Standalone Spin-Offs are Great for a Series

It would seem that at least a couple standalone games are going to be available and these smaller experiences are great for a series. Whether that's Uncharted: The Lost Legacy or Dishonored: Death of the Outsider these spin-offs provide a smaller, yet just as interesting expansion for a franchise.

It's easier on the developers to produce since they exist within the context of previous entries and just as great for fans that want more. These games offer a medium package that one would expect coming between a small couple hour DLC and a full length release. If a fan wants more of a game quickly then they can grab these spin-offs whereas those that just want the hardcore titles are able to pass without missing anything important on the main line releases.

They're great for not only giving players more to experience, but also focusing on a unique story. It's best for these to stay away from main characters to instead working on rounding out an existing cast. Chloe was a particularly great choice for The Lost Legacy as she was absent from the recent games and was one that most found interesting. It also provided more details about her partner Nadine that originally was just an extra. It would be great to see more smaller releases like these as they work well for both sides.


We won't be too sure if more of these may cause franchise fatigue, but for the mean time I can see them as a good way to shorten the time before releases. It's often a long wait to see a new entry in your favorite game series and I think it would only be great to see just as quality of a game release more often. Think of it like Disney's setup for Star Wars right now with anthology Films. It could be a great way of exploring new parts of games from certain regions to a character that faced little development. This could also incorporate similar aspects of gameplay while perhaps selecting a couple to enhance to a small degree.

It's certainly better than getting a short hour long DLC pack that leaves you with a desire for more as so many games have these days. The development might take longer for these side releases in comparison to DLC, but for something that feels more towards a full package it's worth it. I can think of a number of DLC releases in the past from various franchises that would have been very exciting if expanded upon. I feel that it would be a great idea for more standalone spin-offs to come from some of the big games, as long as the quality is kept up they can make for an exciting time.

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