There’s been a specific game I’ve been playing over the last couple of days that got me thinking about the necessity of sequels in the gaming world. Obviously, publishers want more money, and if a game does well enough the first time, they’re going to try and make the lighting strike as many times as possible. What I’m talking about are sequels from our perspective.
While it doesn’t happen often, there are usually a couple games that get sequels pumped out in a short time frame with little to no improvements aside from maybe a sprint button or the addition of an experience system, just to capitalize on the good will of the first. Rainbow Six Vegas 2 (hereby known as “double Rainbow”), is the first example that comes to mind, as that game just stinks of a quick cash in, made to take advantage of the overwhelming surprise success of the first game. Aside from the addition of the aforementioned sprint, the game was exactly the same, so it was panned critically and didn’t fare as well as the first did commercially.
I can think of a couple more examples, but I want to know if you guys were ever disappointed by a sequel. Are there any games out there that just broke your heart when they came out because they didn’t do justice to the legacy of the first? Maybe it was a third game in a trilogy that fell flat? Let us know!
If anything, I would say that RSV2 is the best example I could think of, as you mentioned.
I’m probably in a minority but I loved both RSV and RSV2 and had never thought of it as “cashing in” till now, more of a “giving people more of what they liked” but that could just be my fanboy showing.
I also personally felt Halo 2 (campaign wise) didn’t do justice to the first. I was crushed that it didn’t live up to my expectations.
Any of the Pokemon games after Ruby and Sapphire are just…ugh.
Pokemon and COD ever since 4.
Without having played it, The Force Unleashed 2’s announcement instantly pissed me off.
Most of the later Sonic games
I’m going to disagree with the Vegas 2 hate. I recently got it and have been playing it almost non-stop, I like it better than the first one becasue of the A.C.E.S and rank progression letting you unlock guns and armor without having to play in multiplier getting experience points by playing terrorist hunt and single player and the ability to customize your character right off the bat.
I’m thinking MGS2 might have qualified for me, had I played it anywhere near when it came out. Playing it as a “classic” title somehow made it a relatively enjoyable exercise in getting through some weird shit. Myst V was one I was psyched for that fell far short of my expectations. My vote for all-time worst has to go to Kings Quest: Mask of Eternity though. It closed the book on a classic series of adventures with a hideous, buggy abomination.
Starcraft II XD.
What about Crackdown 2 and Bioshock 2?