10 Video Game Sequels That FAILED To Revive A Franchise

10 Video Game Sequels That Failed to Revive Franchises

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today, we’re taking a look at 10 video game sequels that fumbled the ball in resurrecting their franchises.

“Mass Effect: Andromeda” (2017)

At the start, it was rather confusing to hear BioWare was making a fourth “Mass Effect” game. I mean…wasn’t the third game supposed to be the end of it? It was a rather definitive conclusion. Well, this new one was supposed to start a brand new story in a completely different corner of the universe. Supposedly, that part of the universe is where everyone is running around with loaded britches. “Mass Effect: Andromeda” was plagued with so many animation bugs that it turned the game into the internet’s punching bag for most of 2017. Not only that, but the gameplay was nothing like the original trilogy as it tried to be severely less RPG and significantly more third-person shooter.

“Star Fox Zero” (2016)

“Star Fox” went through a serious identity crisis for a time. It started as an on-rails shooter, then an action-adventure game, then a third-person shooter. But once the remake of “Star Fox 64 3D” released in 2011, one would hope Nintendo had realized the IP is best as an on-rails shooter. Five years later, we get “Star Fox 64”--I mean, “Star Fox Zero”. As if releasing on an actively dying platform wasn’t bad enough, the game annoyed what few players gave it the time of day with its “cinematic” cameras that would take hold in the middle of gameplay. This would open the player up to several cheap shots, a frequent complaint among reviewers. And now? “Star Fox” is pretty much dead as there is no new game in sight as of October 2025.

“Dead Or Alive 6” (2019)

For almost all of the 2010s, the only “Dead Or Alive” game we ever had was DOA5 and the three different re-releases it got: “Plus”, “Ultimate”, and “Last Round”. It wasn’t until 2019 - a whole seven years since the initial release of DOA5 - when we got the sixth mainline game in the series. “Dead Or Alive 6” had such an insanely strong start with its innovative progression system for unlocking outfits, the way it integrated meter-based mechanics without sacrificing the core mechanics, and the visual fidelity shown in the character models and environments. So, what went wrong? Severely overpriced cosmetics and recycled DLC characters. Plus…what the hell, no Tag mode? Eventually, Koei Tecmo quietly abandoned the game. Now, DOA lives on…under the “Xtreme” and “Venus Vacation” spin-offs. Really, why have we gotten more of those games in the last twenty years than we’ve gotten mainline DOA games? Oh yeah…gooners.

“Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time” (2013)

Though Sly’s story finished with “Honor Among Thieves” in 2005, fans were begging for a new game for the next eight years. The demand grew more intense when the trilogy was remastered for PlayStation 3. But when “Thieves in Time” dropped in 2013, one has to wonder where these supposed “fans” ran off to. Reviews were moderately favorable with only a few minor problems between the ending and a few weak levels, but overall, solid scores all around. Unfortunately, sales were still weak to where the ringtailed thief has been missing for far longer than he had been missing before.

“Halo Infinite” (2021)

For a time, the return of “Halo” was actually something to get interested in. Oh, “Halo 4” wasn’t super great, but maybe “Halo 5” will be the turnaround! …Oh, “Halo 5” was kinda…crap. Well, maybe six years of development on the next “Halo” will really revive the Chief! NOPE. “Halo: Infinite” suffered a similar fate as “Dead Or Alive 6”. It had a somewhat strong start with a campaign that people enjoyed a fair amount. But you know what it didn’t have? Enough maps to keep the game from getting stale too quickly. Seasons were drip-fed and went on for way too long. To make matters worse, we didn’t get Forge in the game until an entire year after launch! This should have been a slam dunk for Xbox and 343 Industries! And now, you got hardcore “Halo” fans saying they don’t want another “Halo” game; all you need is “The Master Chief Collection”!

“New Tales From the Borderlands” (2022)

A sequel to “Tales From the Borderlands” isn’t too terrible of an idea. Sure, Rhys and Fiona’s story was done, but you can always explore other regions of Pandora for new and original stories. Just one thing, Gearbox: you might want to hire the folks who know what they were doing. They did…but as consultants. And that’s how we got “New Tales From the Borderlands”. Gearbox wanted to make a sequel themselves, an entire eight years after Telltale developed the original game. And it was so god awful. There is not a single likable character in this game as everyone is pretty one-note in responses and seem to have quips for quips upon quips every moment. It is such an obnoxious cast that it’s impossible to get through just one episode.

“Crackdown 3” (2019)

It is very, very strange that Xbox let “Crackdown” die on the vine so early in its lifetime. Sure, “Crackdown 2” wasn’t as good as the first game, but it was still a solid game. Still, “Crackdown” went through a nine-year-long dormancy before we got “Crackdown 3”. And this time, we had Terry Crews as the face of the game, which was appropriate given some of the macho characters he had portrayed in movies and TV. What we didn’t know was that his role in the game was a mere distraction. “Crackdown 3” was (and still is) a technical mess, and missions were so bland and boring that we suddenly remembered the worst aspects of “Crackdown 2”. Oh yeah, THIS is why we stopped playing this franchise - it’s boring!

“Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2” (2025)

This sequel may not be the worst game of 2025, but considering how long its been in development and how many times companies pushed the game onto other companies, did anyone bother asking if it should just be canceled? “Bloodlines 2” is an incredibly short game with almost no amount of player choice to be found…in a sequel to an RPG known for its flexible amount of player choice. If you were one of the die-hard fans that had been waiting the past twenty-one years for this, we are deeply sorry for you. Truly.

“Duke Nukem Forever” (2011)

Fans of the Duke may not have had to wait as long as “Vampire: The Masquerade” fans, but to this day, “Forever” is kind of the main reason why we still don’t have any new “Duke Nukem” games in sight as of 2025. After having spent fifteen years in development, “Duke Nukem Forever” gave us an FPS that was middling in combat, had wonky physics in vehicles and objects, and featured some disgustingly sexist depictions of women we had seen in gaming at the time. To this day, we have yet to see 2K bring the Duke back for his own game. He’s popped up here and there, but for the most part, “Forever” may have ensured his demise.

“Shenmue III” (2019)

Of all the video game sequels, none had squandered a bigger opportunity than “Shenmue III”. So many fans had spent nearly two decades begging for one more game, just to let creator Yu Suzuki finish the story. They got their wish, Suzuki obliged, and fans almost instantly regretted it. “Shenmue III” felt exactly like the first two games, for better and for worse. On one hand, it was nice to see Ryo and company in brand new engines with new details, and yes, it was what you’d probably expect from a “Shenmue” game. On the other hand, this was a new “Shenmue” game that took no cues from the open world games that had filled its shoes for the past couple decades. Newer players found a sequel that was boring, monotonous, and lacking in any interesting ideas whatsoever. As for the fans, the cliffhanger ending was enough for many to denounce Suzuki as a creative. Publisher Deep Silver’s parent company, Embrace Group, stated the game sold “fine”, but do you think that means there is any hope for a “Shenmue 4”? Probably not.

What’s a video game sequel that disappointed you? Let us know down in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to MojoPlays!