9 Video Game Franchises That Never Beat Their First Instalment

6. Crackdown

Launching in 2005 but not getting any real momentum until Gears of War turned industry heads in 2006, it was 2007's Crackdown that helped convince gamers to invest in Xbox 360.

A fully explorable open-world that encouraged collectible hunting in an era LONG before Ubisoft had ran it into the ground? There were few things better.

You were playing as a super-powered special agent capable of tossing cars into gangs of enemies, and during this furtive time of Xbox just needing people to pay attention, it was more than enough to turn the tide.

Afterwards though, Crackdown's legacy became "one and done". Crackdown 2 was farted out three years later by a different team, mandated by Microsoft wanting a sequel. It reused the exact same map with very few changes, repeating all the same collectible-based beats of the original with an ultimately pointless gliding mechanic.

By the time Crackdown 3 came around, that ship had sailed. After five long years of development and endless delays, this third instalment - by another new team - sadly fell back into being a nostalgia trip for the original.

In essence, all three Crackdown titles are the same game, meaning it's the original that deserves your attention most.