Summary
- Successful first games in open-world franchises set a strong foundation for future entries.
- Establishment of unique gameplay, art style, and story elements in first games attracts fan base.
- Strong debuts help establish successful franchises, leading to beloved sequels with continued improvements.
Most publishers want to establish popular franchises so that they can market their games to a large number of fans from the get-go. This is especially true in the open-world genre, which is so populated that an established name goes a long way in helping these names stand out from the rest of the pack.
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This is why the first games in open-world franchises should be lauded if they manage to be a major hit. They signal the start of something special and ensure that players will be hooked on later entries as long as they keep on improving.
Saints Row
A Promising First Attempt That Set The Foundation For Something Special
Saints Row
- Released
- September 1, 2006
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- 18+
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Action-Adventure, Shooter, Racing
Saints Row was an admirable start to this beloved series, even if it couldn't shake off the GTA clone accusations for a while. Thankfully, the fun action and great art style ensured that this game would strike a chord with fans.
Eventually, later Saints Row games would establish the wild gameplay and over-the-top humor of this series. It's a shame that the 2022 reboot essentially killed the series, but fans will always hold out hope that Saints Row will make a comeback somewhere down the line.
Assassin's Creed
Players Were Introduced To A Promising Universe With This Tantalizing Game
Assassin's Creed
- Released
- November 14, 2007
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Strong Language, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Stealth, Action
After brainstorming a new entry in the Prince of Persia series, Ubisoft decided to go forward with a brand new IP that would let players explore historical settings in detailed simulations. This led to the development of the first Assassin's Creed, which is easily one of the most popular franchises of all time.
Altair's adventures were riveting and introduced players to this compelling world. While Ezio's trilogy may be more important for this franchise's relevance, there's no denying that the first Assassin's Creed game set the groundwork for something special, even if it has been milked a bit too much for most people's liking.
Horizon Zero Dawn
An Excellent Debut For Aloy In This Unique Post-Apocalyptic Title
Horizon Zero Dawn
- Released
- February 28, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
Guerrilla Games had a tall order ahead of them when they had to create Horizon's world. The idea of fighting mechanical dinosaurs sounded great, but it'd fall flat if the story didn't do a great enough job of justifying this unique take on a post-apocalyptic world.
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Thankfully, Horizon Zero Dawn did a great job of establishing many mysteries with satisfying payoffs. From Aloy's origins to the reason behind the world's destruction, Zero Dawn was a strong first entry in a series that fans loved.
STALKER: Shadow Of Chernobyl
A Challenging Open-World Survival Horror RPG That Struck A Chord With Players
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl
- Released
- March 20, 2007
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol
- Genre(s)
- FPS, Survival Horror
The STALKER series has slowly but surely amassed a passionate fanbase that loves everything this title has to offer. They were introduced to the hypnotic trappings of this open-world survival RPG series for the first time with Shadow of Chernobyl.
Exploring the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone and getting their hands on the many anomalies in this game makes for a great time. Shadow of Chernobyl highlighted the immense promise of this franchise, and later games did a great job of building on it.
Mafia
The Story Was Tantalizing And Got People Hooked On The Mafia Series In No Time
Mafia (2002)
- Released
- August 28, 2002
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure, Third-Person Shooter
Mafia manages to shake off the accusations of being a GTA clone by letting fans enjoy one of the best stories in a video game. Fans of movies like The Godfather and Scarface will have a blast with this title.
The remake of this title ensures that getting into the first chapter in the Mafia series will be easier than ever. The story still holds up and makes it clear why the game's success spawned a franchise full of amazing story-driven open-world games.
Xenoblade Chronicles
Helped Establish One Of The Most Popular Modern Nintendo Franchises
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition
- Released
- May 29, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Blood, Mild Language, Partial Nudity, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Xenoblade Chronicles is one of the greatest open-world RPGs of all time, with the Xeno series finally enjoying the mainstream attention it deserved. Nintendo's backing ensures that JRPG fans will be eating well with this incredible game.
Shulk and his Monado are iconic and do a great job of making the combat feel better than ever. This, coupled with mech gameplay and incredible environmental design, makes it clear why fans loved what Xenoblade Chronicles brings to the table.
Marvel's Spider-Man
Fans Were Finally Treated To One Of The Best Spider-Man Games That Did Justice To The Webhead's Legacy
Marvel's Spider-Man
- Released
- September 7, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Blood, Drug Reference, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action, Adventure, Open-World
After what felt like ages, fans were finally treated to a video game that did justice to the allure of everyone's favorite neighborhood superhero. Marvel's Spider-Man made it clear that Insomniac Studios was the smartest pick for a big-budget Spider-Man game.
The webhead's adventures start on a high note and never let up. With Miles Morales' side adventures and a sequel that lets players control both Spider-Men, it's easy to see why the first game was so important to help establish this beloved franchise.
Red Dead Redemption
John Marston's Adventures Make For An Epic Time In This Western Open-World Game
Red Dead Redemption
- Released
- May 18, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Adventure
Red Dead Redemption is one of Rockstar's best video games that turned John Marston into one of the most iconic video game protagonists of all time. Players control this man on a journey to hunt down the remnants of his past after the Pinkertons threaten him into this act.
If nothing else, this game is important simply because it set the foundation for what is easily one of Rockstar's greatest sequels. Venturing into Mexico and the game's shocking ending are just a few of the moments that make it clear why Red Dead Redemption had such an immense impact upon launch.
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