As game consoles and technologies advance, players expect games in their favorite series to get bigger and better with every consecutive release, though that isn’t always the case.
It’s pretty hard for a video game sequel not to one-up the game that came before it; if the first game is a success, the foundation of a series is already there to build upon. However, whether it’s a sequel that’s plagued with intrusive monitization schemes, retreads the same mechanics of its predecessor, or completely ruins the franchise, these games couldn’t repeat the magic of the originals.
10 Star Wars: Battlefront 2 (2017)
Introduced in 2015, EA's revamp of the timeless Battlefront series was a fun experience, though it didn't launch with nearly enough content and was riddled with microtransactions. But Battlefront 2, though it does have loads of fun maps, was a disaster at launch, with EA clearly letting their greed get the best of them. Iconic characters were locked behind dozens of hours of grind which could be circumvented with in-game purchases, and the whole thing was totally stifled by avaricious decision making.
9 Bioshock 2 (2010)
Bioshock was one of a select breed of rare games that made gamers actually pay attention to directors of games, as the Bioshock series is the brainchild of the genius storyteller Ken Levine. The first Bioshock might have been lacking in certain areas of its gameplay, but it’s beloved for the narrative and mind-bending twist.
Unfortunately, Bioshock 2 was too much of a retread of the original, failing to advance its own ideas and coming across as a shallow rehash of the first Bisohock title. However, the third game, Bioshock Infinite, completely rectified that by being totally different in every way.
8 Crackdown 2 (2010)
The first Crackdown game took obvious inspiration from the Grand Theft Auto series, as it featured players wreaking havoc in an open world and driving down streets at insane speeds, and the developers even had ties to the team that studio that created the GTA series.
The game was still fun despite wearing its influences on its sleeve, and it had one unique selling point, which was that players actually had superpowers. However, the sequel was way too similar to the first game. Nothing new was added, and there wasn’t even a story. The fun sandbox gameplay was still intact, but even the weapons, vehicles, and abilities all remained the same. Not even the graphics were improved, and, believe it or not, the same world map from the original title was re-introduced.
7 Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (2011)
With the four main Uncharted games in the series, it has entered into the debate for the best video game series ever, but that isn’t to say that the series hasn’t disappointed fans in the past.
Though there are a select few that prefer Drake’s Deception to Among Thieves, Drake’s Deception was largely considered a side step, and, after the series had become known for pushing the envelope, the same narrative beats and less enthralling set pieces were seen as a disappointment at the time. But, if it hadn't been for the third game, fans would have never been introduced to Charlie, one of the best characters in the series.
6 God Of War: Ascension (2013)
As great as the God of War series is, the concept of an origin story was stale and failed to take the franchise in any new and interesting directions. Though the mythology is something that would be translated perfectly into a movie adaptation, it’s epic cinematic moments actually worked against it, as they felt far too similar to God of War 3, which was still fresh in the minds of players at the time.
It was the third time in eight years to depicted the origins of Kratos instead of telling a new story. However, the gameplay still held strong, but, given that the story is so imperative to the series, it isn’t regarded as highly as the first three titles.
5 Tom Raider: The Angel Of Darkness (2003)
Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness should have been great, as it was the very first game in the series to be released on the PlayStation 2. Given how much more powerful the console was when compared to the original PlayStation, a semi-sandbox Tomb Raider game would have been amazing, but, instead, players got a buggy game with terrible frame rate issues.
There weren’t even any tombs in the game. The Angel of Darkness was such a disappointment to fans that it almost ended the entire franchise. However, it inspired a reboot, which lead to the incredible Tomb Raider Legend and the even better Tomb Raider Anniversary.
4 Crash Bandicoot: Wrath Of Cortex (2001)
Believe it or not, the newest release in the Crash series, Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, isn’t actually the fourth game. The developers made the decision to ignore every game that was released after the original trilogy, as the quality of those now non-canonical games didn’t even close to that of Naughty Dog’s games.
The real fourth game in the series, Wrath of Cortex, has a cult following amongst die-hard Crash fans, but, in reality, the game felt like a cheap imitation of the original. From the platforming to the tribal soundtrack, it was fun in the first game, but it felt lazy at this point. Epitomizing this was an infamous boss fight that literally required zero input from the player to beat.
3 Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 (2015)
With the Tony Hawk series having somewhat of a renaissance, as the remake of the first two Pro Skater games was a huge hit and continue to be played online, it has opened up the possibility of the other games getting a remake, too. However, there’s a reason why the series looked backward for inspiration, as the game that came before it, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5, was by far the worst in the series.
The game was a bastardization of the first game in the series, and, as two of the most beloved levels in the series are School and School II, Pro Skater 5 teased fans with a level named School III. The worst thing about it was that it was just School II with updated graphics, but half of the level was completely missing.
2 Sim City (2013)
Though it was the first in the series to feature full 3D graphics, the long awaited follow-up to Sim City was broken upon release. The game was riddled with glitches, and it was ultimately unplayable. Given how players had to be online to play, the game had so many connection issues.
As one of the best things about the first Sim City is using the tools available to players to build worlds with spiral roads and awe inspiring skyscrapers, the game advises against doing such things. There isn’t any room for creativity, as the game is designed so that players get the most out of their city if they simply build square street blocks.
1 Duke Nukem Forever (2011)
After several spin-offs and portable games, Duke Nukem Forever was the proper sequel to the 1996 game that fans had been begging for. It had been long in development, as it was announced way back in 1997.
As the hype had been building for well over a decade, the result was only ever going to be disappointing. The shooting mechanics and level design of the game were so sloppy that it had fans wondering if they were imagining how great the original game was, or if they had been look at the series through nostalgia goggles.
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10 Video Game Sequels That Couldn't Live Up To The Original - Screen Rant
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