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Unlike in movies, video game sequels are often fantastic. They build on the foundations of the first game to make the second title even better. This is why some sequels are more famous than their predecessors. However, that doesn’t mean every game should get a sequel.
Of course, bad games shouldn’t get a follow-up, but even good titles shouldn’t at times. This is because there are games that are singular masterpieces that shouldn’t be messed with. They have no stories that need continuing, nor do we need to experience the gameplay again. They should be left alone. Here are some examples.
Braid
Braid
Braid is an exceptional puzzle-platformer where you control a sharp-dressed man who is trying to save a princess. The puzzles are generally well-designed, and the core mechanics are fun. Yet, the biggest takeaway from the game is the story. What starts out as a fairly standard damsel-in-distress situation begins to unravel, as you learn that the relationship between the ‘hero’ and the princess is complicated.
This is confirmed right at the end of the game when it’s revealed that you aren’t a hero after all. You’re the monster. This reveal is incredible and sticks with people forever. So, any sequel would have to have a similar sort of impact, which is hard to replicate. Therefore, it’s probably just better to stick to the one game.
Shadow Of The Colossus
There aren’t many games you can really compare Shadow of the Colossus to. It’s very different from almost everything else out there. The basic premise revolves around a young man slaying various colossi in the effort to revive a girl, but things go much deeper than that.
There is a certain artistry and magic to the game that would be very hard to replicate in a sequel. Yes, you can have a character climbing and killing colossi, but can you implement the same emotion or meaning behind it? If not, there shouldn’t be a sequel.
It Takes Two
Hazelight Studios has developed a few amazing games, but hasn’t made a sequel to any of them. It should stay that way, as there is no need for a follow-up to It Takes Two. The game follows the adventures of a couple on the verge of divorce who have been transformed into dolls. They need to figure out how to become human again and help their daughter, who is struggling with the couple’s impending breakup.
After finishing a collection of exciting and creative levels, you get a satisfying conclusion to the game. Therefore, there is no need for the story to continue, and any situation where they turn back into dolls would feel contrived. On top of that, It Takes Two’s distinct style of gameplay lives on in Split Fiction anyway, so the world doesn’t need an It Takes Two 2.
Detroit: Become Human
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Quantic Dream
- Publisher(s)
- Sony
- Engine
- Proprietary Engine
- Platform(s)
- PS4, PC
Detroit: Become Human is set in a future that contains highly advanced androids. They’re subservient to humans, and they’re often mistreated. However, some have started to break their programming and have attempted to defend themselves.
You play as three androids over the course of the story. Each one has their own things going on, and their tales can end in a bunch of different ways. Because of the multiple distinct endings, there is not really anywhere for a sequel to go afterward without making a bunch of conclusions non-canonical. The alternative is to start from scratch with new characters, but this game already covers a lot of the questions or situations you’d expect to come up in this type of world.
Spec Ops: The Line
Spec Ops: The Line
The main reason why Spec Ops: The Line is considered a great third-person shooter is because of the way it depicts war. It begins as a seemingly traditional military shooter with plenty of bravado shown by the main characters and little care shown for all the enemies you kill. As you get deeper into the story, though, and begin to do more horrible things, the main character begins to lose his mind a little bit. You start to see things that aren’t actually there, and even the loading screens begin to mess with you.
All of this is a way to show how dark war really is and how it can impact a soldier’s psyche. It works great because you don’t expect it from the start. The game plays on your preconceived notions of a military shooter, and then takes you on a journey. You would see this coming in a sequel, so it wouldn’t be as effective.
Heavy Rain
All the playable characters in Heavy Rain are trying to find out the identity of the Origami Killer. They’re a serial killer who captures children and leaves their parents a bunch of tasks to see if they can save them before drowning the kids. So, it has a very dark but compelling narrative that can end in a few ways. All of the conclusions are definitive, one way or another. Therefore, there is no way of continuing the story.
Plus, the narrative adventure style of gameplay that Heavy Rain helped pioneer has been used in so many other titles since. So, a new game with fresh characters and that gameplay style won’t feel like a sequel. It would just feel like a different game, like Beyond: Two Souls or Until Dawn.
Minecraft
Minecraft
- Released
- November 18, 2011
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Mojang
- Publisher(s)
- Mojang
- Engine
- LWJGL, PROPRIETARY ENGINE
- Platform(s)
- 3DS, Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Wii U, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PS Vita, Xbox One, Xbox 360
Minecraft has been hugely popular for many years, even achieving success on the silver screen. The open-world sandbox game has received plenty of updates and changes during its lifespan, but there haven’t been many rumors of a sequel. And there is no need for one.
Minecraft already gives you all the tools and materials you possibly need to create whatever you want. It provides a great sandbox for you to play in. The updates keep things fresh, and the rudimentary visuals are part of the game’s charm. So, there isn’t any need to create a completely new game.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Sandfall Interactive
- Publisher(s)
- Kepler Interactive
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
Expedition 33 is set in a world where the population is doomed because each year, people of a certain age are wiped out by a being called the Paintress. However, once you defeat her, you learn that everything you’re experiencing and most of your characters aren’t exactly real. Everything is happening inside a paint canvas.
This reveal hurts the potential of a sequel. The next game could take place in another canvas, but the fact that you will know that all of what you’re doing isn’t really happening will take away some of the appeal. Alternatively, you could follow the adventures of the Dessendre family – those responsible for the canvas – and their lives outside the painting. Yet, part of the game’s magic is that it’s set in a creative world filled with unusual creatures, which is possible because it takes place in a painting. So, it’s best to leave this masterpiece alone.
