Top 5 Games That Really Need A Sequel

by Bronwyn Fraser

Moolah equals sequels.

The one problem with the games industry- no, this whole planet, is money. Yeah, capitalism works, and I'd much rather live in a capitalist western democracy than an autocracy, but unfortunately it can be an obstacle in producing sequels to games (among many, many other things... like altruism, prejudice and class divides, but that may be another feature!) that producers don't feel are going to make them the right amount of moolah to appease their bosses.

There could be other problems. DOA4 did not get a sequel (though, yay, that's now amended) because Team Ninja had a poopoo with each other. Some games just feel they don't need any (Kid Icarus, Metroid) and then come out with a sequel in the next generation when their developers feel technological advancements could offer something new for the series... or their producers just feel it's time to milk a cow for its moolah.

So, here are 5 games that definitely need a sequel, not just for the moolah, not just for the technology, but because they deserve them.

1. Shenmue 2

No surprises here, I'm not even going to bother putting this list in descending order, more of a medley with no importance given to number value.

Shenmue II finished the standalone game, not the series. Ending with main character Ryo and a supporting character discovering items crucial to the plot which uncover depictions of two certain mirrors crucial to the plot, you would not have been the only one utterly surprised to find the game finishing there. The game was a success amongst the critics, and though the Japanese version sold well, across the pond Shenmue II did not find staggering financial success. Lack of marketing and lack of diversity in platforms (most people owned something like a Dreamcast, and the relatively new Xbox for which the game was released was still past the wallets of most buyers) plus the fact that you could not play the original in the West unless you had a Dreamcast, shrunk the audience significantly.

Luckily, Shenmue I and II are rumoured to be released soon for XBLA and PSN, so hopefully it may still receive the attention it deserved, and then a long-awaited sequel may follow the moolah.

2. Brute Force

Bungie didn't just appear one day with Halo. When Halo came around touting that it was 'Combat Evolved', I was one of the few that was impressed but didn't feel like they could really get in on the madness - because it didn't feel that mad. It was a remarkable experience hands down, but I wonder if the reason for my reserved appreciation of the first Halo came from first experiencing Bungie's earlier product: Brute Force.

Myself and my sibling possibly racked up hundreds of hours on that game. The co-op was, I feel, the games ultimate gift. With the ability to choose between four players covering the roles of heavy assault, shock trooper, stealth and sniper and the power to control your team in ways rare to the shooter genre, the possibilities for every hostile encounter went up exponentially. Perfecting your tactics was incredibly fun (to be fair though, they weren't always necessary, but it's like icing a cake, it always tastes better if you do), and the entertainment value went up further due to the game taking time, even entire missions, for character development. By the end of the substantial campaign you had an elite brotherhood, balanced in the sexes and equal in their respect for one another. Equal in your respect for them all.

It was a solid game, and I feel not as fondly remembered as it should have been, maybe another example of what over-hype can do. It's as deserving of a sequel as any game, and now that the likes of Dragon Age have expanded the potential for team tactics, the time has never felt riper for another Brute Force.

3. Kameo: Elements of Power

I really feel that Kameo would have a sequel if only developer Rare had not been thrown in shackles. I'm sure if you surf around the internet you will find many an explanation for the renowned developers downfall (or, at least subjugation) but that's not what we're here to discuss. Kameo was awesome, shape-shifting has been down with young adults ever since Animorphs (remember?), and throw in an imaginative fantasy world with dinosaurs, trolls, elves, talking plants and wyverns, speckled with riddles and mysteries the player is free to explore and solve (or not) on their own (what is behind the door in the dungeon? We will never know...), and Kameo EoP was a solid game and universe. It finished not so much on a cliffhanger as on a question, and if you spent the time to get invested in the game you would not be blamed for thinking you deserved to know that question's answer. But you never did, because there was never a sequel, which is why this game made the list.

4. Metroid

Sure it got a sequel, actually it got many. It even got a next-gen one. It was received well enough, a gameplay-wise it was all fairly solid. It was Samus' character that had the games community up in arms. Samus was there before Lara Croft, before Shepherd, Joanna Dark and Kameo. She was the female Master Chief, one could say. Never said a word, just kept on killing stuff - and you know what, John? She was there first.

And then Other M came along and what we received of Samus was depressing and uninteresting. Her suit took every chance it could to sexualise her for no reason and Samus seemed to be stuck in some kind of neverending PMS. The game was boring, and by the end of it Samus' potential was gone. Because we never knew anything about her, that's all she ever was, and that's almost want many of us want her to be again. But potential isn't enough, the damage has been done and, maybe (say it with me) just maybe, it can be repaired. Another sequel? Metroid deserves it, it also clearly has to be wary of it.

5. Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood

This one is coming from a personal pet peeve. A Sonic fan at heart I had no cynicism at all playing Brotherhood, despite it being released at the height of Sonic's decade-long dark patch that he seems to have finally emerged from (fingers crossed). I played it, enjoyed it, and waggled my finger at Bioware when they frustratingly finished on an agonising cliff-hanger. And then I waited... and waited. Checking the reviews, the game had done okay - it wasn't amazing, but it had the critics nodding in appreciation if not raving in astonishment. And the rest is history. No sequel, just a devastating cliff-hanger for a narrative-driven game that could promise so much a second time around, given a chance.

Obviously, this list is far, far, far, far, far from exhaustive. There have been so many games shelved by developers for reasons too numerous to list that I would be here until my assignments are overdue. It might be prudent to note now however that some game did not get onto this admittedly short list for the reason many gamers overlook: it does not need one. If you're irritated your favourite didn't take number, maybe take another look. Does Bastion deserve a sequel? Or is it built to stand on its own?

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