, DICE repurposed the best combat elements ofBattlefield 2into an actual campaign. One that would actually serve as something out of left field for the series.
Powered by the revolutionary Frostbite engine,Battlefield:Bad Companyadded whatBattlefieldhad been missing for years: a single-player purpose.
The concept reached its zenith withBattlefield 3, and players hope the upcoming series reboot willbring it back to its glory days.
5Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
The First Jedi Classic
Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
Star Wars: Dark Forceswas a 2D first-person shooter released in 1995 by the defunct LucasArts. The studio released its sequel,Jedi Knight, in 1997, following a similar format.
The games had an interesting plot and decent execution within its limited technical means, but nothing could have prepared players for the 2002 entry.
Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcastintroduced a (then) beautiful semi-open world using the ID Tech 3 engine introduced byQuake III Arena.
Jedi Outcasthad dynamic AI, lightsabers that could burn walls and dismember enemies, and as many Force abilities as you could fit on the F-keys.All of that combined in the greatest bearded scoundrelStar Warsever created.
4Ghost Recon Wildlands
Going Narco
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Reconwas a pioneer tactical shooter introduced in 2001, and shockwaves caused by its release are still present in every major FPS today.
As time went on,Ghost Reconmoved to a more accessible format that took more creative liberties, focusing on the developers' vision for what combat would look like in the future.
All of that changed in 2017 when Ubisoft took a major gamble withGhost Recon Wildlands.
Instead of chasing grandiose plots involving superpowers,Wildlandsdrops you off in the biggest open world map ever made.
Your team of four is all alone in Bolivia, supported only by a CIA officer of dubious morals, and a rebel group that does not inspire trust.This is special opsGTA, in the most beautiful way possible.
3Final Fantasy VII
The Inception of the Modern JRPG
In 1997, SquareSoft launched yet another entry in theFinal Fantasyseries. This ambitious project was unlike any other game in the franchise and became the standard to beat for modern RPGs.
Final Fantasy VIIcompletely switched up the focus of the game, moving from medieval-inspired fantasy to a heavily industrialized cyberpunk dystopia where a single company vies to control the Planet for its resources.
The environmentalist themes introduced inFinal Fantasy VIIare still relevant today, perhaps more than ever.
The game has a set of characters so dynamic that it has spawned multiple spin-offs, including a blockbuster film, and a remake that has set sales records for the PlayStation 4 and 5.
Any turn-based RPG made in the last 30 years is measured againstFinal Fantasy VII, as it should be.
2Helldivers 2
For Super Earth
Helldivers 2
In 2015, Swedish developer Arrowhead Game Studios put outHelldivers. This was a cute little top-down shooter where you and your friends help Super Earth maintain its managed democracy by shooting everything in sight.
In 2024, the franchise went from a niche small game to a best-selling live-action phenomenon withHelldivers 2, switching the top-down approach to a third-person gunnery fest.
The second title in the series leans hard on the tropes of the Starship Troopers film adaptation, whereyou and your friends are psycho super soldiers guided only bybloodlustand a love for democracy.As it should be.
1Grand Theft Auto 3
The Open World Revolution
Grand Theft Auto 3
No franchise transformation had as big an impact on the gaming industry as a whole as that ofGrand Theft Auto. The first two titles were top-down racing games where, as the title implies, you stole cars.
The second game leaned a bit harder on the criminal side of things, allowing you to shoot your way out of situations (and into a high wanted rating), but it was still all about driving.
Everything changed in 2001 when Rockstar put outGrand Theft Auto 3.You could now roam the streets freely in the third person, completing missions, picking fights, and just being an overall threat to society.
GTA 3was a technological wonder for its time, with a previously unseen volume of 3D models, audio lines, and interactive elements. The concept would only fully mature withGTA: Vice Citythe year after, but it was GTA 3 that got the ball rolling.
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