Our quest to find out which game series is the best of all time continues. Now it's time for Round 5 to find the best game franchise in 2017. An all-star lineup includes the most commercially successful game series of all time, among others. It's Metal Gear v Mario v Everquest v Mass Effect and there can be only one game to make it through to the semi-finals. Over the course of 20 rounds, we will be pitting the biggest gaming franchises of all time against one another in order to determine the definitive list of the best game series in 2017. The best game franchise in 2017 contest continues in Round Two. Rainbow Six, Left 4 Dead, Halo and Half-Life are squaring up against one another to find the definitive

Over the course of 20 rounds, we will be pitting the biggest gaming franchises of all time against one another in order to determine the definitive list of the best game series in 2017.

Round 4

Splinter Cell

In an age where Solid Snake was trying to defeat the roller skating Fatman and attempting to take on a flying psychic member of FOXHOUND, Ubisoft turned up with Splinter Cell and delivered an altogether more measured take on stealth. The original Splinter Cell was nothing less than revolutionary, effectively laying the blueprint down for how stealth could be achieved in games. Splinter Cell has always been about amazing gadgets, puzzle-esque guard layouts and impressive verticality. For a while, it slipped into gung-ho territory, but with the impeccable Splinter Cell: Blacklist, Ubisoft finally delivered it all in the complete package. Whether ghosting, panther or assault, Blacklist's level design accommodated for all play styles. Blacklist has arguably never been topped by a stealth game, but poor sales mean the Splinter Cell series has been on the back burner lately.

Series began: 2002

Total Sales: 31+ million

Best-selling game: Splinter Cell (5.3 million)

Main Games:

• Splinter Cell
• Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow
• Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory
• Splinter Cell: Double Agent
• Splinter Cell: Conviction
• Splinter Cell: Blacklist

Series Spin-offs:

• Splinter Cell: Essentials

FIFA

FIFA is one of those gaming oddities that just gets bigger and bigger every year, without fail. It has consistently been the best-selling game here in the UK every year for several years. It's a sporting titan with an official license, based on the most popular sport in the world. Changes to the formula swing from almost imperceptible to wildly different, yet it never makes a difference - FIFA always sells like gangbusters. It is the most authentic recreation of football on the market, and the only sports game to feature all the correct clubs and player likenesses of nearly every major league around the globe.

Series began: 1981

Total Sales: 100+ million

Best-selling game: FIFA 17 (11+ million)

Main Games:

• FIFA International Soccer
• FIFA 96
• FIFA 96
• FIFA 97
• FIFA: Road to World Cup 98
• FIFA 99
• FIFA 2000
• FIFA 2001
• FIFA Football 2002
• FIFA Football 2003
• FIFA Football 2004
• FIFA Football 2005
• FIFA 06
• FIFA 07
• FIFA 08
• FIFA 09
• FIFA 10
• FIFA 11
• FIFA 12
• FIFA 13
• FIFA 14
• FIFA 15
• FIFA 16
• FIFA 17
• FIFA 18

Series Spin-offs:

• FIFA Mobile
• FIFA 64
• FA Premier League Stars
• UEFA Champions League
• FIFA Online 1, 2, 3
• FIFA Superstars
• FIFA World
• World Cup 98
• 2002 FIFA World Cup
• 2006 FIFA World Cup
• 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa
• 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil
• UEFA Euro 2000
• UEFA Euro 2004
• UEFA Euro 2008
• UEFA Euro 2012
• FIFA Street 1, 2, 3
• FIFA Manager series
• FIFA Soccer Manager (1997)
• The FA Premier League Football Manager 99
• The FA Premier League Football Manager 2000
• The FA Premier League Football Manager 2001
• The FA Premier League Football Manager 2002
• Total Club Manager 2003
• Total Club Manager 2004
• Total Club Manager 2005
• FIFA Manager 06
• FIFA Manager 07
• FIFA Manager 08
• FIFA Manager 09
• FIFA Manager 10
• FIFA Manager 11
• FIFA Manager 12
• FIFA Manager 13
• FIFA Manager 14

Metroid

Metroid is a curious franchise in Nintendo's lineup. It's absolutely iconic and beloved by the Nintendo faithful, but in its three decades of existence, it's only shifted around 17.5 million copies. Still respectable, but hardly worthy of the series' impeccable status. The Metroid Prime Trilogy is one of the most critically acclaimed game series of all time, and yet in total it only managed a meagre seven million copies sold. It's meant Metroid has been largely cast aside for a good few years but it should be back with a bang soon thanks to Metroid Prime 4 on Switch and Metroid: Samus Returns on 3DS.

Series began: 1986

Total Sales: 17.44 million

Best-selling game: Metroid Prime (2.82 million)

Main Games:

• Metroid
• Metroid II: Return of Samus
• Super Metroid
• Metroid Fusion
• Metroid Prime
• Metroid: Zero Mission
• Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
• Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
• Metroid: Other M
• Metroid: Samus Returns

Spin-offs:

• Metroid Prime Pinball
• Metroid Prime Hunters
• Metroid Prime: Federation Force

BioShock

A relative youngster in this competition, and yet somehow already a fading force, over a six-year period, BioShock was a gaming giant. The original took the System Shock formula and applied it to a gorgeous underwater city. It was that rare and special combination of fantastic atmosphere, engaging story and excellent gameplay that made BioShock a hit. The sequel improved in the latter aspect while essentially retreading the first, while the reception to BioShock Infinite was ecstatic. At an average of 94/100, it is one of the best-reviewed games of all time. The inevitable backlash was swift and savage, but BioShock Infinite was a gorgeously rendered tale of life in the skies. While the original studio has now parted ways with 2K, there is still hope that we could see another BioShock yet.

Series began: 2007

Total Sales: 25 million

Best-selling game: BioShock Infinite (11+ million)

Main series:

• BioShock
• BioShock 2
  • Minerva's Den
• Bioshock Infinite
  • Burial at Sea

Sadly only one of these illustrious franchises can make it through to the next round and potentially be the greatest game series in 2017. Every vote will count though when we tot these up and deliver the definitive list of the best gaming franchises. Have your say in the poll below, and let us know why you think it's the best gaming series in the comments section!

If you haven't voted on the previous rounds yet, you've still got time. Just follow the links below to vote for your favourite game series.

Round 1: GTA, Command and Conquer, Street Fighter, Forza

Round 2: Rainbow Six, Left 4 Dead, Halo, Half-Life

Round 3: Need For Speed, Zelda, Castlevania, Far Cry

Round 4: Splinter Cell, FIFA, Metroid, BioShock

Round 5: Metal Gear, Mario, Everquest, Mass Effect

Round 6: Resident Evil, Final Fantasy, Gran Turismo, Tomb Raider

Round 7: Baldur's Gate, Fallout, Diablo, Deus Ex

Round 8: Civilization, Quake, DOOM, XCOM

Round 9: Counter-Strike, StarCraft, Witcher, Stalker

Round 10: WarCraft, Ultima, Total War, Battlefield

Round 11: Age of Empires, Prince of Persia, Elder Scrolls, Silent Hill

Round 12: Football Manager, Minecraft, Arma, Hitman

Round 13: The Sims, Assassin's Creed, Unreal, Dragon Age

Round 14: Pokemon, Sonic, KOTOR, Colin McRae