'What?' I hear you say. 'Call of Duty being mentioned on an article about how originality isn't necessary?!' Don't worry, I haven't gone completely mad - as some of you may have realised by now, there is a method and logic to this madness. Most of the sequels mentioned here are good because they were released before a franchise got stuck in a mold and became boring - Resident Evil is one such example, the series became stale after Code Veronica X and seems to be going stale again despite a very successful re-launch with Resident Evil 4 seven years ago. Perhaps, the best (or maybe worst) example of sequelitus staleness is the Call of Duty franchise, however there was a time just prior to the release of Modern Warfare 2 when Call Of Duty could still be classed as a cool innovator. Lets be honest here, when Call of Duty 4 was released back in 2007 the game revolutionised the gaming industry and first-person shooters, and it is difficult to think of a modern game that has had such an impact. The fact that the game was universally acclaimed by both the general public and the critics proved how it took the video game industry by storm, especially when we compared it with current reputation of the franchise. Call of Duty 4 also literally popularised online gaming for consoles: sure, there were some pockets of gamers playing online - I loved Resistance: Fall of Man for example - but n0-one expected the level of depth and addictive content that Call of Duty 4 brought. It wasn't just the online that made it special though; it was the balls-out story, the cinematic pieces and the re-imagining of Call of Duty by setting it within a modern conflict rather than World War 2. The series has admittedly gone very stale over the last few years but it is still the best-selling franchise around at the moment and this is purely due to Call of Duty 4. Call of Duty 4 set an example within the industry, which other developer have copied and followed. Whether good or bad, the influence of Call of Duty 4 is undeniable. What can be learned: Changing the franchise can be good as long as you don't once again get bogged down in repetitive content. Honourable Mention: Assassin's Creed 2 Sticking with the current generation: Assassin's Creed was a good but ultimately flawed game; Assassin's Creed 2 changed the game from flawed genius into the brilliant franchise the series has become.