Whether you’re a casual or die-hard player, we all know the crippling disappointment that you feel when you finish an incredible game. You can always play it again, sure, but that doesn’t mean you’ll get more of the story. If you’re lucky, you’ll get a shitty DLC. But if you’re really lucky, you’ll get a sequel. We put together a list of the game series that we want to see expanded in the 2020’s. Since the decade kicked off on an almost-apocalyptic note, things can really only look up from here on in.
1. Uncharted
With an official Uncharted film coming next year starring Tom Holland, it’s hard to imagine that PlayStation don’t have at least something in the works to coincide. Having said that, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End wrapped up the story of protagonist Nathan Drake definitively in 2016, so it’s more than likely that any new installment in the Uncharted series will see a new main character step into his shoes in the spirit of 2017’s expansion The Lost Legacy (name a better duo than Chloe and Nadine, we’ll wait). The legendary action-adventure series, which sees treasure hunters encounter phenomenons sometimes of the strangest kind, essentially plays like Tomb Raider with banter, with characters so likable it’s hard to remember that real people can’t actually side jump around cliff faces that hide wish-fulfilling jewels.
2. Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order
There is absolutely no reason for anyone to release a Star Wars game that isn’t a sequel to Jedi Fallen Order. First of all, no one would care. Fallen Order has largely been acknowledged as 2019’s greatest accomplishment, an action-adventure following a Jedi-in-hiding, Cal Kestis, who restores his Force connection and fights back against the Empire with the help of the best droid in Star Wars history, BD-1. With an ending that creates a compelling case for an extension of a story that’s only just begun, where Cal and his crew on the Mantis ship end up should be the biggest priority in both gaming and storytelling over the next few years, especially in relation to integrating their journey with the timeline of the original trilogy. We will not take no for an answer.
3. Infamous
A question that has long been asked by the gaming community over the last few years is what the hell happened to Infamous. A game with significant popularity across its major releases, it seems counter-intuitive that developers Sucker Punch wouldn’t want to continue the series. Having said that, with upcoming drop Ghost of Tsushima, it could be assumed that Sucker Punch will be going back to the series after they see that release to its completion. As a game that introduced us to diversely superpowered individuals called ‘Conduits’ and gave us the chance to make moral choices way ahead of the curve, it would be a shame to see a series unafraid to explore new characters ultimately die off when there is so much opportunity to re-explore such a unique world.
4. God of War
The eighth installment chronologically and the sequel to God of War III, 2018’s God of War proved to be a once-in-a-decade sort of release. Following two protagonists, our former Greek God of War Kratos and his son Atreus, the story tracks their dramatic journey as they encounter monsters, gods of the Norse world and their own relationship. A miracle of modern gaming, it ends on a cliffhanger that creates a perfect segue to a future installment, which we can’t wait to see come out hopefully over the next couple of years on a next generation console like the PlayStation 5.
5. Tomb Raider
With a sequel to 2018’s average Tomb Raider movie starring the otherwise brilliant Alicia Vikander slated for 2021, we have no doubt that this decade is going to bring even more hype for the queen of adventure herself. However, loyal fans know that Camilla Luddington’s Croft in the Square Enix Tomb Raider gaming franchise is the ultimate portrayal in this century. Though Luddington has been busy rising on television’s legendary Grey’s Anatomy, it’s painful to believe that 2018’s Shadow of the Tomb Raider is the last installment in the Tomb Raider series, even if its developers have confirmed that it would be the last in the Luddington trilogy. If all else fails, Luddington could always pick up the role in cinema, given that she has become a highly successful actor in her own right.
6. Crash Bandicoot
If you’re a human being born in or before the 90’s and you own a PlayStation controller, it’s highly likely that you have an affinity with Crash Bandicoot. The game franchise has seen revivals in the form of the remastered N. Sane Trilogy as well as Crash Team Racing: Nitro Fueled. While N. Sane Trilogy featured two additional levels and Nitro-Fueled continues to unveil new racing tracks each month, there is more than enough opportunity for a new installment that has unfortunately not been seized yet. With the cult loyalty the game has been afforded, in addition to the continued references it’s seen in games like Uncharted 4, it would be a shame not to see our beloved bandicoot, his sister Coco and his arch-nemesis Dr. Neo Cortex come back to our screens in the 2020’s, albeit at a higher resolution that they’ve been previously accustomed to.
7. Detroit: Become Human
Also an alum of Grey’s Anatomy, actor Jesse Williams spearheads the incredible cast of Quantic Dream’s Detroit: Become Human. The story follows three androids who, guided by the choices made by the player, flirt with sentience. It’s a narrative that becomes more and more meaningful as humanity nears closer to reaching singularity. Given the depth of the universe the game has created, coupled with the fact that it’s Quantic Dream’s most successful launch ever, there is ample opportunity to build upon its success as we explore what makes us human as society deals with the impact of advancing technological intelligence.
8. Grand Theft Auto
Grand Theft Auto 6 is rumored to be announced any day now, and if we’re lucky it will be like Grand Theft Auto Online and be the gift that keeps on giving throughout the decade in provisioning new content online. Taking into account that it’s one of the most successful series of all time, it’s hard to comprehend that Grand Theft Auto V dates all the way back to 2013. Given the 7-year space between releases, its next installment needs to live up to the high expectations set by the open world, where players navigate crime, “business” partnerships and family. Sure, it’s an excuse to engage in brutal firefights and screw over meth dealers, but how else are we supposed to console ourselves over this fucked up world?
9. Sly Cooper
It would be truly criminal for the Sly Cooper series to fall to the wayside with the release of the new PlayStation and as its previous developers move on to new titles. As Sly, both a raccoon and a thief, works with MVP Bentley the turtle and Murray the hippopotamus to enact his heists, he also continues to evade capture from his simultaneous enemy and great love: Inspector Carmelita Fox. It’s a narrative with almost as much thrill as the series’ game play. When Thieves In Time was released in 2013, it hinted at a potential future installment, but developers at the time Sanzaru Games announced they would not be delivering on that promise. With dalliances into television and film both on the cards, pure hope may be all we have left.
10. Left 4 Dead
It feels like just yesterday that we were playing survival horror Left 4 Dead with our friends after school until the early morning, but in actual fact it was over a decade ago when the game first came out. Those memories, and the quintessential zombie stories told within the games, make the franchise hard to forget, which is why the announcement of Back 4 Blood was so well-received by fans. Set to come sometime this decade, although the details are a little hazy, the game was announced by Left 4 Dead creators Turtle Rock and sees players working cooperatively to fight through the apocalypse. Though not technically a sequel to Left 4 Dead, it can be seen as part of its universe, so it might be time to re-assemble your old zombie squad for one final hurrah.
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