Despite having only been responsible for the creation of a handful of notable video game series, Microsoft owns more big franchises than any other developer or publisher around. Most of these came through acquisitions, with the ABK and ZeniMax Media deals adding some ofgaming’s biggest and most well-known IPsto the Xbox Game Studios family.
The very best Microsoft franchisesstand head and shoulders above the rest though, either due to the innovative ideas that they’ve brought to the industry or the fun-filled experiences that they provide players with. That said, even some of the mid-tier series have a lot to offer, which should lead to a very bright future for Xbox players.
Due to the sheer number of IPs owned by Microsoft these days and in the interest of brevity, certain franchises have been omitted from the following tier list.
Games that have the X-Factor
The Elder Scrolls
The Activision Blizzard deal is certain to have a huge impact on the gaming industry, but some will perhaps argue that Microsoft’s acquisition of Zenimax some three years earlier was far more significant. It led to Microsoft owning Bethesda, and with it theElder Scrollsseries: one ofthe biggest and most influential RPG franchises of all time.
Fallout
When it comes todevelopers that have mastered one particular genre, Bethesda is usually one of the first names that springs to mind. In addition toThe Elder Scrolls, the studio is also responsible for theFalloutseries, which has enjoyed numerous successes under Todd Howard’s stewardship. As far as post-apocalyptic open-world games go they really don’t come much better, cementing the series' place among Microsoft’s biggest franchises.
Halo
Some will perhaps argue thatHalois no longer the S-tier franchise that it once was, and based on the last few installments, that assessment would certainly carry weight. However, many will feel that the series built up enough goodwill to hang onto its headline billing through its numerous and immeasurable contributions to the FPS genre. The sub-par multiplayer experience on offer inInfinitemay have left it on thin ice, but based ontheHaloseries' strong track record, only a fool would bet against it bouncing back with the next installment.
World of Warcraft
One Rung from Greatness
Call of Duty
Call of Dutyis one of gaming’s true juggernauts,generating billions of dollars in revenue each and every year. Together with the likes ofBattlefieldandMedal of Honor, it helped to popularize console first-person shooters and laid down much of the foundations onto which countless other franchises would eventually go on to build. However, the series has arguably stagnated a little in recent years, pulling it back from the precipice of true greatness.
Doom
Call of Dutydid a lot for the FPS genre, but nowhere near as much asDoom. Sadly, it seems that these days, the masses prefer the gritty realism of the former over the latter’s out-of-this-world and over-the-top antics, but the id Software series still stands tall as one of gaming’s all-time greats. The success of the 2016 reboot and its 2020 showed thatDoomreally is timelessand will likely be around for many more years to come.
Minecraft
Minecraftis undoubtedly an S-tier title, but Microsoft’s efforts to turn it into a franchise have been met with mixed results.Minecraft DungeonsandMinecraft Legendsare far from bad games but they do bring the series' average down quite a bit.Minecraftis still one of the best Microsoft franchises out there, but whether or not it really needed any of the spin-offs is definitely debatable.
Forza
After the decision was made to shelveProject Gotham Racing, Microsoft needed to come up with an answer to Sony’sGran Turismoseries.Forzadelivers on this front and then some, offering up one ofthe most enjoyable racing sim experiences on the market. Some will perhaps argue that it’s not quite as realistic as Sony’s flagship racing series, but it more than makes up for this when it comes to fun.
Microsoft Flight Simulator
Though perhaps a little niche, theMicrosoft Flight Simulatorcan be incredibly enjoyable even for those with only a passing interest in the flight sim genre. Each new installment brings dramatic improvement across the board, both in terms of realism and the sheer volume of content that’s on offer. Whether or not they really qualify as games in the traditional sense is perhaps debatable, but their quality is clear for all to see.
Diablo
Many questioned whether theDiabloseries could recover fromtheDiabloImmortaldebacleand the jury is perhaps still out in that regard. Granted,Diablo 4was a much better game than the micro-transaction-fuelled mobile title, but whether or not it has the staying power of some of its predecessors remains to be seen. As a series, though,Diablohas done a lot for the dungeon-crawler genre and deserves its fair share of kudos for that alone.
Tony Hawk’s
TheTony Hawk’sfranchise was responsible for some ofthe best sports sim games of all time. A decade of mediocrity followed, only for the series to make its triumphant return in September of 2020.Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2not only proved that there’s still a demand for high-quality skateboarding games, but also that the franchise remains more than capable of fulfilling it.
A Strong Second String
Crash Bandicoot
TheCrash Bandicootseries has had its fair share of ups and downs over the years, but its importance to the platforming genre is undeniable nonetheless. What’s more,Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Timeshowed that the titular marsupial still has a lot to offer the industry, though here’s hoping Microsoft chooses to focus more on the series' roots than on pumping out more questionable multiplayer party games.
Pillars of Eternity
Pillars of Eternityenjoyed one ofthe most successful video game Kickstarter campaigns of all timeand is one of very few that actually managed to deliver on its initial promise. Commercially, the series has never really set the world ablaze, but the response from critics and players has been incredibly positive. It’s one of several franchises inspired byBaldur’s Gate, and though it doesn’t quite live up to its spiritual predecessor’s brilliance, it manages to come remarkably close.
Psychonauts
Tim Schafer has had a huge impact on the video game industry, particularly when it comes to adventure games. While at LucasArts, he was responsible for some of the best point-and-click adventure games ever made and continued to find success after setting up his Double Fine studio in July of 2000.Psychonautsis arguably the best thing he’s done since then, with the series developing a cult following of sorts in the years following the first game’s release.
Age of Empires
The RTS genre has seen something of a resurgence in recent years, withAge of Empires IVhelping to lead the charge. This seems somewhat fitting giventhe franchise’s rich heritage; even more so when one considers the role that it played in helping to popularize the genre back in the mid-nineties. Together withCommand & Conquer, it’s usually one of the first names that springs to mind when people think of RTS games and its historical focus makes it appealing to those with an interest in the past.
StarCraft
Why exactly Blizzard chose to shelve theStarCraftseries remains a mystery to many. It was once the pinnacle ofspace-based RTS gamesand a firm favorite of many players all over the world. Granted, some installments are remembered much more fondly than others, but it’s still an IP with a boatload of potential and one of the best Microsoft franchises following the ABK acquisition.
Fable
These days,Fableis trading more on its past glory than anything else, though that’s not to say that there isn’t still plenty of excitement for the series' fourth installment. Among other things, this is a franchise that helped to popularizethe concept of player morality, with the storyline unfolding differently depending on some of the choices players make.
Gears of War
Given the embarrassment of riches currently at Microsoft’s disposal and the mixed response to the series' last few installments, it’s hard to imagine that there’s too much enthusiasm for a newGears of Wargame over at Xbox HQ. However, those who grew up playing the first few games will no doubt have fond memories of them, due both to their stunning visuals and the fantastic gameplay experience that they offered. Later installments weren’t exactly bad games, but they failed to live up to the brilliance of their predecessors in either of these two areas.
Forgotten and Downtrodden
Battletoads
It was nice to seeBattletoadsget a new lease on life back in 2020, but the self-titled reboot seemed to be relying more on nostalgia than it was on quality. It was still fun, but also quite forgettable. The original games were highly enjoyable though, even ifsome of the action stages were far too difficult for most players.
Project Gotham Racing
Ever sinceMetropolis Street Raceron the Dreamcast, it was clear that Bizarre Creations was onto something special. TheProject Gotham Racinggames that followed were equally excellent, though they were ultimately placed on the back burner when the studio was picked up by Activision. Microsoft still owns the IP, but the chances of the tech giant doing anything with it seem remarkably slim; at least whileForzais still around.
Killer Instinct
2013’sKiller Instinctreboot is pretty decent, but nowhere near as good as the arcade originals that were ported to Nintendo consoles back in the mid to late nineties. It appears as thoughIron Galaxy isn’t finished with the game just yet, but nothing short of another full remake could help to return the fallen franchise to its former glory.
State of Decay
Though it may not have set the world on fire, the firstState of Decaygame was still a lot of fun. The second one, not so much, particularly when compared to some of the otheropen-world zombie gamesthat are out there. Fans of the original will be hoping thatState of Decay 3marks a return to form, though even if it does, it’s difficult to get too excited by it given some of the other games being worked on by Microsoft’s many first-party studios.
Overwatch
The firstOverwatchgame was something special. Its sequel, on the other hand, is just plain meh and struggles to stand out amidstthe evergrowing army of free-to-play hero shooters. There’s definitely still an audience for it, but it’s one that seems to be growing smaller by the day.
Wasteland
TheWastelandseries is a little reminiscent ofFallout; not just because both franchises explore similar themes and ideas, but because they were both conceived by the creative minds at Interplay Productions. In fact, without the former, the latter would never have existed. However, where one series flourished, the other merely floundered, offering the occasional flashes of brilliance yet struggling to stack up to the series that it so famously helped to inspire.
Perfect Dark
After the success ofGoldeneye 007, Rare set about creating a new IP to capitalize on what they’d learned. The resulting game wasPerfect Darkand it was one ofthe best games for the N64, surpassingGoldeneyein almost every way. Sadly, however, subsequent releases have failed to live up to the same lofty standards, and although a newPerfect Darkgame is currently in development, reports suggest that it is still a few years away.
Banjo-Kazooie
Many considerBanjo-Kazooie to be one ofthe best 3D platformers ever madeand its sequel was every bit as enjoyable. It’s the quality of these first few games that makesBanjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Boltssuch a painful slap in the face, with the 2008 title having seemingly killed this once-great franchise in one fell swoop. Some still yearn forBanjo-Threeie, but the chances of that ever happening seem slim.
Spyro the Dragon
If ever there were a video game franchise that was screaming out for a reboot, it’sSpyro the Dragon.The originalSpyrotrilogy was fantastic, yet a few mediocre releases led to the franchise slipping into a decade-long dormancy. TheSpyro Reignited Trilogysaw the purple dragon return with a puff and a bang in 2018, leading many to wonder whether a newSpyrogame could someday be on the cards. As of the time of writing, though, there’s been no official world.
Guitar Hero
Back in the day,Guitar Herowas all the rage and played a huge role in the popularization of rhythm games. It’s also the reason why there are currently millions of plastic guitars lying around in landfills, which is arguably where the franchise now belongs. It’s not that there isn’t still a market forchallenging rhythm games, more thatClone Heronow renders the franchise completely redundant in every possible way.
