The 10 video games that deserve a sequel but never got one
Too many video games have been seemingly abandoned by their publishers but which ones are most overdue a sequel?
Too many video games have been seemingly abandoned by their publishers but which ones are most overdue a sequel?
Whenever a video game sells well, it’s usually safe to assume it will get a sequel. For instance, you didn’t need Warner Bros. to tell you Hogwarts Legacy 2 would be a thing once the original made a billion dollars.
Sometimes though, a game will resonate with players but fail to meet the expectations of its publisher. Other times, games will perform well critically and commercially, but the publisher will overlook that success and act like their hit game never existed.
Some games have defied the odds and bounced back, in spite of low sales or years long absences (Sega, for example, is planning new sequels for dormant IPs like Jet Set Radio) but today, let’s highlight the games that really should have had a sequel by now and maybe try and convince some executives somewhere to give them another chance.
1. Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks 2Previous Mortal Kombat spin-off games have either been humorously bad (like Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero) or just plain awful (Mortal Kombat: Special Forces) but the 2005 co-op adventure game Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks was a genuinely good game.
Series creative director Ed Boon has teased a possible remake or sequel in the past, but after the relative failure of Mortal Kombat 1 now does seem the ideal time for a big budget revival. Especially since the co-op gameplay would benefit from modern online functionality.
2. Need For Speed: Underground 3Technically, Need For Speed: Underground 2 has had many sequels since its release in 2004, but it is very strange that there’s never been an actual Need For Speed: Underground 3.
Underground 2 is fondly remembered for its expansive city sandbox, its mission variety, and its impressive level of car customisation; the latter of which subsequent Need For Speed games never quite lived up to. Its lightning in a bottle quality perhaps best suits a remaster but, again, its strange that multiple other Need For Speed titles have been remade but never the one game that is many people’s favourite in the franchise.
3. Battlefield: Bad Company 3Speaking of baffling EA sequel decisions, why is it they insist on bringing Battlefield back, despite repeated failures, but never return to make the one sequel fans keep asking for.
The two Bad Company games were the only ones to have a decent story campaign, while emphasising destructible terrain in a way none of the subsequent titles have, despite major improvements in the underlying technology.
If EA hopes to rival Call Of Duty again, perhaps it should look back on what made Bad Company work, especially since both games were considered commercial successes.
4. Elite Beat Agents 2/Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 3Whether it’s featuring the original Japanese cheer squad or the more Western friendly super spies, Nintendo’s quirkiest and most charming rhythm game, that isn’t Rhythm Heaven, needs a follow-up ASAP.
It’s not like you’d even need to change the rhythm action gameplay much; there are just so many possibilities for fun and wacky scenarios and so many new songs to create a sequel’s track list. The power of the Nintendo Switch 2 would also allow for more dynamic visuals and presentation, and those new mouse controllers mean a sequel could keep the stylus based control scheme.
5. Bully 2For years, there has been chatter about a Bully sequel being developed by Rockstar Games, but one’s never materialised. At the moment, all hands are likely on deck for the massive undertaking that is GTA 6, but a Bully 2 with even half the scale of GTA 5 is a very exciting prospect.
It’s been nearly two decades since Bully launched and school life has changed almost out of all recognition. Assuming any sequel would be set in the modern day, that means a sequel would be rife with potential topics for satire, including current social media trends and streamer culture.
6. Mega Man Legends 3This is one of those obvious picks that’s routinely brought up when discussing hypothetical sequels, if only because Mega Man Legends 2 ended on such a whammy of a cliffhanger. What’s worse is that Mega Man Legends 3 was announced for the Nintendo 3DS but wound up being cancelled in 2011.
The Mega Man Legends spin-off series is worth revisiting if only for its charming cast of characters, but a sequel could help refine its brand of 3D action gameplay. At the very least, with the Mega Man X, Mega Man Zero, and Battle Network games getting remastered compilations, it’s high time Capcom gave Legends the same treatment.
7. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance 2For as fantastic an action game as Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is, it’s blatantly obvious that PlatinumGames was only brought into its development very late, resulting in a short, if still very satisfying experience.
Now imagine a sequel that already has Platinum on board from the get-go. Everything incredible about the original (namely the tight combat mechanics and over the top boss fights) would still be present, but the developers would ideally have more time for further refinements on top of the new content. It’s just a shame that director Kenji Saito has already left the company, so probably wouldn’t be involved.
8. Marvel Vs. Capcom 4Several years ago, it felt like there would never be a new Marvel Vs. Capcom, thanks to the underwhelming performance of Marvel Vs. Capcom Infinite. The announcement and release of the Marvel Vs. Capcom Fighting Collection however, means the odds are now a smidge higher than before.
In reality, Infinite was perfectly fun to play, with its core problems being the uninspired roster and drab presentation. A sequel could quite easily address these by bringing in a mix of fan favourite characters (both current icons and niche nostalgia picks) and a more colourful art style more reminiscent of the comics or just Marvel Vs. Capcom 3.
9. Klonoa 3Out of all the hypothetical sequels on this list, this one is the most personal. The Klonoa games were a childhood favourite of mine and I was hopeful that the 2022 remasters of the two PlayStation 2.5D platformers would herald a new sequel.
The series’ cutesy visuals hide far more technical and challenging platforming than you may expect and Klonoa’s status as a dream traveller means there’s lots of potential for bizarre and unique locales to run and jump through. And while there’s certainly still an audience for classic 2D games, it’d be fascinating to see Klonoa evolve and take a stab at a 3D adventure.
10. Bloodborne 2Don’t act surprised this is on here. If only one of these games gets a sequel, it has to be Bloodborne. As one of the best games released for the PlayStation 4, it would be a crime to leave it as a single game.
And yet that’s exactly what has happened, with publisher Sony not so much as releasing a PlayStation 5 patch for the game – despite its dodgy frame rate being one of its few flaws. To ignore such an incredible game for so long suggests some sort of falling out with developer FromSoftware but considering Sony owns a stake in them that doesn’t seem to be the case.
Even just a remaster or remake would be something but given this is arguably the best Souslike game ever, it doesn’t deserve to fade from the public gaze like this.
Bloodborne was one of the best selling PlayStation 4 games so how has Sony not already commissioned a sequel from FromSoftware? (Sony Interactive Entertainment)Email [email protected], leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter.
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