Creating a video game sequel is no mean feat and is one of the trickiest things in the industry. Developers need to balance gameplay innovation and technological improvements while still giving fans of the original game more of what they want. However, when it's done right, a sequel can go on to be even better or well ed than its predecessor.
Often a sequel can make or break an IP, and over the years, some of the worst video game sequels have been found in some beloved franchises. The best sequels are those that manage to build on the success of the games that came before them without losing the essence of what made them great. Sequels are also a great opportunity for developers to correct mistakes, try new things, and sometimes create a sequel that sures the original and launches the franchise onto bigger and better things.
10 Fallout 3
Fallout 3 is a simultaneous sequel and reboot, with Bethesda taking the reins for the first time after purchasing the Fallout franchise. Setting the action on the east coast of the devastated United States, Fallout 3 is a sequel that continues to divide fan opinions. Bethesda made the choice to change Fallout from a top-down isometric to a fully 3D-action open-world RPG, forever changing the franchise for the better.
Bethesda's choice to switch from turn-based combat to real-time first-person shooter helped take the Fallout franchise into the mainstream. VATs was introduced to assist with combat, while the morality system helped keep Fallout's RPG roots. Fallout 3 expanded on previously established lore without stepping on what had gone before by setting it on the other side of the country as players struggled to survive in the post-apocalyptic Capital Wasteland.
9 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
As hard as it is to imagine, there was once a time when skateboarding games were considered niche. Then along came Tony Hawk's Pro Skater and changed all that. The first game was a huge success launching skateboarding games into the mainstream. To capitalize on this, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 was released just one year later and managed to improve on its predecessor in every way.
Along with crazy locations and an amazing soundtrack Pro Skater 2 included many quality-of-life improvements that helped make it a fantastic sequel. The animations were drastically improved, creating more fluidity between moves meant that the players could more easily string moves together. But the biggest improvement was the manual which was a complete game changer and made Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 one of the most significant tiles in the series. Players could now change strings of tricks into combos, meaning the game now needed more skill, which kept players coming back for more.
8 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The latest entry in The Witcher series, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, managed to improve on what was already considered to be a fantastic game franchise. While the main questline felt more subtle when compared to The Witcher 2, there were plenty of side quests in The Witcher 3 that added to the story while keeping players suitably distracted. The dialogue was improved along with the voice acting, adding depth to the world and the characters.
The world itself was even more immersive, with insane amounts of detail and plenty to explore aided by a well-handled fast travel system. Combat and alchemy had been simplified without losing their strategic elements, making everything feel more streamlined. Overall The Witcher 3 is packed with story and lore with a deeply personal feel throughout.
7 Star Wars Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast
Star Wars Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast is the sequel to Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces 2 and the third installment in the Star Wars: Jedi Knight series. The story continues from the previous game with Kyle Katarn cut off from the Force, and Jedi Outcast follows Katarn as he reconnects. What makes Jedi Outcast a fantastic sequel is its respect for Star Wars lore and some of the best lightsaber combat in a Star Wars game.
Throughout the game, players will visit iconic Star Wars locations and meet some beloved characters such as Lando Calrissian and Luke Skywalker. However, it is the improvements to combat that make Jedi Outcast shine and helps it sit firmly as one of the most essential Star Wars games. Jedi Outcast made players feel like they were truly wielding a lightsaber rather than a clunky melee weapon with an overall more intuitive feel.
6 Street Fighter 2
It’s not often that a sequel is mistaken for the first installment of a franchise, but that is precisely what most people think if Street Fighter 2 is mentioned. The first Street Fighter, although well received, was almost immediately forgotten once Street Fighter 2 was released. And with good reason, as the sequel managed to improve everything about its predecessor and subsequently invented the modern fighting game in the process.
Street Fighter 2 had much more dynamic graphics and overall looked more evolved than Street Fighter. However, what really made all the difference came about by accident. In development, it was discovered that some moves, when done in a certain order, were impossible for opponents to block. This became known as the combo, now a cornerstone for fighting games, and this helped shape the franchise into what it is today. Along with multiple player characters, each with their own unique moves, Street Fighter 2 helped put the franchise on the map.
5 Saints Row 2
The Saints Row franchise started life as a mediocre Grand Theft Auto knockoff; and while it had some solid gameplay, the overall concept was bland and uninspiring. So when it came to a sequel, developers made the choice to change everything about the world they had created.
It sounds like a bold choice, and it was, but it was the best decision and one that made the Saints Row series into a hit. Saints Row 2 can be summed up in one word: ridiculous. The humor and over-the-top world set the game apart from all the competition, going on to spawn an increasingly outrageous set of sequels.
4 Assassin's Creed 2
Although the first Assassin's Creed game was a success and established many of the core mechanics that would go on to define the series, it still drew more than a few complaints from players. Assassin's Creed 2 took all these complaints and addressed them, creating a sequel that still holds up 14 years later. Assassin's Creed 2 is a great example of developers focusing on all the right things.
Assassin's Creed 2 boasts a better story with a more compelling narrative with a new main character in Ezio. The sequel added more gameplay elements while refining those from the previous installment, such as new traversal and expanded combat. The result was a more engaging and emotional story with better, more polished mechanics.
3 Silent Hill 2
It's hard to follow up a genre-defining hit like Silent Hill, but developers Konami managed to do just that with Silent Hill 2. Somehow managing to be even scarier than the first game Silent Hill 2 improved on the first game in almost every way. Silent Hill 2 improved the camera and player controls resulting in smoother gameplay, but it was the storyline that really set it apart.
Silent Hill 2 expanded on the lore established in Silent Hill with a wonderfully nuanced storyline. It embraced psychological horror, as seen by having the enemies mirror aspects of James' dark past. Silent Hill 2 used the ever-present fog brilliantly to add to the atmosphere creating tension and enhancing James’ sense of loneliness, all while creating an overwhelming sense of claustrophobia. Finally, six different endings encouraged players to replay, all helping to cement Silent Hill 2 in video gaming history.
2 Batman: Arkham City
Rocksteady’s 2009 hit Batman: Arkham Asylum is considered by most Batman fans to be nearly perfect. It clearly demonstrated that Rocksteady understood the fanbase and delivered a game that hit all the right notes. It seemed impossible for developers to follow up such a colossal success with a sequel that would meet expectations. However, Rocksteady did just that with the follow-up Batman: Arkham City, delivering an outstanding sequel.
Batman could now glide between buildings, use new gadgets, and interact with some of his best-known sidekicks, truly fulfilling every Batman fantasy players could have. With a great story and side missions, Arkham City sticks to the source material making the world feel alive. Exploring was rewarded in a much less linear game featuring several of Batman’s classic villains. Arkham City managed to take everything that made Arkham Asylum great and put it in the expanded open-world of Gotham City, giving players everything they ever wanted.
1 Mass Effect 2
The Mass Effect trilogy is easily one of the best sci-fi RPGs of all time, and by far and away, Mass Effect 2 is the crown jewel in the franchise. Combat controls were smoother, graphics were drastically improved, and characters were more engaging and in-depth, resulting in a vastly different feel for Mass Effect 2. Mass Effect 2 followed up on Bioware’s promise that player actions from Mass Effect would matter by having decisions made in Mass Effect carry over and have consequences in Mass Effect 2.
Side missions didn’t feel like filler as the writing had improved significantly, making the galaxy feel more alive and realistic. There were tons of new mechanics to keep players busy while adding to the overall game objective, such as scanning and exploring planets. Mass Effect 2 took the universe and story set up in Mass Effect and upped the stakes, making it everything a good sequel should be.