Holiday sequels that will suck

[Andrew Mallon]

I was looking over the release lists for Christmas and early 2005 and I'm surprised at how ambivalent I am toward sequels to a number of games I really enjoyed. Some of them just look like more of the same without bringing anything new to the table and some of them just seem like change for the sake of change. Here's some of the sequels that had me shaking my head going why?!?!??!

Viewtiful Joe 2 - The first game was a real blast, although I felt by the end of the game that they had completely and utterly exhausted the gameplay possibilities. I had done everything I could do in the game at least a couple of times. Now they're coming out with a sequel with only minor gameplay enhancements and it's supposed to be twice as long as the original? No thanks.

Prince Of Persia 2 - PoP is my favorite game of this console generation, but everything I read about the sequel has me depressed. First off, it seems like they're answer to the game's perceived slow selling status is to make the game "gritty." New combat moves, including cleaving your enemy in half as a fountain of blood sprays around you. Yeah, that'll bring the kids in droves. Way to pander to the lowest common denominator. Also, I'm worried about the new focus on combat. I agree that the combat system needed some tweaking, but it sounds like they're going to make combat much more of a centerpiece of the game.

Lord Of the Rings: The Third Age  - Not really I sequel, but I just can't see how this game can deliver anything more than bland reverse-mirror look at the movies. Since EA is limited to only portraying things that were in the Jackson flicks and can't pull any leftover material from the books, I just can't see how they can make a story with an interesting narrative and characters that aren't thin stand-ins for the characters from the movies.

Metroid Prime 2 -- I thought the first Metroid Prime had 128-bit graphics and gameplay and was saddled with an 8-bit story. It doesn't sound like Retro and Nintendo have learned anything at all from the first Metroid. I don't see the sequel being anything more than a lifeless, empty husk of a game.

It's also depressing to see that of the 20 or so holiday titles that I'm mildly to strongly interested in, only two of them aren't sequels or licensed properties (Phantom Brave and Fable). Hopefully this isn't a portent of the future of the video game industry.

[Belgedin]

VJ2 - I kind of agree. It is really too soon for a sequel to this. I had a blast with the first, but I'd like a little more time to start itching for a second.

PoP2 - Absolutely agree. Way I see it, they should just hand this franchise off to RockStar  :roll:  I can't tell you how disappointed I am in this game so far.

LotR: TTA - Agreed. I've had my fill of EA's LotR hack-and-slash/

MP2 - Disagree. I really like the story of the first MP and I'm very much looking forward to the new additions in story and especially gameplay.

It's also depressing to see that of the 20 or so holiday titles that I'm mildly to strongly interested in, only two of them aren't sequels or licensed properties (Phantom Brave and Fable). Hopefully this isn't a portent of the future of the video game industry.

Phantom Brave is a sequel. Unless you don't consider each Final Fantasy a sequel the one before.

[AgtFox]

I agree with you on VJ2, but for the rest I'm actually quite excited.

We honestly haven't seen enough of PoP2 to even form an opinion outside of it being darker, more combat intensive, etc.

LoTR: The Third Age is a very different beast.  It is an RPG and EGM's cover story this month on it actually got me pretty excited to see the game in action.  This is not a straight action game.

MP2...well, as long as scanning isn't as important as last time I think it will be a big success.  I loved the first one outside of the incessant scanning that was needed.

You forgot some other sequels from Sony: Sly 2, Jak 3 and Ratchet and Clank 3.  I think it would difficult to say those won't be of a higher quality than your standard sequel.

[Andrew Mallon]

You forgot some other sequels from Sony: Sly 2, Jak 3 and Ratchet and Clank 3. I think it would difficult to say those won't be of a higher quality than your standard sequel.

I'm really looking forward to Sly 2. The first one was great, but they left so much untapped potential in that game. If they build on the first game's strengths and don't rely on an excessive amount of mini-games, Sony should have a real winner on its hands.

I'm not sure what to think of Ratchet & Clank 3 yet. I really liked the first one, and my girlfriend gave me the second one for Christmas but I haven't played it yet.

On oother thing regarding Metroid, I may be a little too hard on the game. I loved the first half of the first one, but halfway through something started rubbing me the wrong way and by the end of it I hated the game so much that I feel like going off on a -Lord Ebonstone- style rant everytime I think about it. I love the style of the game though, so maybe I'll have to give it a chance.

[ingrin]

I feel the same way, as much as I loved KOTOR and actually think KOTOR 2 will be a better game, I can't really get excited about it.  Same for Black & White 2, another sequal to a game I loved.

The only sequel I am looking forward to is Blinx 2, and I suspect that is because they have nowhere to go but up....

[Belgedin]

LoTR: The Third Age is a very different beast. It is an RPG and EGM's cover story this month on it actually got me pretty excited to see the game in action. This is not a straight action game.

That does change things a bit. Honestly, though, I can't really get excited by much of anything EA outputs.

You forgot some other sequels from Sony: Sly 2, Jak 3 and Ratchet and Clank 3. I think it would difficult to say those won't be of a higher quality than your standard sequel.

Sly Cooper 2: fairly interested.
R&C: Abstain. Never played the first two.
Jak III: For the love of God, no more.

[Foxmerc]

I'm looking forward to PoP2, just because I think from what I read and saw so far, it looks good. I don't care what reasons companies have for optimal changes so long as they're good changes, and what I see so far is ok with me.

   Ratchet and Clank 3 I hope lives up to the past two, which I enjoyed very much. KOTOR 2 and Prime 2 are also on my watch list, but I don't know enough about them to lean one way or the other.

[Purge]

I feel the same way, as much as I loved KOTOR and actually think KOTOR 2 will be a better game, I can't really get excited about it.  Same for Black & White 2, another sequal to a game I loved.

The only sequel I am looking forward to is Blinx 2, and I suspect that is because they have nowhere to go but up....

ROFL too true; Blinx2 can only do better than the first.
Conker Reloaded has me excited; Jan-Mar release timeframe though.
KOTOR2 - We'll see... the new footage had me going.
LSL Magna Cum Loude - I dunno about this one. There's nostaglia attached but I'm not sure I'm gonna fork money over for this one.
TMNT2 - arcade style, 4 player... FINALLY.
Ghost Recon2 : yeah; this will likely earn my dime
Halo2 - No brainer.
GoldenEye-Rogue agent - I dunno. I'm not too impressed with this one so far.
Godzilla Save the Earth - Gotta love stomping big bugs.

[farley2k]

Lord Of the Rings: The Third Age - Not really I sequel, but I just can't see how this game can deliver anything more than bland reverse-mirror look at the movies. Since EA is limited to only portraying things that were in the Jackson flicks and can't pull any leftover material from the books, I just can't see how they can make a story with an interesting narrative and characters that aren't thin stand-ins for the characters from the movies.

Yes but from the magazine article I read while they can't put in stuff from the books that Jackson didn't use (like Tom Bombidale) they can put in stuff that is new - meaning not in the books or in the movies provided it could be "infered" from things mentioned in the movie....now I have no clue what that means exactly but it does give them some room to make a story.

[Balshazaar]

Vivendi Universal owns the rights to make games based on the books that were written while he was alive... this does not include Silmarillion.  That's why the VU-games has put out LOtR games that seem, well, cheesy compared to the movies.  I used to know a lot more about this, but basically, there are a few people involved: The Saul Zaentz Corporation, who licensed the stuff to New Line, and Tolkien Enterprises, different from The Tolkien Estate (they feud), who gave the book licenses to VU-games.  There are a lot of politics involved.