Top 10 Classic PC Games Franchises That Need a Revival

With us as members of the video game industry's media, we tend to look superficially at the games which are making the biggest waves now. Sometimes, we will also look a little bit deeper at franchises that were once great and now are reduced to the $5.00 bins. With that said, we forget far too often the games that pushed our industry forward. This is a list of games or franchises that not only need a revival - but games that deserve our thanks and applause as well.

10. Ground Control

Ground control was one of the hallmark games of the RTS genre. Set in a ‘warring worlds’ type environment, the game puts you in the shoes of various soldiers all partaking in battle for dominance over Krig-7. Krig-7 is one of the last remaining planets that can sustain life after the Third World War, which came to be known as The Sixteen Minute War. Nuclear weapons ravaged the face of Earth, forcing the residents to look to the stars.

The game is frequently referred to as an unsung innovator due to its contributions to the RTS genre. Many developers have taken to adding features that this came introduced – even the makers of the fantastic Total War series. Perhaps one of the largest additions to the genre was that of the free-floating camera. This allowed players to get up-close and personal with theirs and their opponents respective armies.

9. MechWarrior

As the name of the game implies, MechWarrior places you in the role of a mech-pilot. This was before Gundam or Robotech came to consoles, and the first game to ever allow you the chance of even being a mech-pilot. The game's story revolves around a stolen chalice that proves the main character's right to the throne, and while this chalice is stolen, you are exiled and forced to retrieve it.

The franchise released a few more entries, but the last iteration of the series graced the market in 2000 with the release of MechWarrior 4: Vengeance.  The game received accolades from many media outlets and even attained the Best Simulation Award from the E3 staff at E3 2000.

8. Dungeon Keeper

While a Dungeon Keeper Online has been announced in 2008 by NetDragonWebsoft Inc., the purported MMO only promises to loosely base itself upon classic Dungeon Keeper lore. Furthermore, after four years of hearing naught about it...It's possible the project is lost in oblivion. With all that said, Dungeon Keeper was a true gem. The first installment of the series was headed by Peter Molyneux. 

The series works much like an RTS in the fact that you create a team of working imps and proceed from there. These imps then work to collect resources while you as the player build the basic infrastructure for your base. The game revolutionized the genre and the reception from both player and press was astoundingly positive.

Page 1    Page 2    Page 3