Polarization of horror game franchises

Key Takeaways

• Most horror game franchises churn out sequels and spin-offs, but not all of them are of the same quality.
• Hits like Five Nights at Freddy's can be overused and lose interest as sequels pile up.
• Even popular horror franchises like The Last of Us have faced backlash due to unnecessary remakes.

The feeling of fear, and the fight or flight response it puts on people, can be a truly thrilling feeling that horror lovers can never get enough of. Luckily for horror game enthusiasts, most great games from great franchises use the developer's settings, worlds, and characters to deliver consistent scares.

But like any other genre, not all franchises are created equal. Some are generally poorly received, while others are disappointing with one or two entries that disappoint long-time, dedicated fans. Unfortunately, there can still be fun in these franchises whose overall success may not be what the studio was hoping for.

7 Freddy's Pizza Place

Generating so many sequels, prequels and spin-offs that it leads to fatigue.

that five nights The franchise was a hit from the first game and became a popular choice for content creators and streamers, introducing and popularizing it to a younger audience than it was intended to be. The pizzeria is the perfect setting reminiscent of the early days of dining at Chuck E Cheese, complete with creepy animatronics. Few animatronics are as scary as the ones in movies. Freddy's Pizza PlaceThis led to more and more people being added to the roster with each subsequent game.

But success was also part of the problem, as the franchise began producing new projects at a breakneck pace and other developers decided to cash in on the craze, resulting in unofficial spinoffs or imitations. The magic started to wear off with each game as I got tired of playing with the same mechanics and witnessing the same jump scares every time. The game continues to play, but some audience members have moved on.

6 silent hill

Team Silent hasn't been able to handle it all game, and PT's departure still hurts.

In most cases, silent hill One of the most famous horror game franchises of all time. The first four games are constantly praised as some of the best games of all time, but there's still room for debate about them. Silent Hill: The Room. However, when Team Silent, who was responsible for the best game in the series, left the series, a problem arose among fans. They felt the game lacked the magic of the original and committed the heinous crime of introducing Pyramid Head into another game that did not include James Sunderland.

Perhaps the most serious is cancellation. Silent HillsThis is a game that is highly anticipated among fans. The playable teaser showed great promise, and its cancellation still hurts to this day. Although in the future silent hill Things may seem a little brighter these days thanks to the remake of the second entry, but it still can't undo the disappointments of the past. Some of the disappointments are also fairly recent. Silent Hill: Ascension It is receiving poor reviews from most longtime fans. But there is always hope in the promise of future titles.

5 layer of fear

Style over substance

The Bloober team has earned more recognition than ever before for their outstanding work. Silent Hill 2 The remake ventures into very unfamiliar territory for them: puzzles, combat, and general gameplay. Before that, he was mainly known for his work: layer of fearSo far there are two games and one DLC to bridge the gap. The first game features a painter trying to capture the likeness of his dead wife. In the DLC, she is the painter's daughter, and in the second game, she appears as an actress aboard the ship.

layer of fear The game is undoubtedly gorgeous with sublime visuals, and this is where Bloober's strengths shine. While the visuals are stunning from every angle, the gameplay leaves a lot to be desired. There's no depth to it other than shuffling from point of interest to point of interest and experiencing surreal encounters like disappearing doors or being locked in a room while something constantly bangs on the other side. The term walking simulator was coined for games such as: layer of fearIt is not meant as a direct insult, but it is also not used as a compliment.

4 bendy and the ink machine

Fall in love with the sequel

first bendy and the ink machine It caused a sensation when it was released. Sure, it won't capture everyone's hearts, but what game appeals to every gamer in existence? The style mimicked that of classic old-school cartoons such as Betty Boop and Steamboat Willy and expressed the vividness of 2D animation and the power of the ink used, especially the Ink Machine, of great relevance.

Here's the problem. Because this is another shining example of style over substance. At least players could be assured that this game was going to be a short, fun jaunt with a quirky art style, but the follow-up game came out and didn't quite have the same excitement. By that time dark revival come, bendy It was barely recognized as its own game. I was trying to emulate a game like this: bioshock Rather than capitalizing on its originality, it overplays itself, weakening the game and weakening an already thin series.

3 the last of us

Unnecessary remakes and controversial characters (but overall the first game is loved)

It is a fresh and new take on the post-apocalyptic genre that follows the story of Joel and Ellie, girls who are said to be immune to infection. the last of us An exciting new game franchise in the zombie genre. In most cases they were right. The first and second games were fun to play, seeing new and old characters develop over time. But that success led to problems for the franchise.

Both games had remakes that have now been brought to consoles and PC. Considering the age of the game this remastering was released, it was somewhat unnecessary, especially after 2013. the last of us It already received a PS4 remaster before the PS5 remake. yes, the last of us 2's Abby is one of the most polarizing characters in the horror genre, and the second game may be divisive for some (although the gameplay is generally considered excellent overall).

2 inner devil

Elements of the game have been praised, but the series is far from perfect

As promised, there is a big bad in this game. With scary objects included, players will have a hard time using their weapons as they wish. Playing as a detective, they may have the skills and know-how to survive. Gameplay was often praised as one of its strong points, which was only improved upon in the sequel. The Evil Within 2. Enemy design was also one of the highlights of the series, with monsters like the Butcher and Laura being some of the scariest monsters in gaming history.

This sounds all well and good, but inner devil There could have been more to offer. Unfortunately, the story is disjointed and complex, making it difficult for players to engage and engage. Additionally, the difficulty of the game increases rapidly, making it more frustrating than fun.

1 resident evil

This famous and successful series also had its ups and downs.

resident evil Capcom's flagship franchise immerses players into a world where corrupt scientists and pharmaceutical companies are responsible for truly heinous atrocities, engineering viruses that create plague-causing monsters and zombie-like creatures. It includes popular legacy characters who have appeared in numerous games, including Jill Valentine and Leon Kennedy, and is one of the longest-running horror game franchises with numerous titles.

For the most part, Capcom has succeeded in creating the best survival horror game of all time from scratch. resident evil A game set in the suffocating Spencer Mansion resident evil 7It was a huge success for Southern Horror. But there are games like this: 5 and 6 Numerous spin-off titles that favored action over horror, featured not-so-great AI, and blatant disregard for what made them core. resident evil The game works.