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Sequels in the video game industry have a lot to live up to, especially if their predecessors were a hit. They are required to follow up with a narrative that not only matches the previous game but also takes the stakes to a new level. In terms of gameplay, they also have to retain the same quality or improve upon it without detracting from the experience.
As a result, sequels can be a hit or miss with the fanbase. Their success depends on how the story is carried out and if they are able to live up to the standards of the original game.
There have been a number of great sequels to video games, but there have also been plenty of failures, with many having been panned by the fanbase.
Here are five video game sequels that were universally disapproved by fans.
Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the opinions of the writer.
Hitman: Absolution, Mass Effect: Andromeda and 3 other video game sequels that were failures in the eyes of fans
1) Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2
Before Disney acquired LucasArts, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed was one of the most fun video game titles based on the Star Wars IP. The simple hack and slash game offered players a number of force powers to experiment with along linear levels as they mowed down enemies with a lightsaber.
While a sequel was planned, its development was thrown into a lot of turmoil as it happened amid Disney's acquisition of LucasArts. The finished game was ultimately similar to the first one, with some enhanced graphics and a few new movesets. However, the narrative left a lot to be desired.
Starkiller's story started with a bang in The Force Unleashed but ended up being insignificant and underwhelming by the time the sequel ended. Adding salt to the wound, the character was written out of canon altogether, making the story of the two games completely pointless.
2) Hitman: Absolution
Widely regarded as the worst Hitman game to date, Hitman: Absolution was the fifth mainline entry in the series from developer IO Interactive.
After the success of the previous game, Hitman: Blood Money, IO decided to take a different route, but it ended up backfiring on them.
Hitman: Absolution focused a lot on an overarching narrative, which took the game in a linear direction. This, in turn, resulted in the levels being structured to fit the narrative instead of being replayable, which was the series’ theme up until this point. This change took away one of the main appeals of a Hitman game.
While fans were already unhappy with the change in level design, a lot of the gameplay was also tweaked for a more action-oriented approach. Players were rewarded when they used the point-and-shoot mechanic and could not always rely on disguises, like in previous games.
IO eventually regained the faith of its player base with a new game in 2016, titled Hitman. The title was the best that the video game series had to offer and returned to its stealth roots, with some great gameplay and graphics.
3) Duke Nukem Forever
There are many reasons behind the failure of Duke Nukem Forever as a sequel and as a game in general.
The title was stuck in development hell for over a decade, and fans had been waiting for a sequel for 15 years. Expectations were high and were ultimately not met.
Developed by 3D Realms and published by 2K games, the first-person shooter (FPS) video game was met with significant criticism.
While the FPS genre had evolved over the 15 years, Duke Nukem Forever retained the same outdated, immature and childish humor and featured a one-dimensional character.
Even in terms of gameplay, the title was outdone by its contemporaries. Many promises were made before its release. However, most of them were unfulfilled at launch (or ever). Bugs and glitches also plagued the game, which meant playing it became a chore.
4) Mass Effect: Andromeda
BioWare’s original Mass Effect trilogy was a huge success, and it made the developer one of the biggest names in the video game industry. The story was an epic saga spread across three games. It followed Commander Shepard’s efforts to save the Milky Way galaxy from the threat of the Reapers.
However, when the developer released a follow-up game titled Mass Effect: Andromeda, things quickly went south. The story distanced itself from the previous games and set itself entirely in the Andromeda galaxy, with a completely new cast. The disparity was quite shocking to fans, and the game’s lackluster story did not help.
Mass Effect: Andromeda lacked a lot in terms of narrative and interesting characters and offered sparse, barren planets for players to explore. Compared to what fans were used to, this was a significant downgrade.
While the gameplay was actually great and improved upon, it was not enough to save the title from being shunned.
5) Resident Evil 6
The Resident Evil video game series started as a survival horror franchise in 1998, with the first game of the same name.
By Resident Evil 4, however, the series began dipping its toes into the action genre. This was taken a step further in Resident Evil 5, which was a somewhat divisive entry in the franchise.
Resident Evil 6 took this approach to even newer heights, and it ended up being the series’ undoing. The game featured multiple playable campaigns, where players took on the roles of iconic characters in the series. The campaign featuring Chris Redfield received the most criticism, as it was just a few features short of becoming a cover-based shooter.
After Resident Evil 6, the series took a long break. It then decided to return to its horror roots and came out swinging with Resident Evil 7. Fans welcomed the return with open arms.
