15 Best New Video Game Franchises Of The Decade

5. Metro

The Metro games haven't enjoyed massive success over this decade, but all three releases have given shooter fans the kind of intense, atmospheric, story-driven experiences that the genre has mostly moved away from.

The original game, Metro 2033, was rough around the edges but had so much charm because it dared to be different. It was hardcore, more about immersion than twitchy shooting, and that made the scary parts downright terrifying, and the gunplay incredibly visceral.

Last Light refined those rougher edges and lost some of the lovable quirks, but the trade off was worth it. This time everything was more confident, the story more engaging, the gunplay more responsive, and the haunted underground metros and ravaged cities above more hauntingly beautiful.

Exodus pushed the series forward again in 2019, jumping up to the surface and this time opting for an open-world structure. It was a risk that paid off, and it cemented the series as the most underrated shooter of the decade.