When buying a new gaming console, one of the biggest factors gamers consider is whether their favorite game is available on a particular system.
Unfortunately, we don’t live in a utopia, and each every game isn’t available on each and every console. Despite this, the exclusivity of certain games sometimes provides a unique and personal gaming experience, albeit one that can’t be shared everyone.
Every system has its own library of exclusive titles, but some of these series are a cut above the rest. We came up with a list of some of our favorite exclusive video game franchises.
“Halo” (Xbox)
Some people say “Halo” isn’t nearly as good as it was 16 years ago, while some say it’s never been better. We tend to side with the former, but even the series’ newest installment, “Halo 5: Guardians,” still offers the type of unique first-person shooter gaming only a “Halo” game could provide.
Since “Halo: Combat Evolved” released for Microsoft’s Xbox in 2001, many series have tried to duplicate its perfect blend of multiplayer combat and later installments’ online communities, but none have come close.
“The Legend of Zelda” (Nintendo)
Unparalleled in both storytelling and puzzle solving, “The Legend of Zelda” isn’t just Nintendo’s best exclusive franchise, it might gaming’s greatest series, period.
Many “Zelda” games have been released in the last 30 years, and no two are the same. Sure, most of the characters and settings are recycled, but the stories, puzzles and emotions never are.
“Uncharted” (PlayStation)
Four games in, the “Uncharted” series just keeps getting better. The games revolve around Nathan Drake, a rebellious treasure hunter who spans the world to solve various mysteries.
Each game in the series, all of which are third-person shooters, are excellent. However, “Uncharted 2: Among Thieves” is considered by many to be one of the greatest games of all time, and alone justifies the purchase of Sony’s PlayStation 3.
“Super Mario Bros.” (Nintendo)
What’s left to say about Mario that hasn’t been said? For a series that basically has copied the same storyline in all of its games, each “Mario” title finds a way to differentiate itself.
The world’s favorite Italian plumber might be making his most ambitious adventure yet when “Super Mario Odyssey” releases on Nintendo Switch later this year. Early trailers of the game show Mario making his first venture into what appears to be a real-world environment.
“God of War” (PlayStation)
Brutal in the greatest way possible, the “God of War” series is relentlessly bloody, action-packed and rewarding. Each of the series’ seven games (an eighth is in development) centers around Kratos, a Spartan warrior with a tragic past. These games typically are extremely challenging, but ultimately satisfying.
“Forza” (Xbox)
With apologies to “Gran Turismo,” perhaps no racing franchise is as consistently excellent as “Forza.” There are no bad games in this series, but 2016’s “Forza Horizon 3” might be the best.
Perhaps most importantly, playing “Forza” online is an experience few, if any, other racing games can match.
Thumbnail photo via Flickr/Commorancy
