Which Franchises Have Constantly Disappointed You?

[Spirit]

Franchises are wonderful things, they can evolve and grow and change and create a powerful mythos over time and give us characters we can get attached to, many of us want to follow franchises and grow with them, its a wonderful feeling when we can but sometimes a series can fall on its face, not just once but twice and thrice and so on until you wonder why you're still following it...

This thread is to name those franchises you want to still or used to love but have been constantly disappointing you for years now.


For me, the franchises constantly disappointing me the most at the moment are:


The Legend of Zelda
Wind Waker back in 2003 was the last Zelda game i truly loved. Before that i had dearly loved Link's Awakening, A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. Zelda could do no wrong and with Wind Waker i found new dizzying heights of loving an interactive medium, then came the rollercoaster ride that was Twilight Princess and its E3 demo, what ride that was but it ended up in a game that felt very familiar (which isn't really a bad thing) to OoT and in the end the familiarity and the overall design of the game just refused to let me feel anything for it, the game itself was solid and fun but it just made me feel empty. Then came PH, ST, and then SS, picking up the Oracle games didn't help me either and suddenly i find myself ten years down the line waiting for another Zelda game that'll impress me and mesh with me, i really don't know what'll happen if ZeldaU isn't awesome.


Silent Hill
Most people were Resident Evil fans, but Silent Hill was something different and the fans of that, while fewer in number were so much more loyal to the franchise. Its a shame too because the last decent Hill game was 2004, and since then the series has moved out of Japan and become an embarrassing string of half-assed attempts at a type of horror which is profoundly misunderstood by the developers. Following The Room (SH4) i have played all the Hill games that proceeded it and i really wish i hadn't, the series is pretty unrecognisable now and it hurts to attempt to play the trashy installments that Hill fans have to break their throats to swallow, the Hill franchise is one step away from being alone in the dark with... Alone in the Dark.

 

[DarkestLink]

Mario.

SM64 was excellent. It did everything right for a Mario game. Mario Kart 64 was a great game too. Paper Mario was a fresh new experience and we had the new Mario Party series at its peak.

We then got the gamecube. Double Dash was great too. Paper Mario the Thousand Year Door was the best of the series. The issue was Super Mario Sunshine. Too little content. So much was wasted on those stupid blue coins and the game felt way too restricted and linear for Mario. This is Mario. It has no story, no power ups, nothing at all that benefits from linearity. The exploration and freedom that SM64 had pulled off so well was neglected in Super Mario Sunshine. We were almost always forced to go after one Shine Sprite and had no freedom to explore and find out own way. As for the Mario Party series...Mario Party 4 had a good gameboard, but no good mini-games. Mario Parties 5-7 had good mini games, but a poor game board. Overall, I liked the gamecube, but the Mario Party series and Super Mario Sunshine left me a little disappointed.

Then came the Wii. Everything was done wrong. Mario Kart Wii's battle system completely and utterly failed. The racing was way too casualized. It took so little skill and had too much luck involved. Super Paper Mario was an OK game in its own right, but it was not a Paper Mario game by any means. Mario Party 8 was where I just gave up on that series. Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 were the most disappointing to me. There is no reason for 3D game levels to be this damn linear. Especially in a Mario game. Even Zelda, with its story and upgrades, has not been this linear since AoL. And that's what struck me as most ridiculous. There is no reason for Mario to be so linear. I miss exploration. SM64 excelled at this and there was no reason to stifle it. The controls felt so wrong for both games compared to the fluidness that SM64 and SMS had. Overall, the games just weren't that fun to me and may as well have been 2D for how linear they were.

 

[JamesBond007]

Donkey Kong.

DK64 is awesome. Collecting stuff in the overworld, seven big levels, final Hideout Helm and the "boxing match" with King K. Rool makes this game perfect.

Recent removal of the DKC trilogy for unknown reasons completely killed my last hope of re-releasing Donkey Kong 64 on the Virtual Console.

Basically, everything from Jungle Beat onwards is dissapointing (even DKC Returns) - no King K. Rool, unless it's a game in completely not interesting genre for me (DK King of Swing or DK Barrel Blast are perfect examples).

 

[Castle]

This one is easy for me to answer. Grand Theft Auto and Elder Scrolls.

I tried. I swear on it! I really did! And I tried more times then they deserved. Elder Scrolls isn't bad, I just find it woefully uninteresting and unremarkable in every way. I certainly don't see what all the fuss is about. It's too big. There is no focus, no structure, no direction - and worst of all - no point! Leveling up, gathering loot, sidequests, story, characters... I found absolutely nothing engaging about both Morrowind and Oblivion. They're kind of fun to explore all the nooks and crannies of the ridiculously HUGE and gorgeous environments, but as much as I love to sightsee, there needs to be more of a game there.

Grand Theft Auto on the other hand is a series that has done nothing but piss me off with every game I've played. GTA IV, GTA Vice City, Chinatown Wars... each time I said "I quit" but interest just kept on making me play the next one to see if it was any better. They're not. That series is such busted abysmal pointless tripe I have no idea how it garners the acclaim that it does. The controls are garbage. Basic movement on foot is a wreck much less driving controls. The targeting system is an absolute mess. OoT got lock on targeting right when it did it first the first time it was ever done so there is absolutely no excuse for GTA's auto targeting system to be so utterly dysfunctional across every 3D installment in the series I have played. And each time there has been absolutely no improvement over the same old problems I've encountered in each of the series titles I have played.

So, obviously the appeal of GTA and Elder Scrolls is lost on me. Granted, I haven't played Andreas and haven't yet bothered with Skyrim. As far as GTA is concerned by now enough is enough. I won't put myself through the hassle anymore. But every game I have played in those series is a disappointment.

 

[ShadowDiety]

Mario.

DarkestLink pretty much sums up exactly how I feel about it.

 

[JuicieJ]

Sonic the Hedgehog.

"Oh, come on, Colors and Generations were awesome and the best the series had seen in" -- STOP. Colors and Generations were good but not great games. They were certainly the best the series had seen in a very long time, but... really, is that hard to do after things like this abomination?

I grew up with Sonic. I never owned a Genesis, but I got to play the gems on that console so much, and I loved them to death. My first entry into 3D Sonic was also what is arguably the best Sonic game in existence, Sonic Adventure 2 Battle. Many fans hated Heroes, but, while it wasn't the best Sonic game, I found it enjoyable. Then came along Shadow the Hedgehog, the game that forever ruined Sonic's counterpart and greatest rival. A bit later, I found Adventure DX on sale. I bought it. I hated it. Then Sonic debuted in HD! Oh, wait, I already covered that with the word "abomination". Sonic Riders was decent, but Zero Gravity sucked so hard. I know Free Riders came out much later, but it was nearly as bad as '06. Secret Rings and Black Knight were bad, too.

Now, Sonic Unleashed was actually not that bad of a game. The night levels were much too long, much too mundane, and much too numerous, but there was a magnificent glimmer of hope for the Blue Blur in the day levels. No 3D Sonic game has matched that kind of quality, not even Adventure 2. Adventure 2 is a better game overall, but only because it only has very few suck-ish portions, whereas Unleashed has... way too many. Still, that only had me excited for the future. I wasn't pleased with the game as a whole.

Swinging back around to Colors and Generations, again these were good games. I enjoyed them. But they were only a step in the right direction. Their level design was nowhere near the caliber of Unleashed's day levels, and they suffered from countless missed opportunities. As such, they weren't enough to bring Sonic full circle with me. They haven't quite undone the past yet. I'm grateful they didn't suck, but Sonic needs to keep getting better if he wants to be his old self again.

 

[Prichina Neboi]

Fable. I get everything the game offers done in five minutes. And it's never been a particularly fun five minutes either.

 

[Mamono101]

For me there are a few franchises that consistently disappoint:

Prince of Persia

I loved the DOS PoP and PoP II games that I played as a kid and when I finally got a copy of Sands of Time (GCN) I did not enjoy it one bit. I did not like the way the game played, the way the story was told or the way the fighting went down. Everything about this game rubbed me the wrong way.

So what do I go and do? I bought Warrior Within (PC played using gamepad). Once again I felt the story lacked depth and I disliked the back and forth between past and present. Also, I found the free run puzzles in this game were not such a challenge but the enemies were too difficult, even on its easiest difficulty. You'd think that I would have learned my lesson but sadly I did not.

Once I start something, I'm going to finish it so I bought Rival Swords (This is the Wii + PSP Port of Two Thrones and my copy is on the Wii). It was better than I was expecting it to be but I feel as if the motion controls do not respond as well they could have and that I probably would have enjoyed this game more if I had picked it up for Gamecube instead.

Lego [Insert Famous Franchise Here]

Now, I do enjoy the cut-scenes to these games but I find that most of them are just clones of each other. I find the levels to be rather uninteresting and game play lacking in, well, everything, to be perfectly honest. The titles I dislike the most are Harry Potter (1-4 and 5-7) and Star Wars (Episode I-VI).

Elder Scrolls

I have played Elder Scrolls II, IV and V. I loved Oblivion. Truth be told, it was the first RPG I ever enjoyed playing. I have all the DLC for it and both expansion packs. I then backtracked in the series and discovered Daggerfall. It was no Oblivion but it held its own taking into account its release date. So when Skyrim was announced I was over the moon. However, this title did not live up to the hype. True the game is stunning and I have the hi-res texture pack DLC but I did not like some of the major changes made between games including Skill Trees and not being able to equip sword and shield while at the same time having the ability to cast spells if you desired.

 

[JuicieJ]

I did not like some of the major changes made between games including Skill Trees and not being able to equip sword and shield while at the same time having the ability to cast spells if you desired.

How would that even work? In previous titles, you had to put away your sword and shield to use magic, so it's not like anything was lost with dual wielding/casting. It made things a lot simpler and much more streamlined. I'm not sure what's not to like about it.

 

[Mamono101]

How would that even work? In previous titles, you had to put away your sword and shield to use magic, so it's not like anything was lost with dual wielding/casting. It made things a lot simpler and much more streamlined. I'm not sure what's not to like about it.

Yes but in Oblivion when I run out of magicka, I do not need to attempt to pause the game mid-battle and then equip a sword and a shield and then return to the battle. For me, this slight interruption is an annoyance and detracts majorly from what should be a great battle. And then after the battle, I did not need to go to the extra effort of unequipping my weapons and reequipping my spells.

 

[JuicieJ]

Yes but in Oblivion when I run out of magicka, I do not need to attempt to pause the game mid-battle and then equip a sword and a shield and then return to the battle. For me, this slight interruption is an annoyance and detracts majorly from what should be a great battle. And then after the battle, I did not need to go to the extra effort of unequipping my weapons and reequipping my spells.

Well, you don't need to equip the shield every time. Just keep the spell in hand. That's what I always do.

We should probably not derail this thread, though. XD

 

[Garo]

Mass Effect. I absolutely adored the first title in the series because it presented, for the first time in a very long while, an interesting science fiction universe with an expansive and engaging backstory in addition to the space operatic main plot of the game itself. Though a bit mechanically rough around the edges, it proved to be an exciting action RPG with good shooting mechanics and a spotty inventory system. When Mass Effect 2 was announced I was confident that it would make the necessary improvements to make the game something truly extraordinary. But how misplaced that confidence was! Rather than improve the rough systems they just gutted them entirely. The story of Mass Effect 2, while nicely character driven, proved to be a considerable step downward as it did nothing to address the tension remaining at the end of the previous game and seemed to meander around with only a slightly relevant end goal in sight. Surely, I reasoned, as polished as this game is, they will take great efforts to ensure that Mass Effect 3 is a bastion of storytelling excellence. And for a while it seemed that was the case - Mass Effect 3 was one of the best and most cinematic gaming experiences I have had, up until that ghastly ending. I felt horribly cheated and have barely played the game since, my frustration with the lack of conclusion of three games' worth of character development souring the entire amazing experience that preceded it. Mass Effect is a wonderful franchise kept from its place as one of the best gaming has to offer by a displeasing shooter-centric combat system in the latter entries and a squandered main plot.

And to a lesser extent, Halo, for simply failing to offer an experience even close to the original (with the exception of ODST) all the while focusing further and further on multiplayer options. I'm a campaign guy, Bungie/343i. Please don't leave me out to dry because your owner isn't getting $5 a month from me to play your game.

 

[Cfrock]

Sonic the Hedgehog

I don't feel I really need to explain this one... Urgh, ok then.

Sonic on the MegaDrive was awesome and was a big part of my childhood. Then I got Sonic 3D: Flickies Island or whatever it was called. It was awful. Since then (which was, what? 1997) there has only been one Sonic game I have enjoyed. One in 15 years! And you think about how often Sonic games get released too.

Oh, for those wondering, that one good Sonic was Sonic Rush on the DS.

Fable

I wouldn't have even thought of this if it wasn't for Prichina Neboi mentioning it, but it is so true. I actually loved the original Fable on Xbox and the then unreleased Fable 2 was one of the reasons I bought a 360. Huh, that seems like a cruel joke now.
I actually could not sleep the night before I got Fable 2, I was that excited for it. Then I bought it, got it home, put it on and died. Seriously, it was within the first ten minutes that I realised this game was not going to be anything like what I thought. I had followed every single one of the monthly Developer Diary videos ("You do not control the dog. There is no Dog Button.") and they painted a very clear imagine of what the game would be. Shame the game was completely different.
It was horrendous. Honestly, it is the worst game I have played this generation and to explain why would require me to make a massive blog post because this is neither the time nor the place. I have never felt such disappointment in my life.

Then they made another one and guess what... That was a fudging joke of a game as well! Hooray for Lionhead! Seriously though, Fable 3 (or the few hours I played of it at a friend's house because me giving anyone money for a Fable game after 2 is such a funny idea that you should become a stand-up comedian for thinking it) was utter tripe as well. Even walking in that game felt wrong.

And then there's The Journey or whatever that Kinect abortion is called. Actually, on this one, I admit it's unfair to hate it since I haven't played it but every reviewer said it was completely terrible, Kinect in general is a total write-off and the guy making the game even turned around before release and said (I'm paraphrasing but look it up, this was the gist): "You all need to stop saying The Journey looks ****! We know it is **** but telling us that is just rubbing salt into the wound."

Fable laa. Just stop.

 

[gamzee_makara]

Ok so the few franchises that just dissapoint and anger me to no end are as follows:

Call of duty
Dear god this series its just terrible i mean its so predictable, repetitive, unimaginative, and just all around terrible and thats just single player. Now the multiplayer is just flooded with immature, whiny, selfish, people who yell and scream when they die i mean cone on be a good sport and dont be a stubborn A hole who cant say "hey good game" and dont even get me started on the freakin 12 year olds who play it... But i admit it has some redeeming qualities like zombies and the graphics are way better than some other games but still its a dissapointment in my eyes

Final fantasy
No im not gonna say after 7 they were crap im gonna say after 9 they were crap i mean the just trashed the classic FF style and turn base awesomness and replaced it with flashy "real time" fights...and thats really it

IMPORTANT!!!!:
this is my opinion and mine alone it is not fact and there is no need to rage at me for it

 

[Zorth]

Call of Duty ~ No CoD game since Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has been able to bring something new to the series IMO. CoD 4 completely changed the multiplayer concept and experience in a positive way, then it's sequel just added lots of features on top of that. But ever since mw2, CoD multiplayer has felt the same and the campaign is the same. Even Zombie mode hasn't gone through much of a change, Fans have been wanting a map editor for quite some time and we just get some new maps & modes instead. I still enjoy playing some games in the series but I might as well just go and play CoD 4 if I want good multiplayer because it's all the same to me and CoD 4 was the most fun for me anyway.

i mean its so predictable, repetitive

Repetitive I agree with, although the one decent thing the CoD series story has is it's unpredictability (is that a word?). I just never know who's gonna get shot in the head and who isn't, But I guess we always know the good guys are going to win and there is going to be a war