First Runner Up: The Division
The Division had high expectations, and for the most part, it delivered. Endgame aside for now, The Division had a highly entertaining co-op driven campaign that is arguably one of the best takes on New York City to date. The combat was satisfying and there was a ton to see and do in its open world.
Unlike Destiny though (another game with long term aspirations) which struggled with its campaign, but quickly sorted out its endgame content to sustain lasting success, The Division took a little longer to fix its issues. Bugs, exploits, and an extremely steep difficulty curve for its dark zone areas and incursions ran rampant for too long for non-hardcore fans.
That said, The Division, as a franchise, has a ton of potential. Recent updates have fixed many of the early complaints, and the game is in a lot better shape now. Either an aggressive re-launch through a collection including all the DLC, or a quick turn around into a highly refined sequel, could elevate the fledgling series into a powerhouse.
