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8/11/2019 10 Riskiest Gaming Sequels That Didn’t Pay Off
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10 Riskiest Gaming Sequels That
Didn’t Pay Off
http://www.gamescdkey.com/news/10-riskiest-gaming-sequels-that-didnt-
pay-off
“Please, sir, I want some more,” remarks Oliver Twist in Charles Dickens’ most renowned novel,
and it can sometimes feel like companies picture us gamers as Oliver; only we’re begging for proper
sequels rather than another serving of gruel. However in addition we’re so used to seeing the same
titles over and over that we enthusiastically celebrate new IPs being unveiled at press conferences,
simply because it might be something new and exciting to play. Of course the majority of sequels
are exactly what we want as gamers but saturation is a regular danger that developers must be
aware of, as when the number of instalments in a series grows, so too does the risk of mass
disappointment – altering the formula for a successful game too much will lead to fans turning on
a series, rather than embracing it. Even the very best games can have a rushed or disappointing
sequel which could ruin a developer’s reputation in a heartbeat – one game on this list was so
unwelcome that
it
actually
led
to
job
losses
–
it
seems
sequels
are
a very
risky
business
when
not
handled appropriately. There’s a wide variety of faults displayed in the games selected for this
article; from controversial new features to poorly developed storylines which actually undermine
the series as a whole. All have the same thing in common though; these are games that really
should not have been made or at the very least, should have stuck more to an established comfort
zone. While they may have been a commercial or critical success (not the case for every entry on
this list), fan reaction can make or break a series and some of these games were turned on almost
instantly. Let this be a lesson to game developers all over the world: be careful when creating a
sequel to a well‐loved game; sometimes it’s far better to leave it well alone instead.
10. Tomb Raider: The Angel Of Darkness
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Tomb Raider is a great series because the concept is a fairly basic one to grasp, as ever since Indiana
Jones stole that golden idol and escaped the boulder trap we’ve fallen in love with tales of action‐
adventure, and Lara’s iconic seriess was one of the first to successfully capture that in a video game.
With a mix of great platforming, intelligent puzzling and exciting combat, it’s a series that remains
in the hearts of many. So why did they try to change that basic formula so much with The Angel Of
Darkness? Mixing RPG elements into a new genre can lead to some exciting games (look at the
Mass Effect series as an obvious example) but it’s not always guaranteed to work. Levelling up
Shepard’s abilities to add a dynamic range of skills to use on the battlefield? Great. Moving
wardrobes so that Lara feels a bit stronger? Not so thrilling. Telling the game’s story through
conversations with NPCs also backfired for the soon‐to‐be defunct Core Design; it just became far
too tedious. Adding in more obvious gameplay revisions like awkward stealth sections (again, an
unnecessary addition to a series which was highly successful without them) also proved to be a
bad idea. The backlash to this game was so huge that Core Design lost control of the Tomb Raider
franchise (despite having developed every game up to that point) and the second film in the Lara
Croft series – Cradle Of Life – flopped at the box office with Paramount firmly blaming The Cradle
Of Darkness for causing a backlash across the entire franchise. Way to kick Core Design when they
were down guys.
9. Perfect Dark Zero
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Creating a video game for a new console’s launch window is a surprisingly difficult task. Not only
are the developers working with new, more complex technology; they’re also under pressure to
deliver a must‐buy title to justify buying a new console in the first place. It’s exactly why the
majority of launch titles for a new console are underwhelming; developers need time to learn the
intricacies of new hardware before developing exciting new titles. Imagine what it must have been
like for Rare when developing Perfect Dark Zero then. Not only had the game been in development
for five years (originally set to release on the Gamecube before Microsoft purchased the studio) it
also bore the name of one of the Nintendo 64′s biggest hits. Ultimately, Perfect Dark Zero failed to
live up to those lofty standards as certain elements of the game are just okay (the design was
generally well received) but the story and voice acting are hilariously bad. The gameplay is pretty
standard fare for an FPS and the multiplayer mode – which utilised Xbox Live on the Xbox 360 for
the first time ‐didn’t really set the world alight either. Co‐op modes were a welcome addition but
really, there was little replay value to be had here. Is failing to live up to your older sibling’s
achievements a crime? In the gaming world, yes it is. Sorry Perfect Dark Zero, you’re going away
for a long, long time.
8. Forza Motorsport 5
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Like Perfect Dark Zero, Forza 5 was chosen as a launch title for the Xbox One, and likewise it didn’t
live up to expectations. Up until the fifth instalment, the Forza series was regarded as one of the
finest driving simulators around (many would argue that it easily topped Gran Turismo) and while
Forza 5 contained some of the best gameplay the series has known, it also stripped away several
features and added in one that all gamers fear –microtransactions. Of course, that isn’t entirely
Turn 10′s fault, after all it was Microsoft who had latched onto this new love for rinsing gamers’
wallets after they’ve purchased something. However the game was woefully unbalanced towards
paying real money; in‐game credits took time to accumulate, making the more expensive cars in
the game a long term goal. Even then, some cars cost upwards of £50 to buy with real money –
more than the actual game itself. It was a mess and Turn 10 were rightfully criticised for it in the
end. On top of that, Forza 5 featured significantly less content than in previous games with 200
cars and 15 courses available from the get go. Considering Forza 4 featured 500 cars and 26 courses,
you can understand why people were annoyed. Thankfully, Turn 10 have rectified many of these
problems, making two new courses available for free and upping the credits received through in‐
game racing. Still, their reputation is still in tatters with some and it’ll be interesting to see how the
community reacts to a new Forza title.
7. Deus Ex: Invisible War
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Nowadays, we take multiple narrative paths and player choices for granted; games like The Walking
Dead and Mass Effect have made them effortlessly commonplace. Back in 2000 though, choosing
your own story in video games was almost unheard of. Enter Deus Ex, a game which succeeded in
putting power back into players’ hands. Nearly every problem in the game had different solutions,
allowing for players using different skills to get around. In fact, getting through a certain way would
render some of the game’s content inaccessible, greatly increasing the game’s replay value. Most
importantly, there are consequences to actions within the game – killing certain people or
completing an objective a certain way will change how people treat you; it was pretty revolutionary
at the time. So, inevitably, a sequel followed. Despite being well received critically, Deus Ex:
Invisible War was trounced by fans. The game’s storyline revolved around a conflict between two
groups over nano‐augmentations (tiny machines which give people superhuman‐esque abilities)
and at one point, your character has to decide which group to side with. Sadly, this huge choice
affects little and that’s a common theme throughout Invisible War. That sense of consequence was
lost and the game felt significantly worse as a result. Fans have also criticised the game for featuring
too many loading screens; for removing some of the game’s RPG elements like the skill‐point
system; for featuring a ton of game‐breaking bugs; for poor level design; for poor AI; for poor
inventory systems… basically, nothing in this game has gone uncriticised by those who
cherished the first game. Despite rocking a respectable 80 on Metacritic (85 for the Xbox version
in fact), Invisible War will forever be renowned as a dud by a large section of the Deus Ex fanbase.
6. Devil May Cry 2
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It’s not often that a game is criticised for being too easy but that’s exactly what happened with
Devil May Cry 2. To be fair, the first game is a real challenge, requiring the player to use all of Dante’s
skills and abilities to overcome the various trials and tribulations of Mallet Island. Devil May Cry 2
can mostly be completed by spamming Dante’s pistols which suffice to say, certainly made it an
easier ride. It wasn’t just the difficulty which disappointed fans though. Devil May Cry is an absolute
masterclass in atmosphere and setting; with the Cathedral in which most of the game takes place
being very memorable and haunting. Obviously Devil May Cry 2 couldn’t simply just recreate that
setting but it opts for a more open‐world location that didn’t really suit the game all that well.
Dante himself was a mere shell; his cockiness and constant chatter which had made fans fall in love
with him in the first place was all but removed. The weapon system was also a lot less refined; in
Devil May Cry, different weapons were suited for different scenarios and enemies, but in DMC 2
certain weapons were clearly upgrades of previous ones, rendering the early weapons obsolete
too quickly. A new character also enters the fray, but sadly Lucia’s missions largely recycled material
from Dante’s. For a series which focused so heavily on characterisation and style, Devil May Cry 2
was a major step back. Still, it proved to simply be a blip as the follow‐up Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s
Awakening (a prequel story) is often regarded as the series’ finest moment. We can all agree to
overlook Capcom’s shortcomings here then, as long as we all promise never to speak of this again.
5. Fable 3
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Ah Peter Molyneux; arguably Britain’s most recognisable game developer, he’s made his mark on
the gaming world with titles like Black & White, Theme Park and Populous, however his most
famous work probably came with Microsoft and the Fable series. An RPG series all about morality
and choices, Fable 1 and 2 are considered some of the finest RPGs on the Xbox 360. Fable 3
however, is a different story… The main story in Fable 3 deals with your hero leading a revolution
to overthrow the tyrannical king of Albion before taking his turn to rule. In theory, it’s a pretty
unique idea for a game but it fell short. Ruling Albion was a tedious series of choices which
either worsened life for your subjects (but saved money) or improved it at the cost of the nation’s
wealth. Bizarrely, being a good King would actually lead to more of your citizens dying when the
beastly Crawler attacks at the end of the game, rendering your heroic actions and choices earlier
in the game completely pointless. The RPG elements of the series were all but removed with little
choice offered in shaping your character and the whole game felt significantly worse than the
previous instalments because of it. Even worse, the game once again suffered from Peter
Molyneux’s overhype, leading many to be disappointed when features he’d mentioned at various
press conferences weren’t included. Perhaps it wasn’t all his fault though; the main man has since
gone on record as saying he was ashamed of Fable 3 and that he would never work with Microsoft
again as a result. Don’t you just hate when couples end up airing their dirty laundry in public?
4. Resident Evil 6
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The decline of the survival horror genre is one of modern gaming’s biggest tragedies. While games
like Slender and Outlast have been on the rise thanks to jump scares and cheap thrills, the classic
third‐person style has slowly died out. The biggest casualty of this trend is Resident Evil, as the first
three games were the pinnacle of the genre; each one loaded with atmosphere, great soundtracks
and terrifying scenarios, yet after that it was all a gradual downhill slide. Sure, we’re glad to see
the back of ‘tank’ controls, but just look at the way Resident Evil 2 drew you into its world; it was
masterful. Many highlight Resi 5 as the series’ first major fault but at least the game was still
enjoyable. part 6 however is an absolute horror show (and not in a good way). It tries to introduce
more standard third‐person shooting mechanics into the mix (like Gears of War’s cover system, for
example) but in doing so loses what made the series so successful in the first place. It all starts well
too; Leon’s first missions, which deal with his escape from a zombie‐infested college, are actually
pretty suspenseful. But moving to fellow series’ veteran Chris’ campaign highlights the game’s
massive flaws – it’s a macho action‐fest and unlike the aforementioned Gears of War, it’s not any
good. Much of the story’s best moments are told through dreaded quick‐time events and the
remainder of the game (particularly Chris and Jake’s campaigns) is made up of dire shootouts
against enemies which can barely even be classed as undead anymore. While Resident Evil 4 took
a major step away from the series’ roots, it still maintained a Resident Evil feel. Resi 6 is just a bland
action game using the name to generate interest, and that’s the biggest tragedy here. Remarkably,
the game still sold a ton of copies (over five million) despite heavy criticism, so quite what the
future holds for the franchise is unclear; that alone is scarier than anything on show here.
3. Duke Nukem Forever
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Fifteen years is an awfully long time. Even in gaming terms, entire series’ have been created and
sold millions within this timeframe – every major gaming console’s lifespan has happened within a
shorter period of time too. Yet fifteen years is how long the development of one of gaming’s most
infamous sequels took – Duke Nukem Forever. The title was originally announced by 3D Realms
way back in 1997 and after several release dates came and went with no game, 3D Realms stated
that the game would be released when it was done. The next time the public got their eyes on The
Duke it was a teaser trailer released in 2007, ten whole years after that initial announcement;
which is an astonishingly long period of time. It got worse though. 3D Realms was downsized to
cut costs and the game’s development team left the studio, even after it was apparently ready to
go Gold (indicating it was pretty much complete), making the entire project vanish into thin air.
Finally in 2010, 2K Games officially announced that Gearbox had taken over development of the
game and after 15 laborious years of development, Forever hit shelves on June 2nd 2011. Even
then, people presumed the whole thing was a hoax – that’s just how long and insane this entire
process was. So was it worth the wait? Of course not. With horrible controls, awful loading times
and an offensive sense of humour which showed just how dated the game was, Duke Nukem
Forever was officially a flop. Noticeably, the game served as a callback to FPS titles of old but it
lacked their speed and excitement; instead the whole thing crawled along at a snail’s pace. Above
all else, critics stated simply that Duke Nukem simply wasn’t a modern day hero; the gaming world
had moved on from the likes of him. It’s really quite amazing that 2K and Gearbox decided to pick
up and finish the project to be honest, being that it was clearly destined to fail. Will Duke Nukem
Forever’s impressive development time ever be topped? Valve seem to be making a good attempt
at it with Half ‐Life 3 (or Episode Three or whatever they’re conjuring up) but Duke Nukem Forever
will more than likely hold the crown for Biggest Waste Of Fifteen Years for some time to come. Hail
to the King of development time, baby.
2. Dragon Age 2
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Bioware’s Dragon Age: Origins was exactly what you want in a brand new RPG. It introduced us to
the world of Ferelden through unique origin stories that were based around which race we’d
selected for our hero character, and with a variety of choices to be made in each story there was a
fair bit of originality to each players’ game. The world and the lore created by Bioware was pretty
in‐depth; almost on par with the Mass Effect universe. So how do you follow up a game like that?
You create a sequel which is set in a completely different part of the world, has almost nothing to
do with the previous storyline and allows you precious little exploration of course. To be fair, at
first, you’ll push yourself through Dragon Age 2 quite quickly, though your main motivation will be
to find the good part of the game, yet sadly it never comes. Following Mass Effect’s customisable
hero example, you play as [Insert First Name and Gender here] Hawke who flees to the city of
Kirkwall during the events of Origins. Pretty much any link between the two games ends here,
though you’ll spend a good couple of hours from this point raising money to go on an adventure
into some tunnels. We’re being facetious but the game’s storyline is so insufferably dull that it
deserves to be ridiculed. You may think that your adventure into the Deep Roads will lead you away
from Kirkwall, but after about an hour you’ll be dropped straight back into the city to spend the
rest of the game there. You’ll see the same areas constantly and it’ll drive you absolutely mad;
there’s no sense of exploration whatsoever. The combat is okay (largely because it’s unchanged
from Origins) and the supporting cast are reasonably memorable (some more than others) but
Dragon Age 2′s main crime is simply being tediously boring. Origins had a great storyline with
plenty of replay value to boot; Dragon Age 2 had neither. Introducing Hawke as a main character
was supposed to set the game up to follow a Mass Effect style storyline; a trilogy of games based
around one hero character, but the fact that Hawke’s story is apparently over – according to pre‐
release materials for the next game Inquisition – shows how well that whole idea worked out in
the end.
1. Banjo Kazooie: Nuts Bolts
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Sometimes in life, you discover something that you simply cannot fathom; you just can’t wrap your
head around why it exists or how it came to be. Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts is a great example of
this. Banjo Kazooie (and it’s follow‐up, Banjo Tooie) is one of the finest platformers of all time and
it probably rivals Super Mario 64 as the best game on the N64. Even to this day, the originality in
its design is amazing; it’s a real testament to just how good Rareware were as a development studio.
It might be unfair to paint Microsoft as the villains here but their purchase of Rare marked a
significant downturn in their production of quality games. They remade Conker’s Bad Fur Day into
Conker: Live & Reloaded for the Xbox and it wasn’t very well received. They released a sequel to
Perfect Dark and we’ve already seen how that turned out, and nowadays they’re mainly pumping
out Kinect‐based games like the Sports series (they also remade Killer Instinct for the Xbox One).
Before that though, they brought Banjo and Kazooie kicking and screaming onto the 360. Originally,
Rare intended to create a co‐op remake of Banjo Kazooie, though that idea was eventually
dismissed as a waste of time. Instead, they set about creating a new sequel to Banjo Tooie, though
the project went stale and was again dismissed. Finally, they set about creating Nuts & Bolts which
bizarrely throws aside the series’ platforming roots and instead requires the player to create cars.
Sure, that’s an unexpected move guys, but did we have to swerve away from the
originals that much? It’s not even a terrible game really. It looks beautiful (Rare’s art style is so
refreshingly unique; it’s a shame they haven’t been able to showcase it properly yet) and it’s a well
designed game with good controls and plenty of replay value. It will forever be regarded as a
disappointment though, simply because people were expecting Banjo Threeie (the name comes
from a comment made by series villain Gruntilda at the end of Tooie). Rare took a risk in creating
Nuts & Bolts and while the game still sold well and received good reviews from critics, fans turned
on it almost instantly. Perhaps in the future, we’ll see Banjo Threeie in all its glory; it would be
incredibly bizarre for Rare and Microsoft to abandon such a big series when there’s still a huge
demand for it. That in turn may lead to Nuts & Bolts being accepted for the creative spin‐off that
it is. Until then though, it’ll be the game that killed Banjo Kazooie; not a particularly nice title to
have at all.
PC Game CD Keys:
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EA Games CD Key http://www.gamescdkey.com/publisher/ea.html
RPG Games CD Key http://www.gamescdkey.com/pc‐games/rpg‐game.html
ACT Games CD Key http://www.gamescdkey.com/pc‐games/act‐game.html
FPS Games CD Key http://www.gamescdkey.com/pc‐games/fps‐game.html
Adventure Games CD Key http://www.gamescdkey.com/pc‐games/avg‐game.html
Racing Games CD Key http://www.gamescdkey.com/pc‐games/rac‐game.html
Sport Games CD Key http://www.gamescdkey.com/pc‐games/spt‐game.html
FTG Games CD Key http://www.gamescdkey.com/pc‐games/ftg‐game.html
RTS Games CD Key http://www.gamescdkey.com/pc‐games/rts‐game.html
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