A great trilogy does not necessarily mean every game has to be immaculate. Raising the bar twice in a trilogy seems impossible, and no game on the list manages to do that. They do all bring something unique to the table, though, and while one game may be the breadwinner, together they make some of the greatest gaming experiences players could ever imagine.
The 8 Greatest Open-World Video Game Trilogies Of All Time, Ranked
These open-world games offer players the start and conclusion to epic stories all in one complete trilogy without dropping in quality.
From the Halo games to the Wolfenstein reboot series, the following FPS trilogies do not hold back. They will be ranked based on mechanics, originality, how the trilogy comes together, and the overall quality.
There will be no major spoilers.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Easy (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)
8
Killzone
Here Come The Helghast
- Killzone (PS2, 2004)
- Killzone 2 (PS3, 2009)
- Killzone 3 (PS3, 2011)
Killzone started with lofty ambitions as one of many “Halo killers” in the early 2000s. It never quite reached that status of notoriety on the PS2, but fans who did enjoy it were into the Helghast enemies, what with their muffled speech and glowing orange eyes. Killzone 2 improved a few things, like having bigger battlefields and better controls, furthering the war effort to stop the domineering Helghast from taking over.
It wasn’t quite as fantastical as the original trailer made it out to be, but it was a well-supported shooter for a time on the PS3. Finally, Killzone 3 tried to do something different by setting itself in a lot of ice levels, which was a good contrast between the blacks and browns of the previous two games. While less ambitious overall, the change in setting and true end to the war is why some fans like it as the best Killzone game in retrospect.
7
Timesplitters
Saving The Future In The Past
- Timesplitters (PS2, 2000)
- Timesplitters 2 (GameCube/PS2/Xbox, 2002)
- Timesplitters: Future Perfect (GameCube/PS2/Xbox, 2005)
Timesplitters had a good run between 2000 and 2005, which is when the trilogy was made, and there hasn’t been a sequel since. The first game was devoid of a proper story, as players could instead start by selecting one of three levels, each one going back in time, like exploring Egypt and shooting mummies. Timesplitters 2 was a big upgrade featuring two protagonists, Sergeant Cortez and Corporal Hart, who had to try to stop an alien invasion from using time technology to destroy the proper flow of time.
Players could explore Siberia in the 1990s or Chicago in the 1930s, as two examples. The finale, Timesplitters: Future Perfect, may not have as much variety in terms of time periods as the second game, but the shooting mechanics are much better. Players have more control over aiming, and it feels like a more progressive shooter that modern fans could enjoy. All three games can be played on the PS5, too, for anyone curious, and while the first game is simple, the trilogy overall is a banger.
6
Resistance: Fall of Man
World War 2 But With Aliens
- Resistance: Fall of Man (PS3, 2006)
- Resistance 2 (PS3, 2008)
- Resistance 3 (PS3, 2011)
Resistance: Fall of Man was a launch game for the PS3 and something completely different from Insomniac Games, which were known for developing platformers on both the PS1 and PS2. The game took place in an alternate timeline in which the world cooperated in a war effort to stop alien invaders around the era of World War 2. What Insomniac Games carried over from its Ratchet & Clank games were the odd weapons, like being able to shoot enemies through walls or a sniper rifle that slowed down time.
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The war effort moved from Europe to the U.S. in Resistance 2, giving shooter fans a new type of environment to explore: the Midwest. Players continued as the original protagonist, Nathan Hale, who was then replaced in the final game with a resistance fighter named Joseph Capelli. Bleaker than the two previous games combined, Resistance 3 imagined a world where the aliens won and all that was left were small pockets of humanity. The Resistance series overall was a cool idea, even if the execution between sequels didn’t coalesce into something perfect; at least shooting aliens was rewarding.
5
Doom (2016)
The Reboot Was Worth The Wait
- Doom (PC/PS4/XONE, 2016)
- Doom Eternal (PC/PS4/Switch/XONE, 2020)
- Doom: The Dark Ages (PC/PS5/Xbox X/S, 2025)
The 2016 reboot of Doom went through some chaotic development troubles, but eventually it got back on track. It was a bold departure from Doom 3, which disappointed a lot of fans at the time. Instead of being a more atmospheric game, the reboot was a balls-to-the-wall shooter that kept up the momentum as players were encouraged to shoot and ask questions later. The finishing moves made gameplay more engaging, and this was further explored in Doom Eternal, which was more of the same bloody goodness that the 2016 game brought to the table.
The most interesting entry in the trilogy is Doom: The Dark Ages, which is a prequel that focuses on the war between humanity and the underworld, which had a more fantastical twist. There were dragons to ride, for example, and players got a cool chainsaw shield to tear into enemies. This reboot saga also tried to shed some more light on the lore and the Doom Guy, which was not necessary, but regardless of that, these are some of the best Doom games ever made.
4
Wolfenstein: The New Order
What If The Nazis Won?
- Wolfenstein: The New Order (PC/PS3/PS4/X360/XONE, 2014)
- Wolfenstein: The Old Blood (PC/PS4/XONE, 2015)
- Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus (PC/PS4/XONE, 2017)
The Wolfenstein series was caught in a bit of a rut for a while, took a break, and then came back with Wolfenstein: The New Order. The beginning was more of the same Nazi-killing action, but then things leveled up after the time skip, wherein the Nazis won, but a resistance was still trying to repel the Nazi empire. It was a cool twist for such an old franchise, plus B.J. Blazkowicz was a more grounded and likable character instead of just being a bunch of meat and bones that held a gun and did whatever players told him to do.
Wolfenstein: The Old Blood was a prequel and a slower-paced game, but still a good chapter within this reboot saga. The next proper sequel, Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus, leveled up the original exponentially with plenty of surprises, more action, and more gore. If the series continues only with Blazkowicz’s daughters, then this trilogy was a good send-off for one of the genre’s greatest heroes.
3
BioShock
From Sea To Air
- BioShock (PC/X360, 2007)
- BioShock 2 (PC/PS3/X360, 2010)
- BioShock Infinite (PC/PS3/X360, 2013)
BioShock was released originally for the Xbox 360 and featured the protagonist, Jack, exploring the ruined halls of the once great underwater utopia of Rapture. The Splicer and Big Daddy enemies were horrific and iconic, the setting was unique, the Plasmid powers were cool, and the other was breathtaking. BioShock 2 was a sequel featuring a new character, Delta, who was a prototype Big Daddy, but it was still set in Rapture.
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While not as groundbreaking, it was a solid sequel, and the gameplay was technically better as players could now dual-wield weapons and Plasmids together. BioShock Infinite was set in a new environment, the sky, as Columbia was designed as a utopia built around flying islands. While there didn’t seem to be a connection at first, BioShock Infinite did tie into the multiverse idea of lighthouses bringing the world together. The DLC, BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea, sort of closed the loop between this game and the original BioShock to a satisfying conclusion.
2
Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
A New Era For Shooters
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (PC/PS3/X360, 2007)
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (PC/PS3/X360, 2009)
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (PC/PS3/Wii/X360, 2011)
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was a big change for the Call of Duty series and shooters in general at the time, which were largely focused on World War 2. This game took things literally to the modern war effort, featuring campaigns across the globe and across multiple characters, each one not guaranteed to make it out alive. While the protagonists shifted between the trilogy, there were three core characters that players could get attached to. There was Captain John Price, John “Soap” MacTavish, and Simon “Ghost” Riley, who all represent the franchise as a whole as being iconic characters on the level of Master Chief from the Halo games.
Characters aside, the gameplay was solid, the mission variety was immersive, and the multiplayer setup was what really set it apart from other shooters. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 built up what made the original game so special, and which is the best of the trilogy is debatable. There’s something to like about all three, from the evolution of the first game to the “No Russian” moment in the sequel, and how the trilogy concludes in the last game with a very satisfying kill. No matter what, they hold up better than the remake trilogy based on them.
1
Halo: Combat Evolved
Mastering Master Chief
- Halo: Combat Evolved (Xbox, 2001)
- Halo 2 (Xbox, 2004)
- Halo 3 (Xbox 360, 2007)
Halo: Combat Evolved was the big reason why Microsoft got its first console, the Xbox, off the ground. At long last, a developer, Bungie, proved that a first-person shooter could work on a console, forever changing the idea that mouse and keyboard controls were necessary to enjoy a shooter. The world-building was grand, the spaces large, the weapons incredible, and Master Chief as a character just felt like this powerful beast of a man that gave players a power trip.
Halo 2 was admittedly a little disappointing on some level as it was short, but the core game was incredible thanks to its multiplayer, dual-wielding, dual-protagonist roles, and opening mission. Finally, Halo 3 was like the balance between the two, with the more open areas of the first game, while also having a more relatable story like the second. A new trilogy would spring up after this, but for many, this is where Master Chief finally finished his fight after six long years.
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