A great video game can be like lightning in a bottle. That one perfect game that comes out at the right time and place. A breakthrough title that rewrites the script and shatters expectations.

Then comes the sequel. With a publisher breathing down your neck and fan expectations sky-high, can any sequel really live up to that first legendary title?

Even the most revered video game studios have put out a blunder or misstep when it comes to their flagship franchises. Whether it's rushing a title to cash in on a lucrative holiday season or simply a limited budget or an unrealistic deadline - many video game sequels have left fans with a bitter taste in their mouths, either by missing the mark completely to just being "okay".

Obvious disappointing video game sequels include Duke Nukem Forever - a game that took 14 years to release to a triumphant "humph"; Nintendo's Metroid: Other M - a game with a laughably bad story and frustrating controls; Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link - a game that upended its predecessor and lost a lot of what made the first game so esteemed in the first place.

But, what are your most disappointing video game sequels? Did a sequel to a game ever resonate so poorly with you that you lost interest in the franchise altogether?

Let us know your most disappointing video game sequel in the comments below.

 

[PhyChris]

I liked Zelde 2 better than the first. Then A Link to the past came out and BOOM my favorite!

 

[BlackZero500]

I seem to be one of Few that thought that Other M was an outstanding entry to a Great series of games. I enjoyed the well written story and i had no problems with the controls at all.

for me it would be Risen 2 and 3. You had such a great Fantasy, Gothic Game and then you destroy it in the sequels with the whole Pirate thingy. Dont get me wrong, i like Pirate games. But if i want to play a Pirate game, i play one. Not one thats supposed to be a Fantasy RPG in the style of Gothic.

Also Final Fantasy 13. Yeah there are some bad apples in the whole Final Fantasy basket, but i think 13 stands out extremely. Awfully written Characters. Lame Story. They took away everything good in the series like being f***in able to controll my characters in battle.

 

[SPAC3W4IFU]

And then sackboy: a big adventure was even worse. Just couldn't get into that game at all

eh, I thought that game was fine, since it wasn't trying to be a LBP4 of sorts, but just a 3D-World-like spinoff platformer, although I never did finish it.

 

[Chris_Dai_Gyakuten_Saiban]

One game that was disappointing that I got not sure if it has a sequel but there's Slain Back From Hell.

 

[MyJoyConRunsHot]

Mario Strikers Battle League.

 

[Bitt]

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A great video game can be like lightning in a bottle. That one perfect game that comes out at the right time and place. A breakthrough title that rewrites the script and shatters expectations.

Then comes the sequel. With a publisher breathing down your neck and fan expectations sky-high, can any sequel really live up to that first legendary title?

Even the most revered video game studios have put out a blunder or misstep when it comes to their flagship franchises. Whether it's rushing a title to cash in on a lucrative holiday season or simply a limited budget or an unrealistic deadline - many video game sequels have left fans with a bitter taste in their mouths, either by missing the mark completely to just being "okay".

Obvious disappointing video game sequels include Duke Nukem Forever - a game that took 14 years to release to a triumphant "humph"; Nintendo's Metroid: Other M - a game with a laughably bad story and frustrating controls; Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link - a game that upended its predecessor and lost a lot of what made the first game so esteemed in the first place.

But, what are your most disappointing video game sequels? Did a sequel to a game ever resonate so poorly with you that you lost interest in the franchise altogether?

Let us know your most disappointing video game sequel in the comments below.

Overwatch 2 lol

 

[stanleyopar2000]

Mario Strikers Battle League.

Nice profile picture

 

[Marc_LFD]

Sonic the Hedgehog 4. Weak ass game.

That's what it's called, but it's not really Sonic 4.. it's just a crappy modern Sonic game split into two episodes with a third being planned, yet never released.

Sonic Mania was more of a Sonic 4 than that one.

Post automatically merged: Oct 23, 2022

Mario Strikers Battle League.

Yep, that's pretty bare bones and Nintendo intends on regaining fans trust by releasing content in "seasons" or something.

It's a Nintendo game so we expect quality, not what EA, Epic, Microsoft, Sony, etc do.

 

[Megadriver94]

Megaman Battle Network 4: Red Sun/Blue Moon
Megaman X7
Duke Nukem Forever 2011 release!

 

[my2k2zx2]

I played so much Need For Speed on 3DO. Saw NFS2 on PS1 and picked it up, did not care for that one.

 

[Tomato123]

Dishonored 2. The first is my favourite game of all time and the second just took everything which made it good and threw it away.

 

[Megadriver94]

Quake Champions: Had SO MUCH Potential, but it was so damn underwhelming from what I've heard.

Fallout 4 (not counting any of the DLC): UGH, Too many fucking retcons that should not have been implemented!

Skyrim LE (also not counting any of the DLC)

Resident Evil 6: MEH. Only 2 or 3 things are better here than in 5.

Spoiler: If we could include Prequel and in-between games

Fallout 76

Halo 5: UGH! 343 needs to be shut down.

Most main series COD games after Black Ops 2 or Black Ops 3.

Battlefield 4: Just buggy trash at launch, especially in the multiplayer area.

Battlefield Hardline: Not too terrible or bad, imo. However, not only is it jarring at times playing a Battlefield game in the setting of a narcotics officer cracking down on drug traffickers (something more fitting for a True Crime or NARC title), but the stealth mechanics are sort of janky. No doubt the voice acting and facial motion capture technology found in this game is well-done, but the campaign, regardless of platform, is inferior to Bad Company 1 as well as Bad Company 2, Battlefield 3, and Battlefield 1. However, the game's multiplayer does have less connection hiccups and bugs in general than Battlefield 4 does and is also more playable than both V and the possible nail in the coffin that is 2042.

Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon: Pointless upgrades that added things which SHOULD HAVE BEEN in Sun and Moon in the first place.

Quake 3 Arena's official expansion: Team Arena. The main game has many good aspects, but the Team arena Expansion comes off as a bland official version of certain fain-made mods that were already implemented and distributed on the net.

Assassin's Creed Unity: Quite a bad example of developing via Unity, overall.

Castlevania X for SNES/SFC: Typically falls flat in many areas, especially when it comes to certain gameplay mechanics that were butchered during the dev conversion from PC Engine CD to Super Nintendo.

Mortal Kombat mythologies: Sub-Zero. Truly, An utter disappointment.

Final Fantasy series after 10 is so fucking convoluted in their general story arcs, typically. Also the gameplay of most of the post-X FF games is poor to meh.

 

[anhminh]

Patapon 3

Even now I still not sure what the fuck was they thinking when they make that.

 

[City]

I played so much Need For Speed on 3DO. Saw NFS2 on PS1 and picked it up, did not care for that one.

Hold on, you grew up with a 3DO?

Like, it was your childhood console?

…can you tell us more, please?

 

[Something whatever]

phantasy star online 2 new genesis

 

[KIDMods]

I don't know if it counts, but Paper Mario: The Origami King.
I just want Mario RPG combat again...

 

[Paulsar99]

Recently I would say halo infinite. Mp was ok but lack of content pretty much killed it in a span of a few months. While the singleplayer campaign was the same generic ubisoft formula repetitive borefest.

 

[depaul]

Shenmue 3, after like 15 years it was a disappointment.

 

[CathyRina]

Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis (PSO2:NGS for short)
PSO2 was great! I love it so much.
NGS launched unfinished and still is to this day. Everything feels watered down and WiP.
On top of that Sega hired the worst people imaginable to manage the Global version of the game.

 

[enderer]

dr mario 64... they only added 4-player mode