10 MUST-PLAY Video Game Spin-Offs

Spin-offs are spawned when a video game franchise does so well that a developer sees dollar signs in branching out. It's often an opportunity to cash in on other genres, helping transform a set of games into a wider media franchise. The benefits of using an already popular name to reach a larger percentage of players is self-explanatory.

Not every spin-off is a success; in fact they're often stamped onto lazy cash grabs that fail to take advantage of a franchise's roots. Resident Evil: Operation Racoon City and Metal Gear: Survive fall under that banner, disgracing their superior mainline brethren.

To avoid getting too character-centric, we're keeping to one character or game per franchise. Mario, for example, has had too many spin-offs to count, but only a select few could have made this list. The spin-offs here succeeded at either translating their respective franchises into new territory or leveraging their established systems into a different setting or genre. In no particular order, here are the spin-offs we reckon you should dive into, across a wide spectrum of franchises and console generations.

In an effort to branch out with its most popular franchises, Microsoft set out on a similar approach with Forza as they did to 343 Industries with Halo. They put together a team filled with racing game veterans across the UK, believing their expertise would prove successful. Developers from the likes of Project Gotham Racing, Burnout, Race Driver: Grid and Colin McRae: Rally all signed on and started to collaborate with Turn 10 Studios. Unlike the mostly ho-hum efforts from 343 into Halo, the newly formed Playground Games did an excellent job with Xbox's premier racer. They debuted Forza Horizon in 2012 on the Xbox 360.

Every bit as good as the series Turn 10 created, Playground Studios Games successfully delivered a new flavour of Xbox's most popular racing series. Forza Horizon focuses more on casual street racing rather than professional race tracks, resulting in a more care-free and accessible method of racing. It did so well that it spawned its own franchise, which continues to move to new locations. Forza Horizon takes place in a fictionalised version of our very own United Kingdom, with all the lush countryside that comes with it. Both versions of the Forza series are bound to return for the Xbox Series X.