The Most Disappointing Video Game Sequels - Part Six

Sometimes you're waiting years for a video game sequel only for it to finally come out and your excitement and hype end not with a bang but a whimper due to the game's lackluster quality. With how long it takes for sequels to be developed nowadays with longer dev times and bigger budgets, this pain can sting even more.

With that said, some things come in twos, and that's the theme of this installment of The Most Disappointing Video Game Sequels. From Xbox first-party efforts to retro revivals, SuperPhillip Central has several themed pairs of disappointing sequels this time around. After checking out this edition's selection of six disappointing sequels, which would you personally add to a future installment?

Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five

Crackdown 3 (XB1, PC)

Crackdown 3 was a bit of a miracle that it finally got released. It's sort of a Frankenstein of parts, each created and conceived by different studios and development teams here and there. However, as the saying goes, "Too many cooks spoil the broth." The core gameplay of Crackdown 3 meets the standard of past games in the series. This is a good thing and a bad thing. As a positive, you know what you're going to get with Crackdown 3, and if you enjoyed the gameplay of its Xbox 360 predecessors, then you're more than likely to enjoy what Crackdown 3 has to offer.

However, a negative, and one that overshadowed the positives of Crackdown 3, is that the game was in the making for so long and the end result is so similar to past games. What was deemed fresh and modern back when Crackdown originally released isn't so much in the present, over a decade later. Seeing Crackdown 3 in the state that it released in with little in the way of innovation and little more than a shinier coat of paint made for a disappointing sequel after many years of waiting and many delays as well. Still, one can find a fantastic amount of fun with Crackdown 3, and that's really the most important thing. That said, the game still remains disappointing even with the fun one can have from it.

State of Decay 2 (XB1, PC)

I don't mean to pick on Microsoft Studios with Crackdown 3 and now this next sequel, but it's a pretty common opinion that Xbox's first party catalog on Xbox One has not been the most inspiring. That continues with State of Decay 2--at least its launch. Surviving a zombie apocalypse is no new idea in video games. In fact, zombies as a concept by itself is one used ad nauseum, but the idea of fighting for your virtual life against hordes of undead, flesh-craving creatures is one that permeates through pop culture and survives. Why? It's just plain fun. The original State of Decay made a mark in the Xbox ecosystem with rewarding survival-based gameplay and plenty of zombies for players to battle or escape from. It made for a tense and IN-tense experience that was worthy of a play (or hundred).

That's why coming off the original State of Decay to its sequel was such a shock to the system. While the gameplay itself was compelling enough with its similar survival and combat, scavenging for items, and new addition of co-operative play for a maximum of three players to face the open-world zombie hellscape together, there was an even greater danger in State of Decay 2 than the zombie apocalypse. That was the copious amount of bugs and glitches that infested the game worse than zombies ever could. State of Decay 2 isn't a bad game, but its lack of polish made it a lesser game at launch compared to its predecessor.

Dragon Age II (PS3, 360, PC)

Our next pair of games bestow unto us medieval fantasy worlds, though one comes from a big publisher while the other comes from a much smaller by comparison indie. Regardless, Dragon Age II from EA and BioWare is hardly a bad game, but the reason this title is disappointing is when you're looking at it through the lens of being a sequel to Dragon Age: Origins. After all, games aren't released in a bubble, and when you are the sequel to a game that spawned so many brilliant ideas, you're going to draw obvious comparisons.

Dragon Age II brought with it a more simplified, streamlined combat system, which for some players made for a less satisfying gaming experience. The fact that you cannot customize your character in any detailed way also stung. Then, you have the game world of Dragon Age II, which eschewed the open world that its predecessor had, delivering a much more claustrophobic world by comparison. It's definitely up for debate on whether Dragon Age II is a lesser game than Origins, but it's hard to argue against the idea that this sequel didn't disappoint a fair amount of players due to the features that are absent compared to the first.

Trine 3: The Artifacts of Power (PS4, XB1, NSW, PC)

I recently reviewed Trine 3: The Artifacts of Power's Nintendo Switch version, which recently launched on that system. Needless to say--by virtue that Trine 3 shows up on a "most disappointing video game sequel" article--I wasn't too thrilled with it. I do give credit to Frozenbyte for not resting on its laurels with the Trine series. After two successful installments with gorgeous 2.5D visuals and satisfying gameplay, the development team tried their hand at taking the series into 3D.

Between the bugs and glitches presented in the game to the depth-perception issues that plague many parts of its 3D world, Trine 3 was an experiment gone awry. The disparity in budget between a 2.5D game and a 3D one made it so that the adventure ended on an abrupt cliffhanger right when the story was getting interesting. It was hard for players not to feel like the wind was taken out of their sails, and some longtime fans of the series grew toxic enough that Frozenbyte felt the need to release an apologetic response. This is a double disappointment for this sequel--not just for the game itself, but the toxic and offensive way some fans lashed out at the developer as well.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 - Episodes I and II (Multi)

Sonic the Hedgehog is a well known character and series for any "most disappointing video game sequel" list, so it's no surprise that the Blue Blur in the modern era sees an appearance on this article. Rather than delve into the myriad 3D games that one could choose, I'm picking the so-called return to Sonic's roots with Sonic the Hedgehog 4's duo of episodes. They're drastically different in visuals and presentation, but they're similar in how much they disappoint.

From a level design standpoint, the episodes range from decent to terrible. At worst, they're a reminder of the Dimps-style level design from the design school where cheap deaths and bottomless pits aplenty are passed off as challenge and boost pads hide the fact that Sonic 4's physics are totally out of wack. Level gimmicks neglect to impress or innovate. From a control standpoint, Sonic Team and Dimps completely failed to nail the feel of the games they were riding the coattails of, as Sonic lacks momentum in his speed and physics issues like coming in and out of loops are a constant feature.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 felt like a cynical attempt to cash-in on the nostalgia of fans, and was by no means worthy of the number 4 in its title. Today, it has been easily outmatched by the true heir and successor to the Genesis / Mega Drive games, and that is of course Sonic Mania.

Double Dragon IV (PS4, NSW, PC)

We end this edition of The Most Disappointing Video Game Sequels with the fourth numbered game in the Double Dragon series. It very much feels like a lost relic of the 1980s, only with the caveat and major problem that it was actually released in 2017. Sticking with its old school sensibilities in both appearance and how it played was a bold move by developer Arc System Works, but it also made for a game that felt like a product of a long lost time--one that was better lost than found.

We've moved on to better gaming experiences since the days of stiff brawlers and beat-em-ups, and Double Dragon IV stays stuck in the past. Sure, the game won't eat up your dollars from renting it at Blockbuster again and again like its NES brethren were designed to do, but it will eat up something far more important: your patience and your time. Quite frankly, this sequel to Double Dragon is hardly worth playing. It's a fossil in its archaic gameplay and design. If you want a competent and much more desirable sequel to the Double Dragon series, look no further than Super Double Dragon on the SNES.

The Most Disappointing Video Game Sequels - Part Three

There are plenty of bad feelings in this world that are far worse than stuff in the gaming world -- stubbing your toe, rear-ending the driver in front of you with your car, texting a sexual message to your mom or dad instead of your girlfriend or boyfriend, etc. In the gaming world, there are some bad feelings as well. For one, being excited and greatly anticipating the sequel to one of your favorite games only for it to simply and completely suck. It especially hurts if it's a game that has been long in development.

That's what The Most Disappointing Video Game Sequels series of articles talks about, and now we've arrived at Part Three! To read up on the twelve sequels discussed in past entries, look no further than these links:

Part One
Part Two

Duke Nukem Forever (Multi)

Let's make one thing perfectly clear here: I'm here to bash on the worst video game sequels and chew bubblegum, and guess what -- I'm all outta bubblegum. We begin this edition of The Most Disappointing Video Game Sequels with perhaps the most disappointing video game sequel of them all, if purely for how long in development this starting game on this edition was, and just how horrible it ended up being.

That game is none other than Duke Nukem Forever, a game that was in development for over 15 years, rightfully earning its one-time moniker as complete and utter vaporware. And what did the 15 years of on and off again development bring players with the final product? Why, awful loading times, repugnant visuals, lackluster controls that made players think Duke was perpetually wandering around in a pool of feces, humor that was so awful that it makes my jokes here on SuperPhillip Central sound like winners in comparison, and design that may have worked fine in a world when the game originally started development but not when in modern-day. Duke Nukem Forever is a game that will always be one of the most disappointing sequels in gaming history... and probably forever, ironically enough.

Assassin's Creed: Unity (Multi)

When you end up having to create a formal apology to both fans and consumers about the quality of one of your biggest releases of the year, you know you've messed up somewhere along the way. But that's exactly what publisher Ubisoft needed to do after the horrific launch of Assassin's Creed: Unity, chiming in a new generation of Assassin's Creed games on new hardware. The most egregious of these launch problems was the almost disturbing graphical bugs and glitches, turning many character models into the stuff nightmares are made of.

While the gameplay was worthwhile in Unity, it didn't do enough to distinguish itself from past games, leaving a "been there, done that" feel to players. Despite the gameplay lacking a significance of new gameplay types, Unity was still worse in the gameplay department thanks to controls that didn't have enough time in the proverbial oven, granting an unsatisfying feeling in controlling Arno Victor Dorian, the main character of the solo campaign. Thus, with all of these problematic troubles with the game, Assassin's Creed: Unity just might be the most disappointing sequel within the whole Assassin's Creed franchise.

Street Fighter V (PS4, PC)

Street Fighter V appeared on both the PlayStation 4 as a home console-exclusive as well as PC. The main selling point: the intricate battle mechanics, combos, and in-your-face fighting antics were all present and accounted for at launch. However, what wasn't, and was something that doomed the game right out of the gate, was Street Fighter V's lack of substantial content, especially for solo players. This was so obvious of a fault that Capcom's Yoshinoro Ono even admitted that the company didn't release a complete game to put on the market. Combined with server issues at release, and Capcom and Street Fighter V had some serious problems to solve with the game.

Unfortunately, the problems didn't end there for Capcom and Street Fighter V either. Subsequent DLC such as stages, characters, and costumes were deemed too expensive for the market, showing off another one of Capcom's own inadequacies with the game and reading the current market. These overarching issues from Street Fighter V have led to certain gamers and the press anticipating Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite to be a bit more hesitant in jumping in on next week's launch for the crossover fighter. Nonetheless, there's nobody else to blame for this hesitation than Capcom itself.

Resident Evil 6 (Multi)

We go from one major tentpole Capcom release to another with a cornerstone in the survival horror genre of video games, the Resident Evil series. Nonetheless, Resident Evil 6 was an entry that tried to do too much, and in doing so, almost ruined the series altogether because of it. While skin-deep aspects of the game like the story and visuals were highly regarded by critics, everything else went off the deep end.

Resident Evil 6 consisted of four major campaigns, each featuring a prolific member of the Resident Evil mythos (well, except newcomer Jake Muller, of course, but he did have a tie to series villain Albert Wesker). Each campaign offered a different type of experience, whether the total action of Chris Redfield's, the best survival horror experience in the game with Leon S. Kennedy's, and the greatest combination of action and survival horror with Ada Wong's campaign.

The biggest issue with the game -- which obviously didn't bother too many perspective purchasers since Resident Evil 6 would go on to sell upwards of 9 million copies worldwide -- was that it pretty much planted itself firmly far away from the series' survival horror roots. This became such as a pronounced issue among critics and players that the next installment of the series, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, would return Resident Evil back into its original survival horror identity without question.

Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts (360)

Our next game takes us back to the last generation of game consoles, particularly the Xbox 360 in this instance. Unlike most of the games featured in this segment, the disappointment players experienced from Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts had nothing to do with it being a bad game, a glitch-fest, or the game lacking any semblance of content. In fact, Nuts & Bolts had none of those problem. No, instead of Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts being a bad game, it was just a bad Banjo game.

The Banjo-Kazooie series has always been about 3D platforming with a heavy focus on exploration rather than pure running and jumping like, say, Super Mario 64. The original Banjo-Kazooie remains one of my favorite games of all time, and it was a game that sparked the imagination of millions of players who grew up with the game. Hence, the heavy support towards the Banjo-Kazooie-like Yooka-Laylee when it was being Kickstarted.

With the Xbox 360, players yearned to see several Rare IP get iterations on the Xbox 360. However, with Banjo-Kazooie, this was more of a monkey's paw wish. Sure, we got a new Banjo-Kazooie, but its gameplay style had nothing at all to do with why fans fell in love with the bear and bird duo. What was once a series focused on running, jumping, and exploring complicated environments turned into an Xbox 360 game featuring creating vehicles, solving challenges, and traveling through sparse worlds with little to do in them (except the hub world of Showdown Town, that is). Again, while Nuts & Bolts turned out to be a fun and great game, the arrival of Banjo-Kazooie on the Xbox 360 was sullied by the game not being what fans were expecting at all.

Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash (Wii U)

The Mario Tennis series had already seen a decline in quality. The Nintendo 3DS entry used a dismissed Simon Says-like chance shot mechanic. This forced players to move to where the ball was landing on their side of the court and hit the ball with a specific shot to inflict maximum velocity on the ball towards your opponent's half of the court. While I didn't mind this as much as other critics, I still yearned for a Mario Tennis game anywhere as awesome as the Nintendo 64 original, the Game Boy Color and then Advance entries, and the GameCube iteration of the series.

Instead, what Wii U owners got was Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash which delivered traditional tennis as well as the returning chance shot mode of the 3DS's Mario Tennis Open. The gameplay was one of the Mario Tennis franchise's best; it was everything else that failed to impress. The most striking aspect was just how content-barren the game was, featuring only one stadium with differing court types, limited modes, limited characters, and just a limited amount of replayability and longevity. Ultra Smash was released near the end of the Wii U's life cycle, which made it apparent that this was just a game to throw a bone to starved Wii U owners. Out of bounds, Nintendo. Out of bounds.