Sometimes nostalgia and staying in familiar places can be a good thing, but for video games, sequels taking the action to somewhere new and exciting can add lots of fun. Here are some game franchises that could change things up by moving the setting forward in time.

The Batman Arkham Series:

Possible Title: Batman: Arkham Beyond

The main Batman Arkham series seems to have ended with Arkham Knight in 2015. The Batman Arkham storyline will be continued in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. It won’t feature Batman as the main character, but why not jump forward a couple of decades and create an Arkham game starring the next generation Batman: Terry McGinnis. McGinnis first appeared in the popular animated series Batman Beyond.  Arkham Knight left it a little ambiguous on whether Bruce Wayne was blown up in his mansion, but why not have him retire, and his replacement has to spring into action when a new Arkham Asylum is opened in Neo-Gotham. Expect new villains, older versions of classic villains, and even the potential return of the Joker to a futuristic Gotham. With the last Batman Beyond game being the Return of the Joker tie-in game for PlayStation, Game Boy Color, and Nintendo 64, why not give Terry McGinnis another chance. A 2024 release would also be able to capitalize on the 25th Anniversary of the Batman Beyond series.

Mercenaries:

Possible Title:  Mercenaries 2100

There hasn’t been a game in the Mercenaries franchise since the second game in 2008, and while there have been attempts to release a third game, a futuristic setting might be the shot in the arm this dormant franchise needs to become relevant again. High-tech futuristic weapons with a future Earth (or perhaps Mars) setting would make this sandbox shooter game loads of fun, and storywise, why not make the main characters the descendants of the characters from the original two games.

Spyro the Dragon

Possible Titles:  Spyro: Return of the Dragon, Spyro: A Tale of Two Dragons, Spyro: A Dragon in Time

It’s been almost four years since the rekindling of the Spyro franchise with the Spyro Reignited Trilogy, and fans should be clamoring for a new installment in the franchise. While Spyro has had his adventures as a young still-growing dragon, why not have the next one star a fully-grown Spyro. It would change the gameplay somewhat, but who wouldn’t want to play as a fully-grown dragon. If players are still looking for a more traditional Spyro experience, why not include some flashback levels or, better yet, create a story that uses time travel to bring the best of both worlds. Perhaps a young Spyro is brought forward in time to fight Gnasty Gnorc or Ripto with an older Spyro who has been retired from adventuring for years. Perhaps even a game that brings together the Spyro from the main series and the Legend of Spyro series.

God of War

Possible Titles: God of War Apocalypse or Armageddon

God of War (2018) already proved Kratos could thrive outside his original ancient Greece setting. It looks like the upcoming God of War: Ragnarök will wrap up the current Kratos’ fight against Norse Gods, so why not bring the franchise into the present (or near future) after that with an aging Kratos trying to stop the four horsemen and even the devil or anti-Christ himself from starting the biblical Apocalypse. Perhaps Kratos even ends up teaming up with the Horseman War.

Destroy All Humans!

Possible Titles: Destroyed all Humans!  Destroy All Humans: Old Furon Crypto

With a remaster of the second game coming soon, now would be the perfect time to continue the Destroy All Humans! Franchise. While taking it into the 80s for the next sequel would be the logical step, why not mix it up and take everything one hundred years into the future from the first game, which takes place in the 1950s, so 2050 or so. In this new future, most of the human race has been wiped out by each other, or a non-Furon extraterrestrial threat, and non a grizzled Crypto must reluctantly save what is left of the human race. Of course, a sequel set in the 80s would also be fun. Why not both. Maybe even combine the two time periods with a little bit of time travel.