10 Risky Sequels That Saved Dying Video Game Franchises

5. Prey

Admittedly, the term "franchise" is being used a little loosely for this entry, as Prey only enjoyed one title before it died a long, drawn-out death. But, the IP was very much envisioned as being an ongoing series, with Prey 2 being announced almost immediately after the first release, and was a constant presence until it was cancelled in 2012.

It's one of the most grieved over cancellations of all time, primarily because it was shown off a bunch of times and looked like a huge departure - yet huge step up - from the wonky original. Bethesda ended up canning it due to alleged worries over quality, and eventually rebooted production and handed it off to a new studio, Arkane.

What they came up with was a far cry from the bounty-hunting focus of the original sequel, but instead a System Shock-inspired RPG sim. It was a risky move to aim for a far more niche sub-genre, but the decision paid off dividends, and the newly-retooled Prey became one of the low-key best releases of 2017.