5 video games that revived their franchise (and 5 that killed them)

There are numerous uncertainties in the video game industry. Great games occasionally fail to catch on, and occasionally, large franchises fail due to one lousy game. Particularly at this time, developers must weigh the risks and rewards before launching a game. The publishing company ensues, which will occasionally set extremely high margins for a game to meet in order to secure the game's future.

Some franchises have solidified their status as the industry's titans over the years. A few video game franchises that experienced enormous success with most of their releases include Assassin's Creed, Doom, and The Elder Scrolls.

There have also been instances where famous game franchises failed hard and got canceled or have been held off to cut off risks after the launch of an unsuccessful game.

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Video games that resurrected their respective franchises

1) Deus Ex: Human Revolution

This game was the best way one could've brought Deus Ex back to life. (Image via Square Enix)

2000s Deus Ex was nothing short of exceptional. Set in a dystopian cyberpunk universe, the game is a first-person ARPG with stealth elements. Sadly, its sequel, Deus Ex: Invisible War, was not as well received as the first game, thus leaving the franchise dead for a while.

In 2011, Eidos Montreal produced Deus Ex: Human Revolution, starring an all-new protagonist named Adam Jensen. This new video game managed to live up to the original's reputation and garnered favorable reviews, bringing back the series from the dead after eight long years.

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2) Tomb Raider (2013)

2013's Tomb Raider is a fantastic game that many fondly remember. (Image via Crystal Dynamics)

2013's Tomb Raider was a soft reboot of the long-running action-adventure, puzzle-solving series by the same name. The series was put on ice for a while after the release of Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, which critics praised for its gameplay and puzzles, but the story was hardly criticized.

Regardless, Tomb Raider (2013) returned the series to the spotlight with its fantastic puzzles, engaging gameplay, and excellent storytelling. The plot centers around a young Lara hunting for the lost kingdom of Yamatai. Regardless, critics liked the story this time, and the video game received enough praise to warrant a sequel.

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3) Wolfenstein: The New Order

The SS troops invented mechanical dogs, and they are terrifying. (Image via Bethesda)

Many consider the Wolfenstein series to be the grandfather of first-person shooters. However, it went on a long pause after 2009's Wolfenstein, produced by Raven Software, which was published to mixed reviews.

2014 saw the release of a new game in the franchise called Wolfenstein: The New Order. The video game occurs in an alternate reality where the Axis powers win, and Germany controls most of the world. Players return to the shoes of the series protagonist, B.J. Blazkowicz. The game was a significant success and cemented the path for the series' return.

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4) Castlevania: Lord of the Shadows

A new take on the classic vampire-slaying franchise. (Image via Konami)

With the release of 2010's Castlevania: Lord of the Shadows, Konami tried to introduce the classic platformer to a broader range of audience. Unlike the series' previous games, this game was not a Nintendo exclusive.

Lord of the Shadows was a hack-and-slash action-adventure video game that follows Gabriel Belmont's story. The Belmonts are a famous clan of vampire hunters and monster slayers in the Castlevania universe.

Critics praised the developers for successfully bringing the Castlevania franchise to 3D, and it was a massive commercial success. This new format looked like the new norm for the Castlevania franchise.

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5) Medal of Honor

EA tried to make a competitor to Activision's Call of Duty franchise. (Image via EA)

Following the release of Medal of Honor: Airborne in 2007, the series took a vacation before returning in 2010 with Medal of Honor. Following the enormous success of the Call of Duty Modern Warfare titles, EA felt it was time for the series to move on from its World War II shooter roots and follow a present-day plot.

The story of Medal of Honor centers around a squad of several American soldiers and is based on the real-life Afghanistan conflict. The video game was criticized for its out-of-date visuals and a few performance concerns, but the positives outweighed the negatives. Given how many people enjoyed the multiplayer experience, it appeared that Call of Duty might face some competition.

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Video games that put their respective franchises to death

1) Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

It's uncertain if players will return to the shoes of Adam Jensen again. (Image via Square Enix)

Despite Human Revolution bringing the Deus Ex franchise back from death, its sequel, Mankind Divided, couldn't keep up with the momentum.

The video game had excellent gameplay but failed utterly in its storytelling, which is one of the core features of the franchise. Critics were harsh about how the story revolved around one plot point and its abrupt ending. The game also sold less compared to its predecessor. Square Enix put the series on hold and moved the developers of Eidos Montreal to work on other IPs.

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2) Shadow of the Tomb Raider

The game relies on Aztec and other Meso-American civilization lore. (Image via Square Enix)

2018's Shadow of Tomb Raider was the third entry to the rebooted Tomb Raider series.

Despite having a less compelling story than the first game, the video game was incredibly popular and received positive reviews. However, the tale ended in the game, much to the disappointment of series fans. Eidos Montreal discontinued the series for the foreseeable future.

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3) Wolfenstein: Youngblood

Wolfenstein didn't deserve to go out like this. (Image via Bethesda)

Wolfenstein: Youngblood is the sequel to 2017's The New Colossus. The game takes place in an alternate reality where much of the world is controlled by Germany after the Allies lost in the Second World War.

Fans and critics alike appreciated the New Colossus' narrative, in which the series' protagonist, B.J. Blazkowicz, leads a rebel faction to overthrow the German government despite certain gameplay flaws. Youngblood entirely dismantles the series' core values, leaving only the FPS aspect and the ability to murder SS Troops.

Both of Youngblood's leads, Jessie and Zofia, twin daughters of Blazkowicz, have terrible writing. The plot was also awful, and the game also adopted an open-world strategy rather than the series' typical linear-level design. Nobody was surprised when the game was unsuccessful and once again put a halt to the series.

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4) Castlevania: Lord of the Shadows 2

Sometimes, a good game gets thwarted by a bad sequel. (Image via Konami)

Konami decided to create a follow-up to the first Lords of the Shadows game, thanks to its popularity. They wanted to include more elements from the Castlevania lore this time.

The video game continues the narrative of the lead character from the previous release, Gabriel Belmont, and uses the same hack-and-slash gameplay systems. The story's and characters' flawed writing, as well as the game's boring foes, were harshly criticized by critics.

The game, however, received mixed reviews. After Lord of the Shadows 2 failed to take off, Konami halted work on future third-person Castlevania video games.

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5) Medal of Honor: Warfighter

Warfighter is the sequel to 2010's Medal of Honor. (Image via EA)

Following the successful release of 2010's Medal of Honor, its sequel, Warfighter, could provide some actual competition to another military shooter series, Call of Duty.

However, it appears that EA ignored the last title's complaints and doubled down on publishing an uncooked game. Warfighter has numerous flaws and was met with widespread criticism.

Critics were especially harsh on the game's storyline, level design, and many performance difficulties and bugs compared to its predecessor. The game was a commercial flop, and EA shut down the franchise.