Sequels have a tendency to be more anticipated than the game they’re succeeding. This fact becomes even truer when its original game is a complete commercial and critical success. Thankfully for players, there are a ton of games like this out there.
While there have been a lot of sequels that were released that were considered to be superior to the first one in almost every way imaginable, there are also a wide array of them that are better off unmade. Here’s a look at the best and worst video game sequels to date.
10 Best: Uncharted 2
Uncharted 2 was the sequel of the widely successful Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune. The first game told the story of Nathan Drake, a lovable treasure hunter whose love for adventure is only rivaled by his love for shooting bad guys, climbing walls, and swinging around like Tarzan.
The second game took everything good about the first one and doubled down on it. The set pieces were even more incredible, the story was compelling, the acting was nothing short of phenomenal, it was an overall amazing game. Uncharted 2 is an example of how a sequel should be made.
9 Worst: Devil May Cry 2
When a sequel for Devil May Cry was announced, expectations were understandably high. The first game was unanimously beloved for its innovation and atmosphere. While it was originally planned to be a Resident Evil game, what it ended up being was something new and something great.
The same cannot be said for its sequel, though. A lot of the changes that got incorporated into Devil May Cry 2 were questionable at best. The first game was notorious for its difficulty, but players absolutely loved that aspect of the game. The sequel was made to be more accessible to new players so it was made easier. Dante, the main character, also had a shift in demeanor which was widely poorly received. Other aspects that received poor reactions were the story, some of the boss fights, and the dull levels.
8 Best: Halo 2
Halo 2 was one of those sequels that didn’t deviate much from the game it followed. Yet, it did so in such a spectacular way that everyone loved it. Hey, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
The first Halo game was everything a sci-fi first-person action shooter should be. It was compelling, it was visually pleasing, and the combat was incredibly fun. Halo 2 redid all of that and complaints were nothing but scarce. The developers knew what made the first game so successful and they used that to their advantage and it showed in the creation of their sequel.
7 Worst: Prince Of Persia: Warrior Within
The reception for Prince of Persia: Warrior Within was, at best, divisive. Some critics liked a lot of its aspects, but a lot of die-hard fans of the first one especially disliked it. The original creator of Prince of Persia who decided to sit this one out was particularly vocal about his displeasure of this sequel. Some of his negative comments, which are agreed upon by fans, are its darker shift in tone, dull story, and certain elements that are apparently done in poor taste.
The fact that the game was riddled with glitches and bugs also didn’t help its status. Players encountered so many problems while playing this game that it only made their discontent with it grow.
6 Best: Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of those games that are so well made it became a founding argument on whether or not video games should be considered an art form. While the game is technically a prequel rather than a sequel, it deserves more mention and recognition than it’s already getting mainly due to how incredibly well made it is.
The love this game received traveled from places far and wide. It won a plethora of Game of the Year awards and other accolades and it’s often at the top of the list of many players’ favorite games of all time, and understandably so. The game was incredible for its open-world mechanic, intricate attention to detail, and engaging story.
5 Worst: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2 was disappointing because it could have been so much better if it was treated more carefully. What it ended up being was an obvious cash grab that was created mainly to capitalize on the success of the first game. While this should not be a problem for many cases, it is on this one for its terrible direction.
The game felt incredibly rushed and repetitive—as if it was made just for the sake of there being a sequel. It lacked the distinction and inspiration of the first game and it added nothing to the overall lore.
4 Best: Batman: Arkham City
Batman is a pop culture icon that is beloved by a wide range of people. Whenever a form media comes out the features the caped crusader, it is always observed and anticipated with great interest. It was like that for Batman: Arkham Asylum and the same happened when this sequel came out.
Much to the applause of fans and critics, the second game of the series was incredibly well done. It was bigger and it felt better. It was everything a Batman game should be. It featured a ton of villains from Batman’s rogue gallery, it featured a main antagonist who is equally beloved and recognizable as the hero, and the combat and exploration mechanics were so phenomenally crafted that it made players feel like they actually were the Batman for a brief moment.
3 Worst: Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst
Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst is a perfect example of a game that has a fantastic exterior, but an interior so unattractive that it just can’t be overlooked. While it shared the fantastic gameplay and traversal elements that made the first game so good, its story, characters, and overall flow felt so bland and bleak and it deserves to be mentioned in the discussion of the worst sequels of all time.
On top of its awful narrative element, the presence of bugs and glitches in a game so heavily driven by gameplay just adds to the negativity of this game as a whole. In the end, Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst managed to become a good looking game that played so terribly.
2 Best: Assassin’s Creed II
When the first Assassin’s Creed game came out, fans were endeared. It wasn’t the perfect game. It suffered from prominent flaws and pacing issues, yet it held so much potential that players just can’t wait to see more of this franchise. Lo and behold, Assassin’s Creed II came out and it was better than the first game in every single way.
This is the Assassin’s Creed game people wanted, and they got it. It had an amazing storyline, satisfying gameplay, incredible stealth mechanic, and a soundtrack so magnificent and iconic people still listen to it to this very day. Assassin’s Creed II ended up being so incredibly beloved and is considered to be one of the best video games ever made.
1 Worst: Duke Nukem Forever
Duke Nukem Forever is the final title of a series of games that ran for over two decades. It was just as well, though. While the earlier games held at least a couple of positive responses for its fun gameplay and the good use of its genre’s strengths, this particular title was so bad it ended the series forever.
Some players ended up enjoying the game for being one of those pieces of media that’s “so good that it’s bad” but it doesn’t erase the fact that the game is littered with so many problems outside of its gameplay. The story was mediocre, at best. The combat was incredibly clunky and broken. And then, the humor. The game’s humor was so outdated and distasteful that the game itself should be the epitome of cringe. Once you do manage to finish the game, all you’ll be thinking of is “I’m glad that’s over.”
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