Oftentimes, a story spanning multiple entries has one character tying it all together. This provides someone for audiences to identify with, and helps maintain focus throughout the tale. Video games are no exception to this rule. Just look at how long Mario has been around.
However, some developers buck this trend. Maybe they wanted a new direction with a new protagonist. Alternatively, maybe they wrapped up a story and then decided to continue the franchise after the fact. Whatever the reason, the results have been mixed. Some series have successfully found new blood to keep them going, but others should have died with their stars.
8 Mass Effect
The space-faring series has pulled this twice. To take the galaxy's savior down a peg, BioWare killed Commander Shepard at the start of Mass Effect 2. Thankfully, Miranda Lawson's Lazarus Project at Cerberus managed to bring them back to life. They then had a fighting chance against the Collectors and the Reapers, but their next time at death's door was more final.
Once Shepard sacrifices himself/herself at the end of Mass Effect 3, they're dead to the galaxy and pass into legend. Fans didn't like it, but there it went. EA and BioWare, though, couldn't let the franchise rest, so they crafted a new set of characters for Mass Effect: Andromeda. This title was supposed to inject new life into the IP, but it went over as well as Reapers on a Prothean — that is to say, not great.
7 God Of War
If players thought Mass Effect was impressive, God of War puts it to shame. In the old games, Kratos was killed seemingly every other week, but he always found a way to claw himself back from the depths of Hades. Sacrificing himself at the end of God of War III, however, seemed final.
Indeed, the series laid dormant for a few years. That is, until the 2018 reboot showed an older Kratos, who had begun a new life (literally) and family in the realm of Norse mythology. Will this new tale kill him again and pass the torch to his son? That remains to be seen, but it earns a spot on this list regardless.
6 Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Though trained to root out Jedi and others opposed to the Empire, Darth Vader's secret apprentice —dubbed "Starkiller" — grows distant from his master's cause. What starts as a simple diversion soon blossoms into a full-fledged rebellion. In the process of saving his friends, the former Sith battles both his master and the Emperor, the effort ultimately claiming his life.
Despite this setback, Vader believes his apprentice's potential is simply too good to pass up. So, he clones Starkiller for the sequel. The developers leave it ambiguous whether this new Starkiller really is a clone, but this ambiguity is all for naught. Fans will never get the answer, because this series has unfortunately been erased from the official Star Wars canon.
5 Red Dead Redemption
John Marston got the short end of the stick in the first Red Dead Redemption. Not only did the Pinkertons blackmail him into hunting down members of his former gang, but they ruthlessly gunned him down before he could live a quiet life with his family. Surprise, surprise, the government's not his friend.
The sequel doesn't follow up on this, because it's actually a prequel. Red Dead Redemption 2 chronicles the exploits of the aforementioned gang, experienced through the eyes of veteran member Arthur Morgan. The sad part is that he, too, meets his untimely end before the credits roll. Only Red Harlow of Red Dead Revolver escaped this fate.
4 Assassin's Creed
In a series portraying various figures throughout history, it'd be hard for one character to stick around for long. That said, players got a more complete picture of the earlier Assassins than they have with the more recent ones. Fans were with Altaïr and Ezio right up until their twilight years. Modern protagonist Desmond died younger, sacrificing himself to prevent the poorly-defined apocalypse in 2012.
These events gave way to a host of new Assassins, none of whom last for more than one game. The only thing tying them together is the modern storyline, and even this shifted to new protagonist Layla. Yet, fans still regard the modern story as the worst part of every game.
3 Final Fantasy X
While every mainline Final Fantasy entry establishes its own universe, Final Fantasy X was the first one to get a direct sequel. Sadly (or happily, for some), plucky protagonist Tidus disappeared at the end of the story. He was a manifested dream of the fayth, summoners who wanted to preserve a society from a thousand years ago.
The team's resident summoner, Yuna, took center stage for Final Fantasy X-2. Her own adventure was much cheesier and more lighthearted, which put off many fans of the original. She and her fellow Gullwings flew around the world collecting dress spheres and other treasures, somehow bringing Tidus back to life in the process. If Square Enix ever makes a third entry, it'll likely go back to the status quo.
2 Infamous
The first Infamous title revealed that electric hero Cole McGrath would one day encounter a devastating entity known as "The Beast." This set the stage for a follow-up where Cole grew into a powerful protector and gave his life to stop this monster (assuming players didn't go for the evil choices). Despite the story seemingly coming to a close, Sucker Punch wasn't ready to leave their superhero series.
They later surprised fans with Infamous: Second Son. This game presented a new narrative featuring a new Conduit named Deslin. His brash attitude made him a refreshing change of pace from Cole, but his exploits seemed insignificant compared to what came before. This prevented the game from achieving the same status as the first two, and the developers have never followed up on the foundation they laid.
1 The Walking Dead
With their point-and-click titles, the developers at TellTale pride themselves on choices and narrative impact. The Walking Dead's relationship between Lee and Clementine is central to that. It made sense for Lee to die at the end of their first venture in the zombie apocalypse.
This paved the way for Clem to take the top spot in Season 2 of this episodic adventure. Similar to how she learns from previous events, past choices and their consequences inform the player going forward. It all adds up to something much better-received than the mainline show.