Ah, sequels. Can’t live with them; can’t live without them. Despite our most ardent desires for beloved series, sequels are always a toss-up. There have been video games that were absolutely phenomenal that were then followed by a game so abysmal, the series never recovered after it was released. Similarly, there have also been sequels that boosted their series simply by being so amazingly awesome. There’s no rhyme or reason to which series will get a good or bad sequel. They can either fly or flop.
After playing the coolest game imaginable, there always comes that moment immediately afterwards where I think to myself, “Holy moly, I hope that there’s a sequel.” Of course, I nearly always figuratively kick myself for thinking such things afterwards. Wishing for a sequel is tempting fate. There is never a guarantee that what we’ll get will be any good. Don’t believe me? Just look at some of the beloved series on this list that were exterminated (or at least severely wounded) by one terrible sequel.
But I’m a glass-half-full kind of gamer, and I would hate to instill cynicism within the heart of anyone reading this. So alongside the games that hurt their series, there will be games that totally saved their series. You know which games I’m talking about. They’re the kind of games that make you wonder why on earth you were not playing this series before. Read on if you want to learn about the best and the worst of video game sequels.
30 Hurt: Gotta Go Bad
Let’s start with a doozy. Admittedly, the Sonic series had not been doing too well before this installment. But it was 2006’s Sonic the Hedgehog that was the final nail in Sonic’s coffin. Figuratively speaking, at least.
In the game, Sonic perished and then was brought back to life with a kiss…from a human female. If that doesn’t clue you in as to how bad this sequel was, I don’t know what will. This is one sequel I urge everyone, including avid Sonic fans, to avoid.
29 Saved: A Creed To Live For
Assassin’s Creed was a good game all on its own, but everyone knows that its sequel exceeded all expectations. Assassin’s Creed II was downright magical.
Gamers got to slip into the shoes of Ezio Auditore da Firenze, by far the most memorable main character the Assassin’s Creed series has ever given us. The story was more compelling, and the game-play was smoother. Without Ezio, I highly doubt Ubisoft’s hit series would have taken off as well as it has.
28 Hurt: The Devil Did Cry
For those who have not played the Devil May Cry series, you are in for a treat. Despite the slightly eerie exterior, Devil May Cry is full of whimsicality and a tough, yet rewarding, combat system.
Devil May Cry 2 took that whimsicality and toughness and sort of threw them out the window. Plus, the main character, Dante, took a turn for the awful. In the first game, Dante was an arrogant, cocksure jerk. In the sequel, he just turned into this silent type.
27 Save: A Massively Effective Sequel
I seriously doubt there has ever been a sequel as cool as Mass Effect 2. (There are, and some of them are on this list.) Mass Effect 2 drew upon the ground-breaking story-telling from the first game and expanded upon it exponentially.
As Commander Shepard, you got to interact with your crew in whole new ways. And you also got to take your crew on the most nail-biting and traumatic end mission I have ever been on in a game. (I was terrified of losing Garrus the whole time.)
26 Hurt: Pac-Man’s Worst Adventure
I, like every other human on this planet, know of Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man from the beloved arcade game where you get to control the flapping yellow sphere through a maze as he or she chows down on little white pellets.
The sequel to Pac-Man’s game was a huge departure from the original.
Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures was a point-and-click adventure. Now, if that doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, don’t worry. It wasn’t anyone else’s either.
25 Save: Full Of Half-Life
Okay, remember back when I was talking about how Mass Effect 2 was the greatest sequel of all time. I guess I meant to say it’s one of the greatest sequels of all time. I would be no true gamer if i didn’t mention Half-Life 2.
The first game was a wonder of gaming with no cutscenes, just pure game telling the story the whole time. The second game was all of that and more. The variety of weapons at Gordon Freeman’s disposal was staggering, as was your freedom to do what you wanted with them.
24 Hurt: The Opposite Of A Revelation
Myst IV: Revelation by itself was not a bad game. But the fact remains that there were some pretty big issues with it that did not help the Myst series progress.
Traveling from place to place was a giant chore, and in a game where you’re supposed to explore worlds, having an easy time navigating should be a must. And the plot, despite it all, did come across as trite. But the music is, and always shall be, beautiful. You should never knock the music for a game if it’s that good.
23 Save: So What Is An Ocarina?
Not only did The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time teach us what an ocarina is, it also gave us one of the best gaming experiences to date. The Legend of Zelda was already a noteworthy series at this point, but I think it’s safe to say that Ocarina of Time helped usher Link and company into 3D spaces.
It was an open-world game before open-world games were even really a thing. Without Ocarina of Time, there would be no Breath of the Wild.
22 Hurt: Castlevania’s Curse
I’m a pretty big fan of the Castlevania series, but Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse did not cut it for me. The game had fairly unequal sets of difficulty per level, with one section being as easy as pie and the next being as tough as nails.
Remember that part with the respawning mummies? Yeah, I wanted to forget about it too. I don’t mind difficulty in a game (i.e. Bloodborne), but I loathe inconsistency. And Dracula’s Curse was inconsistent to the max.
21 Save: A Fortress Of Fun
Team Fortress was a great game, but no one can deny that Team Fortress 2 improved on its predecessor. The gameplay was dynamic and engaging, sucking gamers into a multiplayer fantasy where you got to fight each other in arenas playing as differently-skilled characters.
But Team Fortress 2 has more than gameplay mechanics as a trophy on its shelf. Team Fortress 2 brought personality to the multiplayer arena. In fact, I’d say it’s one of the first games to have done so.
20 Hurt: Not The Bomb
Even if you’ve never played a Bomberman game, we’re fairly certain that you’re familiar with the concept of one. Your character is stuck in a maze, equipped with a few bombs that he can use to blow up obstructions and enemies alike.
Normally, this game is played from a top-down perspective, as befits a game where you need to see what you’re blowing up. Bomberman: Act Zero ruined that perfect formula by trying to make the game gritty and having gamers play it from a third-person perspective.
19 Save: Rocking The Nuclear Fallout
Fallout and Fallout 2 were great games for what they were, but Fallout 3 redefined the Fallout experience into something even better. It revolutionized the open-world genre with its ambitious scope, and it turned traditional turn-based combat on its head by integrating real-time combat into the series.
Thanks to how well Fallout 3 turned out, we all have lost numerous hours exploring the Wasteland. And I don’t think we regret a single moment.
18 Hurt: We Don’t Need More Explosions
The words “Resident Evil” used to mean a gritty survival-horror experience before Resident Evil 6 came out. In this particular installment of the Resident Evil series, fright was replaced with action.
Gone were most of the tense moments from previous games, and instead, we got motorcycles flying over tanks (literally). We know that the series “punched the boulder” in the last game, but Resident Evil 6 was the game that told us “Resident Evil” meant something different from what we had known before.
17 Save: Bringing Doomguy Back!
While it is considered more of a reboot than a sequel, since 2016’s Doom takes up some story points from the previous titles, I’m going to call it a sequel just so I can extol its virtues.
The original Doom was the pinnacle of fast-action shooting in the first-person, and while the series may have lost that touch with Doom 3, the 2016 Doom brought it back. And with Doom: Eternal on the way, I’m ecstatic to know the series is on the rise again. Doom (2016) may not be the sequel we deserved, but it was definitely the sequel we wanted.
16 Hurt: Don’t Wanna Go Back To Andromeda
We had high hopes for Mass Effect: Andromeda, but sequels don’t always turn out the way you want them to. Shoddy facial animations and more glitches than we can count all proved to be Andromeda’s undoing.
The combat was admittedly more dynamic than before, but the character interactions were less magnetic than Shepard’s. Now, all we can do is hope that Andromeda did not permanently ruin our chances for another great Mass Effect game.
15 Save: A Portal To Perfection
You wouldn’t think that someone could improve upon perfection, but game developer Valve has proved us wrong time and time again. A great example of when they did this is when they released the sequel to Portal. The first game was innovative, hilarious, and engrossing from beginning to end.
The second was all that and more.
Sadly, without a third game in the series, we can only look back at Portal 2 with fondness. (Or we can formulate theories as to whether or not a sequel will be confirmed.)
14 Hurt: Oops, They Did It Again
This game is such an insult to the Star Wars legacy. When EA first announced they were partnering with DICE to create a Star Wars Battlefront, we were so excited. But when it came out a mess, our hopes were shattered.
Like fools, we let ourselves become optimistic again when Star Wars Battlefront II was announced. We should have known better. Battlefront II released with a mediocre campaign, multiple server issues, and the worst case of micro-transactions I’ve ever seen in a game.
13 Save: Infinitely Better Than Before
The setting of the original BioShock was a tough act to follow. Rapture became more than a place for your character to walk through. The underwater city took on a life of its own. But you know what? The developers managed to pull it off a second time with the third installment in the series.
BioShock Infinite was just as innovative as the original, with a setting to match Rapture. Columbia was miles in the sky just as Rapture was miles below the ocean’s surface. And boy, were both places creepy as heck.
12 Hurt: A Rogue Failure
Technically, GoldenEye: Rogue Agent is not supposed to have any relation to the original GoldenEye 007. The game is officially not canon. But it is clear as day that EA was trying to bank on the original GoldenEye’s success.
Unfortunately for them, that did not happen. Unfortunately for us, it also destroyed gamers’ interest in the GoldenEye series simply by being associated with the original’s title. What else can you expect when a boring first-person shooter follows a wildly amazing FPS experience?
11 Save: Third Time’s The Charm
Mario was already jumping his way to fame, but Super Mario Bros. 3 confirmed that his success was more than just a fluke. I mean, if you get things right three times in a row, that means you know what you’re doing.
Super Mario Bros. 3 buckled down with what the series was good at.
Simple controls allowed gamers to learn the game quickly, but total mastery over every level was still a challenge. The sign of a good sequel is if you can pick it up nowadays and still enjoy yourself, and Super Mario Bros. 3 passes that test.
