I'm going to use your example of The Last of Us. Gameplay maybe similar but the story it tells is completly different and has that setting behind it. Why don't I just slap in solid snake (one of your examples) with meryl to cover the main character rolls. Alright now lets swap our characters out and call it a new game in the series. Metal Gear Solid 7: Fungus Eater.
Alright now lets just slap solid snake in Gears of War (another of your example) annnd....Otacon: "Snake did you get your muscle suit?! Also i've taken the liberty of adding a chainsaw bayonet weapon."
It's just not the same.....Most of nintendo's series are in a cartoonish world with no real set timeline that you can play around with easily. The only one that has for the most part tried to break from that playful mold is metroid and zelda. Even than Zelda seems to follow it's own tropes that it's set for itself. Collect the triforce, get the master sword, rescue princess Zelda (in one way or another)
When a game has a set a story and universe....you can't really pull those characters out and put them in a completely irrelevant game.
While we re-use actors in movies can you imagine if we took Tom Cruise and said that he must play in EVERY single action film and must be referred to by his actual name?
CURRENTLY PLAYING: Warframe, Witcher 2
