wraggster
January 14th, 2011, 21:29
For whatever reason, the gaming world doesn't seem to suffer so much from Hollywood's Sucky Sequel Syndrome.
In fact, some of the greatest games to ever grace the planet have been successors. Rather than dropping the ball or failing to recreate the magic of their older siblings, there are a few out there that have managed to put certain franchises beyond doubt in our cynical minds and excelled them to legendary status.
These are some of our favourite games that have that often eagerly anticipated '2' in their name. Oh, and Red Dead Redemption's in there as well.
We're sure you've got a list of your favourite follow-ups stashed away somewhere and we'd love to hear it.
Stick your sequel list together however you please - we've given credit to titles that made massive step forward from their predecessor, helped define a genre or simply managed to permanently stitch themselves into our brain ever since release.
One rule though: While we know a sequel can be any game after the first in the franchise, let's keep it strictly to second outings. It's part of the game.
UNCHARTED 2
What can we say? Uncharted: Drake's Fortune hit the shelves as a new, exclusive PS3 IP and - more or less through word of mouth - became a roundly applauded success, enough to crank up the hype for the inevitable sequel.
The sequel itself, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, was instantly blasted into the gaming stratosphere. It's near flawless presentation, epic set-pieces, sophisticated cinematography and spot-on casting helped turn a good third-person shooting adventure into something special.
It added multiplayer to the mix as well but Uncharted's real charm will always be in its almost silver screen story-telling. That's what propelled Uncharted 2 to the top and what made a new franchise that demanded bubbling anticipation into one that commanded the greatest respect from both fans and developers alike.
ASSASSIN'S CREED II
Assassin's Creed was great for so many reasons; environment's so detailed you could stick your finger in every nook and cranny, open-world maps that stretched up and down and all around, a twisty story set in both the past and present and, generally, knifing people with a stealthy flick-blade that replaced one of your fingers. Badass.
Then there was the grinding, scraping structure of repetition that made us grip our controllers that bit tighter with every eavesdrop mission ("Again?!").
Assassin' Creed II was the game the original should have been; a story that you actually played rather heard about from AI colleagues at various checkpoints, a charismatic protagonist and a more diverse range of objectives and locations meant that this sequel built upon the original and improved it in just about every way.
RED DEAD REDEMPTION
This is the Red Dead that will stick in people's minds. The first in the series, Red Dead Revolver, was a great little cowboy action adventure game with a sprinkling of fantasy, and we did really enjoy it, but Red Dead Redemption is oh so different and oh so much better.
Dead Eye and the whole cowboy thing was the only thing that Rockstar really took forward to Redemption aside from a few multiplayer skins. For the second gun-slinging episode it went down the tried and tested Grand Theft Auto highway adding a number of Rockstar hallmarks while still managing to create a whole new feel.
The open world, ambling horse-rides, the real-time wildlife, the eclectic and lovable, almost living cast were all new not only to the Red Dead series in terms of execution, but they created something that hadn't been seen in other games and contributed to bursting Red Dead Redemption to the top of so many 'Best of' lists for 2010.
STREET FIGHTER II
Blast from the past time now and, in case you didn't know, Street Fighter II is pretty much the beginning of the fighting genre as we know it today.
The original Street Fighter came to arcades in 1987 and gave players control over the now iconic Ryu as he fought through a string of opponents one by one with a couple of kicks, punches and three special moves (Hadouken, Shoryuken and Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku). A second person could jump in to face Ryu with rival Ken - same moves, same Hadouken.
Street Fighter II was the first time players could choose from a number of characters; Ryu, Ken, E. Honda, Chun-Li, Blanka, Zangrif, Guile and Dhalsim who, along with non-playable characters Balrog, Vega, Sagat and M.Bison, each had their own unique moves and a command-based special attacks.
To say Street Fighter II took things up a notch as far as the fighting genre is concerned is an understatement that deserves a good, hard Shoryuken. This one kicked off the fight frenzy of the 90s and became so popular in Japan that it caused a coin shortage.
MASS EFFECT 2
With Mass Effect 2, BioWare may have downplayed the RPG elements of the original and disappointed a few role-playing lovers as a result but, in a lot of other ways, the sci-fi sequel managed to improve upon and streamline its predecessor, creating a more complete package.
This one isn't the biggest leap forward on this list but it did represent some key improvements to an already great franchise, which means it's now considered one of the greatest games in the world.
Mass Effect 2 was leaner and more effective, giving players more spectacle, an enthralling, coherent world, with charming, deep characters and an overall impressively cinematic feel.
It may not beat other behemoths like Call of Duty or Halo at the box office, but Mass Effect is without doubt one of the biggest names in gaming thanks to this near perfect action-RPG.
MORTAL KOMBAT II
If we're going to stick Street Fighter in this list then we should probably give mention to its fiercest rival as well.
The Mortal Kombat series is just as iconic as its far less gory competitor when it comes to video game violence and, while the jump between the original Mortal Kombat and its sequel perhaps wasn't as massive, it did include some pretty important additions that has lead to players citing it as the best in the franchise.
MKII was quicker, prettier (if you can call it pretty) and sported expanded move-sets. Perhaps the most important new feature, however, was the inclusion of multiple fatalities, which saw each character "FINISH HIM" in their own, unique, over the top, cruel and very final way.
SILENT HILL 2
With Silent Hill 2 Konami may just have hit a peak in scaremongering.
Technically a sequel in name only, the second in the series saw players revisit the eerie, fog-covered town of Silent Hill as James Sutherland to meet a whole new set of characters.
While there were no giant strides in redefining the genre or the series here, Silent Hill 2 did all the right things when it came to improving the key areas of any horror experience. Camera angles worked well to make exploration both accessible and pant-wettingly tense, graphics were superb for their time and combined with some much improved sound effects to create a perfectly eerie atmosphere.
This was a time when big guns and massive explosions weren't quite so prevalent in our gaming library and Silent Hill 2 benefited from keeping things grounded, executing an amazing horror with subtle expertise.
HALF-LIFE 2
If Half-Life were a person we'd feel sorry for it. It was an amazing game and yet whenever anyone mentions those two little words they usually stick a '2' on the end of it.
The fact that Half-Life 2 was able to build upon the critically acclaimed Half-Life in such a way that it almost overshadows the original is testament to just how incredible a title it is. In fact, we can't think of a game that's more universally praised than this one.
Quite simply, it had everything; a great story in terms of script, pacing and characters, an impeccably constructed world, weapons like the Gravity Gun (need we say more) and some of the best in-game physics we've experienced.
If you were to ask a group of gamers what the best game in the world ever was, Half-Life 2 would probably be their response and ever since the game was bundled with Team Fortress 2 and Portal, well, let's just say there's a fair amount of love for Valve out there.
In fact, some of the greatest games to ever grace the planet have been successors. Rather than dropping the ball or failing to recreate the magic of their older siblings, there are a few out there that have managed to put certain franchises beyond doubt in our cynical minds and excelled them to legendary status.
These are some of our favourite games that have that often eagerly anticipated '2' in their name. Oh, and Red Dead Redemption's in there as well.
We're sure you've got a list of your favourite follow-ups stashed away somewhere and we'd love to hear it.
Stick your sequel list together however you please - we've given credit to titles that made massive step forward from their predecessor, helped define a genre or simply managed to permanently stitch themselves into our brain ever since release.
One rule though: While we know a sequel can be any game after the first in the franchise, let's keep it strictly to second outings. It's part of the game.
UNCHARTED 2
What can we say? Uncharted: Drake's Fortune hit the shelves as a new, exclusive PS3 IP and - more or less through word of mouth - became a roundly applauded success, enough to crank up the hype for the inevitable sequel.
The sequel itself, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, was instantly blasted into the gaming stratosphere. It's near flawless presentation, epic set-pieces, sophisticated cinematography and spot-on casting helped turn a good third-person shooting adventure into something special.
It added multiplayer to the mix as well but Uncharted's real charm will always be in its almost silver screen story-telling. That's what propelled Uncharted 2 to the top and what made a new franchise that demanded bubbling anticipation into one that commanded the greatest respect from both fans and developers alike.
ASSASSIN'S CREED II
Assassin's Creed was great for so many reasons; environment's so detailed you could stick your finger in every nook and cranny, open-world maps that stretched up and down and all around, a twisty story set in both the past and present and, generally, knifing people with a stealthy flick-blade that replaced one of your fingers. Badass.
Then there was the grinding, scraping structure of repetition that made us grip our controllers that bit tighter with every eavesdrop mission ("Again?!").
Assassin' Creed II was the game the original should have been; a story that you actually played rather heard about from AI colleagues at various checkpoints, a charismatic protagonist and a more diverse range of objectives and locations meant that this sequel built upon the original and improved it in just about every way.
RED DEAD REDEMPTION
This is the Red Dead that will stick in people's minds. The first in the series, Red Dead Revolver, was a great little cowboy action adventure game with a sprinkling of fantasy, and we did really enjoy it, but Red Dead Redemption is oh so different and oh so much better.
Dead Eye and the whole cowboy thing was the only thing that Rockstar really took forward to Redemption aside from a few multiplayer skins. For the second gun-slinging episode it went down the tried and tested Grand Theft Auto highway adding a number of Rockstar hallmarks while still managing to create a whole new feel.
The open world, ambling horse-rides, the real-time wildlife, the eclectic and lovable, almost living cast were all new not only to the Red Dead series in terms of execution, but they created something that hadn't been seen in other games and contributed to bursting Red Dead Redemption to the top of so many 'Best of' lists for 2010.
STREET FIGHTER II
Blast from the past time now and, in case you didn't know, Street Fighter II is pretty much the beginning of the fighting genre as we know it today.
The original Street Fighter came to arcades in 1987 and gave players control over the now iconic Ryu as he fought through a string of opponents one by one with a couple of kicks, punches and three special moves (Hadouken, Shoryuken and Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku). A second person could jump in to face Ryu with rival Ken - same moves, same Hadouken.
Street Fighter II was the first time players could choose from a number of characters; Ryu, Ken, E. Honda, Chun-Li, Blanka, Zangrif, Guile and Dhalsim who, along with non-playable characters Balrog, Vega, Sagat and M.Bison, each had their own unique moves and a command-based special attacks.
To say Street Fighter II took things up a notch as far as the fighting genre is concerned is an understatement that deserves a good, hard Shoryuken. This one kicked off the fight frenzy of the 90s and became so popular in Japan that it caused a coin shortage.
MASS EFFECT 2
With Mass Effect 2, BioWare may have downplayed the RPG elements of the original and disappointed a few role-playing lovers as a result but, in a lot of other ways, the sci-fi sequel managed to improve upon and streamline its predecessor, creating a more complete package.
This one isn't the biggest leap forward on this list but it did represent some key improvements to an already great franchise, which means it's now considered one of the greatest games in the world.
Mass Effect 2 was leaner and more effective, giving players more spectacle, an enthralling, coherent world, with charming, deep characters and an overall impressively cinematic feel.
It may not beat other behemoths like Call of Duty or Halo at the box office, but Mass Effect is without doubt one of the biggest names in gaming thanks to this near perfect action-RPG.
MORTAL KOMBAT II
If we're going to stick Street Fighter in this list then we should probably give mention to its fiercest rival as well.
The Mortal Kombat series is just as iconic as its far less gory competitor when it comes to video game violence and, while the jump between the original Mortal Kombat and its sequel perhaps wasn't as massive, it did include some pretty important additions that has lead to players citing it as the best in the franchise.
MKII was quicker, prettier (if you can call it pretty) and sported expanded move-sets. Perhaps the most important new feature, however, was the inclusion of multiple fatalities, which saw each character "FINISH HIM" in their own, unique, over the top, cruel and very final way.
SILENT HILL 2
With Silent Hill 2 Konami may just have hit a peak in scaremongering.
Technically a sequel in name only, the second in the series saw players revisit the eerie, fog-covered town of Silent Hill as James Sutherland to meet a whole new set of characters.
While there were no giant strides in redefining the genre or the series here, Silent Hill 2 did all the right things when it came to improving the key areas of any horror experience. Camera angles worked well to make exploration both accessible and pant-wettingly tense, graphics were superb for their time and combined with some much improved sound effects to create a perfectly eerie atmosphere.
This was a time when big guns and massive explosions weren't quite so prevalent in our gaming library and Silent Hill 2 benefited from keeping things grounded, executing an amazing horror with subtle expertise.
HALF-LIFE 2
If Half-Life were a person we'd feel sorry for it. It was an amazing game and yet whenever anyone mentions those two little words they usually stick a '2' on the end of it.
The fact that Half-Life 2 was able to build upon the critically acclaimed Half-Life in such a way that it almost overshadows the original is testament to just how incredible a title it is. In fact, we can't think of a game that's more universally praised than this one.
Quite simply, it had everything; a great story in terms of script, pacing and characters, an impeccably constructed world, weapons like the Gravity Gun (need we say more) and some of the best in-game physics we've experienced.
If you were to ask a group of gamers what the best game in the world ever was, Half-Life 2 would probably be their response and ever since the game was bundled with Team Fortress 2 and Portal, well, let's just say there's a fair amount of love for Valve out there.