Some games are one-hit-wonders, while some end up having a series of games that end up shaping the gaming world. Among these popular franchises are a few that beat out every other video game franchise ever made.
Here are the best video game franchises of all time.
Video Game Franchises: Which Ones Are the Best?
Think of your favorite game ever released… now imagine if that game had multiple other titles within its world. Franchises that are able to grab onto something people love and continuously grow it are what make them so great.
Here are the top five greatest video game franchises ever made.
5. Pokemon
From video games to trading cards to an anime series, Pokemon is one of the greatest video game franchises of all time. From the beginning, everyone wanted to have a chance to battle and trade their favorite Pokemon. The franchise quickly grew to encompass multiple titles, a TV show, movies and more. Back in 2016, Pokemon GO became one of the most popular games in the world too, making the Pokemon franchise one of the greatest of all time.
4. Call of Duty
Call of Duty has been releasing games since 2003, and almost every title has been iconic in some way. Still, games like Modern Warfare 2 and Black Ops are sole reasons as to why the Call of Duty franchise has swept over the gaming community. The FPS franchise continues to release games every one to two years, and their Battle Royale, Warzone, is one of the most popular games to date.
3. Super Mario Bros
No one skips over Super Mario Bros when thinking of the best video game franchises of all time. If you are a gamer, you have definitely played at least a few Super Mario Bros titles. Honestly, even if you are not a gamer, you have probably played Mario before. The Super Mario Bros universe is vast and has multiple titles that sell millions of copies just upon release. In fact, many of the franchises’s earliest releases are still played regularly today.
Related: Top 5 Mario Spin-Off Games
2. Grand Theft Auto
The Grand Theft Auto series is not only one of the highest-sold franchises of all time but also one of the highest-rated franchises of all time (according to Metacritic). In fact, Grand Theft Auto V stood its ground in the top five best-selling games each year for more than five years after its release in 2013. The stories are immersive, the characters are unique and the worlds are huge in Grand Theft Auto, making it one of the best video game franchises of all time.
1. The Legend of Zelda
With Ocarina of Time rated as the greatest game of all time (according to Metacritic), The Legend of Zelda is a no-brainer when it comes to taking the title of first place as the greatest video game franchise of all time. Every few years a new Zelda title drops, and it ends up shaking the gaming world. Both titles for the Switch, Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, were the highest-rated games during the years they were released.
The Legend of Zelda franchise continues to provide gamers with beautiful worlds to explore and amazing stories to experience, making it the greatest video game franchise of all time.
Related: 5 Best Zelda Games, Ranked Worst to Best
