Games come and go, and every now and then, a new IP is born. If it skyrockets, then it generates sequels and spin-offs, but if it doesn’t meet expectations, then it is lost to time forever, which straight-up sucks. Let’s take a look at some of the great games, whether in the department of gameplay, story, or world-building and deserve a sequel or continuation. The basic rule here is that if the game has not gotten a 2, it belongs here. So, I do apologize in advance if you want to see Dead Rising 5 or Dead Space 4 here; we’ll make another list for that, I promise!
It doesn’t matter if these games scored well or not; if they impressed gamers with their art, story, gameplay, or world, then that’s all that matters. Of course, there are a lot of games that we can fit into this list, but then it’ll become unnecessarily long and ridiculous, so we are going to focus on a select few and make a list for part two later. With that out of the way, let’s take a look at some amazing games that are yet to get a sequel.
Bully
The year was 2006, Rockstar Games had made a name for themselves with the tremendous success of the “Grand Theft Auto” games, and now it was time to try something new. Enter “Bully.” An open-world game where you take control of Jimmy Hopkins, a teenager dropped off at a boarding school named Bullworth Academy.
“Bully” followed the conventions and standards left by the “GTA Series,” but this time, the focus wasn’t to become a criminal but to survive a school year and put bullies in their place. The school and the town surrounding it were amazing places to explore, filled with charm and personality. Jimmy could ride a bike or his skateboard to get around, as no cars were driveable as he was a teenager. You could attend classes that included really fun mini-games. Learn new tricks and fighting moves, find collectibles, interact with the students, run from the prefects, and follow a brilliantly written story full of charm in the world of Bully. We’d welcome a remake of this game with open arms if it ever comes to pass.
LA Noire
Rockstar Games partnered with Team Bondi to make an open-world crime game set in 1940s Los Angeles. The twist this time around was that you weren’t a criminal but a cop. “LA Noire” took players on the journey of Cole Phelps going from beat cop to full-time detective. The main draw of this game revolved around surveying crime scenes, gathering evidence, and interrogating suspects. The best part is that “LA Noire” didn’t hold your hand throughout any of this, and you, the player, were solely responsible for collecting all evidence and blaming the right suspect by yourself. The events that took place in the game revolved around the real-life Black Dahlia murder case that happened in Los Angeles back in the 1940s. You play and watch Cole Phelps as he goes from a beat cop to traffic, homicide, vice, and down to arson. The facial technology was out of this world when the game first came out, and the world itself served as a backdrop but was faithfully and beautifully created. The clothing, dialects, cars, and everything in between was era-appropriate, and “LA Noire” stands tall as one of the best detective games ever made. We’d love to see a sequel for this without a shadow of a doubt.Â
Vampyr
If you ask me, DONTNOD’s experiment of creating an open-world vampire RPG game set in Victorian-era London paid off. The game is underrated as a mess, but good god, it is one of the best games ever made in this genre. Dr. Jonathan Reid wakes up in a mass grave in London and finds out he’s a vampire now, thus beginning his journey. You, the player, have the choice to feed into your bloodlust and consume every character you come across or follow your Hippocratic Oath and make sure that you harm no one. This created an incredible moral dilemma that affected the doctor as much as it affected the player. The world and the characters were the stars of the show; however, as the world oozes personality and ambiance, the characters were indeed very well written. The combat was fun, and the story was definitely an interesting one. A sequel for “Vampyr” shouldn’t be off the table by any stretch of the imagination, as this game and this world deserve far more than they got. It doesn’t matter if Dr. Jonathan Reid returns or not; the vampire fiction must continue, as it truly was marvelous.
Vanquish
I am going to keep it short and sweet for “Vanquish” and say that Platinum Games should definitely work on a sequel. Why? The combat. Simple as that. This is one of the fastest-paced action games I have ever seen or played in my life. It was beautiful to look at, fun to play, and filled a void that not many games even consider. Platinum Games are experts in creating incredible combat and Vanquish has to be one of the best games they have ever made (it’s not like they have ever made a bad game, anyways). The story was there, and it was decent, but then again, that’s the point. The point is that this combat system and this type of world need more attention and should get some with a sequel. Period.
Brutal Legend
Another one that I’ll keep short and sweet and say, “Give us a sequel, please.” The world of “Brutal Legend” was dripping with personality and was inventive as they combined action-adventure elements with real-time strategy. Double Fine crafted something larger than life here as the game was fun, addictive, and hilarious, and with the likes of Jack Black, Ozzy Osbourne, Rob Halford, Lemmy Kilmister, Tim Curry, and Lita Ford voicing characters, the stag power was strong with this one. I don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up, but I do believe a sequel is more than possible now that Double Fine is a part of Xbox Game Studios, and both Tim Schafer and Jack Black have shown some interest in reprising this world and its characters. Here’s hoping for a sequel to the beloved “Brutal Legend.”
The Order 1886
Ready At Dawn Studios made this game for the Playstation 4 console, and though it came out in 2015, it still stands as one of the best-looking games out there. “The Order 1886” followed the story of Sir Galahad and the Order, sworn to protect the city of London from Lykens. The steampunk aesthetic combined with the ancient history and significance of the Order makes this world so intriguing and captivating. I love stories in London, and I love vampires and werewolves, and the Order delivered a werewolf story in London with flying colors. “The Order 1886” got a lot of slack when it first came out, and although I agree with most of it. I’d openly say that the game didn’t deserve such harsh treatment. Sure, it was more of a movie filled with QTEs, but the characters and the world were so well thought out and written that I would definitely love to see a sequel. I hope “Ready At Dawn” considers making one, as I know a lot of people will love that.
Sunset Overdrive
Insomniac Games are no stranger to making good games, and with “Sunset Overdrive,” they made something very special. They made a video game that looked and felt like a video game. No gritty themes and tone, no emotional drama, no save the world plot—just good old fun!
“Sunset Overdrive” took place in Sunset City, where mutants called OD were running rampant, and the player character ran around the map, killing as many as he or she could while having fun. The weapons were crazy and creative, the traversal was incredibly fun, the art style was colorful and unique, and the story was hilarious. The first game was exclusive to the Xbox, but now that Sony has acquired Insomniac Games, it’s safe to say if a sequel ever happens, it’ll only be on the Playstation. “Sunset Overdrive” is highly underrated, and it doesn’t matter which platform it releases on; this game deserves a sequel as it masterfully captures the “fun” aspect of why we play and enjoy video games.
Ryse Son Of Rome
As a launch title for the Xbox One, developer Crytek wanted to showcase the power of this console generation right off the bat by delivering a game with cutting-edge visuals and cinematic gameplay.
“Ryse Son Of Rome” truly was a visual experience and showcased immediately what this new generation of consoles had in store for us. The gameplay was simple but very fun, with Marius Titus (the player character) murdering fools with a brutal combat system. The game is set in an alternate timeline, so no, it’s not historically accurate, but the details and care put into representing Ancient Rome are still, to this day, breathtaking. Yes, the game was not received that well, mostly because of abundant QTEs but trust me, this game was hella good and hella fun. It’s been almost a decade since it came out, and not only am I holding on to hope, but I truly believe it deserves a sequel.
Recore
The story follows Joule Adams, who wakes up from cryo-sleep on the planet of Far Eden to find out that things did not go according to plan. The game then lets you lose yourself in an open world to learn more about the world and what happened, solve puzzles, collect resources, and engage in some very fun combat sections.
Developed by Comcept, the talent behind this game was incredible, truth be told, with the likes of Keiji Inafune directing the game and Joseph Staten writing it. Simple in design and nature, the world of Recore, which was mostly filled with sand dunes, was still beautiful. Joule had three companions called “core bots” to accompany her along this journey, with each one of them coming with their own unique abilities that help you out. There were some truly challenging and thought-provoking puzzle and platforming sections across your journey, and the combat was simple, with weapons and enemies being color-coded. “Recore” was fun and fluid, and your journey to collect more and more cores by defeating big robot monsters never got boring or old. It did get an expansion, but that’s not enough; give Recore a sequel.
Prey
Finally, we have “Prey,” and frankly, this is the only game on this list that I am sure will get a sequel sometime in the coming years. Arkane Studios, I am here to talk about you again. Oh, how I love your games, and I loved “Prey” so much. This reboot of sorts of the original Prey game changed both direction and style, and while we loved the original game, we love this approach too. You play as Morgan Yu aboard a space station orbiting the moon called TALOS-1, where an alien race known only as the Typhon has taken over. The game is an immersive sim where the world is quite literally your playground, and you are free to approach and tackle any and every scenario in whichever way you want to. The abilities you can unlock, and the combat were all fun, and the exploration aboard TALOS-1 came with lots and lots of world-building and lore. The story was interesting, to say the least, and the conclusion was truly jaw-dropping. You even get to go outside the space station and explore the area in zero-G; now that’s cool, isn’t it? The game also managed to deliver some good scares, and in my mind, it is one of the best games that came out in the eighth generation of consoles. There is no doubt in my mind that Prey will get a sequel, but the question is, when?
Final Words
There you go, a quick list of 10 great games that truly deserve a sequel. Did we miss any of your favorites? And don’t worry, we’ll make another list for the numbers 3 and 4 and so on sometime in the future. With that out of the way, I’d like to take my leave. Thank you for reading!
See more: 10 Most Underrated Video-Games From The Last Generation
