10 Game Franchises With The Most Convoluted Timelines

6 min readJul 17, 2021

Video games are mainly designed to be fun, but gaming has also evolved to feature expansive stories as well. Some of these stories have become as iconic and beloved as movie franchises due to their character development and storytelling. This is why the likes of God of War and The Last of Us became instant classics.

However, as with most good things, there are always going to be extremes. In the case of some video games, developers have become overly ambitious with their stories. This can result in great games that still feature timelines that are far too complex for those who have never played before or even for the fans themselves.

10 Bayonetta

There are only two games out there and yet they still managed to confuse people. The truth is that the creators started out just wanting to make a fun hack and slash action game, and in that regard, they certainly succeeded with two very fun titles that surprised everyone.

However, the story of the games is far from straightforward, as characters and plot elements are introduced constantly with little explanation. There is very little time to breathe before the next giant action sequence starts which can make the story feel like a complete mess.

9 Five Nights At Freddy’s

Five Nights At Freddy’s, the game about killer animatronics in a children’s entertainment business, is one of the most successful franchises in media, with so many games, books, and now even a movie in the works. In each game, most of the stories and lore are told through visuals and Easter Eggs which require a lot of replaying to fully grasp.

Each game also tends to take place at a random point in time, as the series continually alternates between prequels and sequels. Add in strange lore featuring serial killers, ghost children, sci-fi elements, and so much more, and Five Nights At Freddy’s is a rabbit hole that never seems to have a bottom.

8 Castlevania

Not only is there the main timeline for Castlevania, but there are also different reboots and spin-offs that are completely disconnected. The main timeline itself spans fifteen games which all take place in different eras. One second a game will take place during the dark ages, then another in the 21st century.

With most of the games connecting in some way, understanding the expansive story of Castlevania practically requires a book on the series at the player’s side to understand it all. Between Dracula, his many powerful monsters and servants who rise and die constantly, the Belmont family, and all the other vampire hunters spanning across centuries, there are lots of storylines to keep straight.

7 Legacy Of Kain

Speaking of which, the Legacy of Kain universe also features unique lore of vampires and monsters. Similarly, how all the games manage to fit within the same world is confusing at times; especially when the games start delving into time travel with their own unique set of rules.

The Legacy of Kain universe also features different franchises within itself, and each is drastically different from the other. From the Soul Reaver series to the Blood Omen games, it would be understandable if one thought they were completely separate entities.

6 Resident Evil

What began as a simple but horrific story about heroes trying to stop a zombie/monster pandemic spiraled into a confusing mess. With new monsters and viruses being created with almost every game after Resident Evil 3, the stories started getting more ridiculous and never stopped.

The villains’ plots started making less and less sense and became more like Michael Bay action films. After that, Resident Evil VII: Biohazard and Resident Evil: Village returned to horror but had very little connection to previous games which made their canonicity confusing. Now with several remakes and spin-offs, it’s difficult to tell what is truly canon and what isn’t.

5 Call Of Duty: Zombies

Technically this is cheating since it is not its own game, but rather an alternate game mode. The Zombies mode in Call of Duty games made by Treyarch featured an ever-evolving story only told through dialogue and Easter Eggs along with famously stellar intro cinematics to new maps.

Featuring many characters including the occasional map with celebrity guest star casts; Call Of Duty: Zombies includes Nazi experiments, a base on the moon, magic, interdimensional travel, Lovecraftian-like aliens, multiple timelines, and so much more that it requires a plethora of research on YouTube just to understand it all.

4 Mortal Kombat

With eleven main games in the Mortal Kombat series, it is understandable if one gets lost. What begins as a simple tournament to decide the fate of Earthrealm ends up delving into more and more stories featuring new villains trying to take over the world or destroy it.

New Mortal Kombat characters are always introduced, there are multiple timelines with the later games dealing heavily with time travel, and trying to keep up with all the different realms and plots can be a bit jarring. However, it’s this complex lore that makes Mortal Kombat such an iconic franchise.

3 Metal Gear Solid

Hideo Kojima is infamous for his far from straightforward storytelling. This is everpresent with the Metal Gear Solid series, which continually became more and more confusing with each entry. There is very little explanation as to the world and lore, making the player confused as they are dropped in what seems like the middle of the story.

In some ways, it makes for an intriguing yet ambiguous experience but it’s easy to see why some might find it too confusing. And much like other franchises prior, Metal Gear Solid games end up swapping between sequels and prequels and those in between. There is even a spin-off called Metal Gear Solid Rising: Revengeance that has very little to do with the rest of the series but is still canon.

2 The Legend Of Zelda

The Legend of Zelda has one of the most infamous timelines because there are several. The main timeline begins with Skyward Sword but at a certain point, with Ocarina Of Time, the timeline splits into three, with each one providing different experiences that connect differently to the past.

It doesn’t help that there are almost never direct sequels — each game of The Legend Of Zelda acts as a new era with new reincarnations of Link, Zelda, Ganon, and other characters. Trying to figure out the placement of each game is enough to make someone’s brain hurt. Especially when Breath of the Wild and Age of Calamity claim to merge all three timelines back into one.

1 Kingdom Hearts

There are three Kingdom Hearts games, right? Wrong. There are over ten games and they all require playing in order to understand what is going on with the story. One would think the plot would be simple — alternate versions of Disney characters team up with Final Fantasy-esque characters to save the world.

Instead, there are so many characters and subplots to juggle across prequels and sequels that it is easy to see why the timeline of Kingdom Hearts can actually frustrate newcomers. Trying to find and buy each singular is equally as frustrating, which is why fans recommend buying Kingdom Hearts: All In One Package which comes with the ten most essential games including Kingdom Hearts III.

NEXT: Kingdom Hearts 3 10 Secrets And Easter Eggs You Totally Missed

5 Call Of Duty: Zombies

4 Mortal Kombat

Written by Elite creations