10 Great Video Games That Should've Started Franchises

Silicon Knight's enthralling horror ticks almost every box needed to manufacture an enduring franchise. It has a complex storyline that spans centuries, a dozen characters to play as, and a diverse variety of weapons, spells, and locations. (Also, the magnificent soundtrack never gets enough credit.)

Of course, Eternal Darkness' most memorable feature is the Sanity Meter. Encounters with demons and monsters causes the heroes' sanity to diminish, triggering hallucinations. These visions can be extremely meta, convincing players the game has reset, the disc is broken, or their memory card has been wiped.

The ending reveals another malevolent evil will soon awaken, indicating a sequel was on the horizon. Even though a follow-up and a spiritual success were heavily considered, neither of them materialised. Even if another instalment didn't tie directly with its predecessor, there are so many ideas this property can explore.

Although the Sanity Meter was the standout feature, the mechanic has so much untapped potential, especially with how different gaming is nowadays. By pretending the controller is dead, their internet is down, or the console needs a system update, there are many ways a modern sequel could mess with players' heads without pulling the same tricks as before.

Unfortunately, all crowdfunding for a continuation has failed, so Eternal Darkness' future doesn't just look bad but non-existent.