It can be hard enough to make one good game, let alone one or even two follow-ups to complete a trilogy. Sometimes a game may not start out with a trilogy in mind and will get reworked, which can lead to a weird hodgepodge of ideas that don’t gel together. There might even be cases where one of the three games is bad, which then makes it hard to recommend the whole trilogy as a complete work.
6 Greatest Video Game Trilogies You Didn't Know Existed
Despite the success necessary for a video game to receive not one but two sequels, these video game trilogies have been completely overlooked.
That’s not the case with the following trilogies because they are all bangers from start to finish. Some even have more games tied to them within this trilogy that help flesh out the world, or even the main character. Thankfully, those spin-offs are not necessary to complete these trilogies, as they are exceptional from beginning to end all on their own.
Halo
The Master Chief Saga
- Core Games: Halo 1-3
- Other Games To Consider: Halo: Reach and Halo 3: ODST
The Halo series helped launch the original Xbox, and the first three numbered games were centered on a super soldier named Master Chief. As the last Spartan, Master Chief is tasked with taking down an alien scourge known as The Covenant, the primary antagonist of this trilogy, who want to use old-world tech, the titular Halo, to rule the galaxy.
Master Chief is a man of few words, but thanks to his AI support, Cortana, he’s given a bit more personality during his missions. Each game in the trilogy ends with a bang, essentially the video game equivalent of blockbuster movies. When Halo 3 wraps up, it feels as though Master Chief has finally “finished the fight.”
Mass Effect
The Shepard Trilogy
- Core Games: Mass Effect 1-3
- Other Games To Consider: Mass Effect: Andromeda
The original Mass Effect trilogy, which focused on a player-created character named Commander Shepard, are each regarded as some of BioWare’s best games. The trilogy has a brilliant three-act structure, with each game respecting a different part of the narrative. The first game is about Commander Shepard trying to convince a galactic council that an alien entity known as the Reapers is real, the second game is about them trying to get a new crew together to finally produce proof, and the last game is a war effort between various planets to go after the Reapers.
While the trilogy’s end has sparked debate on whether it was really keeping track of the player's decisions throughout each game or not, fans cannot deny how moving a journey it was, thanks to all the charismatic party members who joined the fight.
God Of War
The Greek Trilogy
- Core Games: God Of War 1-3
- Other Games To Consider: God of War: Chains of Olympus, God of War: Ghost of Sparta, and God of War: Ascension
The first three numbered God of War games told the epic saga of a man, Kratos, scorned by the Greek gods. Kratos was a chosen soldier by the god Ares to do his bidding, but after he betrayed him by tricking Kratos into killing his wife and daughter, he went on a revenge quest.
The first game doesn’t feature many gods, but it ends with Kratos assuming the literal title of God of War from Ares, the Greek God of War from mythology. It was a great way to end a game, but it only got better when Kratos used his newfound immortality to basically commit genocide against the rest of Olympus. The series of fights throughout each sequel is both grotesque and incredibly satisfying.
Gears Of War
The Fenix Saga
- Core Games: Gears Of War 1-3
- Other Games To Consider: Gears of War: Judgment
The first three numbered Gears of War games largely focused on a soldier named Marcus Fenix. Marcus fought in a war against an underground entity known as the Locusts in years past, but after committing war crimes, he was locked up. Years later, his best mate, Dom, breaks him out of jail and recruits him back into the army to fight against the Locusts once again.
Great Video Game Trilogies You Can Play from Start to Finish on PS5
Discover iconic gaming trilogies playable on PS5, from immersive shooters to gripping story-driven adventures.
While it’s a very “bro” type of shooter, the narrative twists are interesting, along with the gruff brotherly love between the soldiers. This war effort against the Locusts will have players questioning humanity and whether or not war is the answer, one chainsaw-splattering kill at a time.
Marvel's Spider-Man
Two Spider-Man Heroes, One Destiny
- Core Games: Marvel's Spider-Man, Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, and Marvel's Spider-Man 2
- Other Games To Consider: N/A
So far, Insomniac Games has made three Spider-Man games, which can largely be considered a trilogy, including Marvel's Spider-Man, Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, and Marvel's Spider-Man 2. Thankfully, the first game is not an origin story for Peter Parker, but it is for Miles, who Peter meets through mutual acquaintances. It sets things up nicely for the sequel, which is all about Miles coming into his own as a Spider-Man hero while Peter is away on vacation with MJ.
The trilogy's conclusion allows players to assume both roles, with Peter going through a dark phase because of the Venom symbiote exposure, while Miles steps up as a hero to show Peter what he's doing is wrong. It’s a role reversal of the original game, which is a sweet note to end on, as is seeing them become closer in each game. However, with a Marvel's Spider-Man 3 being all but a certainty, the trilogy's story still has room to grow.
Batman
The Arkham Trilogy
- Core Games: Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham City, and Batman: Arkham Knight
- Other Games To Consider: Batman: Arkham Origins and Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate
Rocksteady Studios changed the perception of Batman games, and licensed games in general, with Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham City, and Batman: Arkham Knight. The first game was a brilliant idea that trapped Batman inside Arkham Asylum, where The Joker took over, loosing random prisoners and other high-profile villains like Poison Ivy and Killer Croc.
The sequel turned a section of Gotham into a prison city, offering players more ways to explore, and the finale gave players the biggest upgrade of all, the Batmobile, and all of Gotham to drive it around in. One game does not overshadow the others, as each presents Batman with a different challenge. For fans of the 90s animated series, this will all seem like a gritty reboot done perfectly.
Metal Gear Solid
The Big Boss Trilogy
- Core Games: Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, and Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain
- Other Games To Consider: Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops and Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes
Metal Gear is largely a series about Solid Snake, but one of the main antagonists, Big Boss, was highlighted in three prequels, including Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, and Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. Big Boss wasn’t always a legendary soldier, as he was once wet behind the ears as a rookie in the first game.
After proving himself worthy of the title Big Boss, he leaves the U.S. To start his own mercenary group in Costa Rica, where he begins his legacy, which is then struck down in the sequel. Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain is all about rebuilding a new home at Mother Base, getting revenge on those who did him and his men wrong, and trying to create a true mercenary state without borders. It’s a believable downfall for a hero-to-villain arc, more so than the saga that Anakin Skywalker goes through in the Star Wars prequels.
Dead Space
The Horrors Of Necromorphs
- Core Games: Dead Space 1-3
- Other Games To Consider: Dead Space: Extraction and Dead Space (2023)
The numbered Dead Space games focused on an engineer, Isaac Clarke, who arrived for work on a bad day. Isaac enters into a situation as a normal engineer brought on to investigate a spaceship that has lost communication. What he finds is horrific: a ship full of mutated humans known as Necromorphs, and a cult that worships the relic that is causing all of this.
Short but Brilliant Trilogies You Can Beat Without a Huge Time Commitment
For players who want to blitz through a tightly designed set of great games, the following trilogies are must-tries.
The sequels go into greater detail about the cult and what they represent, and starting in the second game, Isaac even gets dedicated voice acting. More so than any game on here, the final boss in Dead Space 3 is truly unbelievable, to a degree that no game has ever attempted since. It is wildly absurd, which is fitting for such a tight and uniquely terrifying horror trilogy.
Dragon Quest
The Erdrick Trilogy (Remakes)
- Core Games: Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remake and Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake
- Other Games To Consider: Dragon Quest Builders
The Erdrick Trilogy was the name given to the first Dragon Quest games released on the NES, which have now been remade via Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remake and Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake. Surprisingly, the first game in the trilogy is actually Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake, which explains the origins of the hero who is later named Erdrick.
The story in that title becomes legend in the first and second games, with the first focusing on a singular descendant, while the second game is about four descendants. What’s interesting about the remakes is that each world map is almost the same as its original counterparts, changed in several ways to make each game display the passage of time. Beyond the world map, the remakes also do a better job of linking the narratives together in subtle ways that weren’t as fleshed out in the original NES titles.
Xenosaga
From Six Games To One
- Core Games: Xenosaga Episode 1-3
- Other Games To Consider: Xenosaga 1 & 2 (DS Demake, Japan Only)
The Xenosaga trilogy was all contained on the PS2 and consists of hard-to-pronounce titles, including Xenosaga Episode 1: Der Wille zur Macht, Xenosaga Episode 2: Jenseits von Gut und Bose, and Xenosaga Episode 3: Also sprach Zarathustra. Xenosaga started as a six-part idea and was whittled down to a more manageable narrative spread across three games, which notably had to sacrifice some storytelling.
Even though progress doesn’t carry over between games, the party members mostly stay the same, giving players more reasons to care about their arcs. Overall, the trilogy is about humanity being overtaken by aliens, how robots are treated in society, and a religious cult hell-bent on restarting the universe. The heavy emphasis on anime-style storytelling may not be for everyone, but when the Xenosaga games get cooking, they really know how to entertain.
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