Xbox Franchises With The Most Games

Microsoft/Xbox Game Studios have published all manner of games over the years, primarily for their series of Xbox consoles. With their relatively recent acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Microsoft now owns a shocking number of franchises.

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However, this topic will focus primarily on Microsoft’s older Xbox franchises. More specifically, these are all notable franchises with at least three mainline entries. From the still-running franchises of Halo and Gears Of War, to old trilogies such as Crackdown and Fable, these are just a few of Xbox’s biggest franchises.

5 Crackdown

games“> 3 games

Taking place in a future dystopian police state, Crackdown puts players in the shoes of a super-soldier hunting down gang leaders in a violent city. Crackdown is somewhat of a sandbox, despite being a third-person shooter, allowing players to approach objectives however they like, in whatever order they see fit.

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The game’s sequel, Crackdown 2, provided much of the same third-person Action, but with advanced movement options and a mutant enemy faction known as the “Freaks.” Similarly to Crackdown 2, Crackdown 3 kept to the formula of its predecessors. However, Crackdown 3’s single-player mode offers an arguably more modernized and streamlined version of the aging Crackdown 2.

4 Fable

games“> 7 games

This iconic trilogy of Action RPGs takes place in the fantasy setting of Albion and the various ages of its existence. The first Fable entry took clear influence from classic Medieval imagery that’s reminiscent of the fantasy landscapes of The Lord Of The Rings. The second Fable game, however, featured the addition of gunpowder to the setting, and an overall aesthetic that encompassed that of the “Age of Enlightenment”.

Fable 3 took the series in a different direction, bringing the setting of Albion into an industrial age. Fable 3 was, unfortunately for many, the last of the mainline Fable games for a long while. However, thankfully, the iconic franchise is set to receive a fourth entry in the near future. Although Fable only received three mainline entries, it included several spin-offs and small games in the form of Fable 2: Pub games (2008), Fable Heroes (2012), Fable: The Journey (2012), and the free-to-play card game, Fable Fortune (2017).

3 Gears Of War

games“> 7 games

This iconic series of dark and gritty third-person, cover-based shooter games is known for its downtrodden tone and grim setting. In Gears Of War, players take on the role of a soldier fighting a losing battle against a race of horrific creatures that emerge from beneath the planet’s surface. The game’s stark and unique setting makes for a perfect Action-game playground, and Gears Of War maintains its serious narrative and spooky atmosphere throughout each entry. However, it could be argued that the earlier games did a better job, specifically the first three games of the franchise.

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Overall, there are currently seven games in the Gears Of War franchise. Five of these games are mainline entries, most of which follow the story of the iconic protagonist, Marcus Fenix. It’s worth noting that many of the Gears Of War titles are perfect for playing with a friend in two-player co-op, a feature that is becoming rarer in the modern-era.

2 Halo

games“> 13 games

With its first title, Halo: Combat Evolved,released all the way back in 2001 and its latest title, Halo Infinite, released in 2021, Halo is a franchise that has been around for quite some time. With over twenty years of entries, Halo has seen many fans come and go. All in all, the Halo series has seen a total of thirteen games, though only six of those games are mainline entries.

However, spin-offs such as Halo 3: ODST and Halo: Reach are games-ranked/”>notable entries in the franchise. In fact, the latter entry sustained a solid multiplayer community for many years, furthered by its extensive level creator, Forge. Other spin-offs such as the twin-stick shooter Spartan Assault and the on-rails arcade game, Fireteam Raven, may have fallen into obscurity, but provided unique Halo experiences nonetheless. Halo 2 and Halo 3 are also notable entries for their online communities, and the campaigns of the first three games provide a satisfying and dramatic narrative journey.

1 Forza

games“> 13 games

games/”>This long-running series of slick racing games covers two sub-series of games: Forza Motorsport, and Forza Horizon. Together, their Xbox entries comprise a total of thirteen games, fourteen including the standalone spin-off of Forza Horizon 2: Forza Horizon 2 Presents Fast & Furious. These games are known for their slick, shiny visuals and solid mainstream racing gameplay.

Forza is known for bringing simulation racing games to the Xbox console, and has continued to uphold its reputation as a mainstream racing game with a high pedigree. Despite being an Xbox franchise, Forza Horizon 5 is tremendously popular on Steam, as well, sporting over 150,000 user reviews, 88% of which are positive at the time of writing. In fact, for fans of racing games, it’s hard to go wrong with many of Forza‘s latest entries.

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