Stand-alone Franchise Games...

[Trivun]

Please excuse the awkward title, but it's fairly tough to get my idea across in the space of a few words. I was thinking just now about how some games are disliked by people for being a 'disgrace to the series' and so on. In the 'Lord Of Shadows' thread, one poster mentioned that Castlevania: Lord Of Shadows holds up well as a game on it's own, but as part of it's franchise it's pretty poor. And that got me thinking about how many of the criticisms of Final Fantasy XIII, and indeed FF XII, are relating to the changes in each game compared to Final Fantasy as a whole. But I loved XII when I played it, and have yet to pay XIII but am pretty psyched by what I've seen thus far.

So my question to you is, what are your thoughts on games that are good on their own, but don't compare with the rest of their franchises? Do you agree or disagree that such games are unfairly bashed and disliked because of such comparisons? And what games have you played that you feel would fit under this scenario?

 

[octafish]

Fallout Tactics. Mostly because it broke with established cannon. Yet it was still a good squad based TBS/RTS and somehow less buggy than Fallout and Fallout 2.

Fallout 3 disapointed in quite a few areas, yet it was still a great game, it just lacked the depth of the originals (and it broke cannon as well).

 

[Mafoobula]

FFXII, though, like the rest of the series, the connections XII has with the other games is minimal at best.
Chrono Cross. Actually, I like Chrono Cross a little more than Chrono Trigger, but I know that a loooot of people seem to think it's a bit of a lack-luster sequel. However, were it a stand-alone game, I think more people would be able to see that it's a phenomenal game.

 

[RatRace123]

Metal Gear Solid 2, is still an awesome game, yet it's probably remebered as the worst in the series (Not counting the acids or the US only NES sequel) for one reason... you didn't play as Snake.

OK, for two reasons, they replaced him with Raiden.
Still a good game, but not on par with the rest of 'em... Plus you played as Raiden for the majority of the game.

Also Resident Evil 4, as a rare good example of this. It had very few ties to the rest of the series, completely changed the gameplay and was (and still is) the best of them all, and it works as a great stand alone game, even for people who aren't Resi fans.

 

[Trivun]

Can I call you Trivium?

Heh, if you want . There was actually a guy at my old school who thought it was a nickname and that I liked the band Trivium because of it, when he first met me. For the record, it's actually my real name and I've never been a Trivium fan. But if you want to call me that then that's fine by me

 

[Asdalan08]

If XIII was a game in it's own right, I might have treated it better. It was it's poor ability to stand up to the quality of it's predecessors that made me hate it. As a stand-alone game I think I might have liked it.

Also the Raving Rabbids games... I feel disgraced that the only thing Rayman is linked to is his appearance in the original Raving Rabbids game. I think it would've done find FEATURING Rayman but not a game that barely has anything to do with him