The Best Game Franchises of All Time

The gaming world is turning into a universe that gets richer with new games and experiences every day. For this reason, it is becoming difficult to find quality games among the games offered to millions of players. But there are some games that have made their name known to us even if we have never played them before.

Some franchises stand head and shoulders above the rest, leaving an indelible mark on the industry and captivating players for generations. From iconic characters to groundbreaking gameplay, these franchises have shaped the landscape of gaming and continue to influence new releases to this day. In this list, we delve into the best game franchises of all time, celebrating their innovation, longevity, and enduring appeal.

Assassin’s Creed

The Assassin’s Creed series was first released by Ubisoft in 2007. The action-adventure game can be played from a third-person perspective and offers us the opportunity to explore the open world. The series has been in the gaming world for almost 20 years.

• Assassin’s Creed (2007)
• Assassin’s Creed II (2009)
• Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood (2010)
• Assassin’s Creed: Revelations (2011)
• Assassin’s Creed III (2012)
• Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag (2013)
• Assassin’s Creed: Rogue (2014)
• Assassin’s Creed: Unity (2014)
• Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate (2015)
• Assassin’s Creed: Origins (2017)
• Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey (2018)
• Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla (2020)
• Assassin’s Creed: Mirage (2023)

Also Read: The Best Assassin’s Creed Games, Ranked 

Call of Duty

Call of Duty, which has many games in its series, is one of the best game franchises of all time. The games are shaped around different eras, various battles and military operations. World War II, the Cold War, the modern era and future wars are some of these periods. If you like FPS games and have not encountered this series before, this game series is for you!

• Call of Duty (2003)
• Call of Duty 2 (2005)
• Call of Duty 3 (2006)
• Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007)
• Call of Duty: World at War (2008)
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009)
• Call of Duty: Black Ops (2010)
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2011)
• Call of Duty: Black Ops II (2012)
• Call of Duty: Ghosts (2013)
• Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (2014)
• Call of Duty: Black Ops III (2015)
• Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare (2016)
• Call of Duty: WWII (2017)
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (2018)
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019)
• Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (2020)
• Call of Duty: Vanguard (2021)
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022)
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023)

Grand Theft Auto

GTA is one of the first things that come to mind when it comes to role-playing games. The series focuses on missions to progress in the story and on a free world that includes action-adventure, driving and role-playing elements. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that it never leaves the agenda thanks to its awaited new game.

• Grand Theft Auto (1997)
• Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 (1999)
• Grand Theft Auto II (1999)
• Grand Theft Auto III (2001)
• Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002)
• Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004)
• Grand Theft Auto Advance (2004)
• Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (2005)
• Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (2006)
• Grand Theft Auto IV (2008)
• Grand Theft Auto V (2013)

Resident Evil

The Resident Evil series, developed by Capcom, makes you feel the theme of fear and survival to your core. This series has made a name for itself not only in the gaming industry but also in the cinema and comic book industry. The game, which takes place in a laboratory full of viruses and mutant creatures developed by a pharmaceutical company called Umbrella Corporation, has spawned many sequels and side games over time.

• Resident Evil (1996)
• Resident Evil 2 (1998)
• Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (1999)
• Resident Evil: Code – Veronica (2000)
• Resident Evil 0 (2002)
• Resident Evil 4 (2005)
• Resident Evil 5 (2009)
• Resident Evil Revelations (2012)
• Resident Evil 6 (2012)
• Resident Evil Revelations 2 (2015)
• Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (2017)
• Resident Evil Village/Shadow or Rose (2021)
• Resident Evil 4 Remake (2023)

Diablo

Diablo, which sold more than 2.5 million copies after its first release in 1996, is an action-role-playing hack and slash series. The most well-known place of the game, which is based on the contrast of heaven-hell and angel-demon, is a fantastic world called Sanctuary. The Diablo series has an addictive effect with its dark atmosphere and constant item collecting features.

• Diablo (1996)
• Diablo II (2000)
• Diablo Immortal (2022)
• Diablo II: Lord of Destruction (2001)
• Diablo III (2012)
• Diablo III: Reaper of Souls (2014)
• Diablo IV (2023)

Also Read: The Best RPG PC Games

Need for Speed

Need for Speed, which has been a passion of car lovers for 30 years with its 24 different games, is one of the best game franchises of all time. The series, developed by various companies such as the Canadian-based company EA Black Box and the UK-based Criterion Games and published by Electronic Arts (EA), is the most well-known of the racing genre.

• The Need for Speed (1994)
• Need for Speed II (1997)
• Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit (1998)
• NFS: High Stakes (1999)
• NFS: Porsche Unleashed (2000)
• NFS: Hot Pursuit 2 (2002)
• NFS: Underground (2003)
• NFS: Underground 2 (2004)
• NFS: Most Wanted (2005)
• NFS: Carbon (2006)
• NFS: ProStreet (2007)
• NFS: Undercover (2008)
• NFS: Shift (2009)
• NFS: Nitro (2009)
• NFS: World (2010)
• NFS: Hot Pursuit (2010)
• Shift 2: Unleashed (2011)
• NFS: The Run (2011)
• NFS: Most Wanted (2012)
• Need for Speed Rivals (2013)
• NFS: No Limits (2015)
• Need for Speed (2015)
• Need for Speed Payback (2017)
• Need for Speed Heat (2019)

BioShock

Bioshock, the game series developed and published by 2K Games, was first released in 2007 and quickly gained a large fan base. The series stands out with its creative world structure and immersive atmosphere. This game series, set in Rapture, an underground city, or Columbia, a flying city, is also in the action-adventure genre.

• BioShock (2007)
• BioShock 2 (2010)
• BioShock Infinite (2013)

Red Dead Redemption

Red Dead Redemption is about adventures in various time periods of the Wild West and puts you in a wide open world. At the same time, the game takes place around the borders of the USA and Mexico in 1911. This game, in which you control the character named John Marston, is among the best game franchises of all time.

• Red Dead Revolver (2004)          
• Red Dead Redemption (2010)   
• Red Dead Redemption (2018)

Also Read: The Best Games Where You Play As the Villain

The Elder Scrolls

The Elder Scrolls is known as the first name of each game and an object in the five-game series released by Bethesda Game Studios since 1994. The series takes place in Tamriel, a fictional continent. It’s a series that fans of the RPG genre should check out.

• The Elder Scrolls: Arena (1994)
• The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall (1996)
• The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (1997)
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2006)
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011)
• The Elder Scrolls Online (2014)
• The Elder Scrolls: Legends (2017)
• The Elder Scrolls: Blade (2019)

The Witcher

The Witcher, developed by CD Projekt Red and inspired by the fantasy novel series of the same name by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, has made a name for itself thanks to its series released in recent years. In the game, you perform various tasks while following the story of the main character Geralt.

• The Witcher (2007)
• The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings (2011)
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015)

God of War

The plot of the series, based on ancient mythologies, deals with Kratos, a Spartan warrior who fights with various gods. While the first games of the series are based on Greek mythology, the later games of the series are based on Norse mythology and Kratos’ adventures with his son Atreus on his way to salvation. The God of War series takes its place on our list as one of the series that gamers find extremely impressive.

• God of War (2005)
• God of War II (2007)
• God of War: Betrayal (2007)
• God of War: Chains of Olympus (2008)
• God of War Collection (2009)
• God of War III (2010)
• God of War: Ghost of Sparta (2010)
• God of War: Origins Collection (2011)
• God of War Saga (2012)
• God of War: Ascension (2013)
• God of War Collection (2014)
• God of War III Remastered (2015)
• God of War (2018)

The Last of Us

The Last of Us series is a video game series developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The series takes place in a post-apocalyptic world and tells about characters struggling to survive.

• The Last of Us (2013)
• The Last of Us: Left Behind (2014)
• The Last of Us Remastered (2014)
• The Last of Us Part II (2020)
• The Last of Us Part I (2022)

Half-Life

Half-Life, a legendary game series developed by Valve Corporation in which players embark on a breathless adventure in the science fiction and first-person shooter genre, can also be called the unforgettable game series of a generation.

• Half-Life (1998)
• Half-Life: Opposing Force (1999)
• Half-Life: Blue Shift (1999)
• Half-Life​​​​​​​ 2 (2004)
• Half-Life 2: Deathmatch (2004)
• Half-Life 2: Lost Coast (2005)
• Half-Life 2: Episode One (2006)
• Half-Life 2: Episode Two (2007)

Doom

The DOOM series is an iconic franchise known for pioneering the first-person shooter genre. Created by id Software in 1993, the series follows the adventures of the Doom Marine as he battles demonic forces from Hell. Featuring fast-paced gameplay, intense combat, and adrenaline-pumping metal soundtrack, DOOM has become synonymous with action-packed mayhem. With numerous sequels, spin-offs, and a recent critically acclaimed reboot, the series remains a benchmark for FPS games, delivering thrilling experiences that keep players on the edge of their seats.

• Doom (1993)
• Doom II: Hell on Earth (1994)
• Final Doom (1996)
• Doom 64 (1997)
• Doom 3 (2004)
• Doom (2016)
• Doom Eternal (2020)