Top 10 Videogame Trilogies

The best things in life come in three’s and that certainly applies to these amazing Video Game series. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the top 10 video game trilogies.

For this list, we ranked the finest trilogies in all of gaming. All three games must be held in high regard and have to be directly related to each other, which sadly rules out GTA III as well as the “Zelda” titles since there’s no 3 related titles that could be regarded as a continuing trilogy. And finally we excluded the Super Mario Bros series, since there are two versions of the 2nd game, and debate still rages about which is the proper sequel. Some of these games went on to have more installments afterwords, but they still need to be able to stand alone as trilogies.

These FPS series doe get flack for being similar to one another, but the Modern Warfare saga kept fans enthralled the whole way through. With Sergeant “Soap” Mctavish and Captain John Price as the stars of these 3 games out to stop dangerous ultranationalists, no national monument was safe from destruction. Nuke go off, major characters die, and you’ve got a front row seat for all of it.

Having one friend become a rodent-like creature might seem like the kind of thing that’d ruin a friendship, but it doesn’t stop these pals from teaming up to fight evil in these action platformers. Each game sees them take on new enemies, but the two work well together no matter who they’re facing, even when Daxter’s smart-alecky comments can get a bit annoying. The titles evolved a lot through the trilogy, getting decidedly darker starting from “Jak 2,” but the gorgeous animation and fun platforming stayed consistently excellent.

This survival horror franchise has become among the most important series in all of gaming, but it never would have gotten anywhere if not for the groundwork laid by first three titles. The tale of Raccoon City, see’s the elite S.T.A.R.S members deal with a viral outbreak in a mansion that’s turned it’s inhabitants into Zombies. With the 2ndgame taking the horror to the whole city, before the nightmare is put to a dramatic end by a nuclear bomb in the 3rd game, finishing the story. Or not...?

Mario might be the most recognizable Nintendo character, but his old nemesis came first, and his name is on three of the most visually inventive 2D platformers of all time. Though DK is only the main playable character in the first game, his nephew Diddy, who was his sidekick, takes over in “2,” with his sidekick being his girlfriend Dixie. Then she takes on the lead role in the 3rd game, with her sidekick being her cousin Kiddy. Whoever you’re controlling, hopping around the isle’s to defeat the evil King K. Rool in 3 different roles, makes for tons of beautifully animated, side-scrolling fun.

These violent hack-and-slash gems aren’t for the faint of heart, but their perfect for the gamer who’s got an appetite for gore. They tell the bloody tale of Kratos, a Spartan warrior who seeks revenge on the gods after they fool him into killing his family. All three games seamlessly incorporate Greek mythology into their lore, allowing you to murder the entire pantheon along the way. Sure, we could have done without the Pandora’s Box plot twist in the 3rd game, but taking down larger than life foes can make us forget about that.

The first installment in this series of sci-fi shooters was an Xbox launch title and its first killer ap, and the next two games continued to set a high standard for the console FPS. The story of Master Chief and his fellow soldiers battling the alien Covenant, while also facing the parasitic Flood, is among gaming’s most compelling space operas, appropriately book ended with Chief exiting statis in the first game, then going back into statis for and the end of the third. After thart, did we need 2 spin-offs and a whole new trilogy? Probably not.

Speaking of great sci-fi first person shooters, here’s yet another one. In this trilogy, the classic Nintendo bounty hunter Samus takes a new step in stopping a deadly sentient element known as Phazon from spreading across the galaxy, thanks in part to the element taking on her form as Dark Samus. The new style felt like what the games had always meant to be, immersing players unknown worlds and setting these games up as some of the pinnacle titles in the Metroid series.

We’re glad we don’t have to live on Sera, the fictional planet where these third-person shooters are set. All three games concern the attacks on the planet by the subterranean Locust Horde, as with each game humanity gets more and more desperate as they're driven to the edge of extinction. A great story is nothing without a great game, and thankfully Gears of War offers intense, visceral combat to keep you chain-sawing through the whole thing.

These action-adventure games have plots worthy of Hollywood flicks, but that’s far from all that makes them great. Protagonist Nathan Drake faces high flying adventures, terrifying enemies, alongside unforgettable allies like journalist Elena Fisher and friend Sully as he travels the world seeking treasure. Whether he finds himself in the Amazon in the first game, Nepal in the sequel, or around the Middle East in the third, the scenery is gorgeous, and the action-packed gameplay reaches incomparable heights.


Before we get to our number one, let’s take a look at some honorable mentions:

“Crash Bandicoot” series (1996-98)

“Mortal Kombat” series (1992-95)

“Sonic the Hedgehog” series (1991-94)

“Bioshock” series (2007-13)

“Max Payne” series (2001-12)

“Resistance” series (2006-11)

This thrilling action-RPG space opera is simply unlike anything gaming has ever seen. The story of Commander Shepard’s fight against the Galaxy destroying Reapers, helped along the way by an innumerable cast of supporting characters is packed to the brim with unforgettable moments. But what ensures gets Mass Effect the top spot, is that the choices you make in each game can can be transferred over to the next, ensuring that each playthough is unique and cementing Mass Effect’s place as the true trilogy king. And you know what, we didn’t think the ending was all that bad. There we said it!


Do you agree with our list? Which Video game Trilogy did you want to binge-play through? For at least three top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.