GTA IV - I played every game in that series from the first (porkcharsui) to the most recent, but GTA IV just didn't do anything for me
Diablo 3 - the first Diablo was one of my best gaming experiences, and I spent countless hours online in Diablo 2. Diablo 3 was actually kind of fun playing through with friends, but I thought the ending was stupid and didn't like the asthetic of heaven. I was also disappointed how the locations of acts 1, 2, and 3 in D3 are so similar to acts 1, 2 and 5 respectively, in D2.. In D2 you had a server list and could always find games with people trading gear which made it seem a lot more black market than it actually was, but it was cool because it made the loot feel like it had real value, now instead there's an auction house with a million things on it so the loot doesn't feel so special anymore. the 4-player limit is kind of shitty, although not a deal-breaker.
Diablo 1 was kind of a horror game, a lot slower, better ambiance, and a slow decent into the madness of hell. diablo 2 was a great multiplayer experience, and diablo 3 tries to refine the path diablo 2 took but it's just not as satisfying to collect loot and do boss runs the same way it was in diablo 2.
Bioshock: Infinite, Skyrim, Hitman: Absolution, Dead Space 3, Mass Effect 3, Dragon Age 2 were all horrible, horrible games and ruined their franchises.
Every time I see a trailer or screen shot from Black Flag I'll sit there and get excited for a minute. Then I suddenly remember how bad I thought AC3 was and feel sad. Also:
I feel the exact opposite, I think GH3 onward (except World Tour)were superior to the previous offerings, when the hands of development switched is when it got better.
Anywho, so far my pick is Crackdown 2, I dunno if it "killed" the franchise as rumors are circulating that 3 is on the way, but it was a terrible follow up to an awesome game.
Ninja Gaiden 3, I am done with the franchise personally, it ended with Ninja Gaiden 2(not the Sigma's either as I don't care for those).
I feel like I'm in the minority when I say I actually really like Hitman: Absolution. On the other hand I feel like Jak 2 really ruined the Jak and Daxter series to me. The first game did a great job of updating the formula that Banjo Kazooie and Super Mario 64 had used. Jak 2 had way too many poorly done vehicle missions and too few platforming sections. Also, while I really enjoyed Batman: Arkham City I felt like it was the lesser of the two games. The first game got everything so perfect, that rather than improve upon the mechanics of the first game they simply added onto it and the game felt bloated as a result. Getting around the city was tedious and very un-Batman-like and the side missions were often difficult to find.
Assassins Creed Revelations: Looking at the map was depressing and progressing through the game was like inducing labour through my nostrils. I'm so burned out on the gameplay and merely regurgitating what someone else said on the first page (about the map that is).
COD4 MW: What was wrong with WW2 and multiplayer where you don't level up?
Crash Bandicoot 3 Warped: Because Naughty Dog perfected and ultimately made it so another Crash game didn't need to be made. Unfortunately Crash fell under the "Sonic Curse" += Game mascot with too many poorly made sequels.
Twisted Metal 2 World Tour: This series was perfected on this. TW3 never got released where I lived, but TW Black did, but that was not so great so TW2 killed its franchise for me....isn't franchise such a hard word to spell.
Gran Turismo 5 : I'm not touching this franchise ever again even with a 10 foot pole. Even Microsoft don't show as much arrogance and hubris while showcasing their games. 'Perfection', my $%@.
I'd go further and say either GT HD or GT Prologue. I bought a PS1 and PS2 just to play Gran Turismo games, I don't even own a PS3, 'nuff said.
Well, I got suckered into buying GT4 and GT5: Prologue in anticipation of GT5. Calling me stupid would be kind.
Gran Turismo 5 : I'm not touching this franchise ever again even with a 10 foot pole. Even Microsoft don't show as much arrogance and hubris while showcasing their games. 'Perfection', my $%@.
I'd go further and say either GT HD or GT Prologue. I bought a PS1 and PS2 just to play Gran Turismo games, I don't even own a PS3, 'nuff said.
Well, I got suckered into buying GT4 and GT5: Prologue in anticipation of GT5. Calling me stupid would be kind.
Hey, I bought GT Concept and GT4 Prologue on PS2, so I'm not innocent either.
For the purposes of this thread, are we talking subjectively or in terms of games that caused a franchise to stop being made? Because a lot of the series that are being discussed are still going strong (sales-wise, at least).
Plenty of others where I stopped buying them because I didn't like the look of a new franchise entry, but these stand out as ones which I bought, played some of and then realised I never wanted to play another one ever again. Looking at that list now, maybe I'm just done with anything which relies so heavily on shooting. I want games where you create and nurture to come back into fashion.
Killed? There's no such thing. I look at games on a game by game basis. Tainted however, that's a word I can get behind.
Most recently?
Dragon Age 2 (rushed & overused assets & weak characters & bad ending)
Mass Effect 3 (rushed & bad/disappointing ending & mystery box based coop progression broken, given big enough time investment)
Battlefield 3 (less fun than it has any right to be, seeing how it objectively should be one of the most fun games of all times to me, but isn't for a plentora of design desicison that go in the opposite direction of what I love about Battlefield. For reference - Bad Company 1 is the high point of the franchise in my opinion, in terms of overall direction; it was all about fun).
Like a lot of others here, i think AC III killed that franchise for me. I loved AC II and forgave the faults of Brotherhood and Revelations in the hope that the third game would take the franchise up a few notches. Unfortunately AC III was spectacularly below my admittedly high expectations. The setting was not done well and the story of Desmond became convoluted and disinteresting. Gameplay which was once fun and refreshing felt formulaic and the main character, Connor, was charming and lacking any emotion spare for anger.
I have no interest in the next installment of this tired franchise and I will likely wait for reviews before deciding whether to give it a playthrough. Regardless there is no way I am contributing to Ubisoft's annual AC cash machine for the foreseeable future
I want to say Metal Gear Solid 4 because of how it pretty much killed the story of that series and being nothing but fanservice disguised as 'closure'. But to say that game killed the franchise would be incorrect, as Peace Walker was actually alright and MGS 5 could be great. It didn't kill my enjoyment of the franchise, I'll just go on thinking that MGS 4 is the worst one because it is. Unless 5 is also the worst.
Sonic Adventure 2 effectively killed any joy I once had playing Sonic games. So I'll say that.
People who list Modern Warfare 2 hate fun. Metal Gear continued to thrive past 2, see Snake Eater and GotP. Assassin's Creed 3 has to be the game i'd pick, so much promise, so much false-hope.
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