5 current SEGA franchises to check out (not counting Sonic)

It's Sonic, of course! The blue hedgehog is, without a doubt, the company's most iconic mascot and remains SEGA's “flagship” to this day.

Since his debut in 1991 with “Sonic the Hedgehog” on the SEGA Genesis, he has become a gaming legend. Not only did it help SEGA go head-to-head with Nintendo during the 16-bit console era, but it also became one of the most profitable and successful franchises in the gaming world.

But the “hedgehog house” doesn’t just live on Sonic! SEGA has a portfolio full of other incredible series that deserve to be highlighted. And it was with this in mind that we decided to select 5 of these gems that continue to delight gamers. From epic adventures to intense fights and cerebral strategies, SEGA proves that it has much more to offer beyond Sonic's blistering speed.

2 – Phantasy Star Online

Despite sharing the same name as the classic SEGA series that many knew on the Master System and Mega, the “Online” edition has little to do with it, taking more advantage of the name for purely commercial reasons. The first was released for the Dreamcast in 2000 and was a pioneer in being an MMO for consoles and has since spawned a franchise. O Phantasy Star Online 2 It only arrived in the United States in 2020, around 7 years after the Japanese release, and is considered an excellent title of its genre.

3 – Like a Dragon (Yakuza)

For years the series was known as “Yakuza”, but SEGA decided to rename the games to “Like a Dragon” in the West to refer to the game in Japanese. Originating on the PlayStation 2, the games mix an open world, with elements of RPG and action games. Being very successful, the games have already received several adaptations in other media and have sold more than 12 million copies worldwide, being one of the company's most successful franchises.

4 – Football Manager

Developed by Sports Interactive and published by SEGA, this is an annual series that puts the player in the role of coach of a match, differentiating itself from traditional football games in which we control the players.

5 – Total War

As with Persona, Total War became a SEGA property from the moment it purchased the developer Creative Assembly. These are strategy games that consist of a combination of turn-based and real-time games. It is praised for its realistic graphics and the high complexity of the strategy, allowing for an enormous wealth of possibilities. All titles released to date have a score above 80 on Metacritics.