Top 10 Bad Games in Great Franchises

Yeah, we all know what you're thinking, breathtaking environments, splendid sounds and music, a bevy of new characters; where did this title go wrong? While it's true that the game received mostly positive reviews from critics, veteran fans of the series were divided on some elements executed for the franchise's debut on the seventh generation consoles. Some of these items included: an underdeveloped narrative, a less than inspirational heroine, and the experimentation with linear gameplay, a first for the series. Don't get us wrong, Final Fantasy XIII, unlike its online successor, is an alluring spectacle, but falls short in staying true to the components that helped make its predecessors the greats they are.

While all the RE games have always offered something new, this game fell ill from its own T-virus, by T we mean: Too much stuff happening. Playing less like a survival horror and more like a shooter, think of this game as a car that someone at Capcom gave Call of Duty the keys to. Bloated with four explosive campaigns drenched in over-the-top action sequences, RE6 took away the feelings of desperation and strategic thinking that made its franchise legendary. Though certainly the series' most ambitious title, it just goes to show that sometimes, less is more. Whether you enjoyed it or not, can't we all just hate the movies?

Though violent and gory, here's a game that would even make the devil cry. Get it? Okay, sorry. Garnering a heavy amount of less than glamorous reviews from its predecessor, Capcom's 2003 follow-up to their handsome hack-and-slash made the fatal mistake of believing that Devil May Cry's heart was its guts and gore. The most common complaints of the game were its lackluster combat system, with weapon capabilities being dulled down from the first. Further watered-down distinctions included the details of the environment, which had been sacrificed for open spaces, as well as the protagonist, Dante's, personality, whose arrogance and dialogue had been significantly trimmed.

Attempting to double-down on the success of the first Black Ops, BO2 and its handheld companion for the Vita were cleverly developed simultaneously for concurrent release. For those of you who couldn't fully appreciate the former, we promise Black Ops II will be Heaven after a few short levels, er, minutes with this shabby shooter. Undoubtedly the quintessential embarrassment for COD, Declassified received nonstop flak for its cramped campaign, taking the I from its AIs, and all-around awkward gameplay style. This was supposed to be the game that would finally make the Vita worth buying, but alas it turned out to be anything but.

Sure "Downpour" was downright deplorable, but we're giving the honors to "Homecoming" for being what most consider to be the franchise's turning point in its reception. The first game to be featured in the seventh-gen consoles, the closest thing to new that Homecoming had to offer was its graphics. That said, the game lacked much needed and expected innovation, with players being greeted to the same old foggy effects and tiring melee system, but in HD. New monster designs were also divided amongst fans, citing models from previous installments to be far more frightening and inventive. And let's not forget the cheesily executed voice-over that the franchise remains notorious for.

Originally announced as a fourth entry for the franchise, Square Enix, after buying out original developer, Eidos Interactive, insisted on an overhaul as part of re-branding. The result, five years later, was this wannabe first-person version Batman knock off. Though praised for much of what made the series great, including its stealth-based gameplay, environment details, and replay value, this failed reboot was widely criticized for its bland story, flat voice-over work, and technical issues. Some of these included a few too many loading screens and glitchy AIs. If you wish that someone who make a proper sequel to Thief, just play Dishonored instead.

One of the more ambitious titles for the Wii, Other M was beauty to look at, had a story with potency, and served as good nostalgia resource for veteran fans with its 3D sidescroller style gameplay. Strangely, its within these same elements that many gamers felt iffy about the title, with some criticizing Samus' characterization as well as the ability to switch on-and-off between third person and stationary first person. Through many critics were impressed, fans ultimately weren't, mostly because the story was one of the dumbest things they’d ever been subjected to.

Supposedly in development three years prior to its release, Angel of Darkness was a Tomb Raider so terrible, it spawned the franchise's first attempt at a reboot. Flaked heavily for its mediocre at-the-time graphics, awkward camera setups, and technical bugs, this game was a complete mess in its presentation from level one. Criticized further was its gameplay, with poor controls being the most dominant of the complaints, along with a lack of innovation with Lara's actions. But the complaints didn’t stop there: there were unnecessary stealth sections that you couldn’t avoid, and a really strange RPG style leveling up system that made Lara stronger by opening doors. Tomb Fail-er.

For some games, the transition into 3D didn't go so smoothly, and Castlevania 64 is one that exemplified that to the bone. Upon release, fans and critics alike praised the presentation, citing graphics, atmosphere, and music to be beautifully fitting for the title. Still, many were divided on the overall gameplay experience, with the biggest grumbles being the short-stack of weapons and the repetitive jumping over and killing lots of skeletons that you could've made a drinking game out of. However, the nails on the coffin were the universally panned controls and camera system, which made the game far more irritating to play than it was nice to look at.

Before we hack and slash at our number one franchise flub, let's take a look at a few horrible, er, dishonorable mentions:

“Alone In The Dark: Illumination” (2015)
“SimCity” (2013)
“Worms 3D” (2004)
“Crash of the Titans” (2007)
“Spyro: Enter The Dragonfly” (2002)
“Bomberman: Act Zero” (2006)

Considered one of the worst games released in recent memory, we chose Rise of Lyric over the other sub par sonic entries since even the most diehard of sonic fans can’t stand by it. Panned for its overwhelming novelties, this game took all the adrenaline rush from previous Sonic titles and overdosed it with testosterone-driven steroids. As a result, fans were forced-fed with pompous environments, tedious combat mechanics, not so puzzling puzzles, and appalling jokes that we doubt even developers found funny. Reflecting its poor reviews was even poorer market performance, with sales barely hovering over half a million units six months after its release, making it the worst-selling title for our blue-headed hedgehog and friends.

Do you agree with our list? Which video-game title from a great franchise do you detest? For more non-stop Top 10's published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.