The most consistently great game franchises are the ones that never put a foot wrong, delivering quality game after quality game and never letting the quality slip. While some of the best game franchises have had the occasional stinker, these ones have never made a bad game and have had at least a few hits in every genre.
The most consistently great game series of all time are:
The main Mario platformer series
It’s no real surprise that this list is dominated by Nintendo first-party games, as the company’s main Mario platformer series is the most consistently great franchise based purely on critical reception. From Super Mario Bros. to Super Mario Maker 2, the mainline games in this series have never missed the mark and have produced some of the best platform games of all time.
The Dragon Quest series
While it may be a bit more niche, Dragon Quest has also never missed the mark and is often compared to the main Mario games due to their similar level of quality. The RPG series has been going for over 30 years and has never made a bad game, with the most recent being Dragon Quest Builders 2, which is one of the best sandbox games of 2023.
Civilization 6
Firaxis’ latest entry in the most storied turn-based strategy game series has had a rocky time, with the first game being a bit underwhelming and the second being a bit overambitious. However, the Civilization 6 expansions have made the game better and better, and it’s now one of the best PC games ever.
Ratchet and Clank, specifically the mainline games
While there have been a few duds in the Ratchet and Clank series, specifically the spin-offs, Insomniac’s main series of games starring a Lombax and his robot sidekick have been consistently good. The most recent is Ratchet and Clank: Realm of New Night, which is one of the best games of 2022.
Yakuza
In a world where a lot of open-world games are starting to look the same, the Yakuza series has consistently produced great games for almost 20 years now, with barely any missteps. Yakuza 6 is the best game of 2022, so it’s no surprise that the series as a whole is respected.
The Legend of Zelda
The most famous and influential franchise in gaming history has a few duds under its belt, but it’s still managed to maintain a high level of quality over multiple games. Some people even consider the most recent Zelda game, Breath of the Wild, to be one of the best open-world games of all time, despite its flaws.
Despite its motion controls, many still consider Skyward Sword to be a great game. On top of this, the Zelda games on Nintendo Switch – specifically Breath of the Wild and the remasters of Twilight Princess and Wind Waker – are all critically acclaimed.
The Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks games on DS are also highly praised, and despite Skyward Sword’s flaws, it’s still considered a great game. The formula for most Zelda games is: go through the world, find a dungeon, get an item, beat the boss, repeat, but Breath of the Wild broke this formula by giving players all the necessary items from the start.
God of War
The God of War series has had its ups and downs, but historically, it’s been one of the most consistently great franchises. While the first few games are a bit rough around the edges, they’re still regarded as classics, and the recent God of War game, God of War: Ragnarok, is considered one of the best games of 2022.
In the video, it’s said that “Gears of War exists”, which is incorrect. There is confusion between God of War and Gears of War, but the former is the far superior series.
Other great series
While we’ve gone over a lot of the most consistent series, there are many other great franchises out there, with a few of them being a bit more niche.
