15 Best New Video Game Franchises Of The Decade

5. Metro

Metro Exodus
4A Games

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.

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Josh has over 11 years of experience as a published writer, having worked nine of those years as a full-time content producer at WhatCulture. In that period he has created hundreds of articles, videos and podcast episodes for multiple WhatCulture channels, specialising in gaming, horror and film & TV. He now primarily works as a senior content producer and presenter on WhatCulture Gaming where he co-hosts the WhatCulture Gaming Podcast, a top 3 UK most listened to gaming podcast that he co-created in 2018. Over the years he has reviewed several high-profile gaming releases, covered industry events with on-site reporting, opined on breaking news, and even kicked off his interviewing career by chatting to childhood hero, Tommy Wiseau.