Video games are becoming ever so popular and developers are creating great ones year after year. For millions of people in the world, these little virtual worlds are the main source of fun, and the popularity of this industry is growing every day. However, not all video games live up to glory, and some are slammed down as soon as they are released, while others create series that in the end fall from grace. Follow this article to learn about the rise and fall of some of the most famous video games out there.
Which video games have fallen from grace?
Over the years, especially since the mid-2000s and onward, there have been super successful games both in the singleplayer and multiplayer world. Sadly, some of them, whether they are a series or just one game staying popular for years, have lost touch with their fans and are long forgotten relics of the past. They are replaced by newer, more creative, and overall better video games that overshine them in every way. Here are some of those games.
1. League of Legends
League of Legends (or LoL) was launched in 2009 by Riot and has become a sensation garnering around 130 million players at its peak. However, with some shortcomings by the developers and some games overstepping it, LoL seems to be in a cycle of losing and gaining more than 20 million players each year. But, you should ask yourself the question is League of Legends dying, and see some other facts about it. While the number of players is fluctuating, the developers are still making some player-friendly updates, and there may be a new rise in popularity.
2. Pro Evolution Soccer
PES was once known as the best soccer video game series out there. Yes, there was a time when FIFA was not the best option for this sports simulation. However, over time, the series had its ups and downs, while FIFA improved the gaming experience with every annual release, living PES in the dirt. The game mechanics appeared very weak in some editions, many clubs did not carry their real names, and now that FIFA also has the rights for Champions League and Europa League, it is a forgotten piece of entertainment with its last edition coming out in 2019, and they are only focused on online gaming.
3. Silent Hill
The first game of this series was released during the boom of the survival horror genre and it soon took over the world. Silent Hill was a perfect blend of psychological fear with great lighting and sound effects and an even better sequel that set the standard for horror games. Unfortunately, over time it was clear that the developers are not crazy about improving the game mechanics, and the releases became inconsistent which made many gamers and fans of the series forget this once great franchise.
4. Sonic the Hedgehog
A long-running series that even got its cartoon and film version used to be a very fun 2D game that kept improving with every release. However, the developers’ attempt to range out to 3D failed miserably at first with Sonic Adventure. While it did kick back a couple of years ago with some better releases such as Sonic Generations and Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II, the 3D failure left them way behind their much more superior competition – Mario.
5. James Bond
The world’s greatest spy got its big break in 1997 with GoldenEye 007, 14 years after the first release. Nintendo did a great job with this one, and largely popularized the First Person Shooter (FPS) genre. But, even as the movies got better, especially in recent years, GoldEye still stands out as the very best Bond game that is even getting remakes, while other releases have bombed. Maybe the biggest problem was the constant developer’s changes as IOI interactive is trying to reboot the franchise right now.
6. Final Fantasy
Once a staple of RPG gaming, the Final Fantasy series is surely not what it used to be. A franchise that is dating back to 1987 released its crown jewel in 1997 with Final Fantasy VII that is, to this day, considered one of the best console RPGs ever created. It had fantastic villains and very sad moments that made you cry like no other video game. However, today it does have decent releases but none of them live up to what this series used to represent, which was even admitted by the developers Square Enix.
As you can see, even the most popular gaming series ever made can at one point lose their edge and start producing dissatisfying content. These franchises were once the most beloved in the world of gaming, and some of them are even hated by fans today because of what happened to them. However, some like LoL have kicked back and further reading on all of these is worth your time. Who knows, maybe one day some of these will come out on top once again.