The last 20 years have bought a great deal of amazing games on many different systems and have each been great in their own way. However there have been some more than others that have amazed the world with stunning visuals or heart wrenching story lines. However there have also been many games that havent been rather visually appealing nor had strong story lines but have bought innovations to gaming that have changed the gaming world for years to come.
However I want to discuss the best franchises of the past 20 years and these last 2 decades have bought many innovations and in the ever evolving world of gaming it is certain franchises that have had more impact than others.
My personal list of top franchises of all time is,- Please note I am not a huge Nintendo fan so excuse that lack of Nintendo franchises in my own personal list.
Call of Duty - In particular Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare, it bought a completely new era and approach to not only the FPS genre as a whole but it bought more emphasis to online gaming at a time where the online gaming was only truely just beginning to bloom into full strength on consoles.
Uncharted- Naughty Dog's thrilling adventure trilogy more so than the critically acclaimed The Last of Us had more impact due to the ever outstanding nature of each entry into the series. Uncharted Drakes Forutune along with MGS4 saved the PS3 from death as it finally gave consumers to stump up the huge price tag for a PS3 in order to play these amazing games. Without Uncharted the PS3 would have surely struggled in the battle against Microsoft and eventually lost but it was Naughty Dogs masterpiece that bought much needed attention to the struggling PS3.
Metal Gear Solid- MGS is just one of those series that everyone has to play. From its enthralling storyline to its sometimes insanely difficult stealth play it delivers a unique experience that other games can only look at and fail to even come close to emulating. Metal Gear Solid really from its days on the PS1 has been a Play Station mainstay and will forever be associated with PlayStation after the perfect game that is MGS4. A game that almost single handily saved the PS3 in America. Even now on the eve of Metal Gear Solid 5 Kojima isnt afraid to change it up and as we have become accustomed to, he will get it exactly right.
Forza- Forza was really Gran Turismos first main competitor, Forza offered a much more arcade version but much like GT it bought many licensed tracks and cars and game modes along with a strong multiplayer that really made the whole racing sim better. Forza without GT's realism and simulation feel is a game for the masses, while GT may have sold better, Forza boasts many more realeses in recent years and offers a well rounded experience that really bought Xbox to life in the racing sim genre...PGR doesnt count as it was no where near a sim...just saying.
Civilization- Sid Meiers may be many things but a slouch he is not. He continues to evolve the CIV series in only ways we can imagine after he has announced it. Civ bought turn based strategy to console and thus to the masses on PS1. The next entries in the series have nearly exclusively been on PC which has helped Sid Meiers offer a well rounded strategy game not bound by the restraints of the consoles. Also a steady stream of DLC helps keep the games fresh well after launch.
Pokemon- Pokemon in the last 20 years has nearly been every childs childhood, it encaptured a whole generation in the late 90s and early 2000s and while today it is a completely different game and series from what it was back then it still encaptures child and takes them along an amazing journey which they will always remember fondly when looking back, just as I do. Thanks Gamefreak for my childhood.
Grand Theft Auto- Yes we all knew this wolud be in here, basically every GTA game has been a complete commercial and critical success. It bought a whole new genre of game with GTA 3 and just blew the world completely away with GTA San Andreas and again with GTA V. While many series have come and gone GTA just continues to get stronger and with GTA Online it looks as if once again it will continue topping the others.
Now I really want to include Beyond Good and Evil in this but as it currently is a stand alone game it cant be but anyone who has played BGE and has finished it will tell you how amazing it is and how the long rumoured sequel must come out. Simply if you havent played it pick up the HD version online.
Honourable Mentions
Need For Speed.
Mass Effect
Gran Turismo
Spyro
Halo
Age of Empires
BioShock
MidnightClub
Driver
Assassins Creed
Elder Scrolls
Fallout
Fifa
Mortal Kombat
Teken
Tomb Raider
