It might sound obvious, but when your favorite game series has a clear timeline, it’s easier to keep up with its universe over the years. It gives a sense of continuity so that you can follow the flow of world-building and the progression of a character’s arc and development.
The games featured in this list are not like that. At worst, the timelines and chronicled events are messy and require a diagram to piece together every detail thread (or at least, an acknowledgment that retcons happened). That being said, their stories can still be impactful and worth your time.
10Sonic The Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog really hasseveral timelines to follow, from separate animated shows to comics and, of course, games. In the latter, Sonic has two familiar eras: the Classic era, where he is shorter and rounder, and the Modern era, where he’s taller and talks. Both of these present a “different time” in Sonic’s life, whether he’s younger or older in the game they’re in.
Outside of that, each game in each era presents a singular storyline and adventure that Sonic and his friends undertake. In recent games, such as Sonic Frontiers and the remastered Sonic X Shadow Generations, there is a greater emphasis on exploring several aspects of the characters, such as aging Sonic, humanizing Robotnik, or granting Shadow closure with Maria and Gerald Robotnik, making them meaningful stories to follow outside chronological order.
9Super Mario
TheSuper Mario seriesis over 30 years old and still going strong with several great installments and fun stories throughout different Nintendo consoles, whether you’re jumping into paintings in Super Mario 64, exploring the galaxy in Super Mario Galaxy, or adventuring across the world in Super Mario Odyssey. That said, there is no distinct timeline of events for fans to follow in the Mario world.
In Super Mario RPG and its successors, Paper Mario and the Mario & Luigi series, there is a greater emphasis on narrative alongside fun gameplay. Part of the RPG aspects of these spin-offs to the Mario series is a bigger and deeper story created around the different characters. Whether it shows the brotherly love between Mario and Luigi or how Bowser treats his minions.
8Monster Hunter
Monster Hunter doesn’t have a set chronology, at least in the first four generations of the game series. What is explored are the isolated ventures of your hunters in their respective communities and environments, along with the monsters they face there. Very rarely do the games connect directly with each other regarding events and characters outside the cameos in Generations Ultimate.
The best stories in Monster Hunter are reflected in how involved the Flagship monster of the entry is in the plot. An example would be Monster Hunter 4 withGore Magala, whose unique frenzy virus is the main plot line in the base and expansion of the story, resulting in all kinds of story-based trouble, from frenzied monsters to dangerous apexes.
Arkveldhas a similar effect, being the most involved monster in the story of Monster Hunter Wilds, both in thediscovery of Guardiansto the investigation of the Frenzy Resurgence in High-Rank.
7Silent Hill
Silent Hill is a mess, and that’s okay. The only two games with a clear connection, timeline-wise, are the first game featuring Harry Mason and the third game with his daughter, Heather Mason. Their story is bound to the dark history of Silent Hill, how the curse of the town started, and the dark God that threatens the characters.
Most of the other installments in the series are standalone, independent stories from that plot. Each story involvesdifferent themesin psychological horror. Silent Hill 2 is a great example of a standalone story that works incredibly without a complicated timeline to follow. It focuses on the story of James Sunderland and his personal traumas while encountering other characters with their own demons.
6Halo
Since its inception, the Halo series has been filled with timelines spanning eons of history between humanity and the many aliens they encountered within the Covenant. The Forerunners' history and connection to the Flood are also an ever-evolving part of their lore. Despite the confusing timeline, the stories ofthe Halo seriescan be very enjoyable on their own.
The best stories you can enjoy, separated from the lore, are Halo: Reach, ODST, and the animated anthology Halo Legends. From the melancholy atmosphere to the warlike feel of the story beats, these Halo stories get you invested in the struggles against an alien threat and put you in the mood to finish the fight.
5Castlevania
The Cycle of Castlevania stories generally has the same elements. Dracula’s castle shows a hero coming to fight him, usuallya Belmontor someone connected, and then the cycle resumes in a different game. This basic premise ensures that no matter where you start in the series, you can quickly get up to speed and understand where you are in the setting.
Castlevania: Lament of Innocence is the origin story ofDraculaand the blood feud against the Belmont family, starting with Leon Belmont, the founder. Castlevania’s focus on the Belmont family members was a great way to help players figure out which part of the timeline they’re in. If you’re playing Simon Belmont, you know you’re in the 17th century, whereas Julius Belmont puts you in the 20th century.
4Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat’s relationships with timelines are on the same level as Sub-Zero’s fondness for spines. There have been at least three to four attempts to restart the timeline and give a different set of circumstances in the world of Mortal Kombat.
As a result, favorite stories and interesting events within them can be enjoyed separately from the barely connected timelines. Whether it’s Onaga’s manipulation of Shujinko in Mortal Kombat Deception or the wars across different timelines to stop Kronika’s schemes in Mortal Kombat 11, there are many epic stories to follow as you’re pitted against the deadliest warriors in the universe.
3Metal Gear Solid
The Metal Gear Solid series is a prime example of a series of video games where the numerals of the installments do not reflect the chronology of the overarching storyline and timeline.
Snake Eater, the third game in the Metal Gear Solid series, for example, is a prequel to the majority of the story, focusing on the story of Naked Snake before he became Big Boss. It won’t be the last time this mess happens either, with Solid Snake’s last adventure being in Guns of the Patriots, the fourth main installment, and The Phantom Pain being the fifth, even though it’s another prequel featuring Big Boss.
That being said, the Metal Gear Solid series features some of the most impactful stories in gaming, and they can be enjoyed outside any chronological order they may be in. Deep in lore, exposition, and detail, each game does its job in keeping you within the standalone adventures you undertake. To make things less confusing, each game starts and ends with a fairly coherent info dump that guarantees you won’t get lost.
2Resident Evil
Resident Evilis a long-running series full of evil science experiments and the recurring heroes who face these monsters throughout. Unfortunately, like most long-running game series, the series of events and the timeline connecting all the small details transform into homework. Many games chronicle the actions and history of the Umbrella corporation to the point of inconsistency.
Even after Umbrella collapsed and the former villains of the series are gone, there seems to be a never-ending source of things connected to them to the point of ridiculousness. For instance, apparently, Albert Wesker had a son, and there are other villains like him. Somehow, shady organizations keep getting access to theirmonstrous bioweapons, even when the timeline makes no sense.
1Legend Of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda series has an interesting relationship with the idea of timelines. It truly started in the series with Ocarina of Time, which was meant to be a prequel to A Link to the Past. Since then, it’s been accepted that the timeline of Hyrule was split into three points: the Child Era, when Link returned to the past and warned Hyrule of Ganondorf’s treachery, the Adult Era, where there is no hero incarnate due to Zelda’s meddling, and the Fallen Era where Ganon defeated the Hero of Time.
These different timelines and eras make following the different sequels pretty fun and simple. Wind Waker takes place in the Adult Era, and Twilight Princess is a sequel in the Child Era, showing the different consequences of the conflict of the Triforce through different narratives. When Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom were released, it wasn’t truly defined where these games sat in the timeline, nor did it really matter since they were great experiences on their own.
