Top 10 Most Loved Video Game Franchises
#10: “Assassin's Creed” (2007-)
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Considered Ubisoft’s best franchise, the “Assassin’s Creed” saga made quite an impact with its focus on the millennia old struggle between the Order of Assassins and the Knights Templar. While the franchise does include elements of science fiction, it also intertwines its narrative and gameplay with real-life historical events, locations and figures, making it quite appealing to history buffs. With each new game, players can explore different time periods ranging from ancient Egypt, to the Viking Era, as well as the American Revolution. The series currently features 13 main titles which have been praised for their visuals, design, as well as narratives. As of September 2022, the franchise has sold more than 200 million copies and there are even more games on the way.
#9: “Soulsborne” (2009-)
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The fact that this franchise helped to spawn an entirely new subgenre speaks volumes of its popularity. Created by game developer FromSoftware, the Soulsborne games, share many similarities and mechanics which include challenging difficulty, learning through repeated character deaths, dark-fantasy settings, as well environmental storytelling. The titles produced by this franchise have been well received by critics and most people even describe them as being some of the best video games ever made. The list of popular titles that make up this franchise includes the “Dark Souls” series, “Bloodborne,” “Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice,” as well as the universally acclaimed “Elden Ring.”
#8: “God of War” (2005-)
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With more than 66 million copies sold globally, the “God of War” franchise includes some of the best action games ever produced. Following the story of the Spartan warrior Kratos, this series is divided into its “Greek” era, which follows Kratos and his quest for vengeance, followed by its “Norse” era, which takes things in a new direction as Kratos seeks redemption for his past actions. Regardless if you’re a fan of the classic or new era of “God of War” games, both have received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics for their storytelling, character development, visuals, soundtrack and in some cases, for redefining the meaning of “scale” in video games.
#7: “Mortal Kombat” (1992-2023)
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From its humble origins as a popular arcade game, “Mortal Kombat” has evolved into the best-selling fighting game franchise in the world. “Mortal Kombat” sets itself apart from other fighting game series thanks to its extreme levels of graphic violence and its Fatality finishing moves. The series is also known for its rivalry with “Street Fighter,” another popular fighting game series (Xref). While “Street Fighter” may hold the title of the highest-grossing fighting game media franchise, “Mortal Kombat” has sold more units. Another reason to love this franchise is how some of its titles allow players to fight as characters from other pieces of media, such as Rambo, Spawn, Kratos, Predator, as well as Omni-Man!
#6: “The Legend of Zelda” (1986-)
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Considered one of Nintendo’s most successful franchises, “The Legend of Zelda” has gained much fame and notoriety since its debut nearly four decades ago. As the franchise’s popularity grew, it also helped influence other big names in the video game industry, including Dan Houser, the founder of Rockstar games, as well as “Dark Souls” creator Hidetaka Miyazaki. Overall the franchise has sold more than 150 million copies, with practically every title being a major hit, especially 2017’s “Breath of the Wild.” Considered both a masterpiece and an inspiration by critics, “Breath of the Wild” was praised for its open-world design, with its sequel “Tears of the Kingdom”, perfecting on an already incredible foundation.
#5: “Final Fantasy” (1987-)
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RPGs don’t get more iconic or more diverse than the “Final Fantasy” franchise. As of 2023, the series includes over 16 main titles with most having achieved major commercial success. The “Final Fantasy” franchise has captured the hearts of millions with its high-quality visuals, cast of memorable characters, and also incredible collection of orchestrations. Along with selling more than 173 million copies and earning several Guinness World Records, the “Final Fantasy” franchise has also proven to be quite an influential force in video game history. In terms of overall accomplishments, one of its biggest was how “Final Fantasy VII” helped to popularize the RPG genre outside of Japan.
#4: “Grand Theft Auto” (1997-)
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Despite the controversy surrounding its violent and mature themes, “Grand Theft Auto” managed to become one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time. With more than 410 million copies sold worldwide, this open-world series, which revolves around the criminal element, has extended its reach across multiple gaming platforms. Although the series' initial titles were met with mixed reviews, things quickly changed after the release of “Grand Theft Auto III.” From then on, the GTA franchise became a critical and financial success and even broke 10 world records. So far, the franchise’s most popular game is GTA V, which became the fastest-selling entertainment product ever released after earning more than a billion in sales within the first three days of its release.
#3: “Resident Evil” (1996-)
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Very few video game series have the honor of defining a genre, and the “Resident Evil” franchise just so happens to be one of them. Since the release of the first “Resident Evil” game, the series' subsequent titles have gone on to receive mostly positive reviews from critics. Eventually, the series became Capcom’s best-selling franchise with more than 146 million copies sold worldwide. It’s the face of survival horror in gaming. Not only cementing the subgenre as a titan of the medium - but has continued to reclaim its crown due to its outstandingly well-received remakes.
#2: “Pokémon” (1996 -)
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Pokémon isn’t just a successful video game franchise, it’s a global phenomenon whose popularity and impact surpassed all expectations. From the original 151 Pokémon featured in the first-gen games back in 1996, the franchise now includes over 1,000 Pokémon for players to catch, train, battle and trade with from anywhere in the world. So far, the franchise has produced more than 120 titles and sold more than 480 million units around the globe. And of course, let’s not forget the success of the “Pokémon” TV series which has over 1,200 episodes and counting. Overall, “Pokémon” is currently the highest-grossing media franchise with a global revenue believed to be over $90 billion. Pikachu alone is more recognizable these days than most world leaders!
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
“Persona” (1996-2024)
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It’s catalog contains some of the best RPGs of all time
“Sonic the Hedgehog” (1991-)
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Considered Sega’s flagship franchise with a ferocious following
“Tomb Raider” (1996-2024)
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Features one of the most recognizable and badass leads in gaming
“Metal Gear” (1987-)
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Helped pioneer and popularize stealth and cinematic video games
#1: “Mario” (1981-)
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For more than 40 years, this franchise, and its titular protagonist, have made Nintendo a juggernaut. Including the “Super Mario Bros.” sub-series, the franchise has also branched out into every other kind of genre, such as racing, sports as well as party games. Mario has even managed to cross over into other video games, such as the incredibly popular “Super Smash Bros.” series where he’s duked it out with some of Nintendo’s most popular characters. (Xref). Considering the overall impact of this franchise on the gaming world and its popularity among fans, it’s no surprise that it currently holds the title of the best-selling video game franchise with more than 830 million copies sold.
Did any of your favourite video game franchises make the list? Let us know which ones we missed in the comments below.
