The video game industry moves quickly. Looking across every conceivable console and platform, there is a veritable tsunami of new games landing every single week. It can be an incredible challenge to keep up with all of the new releases, but it's fun to try.
While some of those games stand the test of time, others are simply games of the moment. They're popular, then they fade into relative obscurity. In a lot of cases, those games were the early part of a major franchise that got eclipsed by their sequels. And other times it's because the hype around them died down or the technology passed them by. Regardless of how it happens, some big games simply aren't worth going back to.
10 Gears Of War Is Hard To Go Back To
Released in 2006, Gears of War was the beginning of a massive gaming franchise that has crossed over into a variety of other media domains. And the first game was a massive success with players and critics alike.
But that game didn't really reinvent the action third-person shooter genre. It was well designed and fun to play, but there are better games from that era in the same genre that are far more fun to go back to and re-explore.
9 Wii Sports Was A Surprising Hit
Of all the games in the last 15 years to become a phenomenon, this one might be the most unexpected. Wii Sports was the game that was packed with the Wii on its release in 2006 in most markets. It literally just simulates several different sports, though it did its job well and became extremely popular.
But it wasn't exactly the best game ever made. Plus, time and technology have passed it by. While the game will always have its fans, this is one that most gamers won't go back to simply because it's a one-note offering.
8 World Of Warcraft Has Lost Its Hype
There was a time that World of Warcraft absolutely dominated the gaming industry. This massively multiplayer online role-playing game released by Blizzard Entertainment in 2004 continued their popular Warcraft franchise in this new form. Expansion releases were massive deals.
People do not talk about World of Warcraft as much as they used to, mainly because gaming tastes have changed. There are still plenty of people who are still playing, though. For anyone who has stopped, going back at this point is almost impossible because it's a much different experience, now.
7 BioShock Was An Innovative Game That Lost Its Charm
When this game came out in 2007, it received near-universal acclaim from fans and critics alike. And rightfully so. BioShock was innovative, engaging and creative, and was a title that no one saw coming.
The problem with the game from a replay perspective was that it relied heavily on the element of surprise. This isn't a jump scare game by any stretch of the imagination, but so much of the story hinges on a big twist or two that it's lost something in the replay over the years.
6 Uncharted Was Great But Uncharted 2 Was Better
It's should come as no surprise that Uncharted has become one of the top-selling gaming franchises in the world. It seamlessly blends action and adventure in a fashion that's accessible and enjoyable to players. Frankly, it's like playing through a summer blockbuster movie.
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, the first game in the line, was released in 2007, and received a lot of great reviews. The problem is that the game has way too much grinding through waves of repetitive enemies. There's no reason to go back to this Nathan Drake adventure when there are better options.
5 Batman: Arkham Asylum Doesn't Seem As Good As It Used To
It's quite possible that the Batman: Arkham video game franchise is the most Batman thing that has ever existed. For the most part, the games in this line did a superb job of representing what it would be like to fight as the Caped Crusader in Arkham Asylum.
The first game, Batman: Arkham Asylum, was released in 2009 and got big scores from critics across the board. While it was a good start to the franchise, the games that came after it did a better job in a more open world. They just look better and play better. Well, except for Batman: Arkham Origins, of course.
4 Dark Souls Does Not Compare To Its Sequels
No game has resulted in more controllers being whipped through the living room drywall than Dark Souls. Believed by many to be one of the greatest video games ever created, this 2011 release remains incredibly challenging to even experts with a ton of experience.
While some people love and relish the intense level of difficulty Dark Souls offers, there are a lot who continue to be put off by it. The game has not mellowed with age, making it hard one to want to go back to unless someone is really invested in it or is a glutton for punishment.
3 Grand Theft Auto IV Has Not Held Up Well
The Grand Theft Auto franchise is easily in the top five game series of all time. These massive open-world experiences allow players a lot of freedom to explore and do what they want within it. There is no one right path through these games, particularly when playing as Trevor in GTA V.
Out of all of them, the hardest one to go back to is GTA IV. Keeping in mind that the game was released in 2008, the graphics are a little dated but it still plays well. The problem is that Niko Bellic is easily the most insufferable and whiny protagonist in the entire franchise. It's just not worth dealing with him.
2 Assassin's Creed Pales In Comparison To The Overall Franchise
It sometimes feels like the release of a new Assassin's Creed title is an annual event. That's probably because there have been 24 main series and spin-off games released since the first game dropped in 2007.
When looking back at the original Assassin's Creed, it's honestly amazing that more got made. All the aspects that fans would become familiar with in subsequent games were there, but that first one did not put them together particularly well.
1 Guitar Hero Is Not As Cool As It Used To Be
There was a time not that long ago that no one could go to a party without finding Guitar Hero being played. It was so ubiquitous in the early 2010s that people actually showed up to their friends' houses with their own small, plastic guitars.
The game launched in 2007 but by 2017 the fad had pretty much faded away. While there might still be people out there playing the game, it's almost impossible for most gamers to go back to it at this point. The novelty lasted longer than anyone expected but has definitely worn off.