10 DISASTROUS Attempts At Forcing Game Franchises To Continue
6. Golden Axe: Beast Rider
It's easy to understand why Sega decided to revive Golden Axe. Although the side-scrolling beat 'em up hadn't been popular since the early 1990s, the original has a special place in Genesis owners' hearts, since it was among the first games they owned on the system. The nostalgia for Golden Axe was immediately palpable heading into the 2000s, it's surprising the fantasy title wasn't resurrected sooner.
When Golden Axe: Beast Rider was finally unveiled, the gaming community was overwhelmed with excitement. This reboot put more focus on key components of the first game, including magic storing and beast-riding, (as the title suggests). Boasting a ton of gore and a bigger focus on story, Golden Axe looked like it was back for good.
Unfortunately, Beast Rider failed to live up to the hype. As hard as it is to believe, this instalment is more dated than its 1989 predecessor in multiple ways. The gameplay is generic, enemies aren't varied, and checkpoints are unfairly spread out.
The biggest sin of all though: There's no multiplayer! Despite the fact co-op played a major role throughout the franchise, this Golden Axe entry is a solitary experience.
Since Beast Rider was universally panned, don't expect Sega to circle back to this property any time soon.