10 Best Video Game Franchises Of All Time (According To Ranker)

The ninth console generation is well underway, and gamers are spoiled for choice with an abundance of great gaming franchises to enjoy, let alone individual games. After all, there’s nothing better than playing a great game and then finding out that it’s one of many in a series.

Fans have always enjoyed debating which franchises are better than others, but it’s tricky to assert that one is better than another considering how subjective that discussion is. Fortunately, the large sample size on Ranker has thousands of fans voting on which gaming series is the best ever.

10 Fallout

This post-apocalyptic action role-playing series was created by developer and publisher Interplay Entertainment Corp, before selling the Fallout IP to publisher Bethesda Softworks in 2007, becoming one of the company’s best video games. After nuclear war has devastated civilization, players must survive a dangerous American future where radiated ghouls and psychotic bandits alike roam the Wasteland.

Fallout‘s anachronistic 1950’s radio tunes and retrofuturistic style belie the intense moment-to-moment action found within the latter entries of the franchise. Blowing up a super mutant behemoth with a miniature nuclear bomb or slowing time with the V.A.T.S. mechanic to snipe a charging Deathclaw’s leg off are tremendously satisfying experiences. Players can also customize their characters to solve problems their way, whether that be with shooting, sneaking, or smooth-talking.

9 Halo

This sci-fi first-person shooter series was created by developer Bungie and publisher Microsoft. Since the release of Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary in 2011, developer 343 Industries has handled the creation of the games in the series. During an interstellar war with an alien race known as The Covenant, the Spartan supersoldier Master Chief John-117 must lead humanity in a seemingly hopeless effort to avoid a violent, painful extinction.

As the flagship title for the original Xbox console, and sporting a sparkling Metacritic rating of 97, Halo: CE preceded two of the best-selling first-person shooters ever in Halo 2 & Halo 3. The series is known for its innovative and responsive shooter gameplay, iconic characters, and epic storylines.

8 The Elder Scrolls

This fantasy action role-playing series was created by developer Bethesda Game Studios and publisher Bethesda Softworks. Set on the fictional continent of Tamriel, The Elder Scrolls series often casts players as relative nobodies who adventure their way to becoming the greatest hero of their epoch.

While many series have boasted of open worlds to explore, few of them have fulfilled that promise of exploration as well as the Scrolls games have. Similar can be said of the series’ character customization options, as players can mix-and-match abilities to become anything from a bruting warrior who dabbles in Restoration magic to a sneaky archer who uses Illusion spells to turn enemies against each other.

7 Grand Theft Auto

This action-adventure series was created by developer Rockstar North and publisher Rockstar Games. Set in various fictionalized versions of American cities such as New York City (Liberty City) or Los Angeles (Los Santos), players take control of characters who fight, shoot, and drive their way to personal success, with many carjackings along the way.

With the progression of each game in the Grand Theft Auto series, players were further liberated to live a wanton digital life in the massive and incredibly detailed cities that were offered. The fourth and fifth numbered entries in the series even had their own in-game internet, complete with chatrooms, emails, and online stock trading. The latest entry has had a dedicated online player base going strong since 2013, so hopefully, they’ve had time to complete the 10 hardest missions in GTA 5.

6 Super Smash Bros.

This crossover fighting series was created by developer HAL Laboratory and publisher Nintendo, though the games have been developed by Sora ltd. since 2008, and co-developed with Bandai Namco Studios since 2014. Choosing from many of the most recognizable video game characters ever, players compete against A.I. or their friends to knock opponents off of the various fighting arenas.

While many fighting game series have grown increasingly complex in their mechanics and combos, Super Smash Bros. has remained relatively simple and accessible. Eschewing dozens of input commands per character, the gameplay in SSB is emblematic of the phrase, “easy to learn, hard to master.” Featuring dozens of the most beloved characters in gaming fandom, like Link, Cloud, Snake, and Mario, further adds to the fun. The creatively unique fighting arenas often seem to pop off the screen with dynamic changes in the middle of matches.

5 Final Fantasy

This turn-based fantasy action role-playing series was created by developer and publisher Square Enix (formerly known as Square when the series launched). The anthological nature of the Final Fantasy series places players on different worlds with different casts of characters in each new entry, but the games often involve a heroic journey to defeat a malevolently powerful force.

The original Final Fantasy game featured many of the things that have become pillars of the series in the games that followed, including random enemy encounters, towns replete with shops and inns, and unlockable vehicles to further explore the world map. With storylines that are often equal parts epic and emotional, exemplary turn-based RPG mechanics, and memorably colorful characters, this series appears to be a glaring omission from the list of the ten best RPGs ever made.

4 Mario Kart

This go-kart racing series was created by developer Nintendo EAD and publisher Nintendo, though the games have been developed by Nintendo EPD since 2017. Featuring characters from the Mario series, players race against A.I. or each other on a myriad of entertainingly hazardous tracks, while using items such as a Starman of invincibility or a slippery Banana Peel to gain a competitive advantage.

Though some gamers want their racing game to feature photorealistic depictions of real-life vehicles, many more would apparently rather see Baby Peach launching Spiny Shells from a turbo-powered baby carriage. The unpredictability caused by randomized items and tricky racecourses often leads to thrilling changes of fortune for players multiple times per match, making Mario Kart a source of mirth and/or frustration for many a gamer.

3 Pokémon

This turn-based action role-playing series was created by developer Game Freak and publisher Nintendo. Often being tasked by professor Oak with defeating various Pokémon Gym Leaders, the player must also usually foil the endeavors of the dastardly criminal Team Rocket. 

Pokémon burst onto the scene in 1996 for the hand-held Gameboy system and has been a worldwide phenomenon of a franchise ever since. As the highest-grossing gaming franchise ever, the core mechanics of catching, battling, and trading Pokémon has been a core gameplay loop that has enthralled a generation of gamers for 25 years. The quest to “catch ’em all” begins humbly, so gamers should note the value of the 10 most underrated starter Pokémon.

2 Super Mario Bros.

This platformer series was created by developer Nintendo EAD and publisher Nintendo, though the games have been developed by Nintendo EPD since 2015. Set in the cartoonish and magical land of the Mushroom Kingdom, the player takes control of Mario, an Italian plumber who must rescue Princess Peach from the evil King Koopa, Bowser.

The Super Mario Bros. games mainly consist of two elements: running and jumping. The fact that those basic movements are the backbone of a franchise that has been quintessential to gaming for three and a half decades is an astonishing testament to the series’ peerless design. Superb platforming gameplay, fun power-ups, creative and progressively challenging levels, and a wealth of secret locations to discover make each sequel as joyful to play as the last.

1 The Legend Of Zelda

This fantasy action-adventure series was created by developer Nintendo EAD and publisher Nintendo, though the games have been developed by a number of developers including Capcom, Grezzo, and Nintendo EPD since 2015. Set in the fictional Kingdom of Hyrule, players control a Hylian named Link and must find all the pieces of the Triforce to defeat the malicious Ganon and save Princess Zelda.

There is perhaps no other video game franchise more universally adored by fans and critics alike as The Legend of Zelda. The fifth game in the series, The Ocarina of Time, is the highest-rated video game on Metacritic with a rating of 99, a score so impressive that it borders on ostentatiousness.

About The Author