Top 10 Overrated Video Game Franchises

We love these games, but it's time to face the facts as we count down the Top 10 Overrated Video Game franchises. Just a warning: We actually acknowledge that most, if not all these games, are actually really good. But screw being nice, it's time to hurt some feelings.

[black911]

#2 should be #1.

[HammadTheBeast]

If #2 is Call of Duty, then yes.

[gintoki777]

watch mojo .com is overrated....

[NastyLeftHook0]

borderlands and bioshock and halo and gears of war. just my honest opinion.

[Captain Qwark 9]

i love borderlands and halo but i can def see where their short cummings are. id give them 8's but still recommend them to everyone. gears is hit or miss for me, i didnt like the sp in any but #2 and i think the mp is lame other than horde mode. i didnt give bioshock enough of a fair chance to properly judge it.

im also going to get ripped a new one for this but id throw in uncharted and god of war as well. once again, very good games that i buy, i play, and i recommend to anyone but they are not the 10s everyone claims. 8s as well

and before everyone thinks im a hater, these are my high marks

dragon age origins 10
dark souls 9 - needs a better story
demon souls 9 - needs a better story
armored core 5 9 - needs a better story, stronger community
mass effect 1 9 - other planets were vacant
mass effect 3 9 - too linear, ending could have been better, little more depth
ninja gaiden 2 9 - needs a better story, camera
oblivion 9 - needs better story
the witcher 2 - 10

[Donnieboi]

I LOVE A GREAT STORY, but who cares about a story in Dark Souls? It's a game about hell, seclusion, and despair. The illusion would be killed if you could strike up conversations with hundreds of other people/npc's. The story is fine for what it is.

[Captain Qwark 9]

i disagree. i think a better story would be just fine, obviously it didnt take much away from it for me as i still rated it a 9 but it certainly couldnt hurt it

also it doesnt need hundreds of nps, hell it didnt need any more than it had. it just needs a few more cut scenes to illustrate what your doing there and what your trying to accomplish.

[Kurt Russell]

Halo is a bit overated now. But it was great in its day.

Gears 3 is one of my favourite MP's, a lot more competitive with a harder learning curve than most, giving a larger skill gap between new players and experienced (which is how I like it).

Bioshock is hands down my favourite experience this gen. It makes most game seem shallow and souless it's so good.

And borderlands, I didn't like the 1st... But the 2nd I really enjoyed.

Long story short... I disagree.

[plaZeHD]

Bioshock? The rest I can understand, but c'mon Bioshock?

[Norrison]

Borderlands and Bioshock seem overrated to you?
COD, GTA IV, Halo, God of War 3, Gears, Minecraft, Assasins creed (2 and brotherhood are an exception)

[Conzul]

It is impossible for Bioshock to get overrated.

[Cam977]

CALL

OF

...JUAREZ

TC was terrible and a mockery to what COJ was.

[NastyLeftHook0]

call of juarez bound in blood was fantastic. the cartel sucked.

yeah black tar, the cartel was poorly made and everything looked like they made it in 6 months.

[BlackTar187]

bound in blood was a fun game good call. Cartel was so bad but i enjoyed the west and thought it was a good brother take.

[Series_IIa]

Halo and Uncharted.

First Uncharted was alright, second was awesome best in the series, 3rd just tried to hard to have the feel of the 2nd and failed and MP was boring compared to Uncharted 2's until they nerf patched everything that is.

I just find Halo boring, but enjoyed Halo Reach on co-op... That's about it.

[pain777pas]

Uncharted is the most entertaining series of games I have played in a long time. I AM OVERALL ENTERTAINED with Uncharted all the time. There are only like 5 games I can say that about and it is hard to list. But, I know Uncharted is one of the best series ever devised and made FOR SURE.

[stage88]

Uncharted is definitely not overrated but I agree Halo is completely overrated. Gets boring and too repetitive very easily.

[KING85]

To each his own, but I would have to disagree with MGS. MGS3 Snake Eater is regarded by many as the best in the series. To say MGS could not recapture the allure of the original I guess is quite subjective. I guess that's the differences of opinions. Mine nor others should be taken as fact.

[sitharrefus]

Call of duty and halo are way overrated, some game like Kingdom hearts should not be in the list, MGS, Elder scrolls etc. fyi imop

[superterabyte]

Elder scrolls inclusion was a joke. and all the games you listed except elder scrolls deserve to be there.

[MestreRothN4G]

AC. Casual borefest.
Gears. Douche shooter.
Halo. Kids shooter.

And about CoD: TC fails to see that it is all about MP, not SP.

[Donnieboi]

Yeah but the MP is the worst since it never evolves. It de-evolves.

[MestreRothN4G]

I partially agree.

While I don't think the MP COD is the worst of anything (actually, it is one of the top MP games ever if you can play it or don't mind having people clearly better than you around), I do agree that it is devolving quickly.

Usually people point the top towards CoD4. I believe it is CoD6 and actually still play it sometimes.

[superterabyte]

AC 2 was amazing and brotherhood and revelations were really good games they just felt like the same game and AC 3 don't get me started lol why they choose the setting they did is beyond me I mean imagine some of the places they could have used like ancient Egypt but they went with a time that would sell to you know who.

[MestreRothN4G]

So true.

AC3 is the worst in the trilogy, IMO. And yes, we know which intelligent crowd from which ___ country they destroyed the franchise to.

[Kos-Mos]

gears, cod, gow, halo, me, killzone, gta.

[XboxInnovation]

Gears (Repetitive and too over the top)
CoD (post world war 2 cod has been average just different)
Uncharted (looks nice but feels like a movie not a game)
Killzone (Never kept me interested)
Super smash bros (stupid game)

[Donnieboi]

Dude I could have almost agreed, until u mentioned Smash Bros. And I don't even like Nintendo, but you must have not spent much time with that game if u think it's overrated. Smash Bros is awesome!

[FlyingFoxy]

Smash Bros is definitely overrated, i rented the 64 game and honestly didn't like it, bought the Wii version.. barely played it, it gets boring extremely fast. They should bring back games like Streets Of Rage, at least they are nowhere near as repetitive.

Needless to say Mario party 1 on the 64 was much more fun.

[fsfsxii]

I think it bores you because you play it alone, it gets boring that way

[StrongMan]

Minecrafft(just a level editor)
Halo(terribly outdated)
Gears of War(shoot, duck, shoot, duck)

[Mikefizzled]

Minecraft - An endless platform of creation
Halo 4 - Feels like a new game altogether
None of the gears games have a duck mechanic? They do cover but doesn't EVERY OTHER THIRD PERSON GAME?

I would take you seriously but you have the playstation plus logo...

[plaZeHD]

Don't try to make a case for Halo 4.
Halo 4 IS overrated. When I saw it at E3, I thought it was average at best, but people over-hyped the game, and I thought this might be the first Halo game I will enjoy, but it didn't exceeded any of my expectation.
The game is incredibly short, the story is good, but not the greatest story ever told, game-play is very repetitive, character are not that interesting, it's overall average at best, nothing amazing, but I really enjoy the Spartan Ops Episodes so fun to watch and play.

[007Bond]

LOL you just mention xbox games with a PS avatar

1.Ucharted
2.Killzone
3.Gears of war
4.God of war
5.Halo
6.Bioshock
7.ass creed

[Whxian]

"final fantasy"
there is nothing wrong with turnbased rpgs, and im sure rpg fans arent "forced to play them" while wanting something else like an action game... i'd rather they keep the turn-based play and infact one of their mistakes is trying to get away from the turnbased gameplay, that's atleast one reason for why they are failing.

and the series didnt really reach it's peak @ 7. 8, 9 and 10 were great games too.

[plaZeHD]

Agreed with the list.

[CommonSenseGamer]

The comments on this board show such a list is completely subjective. Best way to find out if you like a game and subsequent franchise is to play it.

However, for me one of the most over hyped games would have to be Rage. Good looking, no real story and one of the worst end game cut scenes since KZ3.

[Loki86]

Most overrated in no order (Top 8):

Call of Duty
Gears of War
Killzone
Final Fantasy (Anything after IX)
Madden
Grand Theft Auto
Dragon Age
Borderlands

[FlyingFoxy]

Halo is extremely overrated. The great GTA's were San Andreas, Vice City, Vice City Stories.

San Andreas was most fun, 3 was boring as shit.. IV was dull and boring.

Glad half life isn't listed, that would be a major fail.

PC Ftw.

[Blacklash93]

I don't like the way people usually use the term overrated. Overrated only means you disagree with the majority or cult following of whatever franchise in question. Whatever one thinks overall of a videogame is entirely opinion.

A lot of the time it seems like people are trying to say "These people subjectively think it's good, but it's objectively bad. FACT." Maybe some don't mean it that way, but the wording and tone make it sound so.

[EverydayGuy]

Their List:
#10- Fable
#9- Angry Birds
#8- Kingdom Hearts
#7 Metal Gear Solid
#6- Grand Theft Auto
#5- Sonic: The Hedgehog
#4- Final Fantasy
#3- Assassins Creed
#2- Halo
#1- Call of Duty

[stage88]

Should have put Forza on that list as well.

[DEATHxTHExKIDx]

Honestly COD is the most overrated game series Ive ever seen.

[Eyeco]

His reasons for including MGS and GTA are absolute ignorant BS

[i8urCAKE]

R* never disappoints

[i8urCAKE]

And a game like GTA V (5 years in the making) won't just be a "graphical update"

[MysticStrummer]

I didn't even look at the "real" list. I just looked at the comments section to see everyone tell everyone else that their opinion is wrong. I'm guilty of it too though, since I've been posting on most of the Aliens: Colonial Marines articles, saying how wrong I think the really low reviews are. Review scores should be abolished. I think I may avoid all scores from now on and just read what the reviewer thought about the game. Words > Numbers, though some game reviews are way off that way too. Can't win I guess.

[Pintheshadows]

Is it strange to say I don't find any games overrated as I completely ignore everyone elses views on them apart from mine. I sit, I play it, I make my own judgement, and then I move on.

[VR-4nic]

Halo is by far the most over hyped game and is nothing like most the commercials for it. For a modern day FPS its crazy to me that you can't even properly aim down your sights with the vast majority of the guns in this game. Not only that the single player just bores me to death!

[Gazondaily]

You clearly don't understand Halo at all and aiming down the guns? Please, stick to Call of Duty for that.

[VR-4nic]

LOL! With pleasure I will! Though, I will still give Bungie's new IP destiny a try later this year, now that its been officially confirmed to not be a timed exclusive for the 360 and coming to both PS3 and 360.

Destiny looks good and we will actually see if Bungie believes the same thing I do and changes their aiming system. I mean I have to move my hold body aiming Halo to aim. I real life and 99% of modern day FPS I can move just my arms if I want and my body to aim. halo SUCKS!

[DigitalSmoke]

See how everybody and their own personal little list, nobody is able to state a list that shows off reasonable knowladge.

[oIITSBIIo]

Most of the high score games are Overrated : GTA - COD - UNCHARTED - HALO - BIOSHOCK - ELDER SCROLLS - MGS - CS ... etc

[BlaqMagiq24]

Call of Duty games after CoD 4
Halo 4
DmC Devil May Cry

[kevnb]

honestly these lists amount to games other people love that I don't. Sometimes its because certain games were just marketed much better than others that causes these feelings. For example, final fantasy 7 is not the greatest console rpg ever made...

[goldwyncq]

The word "Overrated" is overrated. Its meaning has been reduced to "something popular which an individual doesn't like". In that case, everything in existence is overrated, just depends on who you ask.

[Loki86]

Anyone putting Halo on their list of overrated games is utter asinine, there is a reason that it has been the number game on xbox for as long as it has. Also, Bungie and 343i put out some of the best updates/patches to improve the experience of any game period.

[LOL_WUT]

Half-Life games ;)

[KillrateOmega]

Wooowww, CoD is considered overrated who would have ever thought...

Almost got me with the Elder Scrolls joke. I was about to call this whole article a joke :)

[HonestDragon]

Ah okay, so another list that is meant to enrage fans of certain series. They even admit it as such: "screw being nice, it's time to hurt some feelings." I wonder if this will actually be backed up with some good analysis per franchise.

*watches video*

I see a lot of lacking detail for quite a few of the series listed as to why they are "overrated". It's just a bunch of redundant reasons repeated over and over regarding boredom, story, and characterization. All of these reasons are easily remedied by playing different games that actually do entertain you. Overall, a very poor list (no sports titles or Saints Row?). Although, I will share my analysis of their choices.

10. Fable: A very basic RPG that promises many things, but ultimately falls short with the content provided. Questionable features and easy combat make this series one that's an acquired taste for RPG players.

9. Angry Birds: Never played it, so I don't really have an opinion. Although, the amount of press it gets is kind of overwhelming. Now I know how parents felt in the 90s with Pokemon.

8. Kingdom Hearts: A "giant, Disney/Final Fantasy, emo circle-jerk", eh? Not only is that an insult to the series, it's an insult to us fans of the series. To even describe the series as such, just goes to show the lack of respect that statement resonates. You're making it seem like it did something to personally insult you.

7. Metal Gear Solid: Don't like the design? Okay. Can't get used to the controls? No problem. Can't follow the plot or enjoy the cutscenes? That's your own fault. If anything, MGS3 and MGS4 were amazing additions that added much to the story and experience.

6. Grand Theft Auto: So, you're blaming GTA for attracting certain people because they can't speak proper English and that they are using a tried and true formula that people like? Yeah, good luck convincing anyone that those reasons are why the game is overrated.

5. Sonic the Hedgehog: While Sonic has had a bad run as of late, to say that the original games "didn't deliver" with speed, you have to remember that gaming was limited back then. Nowadays, Sonic can have a game where you truly run fast, but Sega hasn't done it quite yet.

4. Final Fantasy: Moronic stories? Seriously? I'll be the first one to admit that Final Fantasy XIII sucks, but the series did not stop being good at seven. People don't give the other games beyond seven a thorough looking over.

3. Assassin's Creed: It's like I always say, if you cannot find entertainment value in open world, story driven games, it's simply not for you so stop trying.

2. Halo: Never played it fully, so I can't really comment.

1. Call of Duty: Thank you! Finally, something I can agree with.

Still doesn't redeem this list for poor and repeated reasons. I think that tossing the word "overrated" around is typical and is a good bait article. It's guaranteed to enrage fans and draw in the snobs as they get the opportunity to decry series that had both critical and commercial success. The bottom line to all of this is that saying something is overrated is like saying, "I don't get it", but I think it's more so that many people say "overrated" because they don't know how to convey indifference through other words to give a good analysis and end up sounding like they secretly hate the series.

[Obnoxious_Informer]

I don't get why so many are calling Killzone overrated. I'm pretty sure Killzone has to be much more critically and commercially successful combined with being objectively bad in order to possibly be considered overrated. For example, the Uncharted games are critically beloved, regular, and quite successful - if you wanted to argue (as many do) that Uncharted isn't that terrific, I wouldn't agree with you (probably assume you haven't played any to completion) but at least it has the base elements of a series you could call overrated.

Personally a huge uncharted and Killzone fan. Love uncharted all around, and Killzone is terrific on the pretty gameplay front, it's just a shame they don't fully deliver on the Nazi helghast allusions, and instead use story strictly in a service capacity.