8 Iconic Video Game Franchises That Went Completely Off The Rails

6. Halo

When the original Xbox hit the shelves, it was usually bundled with SEGA GT 2002/Jet Set Radio Future and the very first Halo title. Even long after the launch date, the Microsoft system was bundled with the Master Chief's first adventure and there's an obvious reason why: It was magnificent.

A world that immersed you into the last Spartan's mission against a terrifying, infectious parasite and aliens who posed threats we’d never encountered before was very well received. Sadly, it was all over too quickly, Halo's decline beginning almost immediately after Bungie left the franchise to pursue Desting alongside Activision.

Thanks to Halo Wars, Halo 4, Halo: Spartan Assault, Halo 5 and now Halo Wars 2, we’re in a world that doesn’t see the Master Chief as the last Spartan, instead bringing in entire platoons of them, robbing the Chief of a lot of his character in the process. Not only are we expected to believe the Chief’s squadron are all ready for a random reunion, but we’re also ‘looking forward’ to being reunited with the now sporadically-antagonistic Cortana, who ended Halo 5's campaign on a monumentally sour-tasting cliffhanger.