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So,

I have had many discussions with game lovers about games.
What me and my friends recently talked about a lot is,
what we find most annoying about game sequels and especially why.

Some have the opinion that they are annoying merely for their existence.
Others find that some sequels do not appreciate the original enough.

My personal 'hatred' against sequels, is that some companies try to add to
much instead of doing a sometimes very needed de-bugging.
Another is that I think some companies could do more effort into naming them other than
'example 1', 'example 2', 'example 3'.
I understand that for commercial purposes it's very smart sometimes to do that for
easy recognition , but really? Already taking your old formula and often not even taking that to
the next level and also just adding a simple number to it is in my book marked as 'annoying'!

What do you guys find annoying in sequels?



S.

Castlevania: Simon's Quest

What about it?

S.

EVERYTHING

Honestly, I have zero hatred against game sequels. From my experience, they always tend to get better in general, so it's hard to find much annoying. I think the only thing that bugs me is when games try to reinvent the wheel - look at the Kingdom Hearts series. The first game was great, it had a great story (that was surprisingly dark for being ostensibly aimed at kids) and superb gameplay. The second one followed up with an even better story that was a great mix of light-hearted fun and fairly dark twists.

But almost every spin-off game has managed to screw up something to make it bad. Chain of Memories completely revamped the combat system (using a ridiculous card battle system) and it was a fairly lukewarm game, despite having a great story. 358/2 Days got rid of most of the customization and severely limited the abilities system, and it wound up being fairly mediocre. And coded wound up having a bunch of platforming that made the game really frustrating at times. My point is, while I like to see games try new things, sometimes it's best to stick with what was good. I mean, look at the difference between Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas. In terms of gameplay, they're almost identical, with a few minor changes.

From what I've seen, most sequels are great, even better than the previous game in the series. Which seems to be the complete opposite of movie series.

Not really run into one for gameplay reasons, maybe Raw 2 back on the xbox, but then Raw was hardly a good game either.

Probably the only one I can think of is Dynasty Warriors 7 XL, not because it was bad though, but because it didn't get a xbox 360 release. If the talk about cross compability between the two games didn't work on the xbox, only the PS3 was correct, fair enough, but at least give us the extra characters and levels as DLC.. but nope, nothing.

A while ago my bigest frustrations must really have gone to the ten thousand version of Pokemon. I absolutely love that game, and I'm not ashamed of it, not even the slightest. Though I think the best games for me was up until emerald and leave green and stuff. When Heart gold and Soul silver came out I bought one of them, but I still haven't finished it and decided not to buy the Black and White ones. I have to admit being very temped since they implemented the 'seasons' but I heard a lot of 'old' fans that it was another disappointment.

Also Sims 3 was a big let down for me. I thought the configuration user interface was better in the sims 2 and secretly hoped it would've looked slightly more like that, since the sims 2 for me feels like a good improvement from sims 1
(and yeah here as well, I don't want it to but the fact they calle it sims '2' and '3' was logical but stings me a little, yes I suppose I am a hater).

Some sequels are better than other, and some never ending franchises do regain their strength, as in my opinion the Mario Party games did. Versions 1 - 3 for me where great fun after that they didn't grasp me that much until they released Mario Party 7 (yes again the easy named number system name thingy)
They had a level which you have hotels much like monopoly. The goal was to obtain and maintain the hotels with upgrading them with stars so no other player could buy them. This I thought was genius.

But yeah I think sims 3 was the biggest disappointment for me as I pre-ordered it and after a couple of minutes was to sad to continue playing (I did gave it another shot a long, long , long while later on the Ipad).

AppStore is where other hatred of mine is fed, by developers who lie! Showing great pictures but having 'lame' games, another topic on DakkaDakka covers the question whether you want to pay for downloadable content, I think it's a good question. Me and my friends usually talk about who would download a free game and actually buy the 'upgrades' (so you can actually start playing the game).


S.

Sims 3 is an odd un though as that has literally split the community.

I suppose the main question is, do you like the Sim having full access to the whole town and the Story progression to what we intially lost, even if the answer to that is no, as Sims Studio slowly trickle things back via expansions, its becoming harder to knock Sims 3.

I actually have both Sims 2 and 3, and like them both for different reasons. Oddly its some of the bizarre social things Sims Studio/EA has in mind for Sims 3 that may damage it more than folks having issues with some of the gameplay changes.
However saying that thanks to how the traits work, the way you can do things in Sims 3 in general, I think it is winning out. Another expansion or two and I think I'll not be touching Sims 2 much at all. My main issue with it is resource management as you fill up a town, slows the loading stuff down big style.

Hoping when I upgrade to a new PC later this year, or early next, Wins 7 and a shed load of RAM will negate that issue mind.

I see none of you have played Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days.

Final Fantasy any number over 1

Morathi's Darkest Sin wrote:Probably the only one I can think of is Dynasty Warriors 7 XL, not because it was bad though, but because it didn't get a xbox 360 release. If the talk about cross compability between the two games didn't work on the xbox, only the PS3 was correct, fair enough, but at least give us the extra characters and levels as DLC.. but nope, nothing.

I actually am a little annoyed at the entire DW franchise. I love it for good mindless fun, but you'd think they'd have made more progress with the series in six sequels EDIT: Don't get me wrong I like some of the changes in DW7 but they got rid of free mode damnit! That and I'm not really feeling how they pretty much took every map from one of the previous games in the series (didn't even bother updating the textures...)

I actually really didn't like Majora's Mask, even though I love OoT. It just didn't suit my fancy.

And while I'm at it am I the only one disappointed in the numerous bad remakes of Goldeneye?

Aye, although after the backwards step of Dynasty Warriors 6, Seven seems like a new franchise to me.

I actually didn't get all the hate for DW6. I mean, I really disliked how so many characters were turned into clones too, and that the story modes were limited, but I liked the skill trees (sad they were so dumbed down in DW7) and I guess I just didn't have that many problems with it.

I actually really liked the remade Xahou Dun from DW6. Talk about beating folks down with the stick. I suppose I can be happy they kept the remakes for Liu Bei, Zhang Liao, and Zhao Yu's move sets and the artwork redesign was desperately needed. Lie Bei's DW5 model was the same one from DW2 with minor texture upgrades and he wasn't the only one XD

It was the looks for me.. I'm a huge fan of the actual historical era, so the outlandish garish over the top looks did my head in.

On DW7, I'm actually using more DW4 and DW5 character models on my game than DW7, as I like them looking like they belong in the era.

Thats also probably why I am so forgiving on the lack of movement regarding gameplay, as all I am really interested in each version, is more characters and more battles. Adding Jin in Dw7 for me was a huge boon.

I can see that. I thought it was cool when I found that many of the character's in-game design imitated artistic depictions of them from various times in Chinese history. I saw one for Lu Bu in a book and I instantly noticed that he had his rabbit eary thingies

Battle Brother Lucifer wrote:Final Fantasy any number over 1 6

6 really was the highlight of the series. 7 was decent, but not as good, and the series took a significant downturn after that.

Honestly, I have zero hatred against game sequels. From my experience, they always tend to get better in general

A Link to the Past
Super Mario Brothers 2
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within
Duke Nukem Forever
Fallout: New Vegas (although I'm sure a lot will argue Fallout 3 was the true "worst sequal", NV was disappointing given Fallout 3).
Farcry 2

Pretty easy to find terrible sequals out there.

Also, any Sonic sequal ever.

biccat wrote:A Link to the Past

...terrible sequels...

Are you sure you aren't thinking of the actual sequel, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link?

Ahtman wrote:

biccat wrote:A Link to the Past

...terrible sequels...

Are you sure you aren't thinking of the actual sequel, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link?

You are correct sir.

Duke Nukem Forever.
Just...no. It made me sad

Red Alert 3 was mind boggling stupid, and an insult to the brilliant RA2 (the game that introduced me into C&C franchise, so it holds a special place)

Bioshock 2 was meh

Clear Sky was torture

Crysis 2 was a technical mess

Dragon Age 2 was meh

Red Faction: Guerilla was poorly designed imo (but then again, the entire Red Faction series was gak)

Super Mario Bros. 2
Metal Gear Solid 2
Sonic games after 3
Knights of the Old Republic II
Chrono Cross
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Doom 3

biccat wrote:

Battle Brother Lucifer wrote:Final Fantasy any number over 1 6

6 really was the highlight of the series. 7 was decent, but not as good, and the series took a significant downturn after that.

Honestly, I have zero hatred against game sequels. From my experience, they always tend to get better in general

A Link to the Past
Super Mario Brothers 2
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within
Duke Nukem Forever
Fallout: New Vegas (although I'm sure a lot will argue Fallout 3 was the true "worst sequal", NV was disappointing given Fallout 3).
Farcry 2

Pretty easy to find terrible sequals out there.

Also, any Sonic sequal ever.

Hence the "in general" part. Here are the sequels that are good.

Super Mario Brothers 3
Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones
Kingdom Hearts II
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Super Smash Bros (Melee and Brawl)
Jak 2 and 3
Ratchet & Clank Future series
TimeSplitters: Future Perfect

I can go on.

Alundra 2: Nothing like the brilliant original, which was basically 16bit Zelda for PS1 with a deeper story and the ability to jump. If they rolled out an entire series of Alundra titles with the template of the first game I'd buy them all.

Metal Gear Solid 2: Far too many intrusive elements in the form of codec interruptions every five steps, and cut-scenes where you can go and have a bath before it's over.

Blood Omen 2: Terrible combat and linear level design - how did the Legacy Of Kain series come to plumb the waters of mediocrity?

Grakmar wrote:Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Oh, I fething loathe that game...still the only Zelda game I started and never finished...I could never figure out what the feth to do in the town with the invisible monsters

LoZ: Majora's Mask

Although it could be argued that it's technically not a sequel, i'm gunna go with it anyway.

I just could not get into it; I found some aspects of it inane, and others just stupid. I finally got sick of trying to traverse the place and time the bloody time reversals well, so I just gave up; only did the first two bosses.

lets not forget the best sequal to anything ever


MGS3

and

FF7

2 of the best games ever made

Formosa wrote:lets not forget the best sequal to anything ever
MGS3
and
FF7
2 of the best games ever made

I am having trouble gauging the sincerity level of this.

Ahtman wrote:

Formosa wrote:lets not forget the best sequal to anything ever
MGS3
and
FF7
2 of the best games ever made

I am having trouble gauging the sincerity level of this.

I agree with Athman, it's a bit hard to swallow


S.

Metroid Prime 3 was an awful, awful sequel to Metroid Prime 1&2.

Coolyo294 wrote:Metroid Prime 3 was an awful, awful sequel to Metroid Prime 1&2.

I wouldn't say that...sure, it was drawn out, but I thought it was a pretty good sequel and on par with Prime 2

Metroid other M

Fallout New Vegas

Skyrim

FFX-2

Red Faction Guerrilla

Halo: Reach

Call of duty: Anything after WaW

Dawn of War: Soulstorm (I know it's more of an expansionm but it was a stand alone game)

Almost every Mario game past 1995

Almost every Sonic game

I could probably name more but I'm in the middle of watching a movie...Moral of the story is.......Sequels can easily ruin a franchise. But their are good sequals like

Left 4 dead 2

Half life 2

Team fortress 2

Dawn of war 2

Portal 2

Splinter cell: Chaos Theory

Elder scrolls 4: Oblivion

Halo: 2 and 3