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.

Sequels, Please! - Games That Need Another Entry (Back to School Edition)

Sequels in media are a common practice, and in the world of video games it's no different. However, rather than just focus mostly on story, video games need far more than an interesting tale to get people to purchase the next game in a franchise. I'm talking things like new features, improved gameplay, a new gameplay hook, an evolution or even a revolution in the series' basic design, and so forth. There are good reasons why many mainline Mario games are so vastly different from past installments to the upcoming Super Mario Odyssey on Switch (save for the presentation of the New Super Mario Bros. series). They may be sequels, but they do so much to change how each entry plays and possess some kind of unique hook that distinguish them from one another

Then, there are games like the ones on this list that either stopped receiving sequels or haven't received a sequel period. That's what "Sequels, Please!" is all about, this reoccurring article series on SuperPhillip Central. Seven more games I desire to see sequels for turn up on this edition's list.

When you've seen my latest selections, let me know if you agree/disagree, or simply which games you can't wait to get sequels for!

World of Final Fantasy (PS4, Vita)

Many Final Fantasy games released these past few years, and many were disappointing for one reason or another: the game was incomplete, the execution was off, what have you. One game that reminded me of the good old days of the Final Fantasy series (from the Super Nintendo to early PS2 days) in an extremely wonderful way was World of Final Fantasy. The game was a whimsical take on the formula with a dash of monster-collecting thrown in for good measure. We didn't have edgy heroes, boy band rejects, or anything of the like -- it was pure, distilled Final Fantasy goodness that had one thing the series has been missing for a long time now, charm. Thankfully, it was more than just whimsy and looks that were appealing to me. There was the robust combat with which monsters you used and which level of stacking (a unique feature within the game) was the way to go about devising a strategy. Exploration offered plenty of opportunities for discovery as well. All in all, World of Final Fantasy was divine, and I hope Square Enix has another chibi style adventure in development.

LittleBigPlanet 3 (PS4, PS3)

The concept of LittleBigPlanet was a mind-blowing one: one part platforming adventure, another part creator studio of level-making capabilities (yeah, yeah, PC gamers, you already could do that years ago -- don't rain on our parade!), LittleBigPlanet was a series that engaged players, charmed the pants off players, and allowed them to create pretty much anything they wanted. Further sequels would add more complication to the creation tools (though quite helpful for innovating designs) and more gadgets to play around with, but by the third game, LittleBigPlanet as a series was running on fumes. It didn't help that other side entries on PlayStation's portable offerings quickly turned a refreshing series into a "please, no more. We've had enough" type of affair. On top of all that, LittleBigPlanet 3 released with some downright frustrating bugs and glitches, including save file wipes. However, once the game received a fair share of patches, LittleBigPlanet 3 offered the most potential for budding creators and happy gadders alike.

Ape Escape (PS1, PS2, PSP)

I want to continue our PlayStation theme here with a series that debuted on Sony's original console. However, unlike Crash Bandicoot, PaRappa the Rapper, and Hot Shots Golf (now Everybody's Golf) that released recently on the PlayStation 4, Ape Escape has been out of action for its mainline adventures since the PlayStation Portable, and that game was merely a handheld version of the original Ape Escape. My argument here is that Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy lit up the charts and received positive feedback from both players and critics alike, so it would be very nice to see some other classic PS1-era franchises see returns in the present day aim to do the same -- PlayStation franchises from yesteryear tickling longtime PS fans' nostalgia bones. Obviously, Ape Escape was never the unofficial mascot of the first PlayStation like Crash Bandicoot was so it wouldn't be as well known, but aren't we due for another game to go bananas over, Sony Computer Entertainment?

Ridge Racer (Multi)

We often take for granted how much we loved a franchise when it's finally gone. For generations, a new PlayStation system launch meant a new Ridge Racer, and we'd get replies of "but of course it's a launch title!" Regrettably, that's no longer the case because of two stinkers released back-to-back within the series: the Need for Speed: Underground wannabe Ridge Racer: Unbounded and the small on content, big on DLC PlayStation Vita launch title, simply known as Ridge Racer. Both games were the catalyst of the Ridge Racer franchise's fall from grace. Gaming fans miss you, Ridge Racer. We just want to see Kaz Hirai come up on stage and proudly bestow us with one more rally cry of "RIIIIIIIIDGE RACER"! We joked about it back then (but it was just one piece of the pie that was Sony's entire E3 press conference), but now we're sorry. Namco, do something. What I wouldn't do to take those turns like a pro with a exquisite drift in a new Ridge Racer game.

Red Steel 2 (Wii)

Being a launch title for the Wii, and I believe one of the first Wii games revealed, at least with screenshots, was Ubisoft's Red Steel. Unfortunately, the end result was nowhere near as appealing as the touched up screenshots used or the working motion controls shown via trailer. Red Steel was a travesty that sold over a million copies, but it turned many off of the Red Steel name instantly because they were burned by broken Ubisoft promises and the emptiness in their wallets where the $50 + tax for the game should have remained. However, the game's sequel, Red Steel 2, simply revamped its formula completely thanks to the help of Nintendo's new peripheral, Wii MotionPlus. You could charge into battle, aiming and shooting enemies down in your sights, pull out your blade to block attacks and sever foes in your way, or do a combination of both for one stylistic, cel-shaded Western adventure. Sadly, the toll was taken on Red Steel 2 by virtue of being a sequel to a game that pulled the wool over the eyes of Wii owners the world 'round. As foolish as this hope of mine might be, I'd love to see a pronounced evolution of the base gameplay and foundation featured in Red Steel 2.

Viewtiful Joe (PS2, GCN)

Capcom loves to kill its franchises after one entry doesn't perform to its usually unrealistic sales goals. Well, first they dissolved the company behind the game, Clover Studios and then Viewtiful Joe became such a franchise despite packing a lot of action, humor, novel gameplay, superhero combat, and 2.5D side-scrolling greatness. Through using Joe's FX gauge, our viewtiful hero could perform actions like slowing down time to gives his punches and kicks more power, assault enemies in a massive, fiery fury with Mach Speed, or zoom in for greater oomph in attacks. These abilities could be used in combination with one another, though the FX gauge would de-plenish much more quickly. The FX moves also assisted Joe with environmental puzzles in the game. Despite looking friendly to all players, Viewtiful Joe and its one mainline sequel as well as parts of its Nintendo DS entry were tough to get through. Unless, of course, you were a baby and needed to play Kids Mode. (Or just because you wanted to enjoy the game regardless!) Maybe enough time has passed for Capcom to bring back Viewtiful Joe from its vault with a newline entry. I know just the platform for it!

Pilotwings (SNES, N64, 3DS)

Along with the speedy, futuristic racer F-Zero, Pilotwings was one of the first Super Nintendo games using Mode 7 technology. At the time it was astonishing to look at and wonder how Nintendo could do that on the SNES. Now? Well, the visuals are dated, but the tricks that Nintendo used for the effect are still rather clever, especially when you consider what the team had to work with. The series would continue on Nintendo's next home console, the 64, serving as the series' first foray into real 3D. A launch title for the N64, the amount of freedom available in Pilotwings 64 was incredible for many a new Nintendo 64 owner. The most recent Pilotwings entry, Pilotwings Resort, launched with the Nintendo 3DS, and it featured a staple in the Wii area, the fictional Wuhu Island as its playground. Despite launching on the Nintendo 3DS, which still has games coming to it, that launch was several years ago, so it would excite fellow flyers and rocket belt wearers with a new Switch edition of the franchise. Just place in some new ways to play in the form of different vehicles and suits, even more ridiculous challenges and destinations, and I'm set!