Video game sequels aren’t as divisive as movie ones. Anytime another film in a series is announced, fans aren’t confident it will be as good as the original since they usually aren’t. Gaming, however, has a better success rate with follow-up titles. In fact, some of the best games ever are sequels.
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Yet, the best sequels aren’t just good games. They are titles that significantly improve upon their predecessors. So, while Dishonored 2 is an excellent game, it isn’t among the best sequels because it isn’t really any better than the original title. The following games, though, are not only great but also improve on what came before.
7Portal 2
The originalPortalwas a clever puzzle title, but it was only a small adventure.Portal 2is both longer and a complete improvement on its predecessor in every department. For starters, it keeps most of the mechanics from the original game but adds in things such as gels and light bridges. This adds more depth to the puzzles.
On top of that, the inclusion of several more great characters like Wheatley and Cave Johnson gives the game extra personality. And they make Portal 2 one of the funniest games in history, which can’t be said about the original. There’s also a separate co-op campaign, better visuals, and a stronger story, which altogether results in a far superior title.
6Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
None of theUnchartedgames can be considered outright bad. That being said, the series jumped up in quality for Uncharted 2. The first game had too many similar sequences where you had to shoot your way through a bunch of enemies. It didn’t help that the combat was pretty generic.
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Among Thieves tweaks things a little bit. There is more variety in the missions and the environments. Also, the game’s story and characters are a lot more interesting. Not only are the heroes compelling, Uncharted 2 boasts some ofthe series' best villains. Most of all, though, the game doesn’t include frustrating vehicle sections, unlike the original.
In terms of story,Red Dead Redemption 2is actually a prequel, but it’s a sequel in a video game sense. The first Red Dead Redemption was one of the best games of its generation, so there shouldn’t have been a lot for RDR2 to improve upon.
Yet, the second title is much more complete than the first. In fact, it does everything the original does, but better. The world has more life, everything is more detailed, the story is more compelling, and even the characters are better. So, it accomplishes exactly what a sequel is supposed to do.
4The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The Witcherwasn’t a well-known series in the gaming world untilThe Witcher 3was released. The first game in the series was average, while The Witcher 2 was really good. The third game, though, is one ofthe greatest RPGs in recent memory.
Compared to the other two, it offers a much larger world, which is filled with so many interesting things to see and do. The standard of writing and storytelling is much higher in this title, too. And the combat is smoother and more satisfying. It’s just a better overall game than the others.
3Assassin’s Creed 2
As a premise,Assassin’s Creedhas always been interesting. Yet, the first title was hampered by repetitive missions and some restrictive mechanics. Fans let their opinions known about these things, and the developers did things differently for Assassin’s Creed 2.
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In this wonderful action-adventure title, missions are a lot more varied, as you don’t follow the same exact methods to hunt down your prey. Plus, not every mission is about your next assassination target. There is also a more engaging story, which stars Ezio, who is a much more compelling protagonist than Altair. The combat, stealth, and traversal mechanics have been significantly improved.
2Half-Life 2
When the firstHalf-Lifewas released, it got plenty of attention due to its uniqueness. After all, there had never been an FPS title quite like that one. A sequel would obviously struggle to capture that same originality. This is the case withHalf-Life 2, as it isn’t entirely dissimilar to the original. However, there are enough differences to make it clear that the sequel is superior.
One of the primary reasons is the incredible physics engine the game has. It allows you to do so many things you couldn’t do in the original. Plus, the environments have more variety, and you aren’t forced to visit the strange world of Xen, which is a disappointing moment in the original title.
1Mass Effect 2
The originalMass Effectwas asolid sci-fi RPG, as it had a great story and brilliant characters. Yet, it was let down by its clunky and uninspired combat, as well as a bunch of repetitive side missions.Mass Effect 2rights most of the previous game’s wrongs.
The cover-based shooting is far more fluid and responsive. As for the side missions, they’re mostly made up of compelling loyalty missions. The game also rivals the first in the quality of its story and characters. In fact, it bests the original game in the latter, as there’s a lot more of them, and you get to know the main ones on a much deeper level.
