10 Awesome Video Game Features That Suddenly Went Missing In The Sequel
We don't appreciate good game design until it's gone.
A great video game sequel is supposed to build upon the content of its predecessor, but sometimes the complete opposite happens. Instead of adding new features, the sequel takes some of them away.
Even the most beloved and signature parts of a game aren't safe from disappearing. Many fanbases had to experience this kind of degradation of their favorite franchise, helplessly watching as developers turn it into some watered-down version of itself.
From the mechanics that made the franchise famous to an entire chunk of content that might have defined gameplay in the first place, nothing is safe from cutting out. And although the decision to remove these features isn't made out of malice, it always hurts the fans' experience with the new game.
Natural selection has no place in the world of video games, as the stories of the following features prove. It doesn't matter if the feature is the best part of the game. All it takes is one decision on the developer's part, and all future releases will forget all about it.
10. Custom Heroes - Darkest Dungeon
Unlike the original Darkest Dungeon, Darkest Dungeon 2 tries to provide its cast of characters with more development. Instead of being a randomly generated set of color-swapped sprites, the heroes in the sequel all have set names, personal story quests, and even a set list of personalities that affect their dynamic with other party members.
This is all great for fleshing out the characters, but at the same time, it does take away one key and highly entertaining feature of the original: Customization.
Because each hero is treated as an individual and not a class type anymore, you only get one of each, and you're limited in how you can customize them. You can no longer give them silly names, change their colors, and, worst of all, there’s no way to get duplicates, meaning that the days of weird team compositions, like a field trip of four antiquarians or three plague doctors are over.
Sure, the more individualistic approach to the heroes in Darkest Dungeon 2 makes them more intriguing story-wise, but sometimes you just want to have a bit of fun. Especially in a doom-and-gloom world like that of Darkest Dungeon.