10 Spinoff Games That Are Better Than the Mainline Games, Ranked

Spinoff games do not always have to live in the shadow of their mainline counterparts. Sometimes, stepping away gives developers the freedom to experiment, create new gameplay systems, or explore characters and worlds from an entirely different perspective. Wondering which 10 spinoff games are better than the mainline games? We have them ready for you to experience, and most of them, in one way or another, managed to outshine the mainline games they were connected to.

10 Crash Team Racing

Crash Team Racing took the Crash Bandicoot cast out of their traditional platforming adventures and put them behind the wheel. On paper, turning a platforming mascot into a kart racer could have easily felt like a cheap attempt to imitate Mario Kart. Instead, Naughty Dog ended up creating a racer with surprisingly deep mechanics.

The original Crash Team Racing offered a blend of tight drifting and challenging tracks complete with power-ups to make use of. Its handling further rewarded players who learned how to maintain boosts rather than simply relying on items.

9 Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed

Sonic’s mainline 3D adventures have had their fair share of ups and downs, but Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed delivered one of the franchise’s most enjoyable titles.

What separates it from other kart racers is right there in the title. Vehicles can transform between cars, boats, and aircraft depending on the section of the track. That simple idea dramatically changes how races play out, requiring players to adapt to three different styles of driving.

The game also benefits from Sega’s history, bringing characters and locations from across the company’s catalog into the same racing experience.

8 Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus

Final Fantasy VII has spawned an enormous expanded universe, but Dirge of Cerberus remains one of its strangest experiments.

Instead of putting Cloud back in the spotlight, the game focuses on Vincent Valentine and transforms the traditionally RPG-focused franchise into a third-person shooter. That change was certainly a gamble, but it also gave Vincent an opportunity to become the center of his own story.

The game expands the mythology surrounding Vincent, Shinra, and Deepground while providing a very different perspective on the world of Final Fantasy VII.

7 Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

Few spinoffs have departed from their franchise’s formula as dramatically as Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. The traditional Metal Gear games are built around stealth and elaborate espionage narratives. But Rising, meanwhile, puts Raiden into an extraordinarily fast-paced action game where slicing through enemies is the primary attraction.

PlatinumGames’ combat system turned Raiden into a cybernetic powerhouse, complete with high-speed movement and the ability to precisely cut enemies and objects. The game is set four years after Metal Gear Solid 4, allowing it to remain connected to the established story while functioning almost entirely as its own action experience.

6 Persona

Persona has arguably become so successful that calling it a spinoff can feel strange today.

It originates from the broader Megami Tensei family, with the series gradually developing its own identity around supernatural turn-based combat in a high-school setting. While Shin Megami Tensei traditionally leans heavily into darker post-apocalyptic and philosophical themes, Persona combines dungeon crawling with a much stronger focus on everyday life.

5 Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon took the open-world framework of Far Cry 3 and completely dismantled its tropical settings. The result is a neon-soaked science-fiction adventure packed with cyborg soldiers, mutated creatures, ridiculous weapons, and even laser-shooting Blood Dragons. Ubisoft deliberately leaned into the aesthetic of 1980s action and science-fiction movies, giving the game an unmistakable personality.

What makes Blood Dragon special is that instead of attempting to deliver another huge chunk of open-world adventure, it is a concentrated burst of absurdity. It is also shorter and smaller than a traditional Far Cry release, but the game’s setting and personality make it memorable.

4 Battlefield: Bad Company 2

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 took the IP in a direction that made it stand apart from the usual numbered entries.

Its single-player campaign follows the eccentric B-Company squad, giving the series a lighter personality than the typically serious military stories. More importantly, the multiplayer delivered the enormous maps and destruction that players expect from Battlefield, while offering a more focused experience.

One of its most defining features was the Frostbite-powered destruction. Buildings could be damaged and destroyed, making firefights feel dynamic rather than taking place inside static arenas that stay unaffected by all the fighting.

3 Portal

Originally connected to the Half-Life universe, Portal took a relatively simple concept of creating portals to manipulate space and built an entire puzzle game around it. Instead of focusing on gunfights and traditional exploration, the player has to understand everything from momentum physics to positioning.

There is also GLaDOS in the game, who is one of gaming’s most recognizable antagonists.

2 Apex Legends

Apex Legends is perhaps the clearest modern example of a spinoff becoming larger than its source material in terms of visibility.

Respawn originally created Titanfall as a fast-paced shooter centered around pilots, Titans, and a large set of movement possibilities. Apex Legends moved into the battle royale genre and placed a great focus on character abilities and competitive gunplay.

The game still exists within the Titanfall universe, but its Legends and abilities gave it an identity that was almost separate from the original games.

1 Mario Bros.

Before Super Mario Bros. ever blew up, Mario Bros. established Mario and Luigi as the stars of their own arcade adventure.

Released in 1983, Mario Bros. moved away from Donkey Kong and introduced a different style of arcade action. Players fought enemies by flipping them from underneath and then kicking them away, creating a simple but highly replayable multiplayer experience.

Its influence is unfathomable. Without Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. and the wider Mario franchise would have looked very different.

Which spinoff do you personally like? Drop your preference in the comments below and let us know!