Top 20 Greatest Video Game Trilogies of All Time

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 20 Video Game Trilogies.

For this list, we’ll be looking at those trilogies that represent gaming at its best.

What video game needs to be turned into a trilogy? Let us know in the comments!

Predating "Devil May Cry" by a few months, "Onimusha" saw Capcom adapting elements from "Resident Evil" to an action-driven hack and slash game. With tank controls, challenging combat, a variety of satisfying weapons, and typically great pre-rendered backgrounds, the original "Onimusha" trilogy reached some mesmerizing heights. While the first entry opted for a claustrophobic setting with horror overtones, "Onimusha" gradually went the blockbuster route, culminating in the gloriously outrageous "Demon Siege" featuring Jean Reno. With a different protagonist and a generally lighter tone, "Onimusha 2" feels somewhat out of place, although the combat is still solid.

Revitalizing 3D action platformers in the early 2000s, "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" was a huge success. The game's parkour is still some of the most fluid and satisfying in gaming, while the charming characters and the story's swashbuckling tone helped craft a timeless adventure. The Prince's story continued in the next two games, with both "Warrior Within" and "The Two Thrones" improving upon "The Sands of Time's" gameplay, particularly in the combat department. While "Warrior Within's" try-hard attitude stands in stark contrast to both its predecessor and successor, the trilogy's narrative does chronicle the Prince's growth well.

Nintendo doesn't often decide to terrify Luigi, but when it does, the games typically deliver. Launching with the GameCube, "Luigi's Mansion" presented Mario's brother like never before. With large explorative stages, fun puzzles, and a genuinely creepy tone for a Nintendo game, "Luigi's Mansion" is a bonafide classic. Although the franchise opted for a more colorful atmosphere moving forward, the 3DS's "Dark Moon" and the Switch's "Luigi's Mansion 3" replicate the original's humor, heart, and visual splendor. "Luigi's Mansion" is Nintendo going out of its comfort zone, and each entry has enough unique elements to make the entire trilogy worth playing.

Lara Croft has gone through a few incarnations since the '90s, with each one offering its positives. Crystal Dynamics' Survivor trilogy presented Lara in a grittier light, with each entry demonstrating how the young and unconfident archaeologist becomes the resourceful and resilient Tomb Raider. Blending exploration, platforming, combat, and puzzles, the Survivor trilogy starts extremely strong with the fantastically paced "Tomb Raider." "Rise of the Tomb Raider" ramps things up with a more interesting story and improved gameplay. The trilogy does end on its weakest entry, although the "Shadow of the Tomb Raider" is by no means bad.

While overshadowed by Naughty Dog's other franchises, the "Jak and Daxter" trilogy consists of some of the best games on the PS2. A 3D collect-a-thon with near-perfect controls and an interconnected world, 2001's "Precursor Legacy" is a delightful lighthearted adventure. For the sequels, Naughty Dog sprinkled in a touch of "Grand Theft Auto," amplifying the combat, adding more minigames, and darkening the tone in the process. Jak's moveset gets more complex and varied as the trilogy progresses, while the sound design is phenomenal, especially in the second game. Also, Daxter is just funny.

A race of aliens called the Chimera have invaded Earth, forcing humanity into a devastating war where survival often feels like a pipe dream. Starting in Europe before moving to America in the sequels, "Resistance" is a gut-wrenching thrill ride with intense shooter gameplay and an effective sense of dread. Each entry builds upon the last, both in terms of gunplay and tone. By the time "Resistance 3" comes around, Earth has been reduced to a violent and depressing post-apocalyptic hellscape. Packed with impressively large-scale battles and a consistently uneasy atmosphere, Insomniac's "Resistance" trilogy is a triumph, and that’s without even mentioning the awesome multiplayer modes.

Most of "Silent Hill's" high points can be found in the first three games. Generally taking place within the town of Silent Hill, this trilogy features some of the creepiest monster designs in gaming, along with fantastic stories driven by psychological fear. "Silent Hill" and the third game are directly connected as they revolve around a cult seeking to give birth to a deity. While "Silent Hill 2" tells a standalone story about grief, regret, and guilt, it expands on the series's core themes and concepts. Sadly, “Silent Hill 4” plays too differently to be counted alongside the first three games.

Following a rough debut, Ubisoft's "Assassin's Creed" launched into arguably its most successful arc, at least in terms of continuity. "Assassin's Creed II" introduced the world to Ezio Auditore da Firenze; a charming but immature youth who learns of his assassin bloodline and sets out on a quest for revenge. "Brotherhood" and "Revelations" showcase Ezio's growth as an assassin, teacher, and human while also expanding upon the lore surrounding the war between the Assassins and Templars. From Florence to Rome and Constantinople, the Ezio trilogy features spectacular locations, great storytelling, and even a few iconic historical figures.

In a post-"Resident Evil 4" world, Visceral Games set out to fuse survival horror gameplay with sci-fi, specifically the "Alien" franchise. Released in 2008, "Dead Space" is a masterclass in atmosphere and tension, crafting a terrifying experience with a human core. Isaac Clarke's story continued for two more games, with each sequel pushing "Dead Space" into a more action-heavy territory. Even as the series shifted away from its horror roots, "Dead Space" maintained its weighty combat that made use of a highly satisfying dismemberment system. It's just a shame that the mainline "Dead Space" games had to come to a sudden stop.

As "Sonic 3" and "Sonic & Knuckles" were initially meant to be a single package, the Blue Blur's Genesis-era can be seen as a trilogy. Needing a mascot to compete with Nintendo's Mario, Sega unleashed Sonic onto the world to near-universal acclaim. Offering speed, complex and explorable levels, colorful worlds, and replayability, all the main "Sonic the Hedgehog" games on the Genesis are incredible. Each game has aged well, with the second and third entries being valid contenders for the platforming genre's greatest ever titles. The games also have some brilliant soundtracks for the time!

BioWare knows a thing or two about weaving epic narratives, and the "Dragon Age'' franchise represents the studio at its best. Split into three games, "Dragon Age'' explores Thedas's widespread war against the Archdemon's Darkspawn, a more personal tale set in Kirkwall, and the continent's efforts to rebuild in the face of another cataclysmic event. While each entry holds up well enough on its own, the trilogy is more rewarding when viewed as a whole. Choices made in a game can influence events in its sequels, and they all come together to paint an expansive image of Thedas. Let’s just hope Dragon Age 4 lives up to the legacy.

The definitive cover-based third-person shooter, Xbox's "Gears of War" franchise exploded onto the scene with style. The original trilogy chronicles humanity's struggles to suppress the Locust Horde. Led by the COG's Marcus Fenix, "Gears of War" blends gratifying gameplay, brilliant visuals, and a surprising amount of narrative depth to create a trilogy that delivers both high-octane action and emotional heft. "Gears of War" got the basic right from the very start, so the sequels mainly focused on adding variety to complement the strong gunplay. While the franchise has pushed on, the original trilogy tells a complete and effective story.

Whether playing Insomniac's original PS1 games or the "Reignited Trilogy," "Spyro" will deliver plenty of platforming goodness. Centering around homeworlds that can be used to access different levels, the "Spyro" trilogy expertly incorporates exploration, combat, memorable characters, and great level design. Like its contemporaries, the second and third entries expand on the things that players can do, particularly "Year of the Dragon" with its multiple playable characters and various minigames. More than anything, the "Spyro" games just radiate whimsy and charm, transporting people to magical worlds like the first entry's Dragon Realms.

Every once in a while, a title comes along that challenges what gaming can accomplish, and "BioShock" was one of those releases. Touching upon philosophical, social, and moral themes, the "BioShock" series envisions fantastical but historically influenced settings, be it the first two entries' Rapture or "Infinite's" Columbia, though you can count on each to force players to think about their actions, both from a gameplay and story perspective. While the original "BioShock" and "Infinite" get plenty of attention, the second game should also not be overlooked, especially since it has the best gameplay in the trilogy.

With 3D calling, Nintendo made the risky decision to go first-person for the next "Metroid" game. Debuting on the GameCube and concluding on the Wii, the "Metroid Prime" trilogy drops Samus Aran into large explorable worlds packed with puzzles to solve, enemies to shoot and strafe around, and a heaping helping of upgrades to find. After the first game proved a classic "Metroid" experience could work in 3D, the sequels started to introduce fresh ideas, such as "Echoes'" dual-dimensions and "Corruption's" motion controls. While each "Metroid Prime" game feels unique, the trilogy works splendidly as a whole.

Building upon the foundations established by "Demon's Souls," the "Dark Souls" trilogy debuted with unparalleled world-building, nightmarish enemy designs, and suns waiting to be praised. Whether set in Lordran, Drangleic, or Lothric, "Dark Souls" can be relied upon to deliver intense gameplay, grueling boss battles, and a wide range of customization options. Even as "Dark Souls" grew in popularity, the franchise never dumbed down its core concepts to appeal to a wider market. Be it "Dark Souls'" lore, "Dark Souls II's" builds, or "Dark Souls III's" faster combat, each entry has its strengths to be adored.

BioWare's space opera tells a legendary tale of resilience, tragedy, and hope. With the threat of the Reapers looming large, Commander Shepard journeys across the galaxy, meeting many extraordinary personalities along the way. Choices made in each entry hold weight in its sequels, crafting moments that are not only unforgettable but also feel personal. "Mass Effect" is a trilogy in the truest sense of the word, with all three games telling a chapter in a complete saga. The gameplay also evolves with the story, transitioning from an action RPG to an action game with RPG elements.

First-person shooters on consoles can be split into pre and post-"Halo" eras. Bungie's "Halo: Combat Evolved" put the Xbox on the map, delivering an ambitious console shooter that matched high production values with fantastic controls and intelligent storytelling. The 2001 game set standards that subsequent shooters would follow and expand upon, including Bungie's two direct sequels. The Master Chief trilogy arguably went from strength to strength, not only in the single-player department but also in the multiplayer. The first three "Halo" games are timeless and influential, with Bungie setting a standard that the franchise has struggled to match ever since.

Rare spent the '90s crafting masterpieces, and the studio's greatest creation might just be this literal barrel of laughs! Pioneering pre-rendered sprites, "Donkey Kong Country" was a technological marvel that also happened to be an excellent platformer. With each game offering different protagonists, islands, and themes, the "Donkey Kong Country" trilogy constantly shakes things up; however, the brilliant level design, gorgeous animation, and boundless fun are constant throughout. Consistency is it’s greatest strength, and that can all be traced back to Rare's classic SNES trilogy.

Over the span of three blood-soaked games, Kratos goes from a Spartan soldier to a destroyer of gods. An Greek tragedy, "God of War" follows Kratos's descent from a sympathetic hero into a warrior consumed by revenge, a person willing to destroy the world to satisfy his anger. Packed with epic boss battles, satisfying combat, and decent puzzles, Santa Monica's original trilogy constantly attempts to outdo itself, both in terms of scale and gameplay. While the first entry is probably the weakest, "God of War" maintains a high level of quality throughout Kratos's rampage right up to that pitch perfect ending.