10 game series that could benefit from a genre-shifting spin-off
Sometimes game series do things Really good and are incredibly successful, leading them to stick to the same game formula for years to come. While this does great things for the franchise, it shuts out people who aren’t into a specific genre. Series can benefit from creating spin-off games in new genres that will help attract new fans while providing new content to current players. For series that have been running for a decade or more, new genres can breathe life into the franchise’s main games as well.
These 10 game series could do some serious good with a new genre-changing spin-off.
Brave
Valorant’s FPS style isn’t for everyone, but it could be the perfect story-driven RPG game. The world building of Valorant is impeccable. Between Kingdom, Radianite, and Story Lore alone, there’s plenty of content waiting to be explored – there could even be multiple games or DLCs made for one game.
Considering the agents already have kits that could be translated into team-based combat, this could easily keep things fresh and interesting even for long-time players. Considering that Valorant’s world-building and storytelling style is set due to gameplay, it would give the developers the opportunity to expand in ways that aren’t currently possible.
Minecraft
Almost everyone has played or heard of Minecraft. Since so many people love it, why not make a party game to capitalize on it? Minecraft is one of, if not the, most popular video game for kids out there – while parents might not want to play the sandbox game, they might be more willing to play a family game full of fun mini-games.
Considering there is so much to do in Minecraft, it might not be difficult to create minigames either. If done well, a Minecraft party game could rival some of the biggest party games out there such as: B. Mario Party because kids (and adults) love it.
The Elder Scrolls
Listen to me – there are too few monster taming games and too many open world RPG games. The Elder Scrolls series could become a great spin-off by developing a monster taming game.
Instead of fighting the monsters in different countries, why not tame them and fight with them? This could be a great spin-off game, using many of the already created creatures from the games. Given the POV of Elder Scrolls games, this could lead to an experience like Pokemon Legends: Arceus, but in first person perspective. There are also many ways the battle could go, such as: Live-action, Tekken combat, or the standard turn-based combat that most games use to tame monsters.
Just as Monster Hunter created Monster Hunter Stories, Elder Scrolls could have a fun and profitable spin-off game here.
Genshin Impact
The gacha mechanics are not for everyone, and a lot of people avoid Genshin Impact because of it. However, the deep lore and incredible in-game story deserve more attention, so a story-based RPG would be the perfect spin-off.
In fact, some fans have already come up with such ideas. It could also make for some really interesting combat with the Elemental Reactions concept – a turn-based combat system might stand out best.
There’s also a lot of lore that could be explored more specifically with things like visual novels. Even the hangout events could be recreated in a dating sim (although some of them are pretty close now).
Mario
The Mario franchise is huge and already spans many different genres. However, what it has not much touched is card game video games. While it might seem like a niche genre, it’s been so successful that a Mario game could easily step in and do well.
Mario games also had silly concepts, so the idea of using a deck to progress through a game wouldn’t be too far off left field. Nintendo could easily find a way to make the game playable for younger viewers as well.
Even though it’s a game entirely dedicated to some kind of TCG mechanic, it could be perfect for both Mario fanatics and kids.
Pokemon
There’s no shortage of Pokemon spin-offs, but one kind we don’t have yet is a rhythm game. With action like the Mystery Dungeon games, a rhythm-based game could be a fun and challenging way to experience Pokémon.
Fans are tired of the same formula that most Pokémon games have – that’s why Legends: Arceus did so well. It makes sense for the franchise to try more new things, and the rhythm genre is the perfect way to do that.
Also, there are already a lot more out-of-the-box spinoffs in the Pokemon franchise, so a rhythm-based game would fit in nicely (we’re looking at you, Pokemon Ranger).
God of War
There are some interesting spinoffs that could be derived from the God of War games, including some sort of turn-based combat game. It’s hard to separate the franchise from its heart-pounding action, but it could draw more players into the series.
This would also open the door for some interesting teams for players to fight with, particularly some of the allies seen in Gof of War Ragnarok. Turn-based games also have plenty of room for a great narrative, so a spin-off in this genre would be a perfect addition to the franchise.
The combat has the potential to stand out even with all the weapons in the games – the Leviathan Ax could have some nice mechanics in a slower combat style.
animal crossing
Animal Crossing recently had its time to shine with New Horizons. However, what if the game took a slightly more story-centric approach? Players love their villagers and that is an important part of the game. So what if Animal Crossing created a story-driven game around the villagers?
Let’s be clear, Animal Crossing has some story in it. It’s just the story of a growing community, but there aren’t any real problems to overcome. However, each character has plenty of room to grow and this could be done really well in a side game.
Perhaps it would be about helping each villager with something in their personal lives, or moving to an already inhabited island that’s full of problems that need fixing, rather than designing a new one. It might even feature older games that revisit characters like Bianca or Officer Cooper. The franchise has too much potential for stories – even Tom Nook’s story would make a great spin-off game.
mass effect
People Love the romantic side of Mass Effect, so why not make a dating sim with the characters from the game? It would be an easy spin-off as the romantic characters have a ton of narration and dialogue from the start.
This wouldn’t be the first time a franchise has done so. Hooked on You was a spin-off of Dead by Daylight and turned the horror game into a visual novel. It would be a lot easier for Mass Effect to create something in this genre and at least guarantee decent success given its passionate fan base – people would go crazy for a romance with squadmate Garrus in a simple dating sim.
bioshock
Bioshock has such a unique appearance that it deserves to attract an audience that doesn’t like FPS games – Bioshock Infinite alone should be played by everyone. Introducing a more relaxed style of card combat could be the perfect way to do that and create a great spin-off game.
It could be done in a way that doesn’t deviate too far from the core game itself. Between card collecting, leveling up, and a simple transition from first-person adventure to card-picking in Marvel’s Midnight Suns fashion, the game could still contain everything Bioshock is known for.
https://twinfinite.net/2023/03/game-series-that-could-benefit-from-a-genre-changing-spin-off/ 10 game series that could benefit from a genre-shifting spin-off