10 Video Games That Saved Franchises From The Brink Of Doom
2. God of War (2018)
Franchise on the brink? Back on the PS2, God of War was a force of nature - brutal, slick, and completely unapologetic. As creator David Jaffe once described it, it was Clash of the Titans directed by Paul Verhoeven. The original trilogy hit its apex with God of War III - a visually jaw-dropping PS3 showcase that brought Kratos’ rampage to a definitive, Zeus-pummelling end.
But then came Ascension. A prequel nobody asked for, set in the margins of a story that had already run its course. It's half-baked multiplayer mode added nothing, the plot was pure filler, and the once-thrilling combat now felt stiff compared to modern action contemporaries. The rage was gone. The magic was fading.
Saved by: God of War (2018)
Instead of retiring Kratos for good, Sony Santa Monica did the unthinkable - they evolved him. Set in the Norse realms, God of War (2018) reimagined the franchise as an intimate, character-driven epic. Kratos was no longer just the Ghost of Sparta - he was a grieving father, a haunted man trying (and failing) to connect with his son.
It was a masterstroke.
The over-the-shoulder camera, methodical combat, and seamless world design modernised the gameplay, while the emotional weight gave it a soul the series had never had. It wasn’t just a comeback - it surpassed everything that came before. A definitive, generation-defining reboot that turned a screaming antihero into something far more interesting: a man trying to change.