10 Big Leaps Between Video Game Sequels
MG1 and 2 are WORLDS apart!
Much is said in the current day about iterative sequels. Nintendo have been accused for years of putting out very similar games in their biggest franchises and Sony has come under criticism for following up its biggest PS4 hits with sequels that tend to play things safe.
When you have a hot property, it must be tempting to be precious with it... which is a shame as those that dare and succeed are their own biggest reward. These aren't baby steps forwards so much as they are massive leaps.
The potential reasons for a bold sequel can vastly differ: a bigger budget, a very specific artistic vision or something as simple as the passage of time and the change in hardware. Some sequels add improve on every aspect until it feels like a brand new proposition, others make unexpected turns that completely alter the tone and some are such a departure that it feels like the start of something totally new.
The following video games made real jumps, of some kind or another, that truly encapsulate the best of what it means to be a sequel.
10. Half-Life (1998) to Half-Life 2 (2004)
The original Half-Life is considered a milestone for first-person shooters. Its focus on narrative knocked down the boundaries of what was expected from the genre, creating the most immersive FPS up until that point.
Which is why it's incredible that Half-Life 2 put some things about the first game in stark contrast by innovating even further. It established more of the world for the series outside of the Black Mesa research facility, giving the franchise an edgier tone that was able to ask grander and more philosophical questions about evolution and fate.
In fact, "grander" is a good catch-all term for what Half-Life 2 did. Instead of being a sci-fi corridor shooter, it allowed players to explore large, uninterrupted environments, go off the beaten path and, via a number of vehicles, traverse some really impressive (grimy) scenery. Of course, one huge improvement of over the original was the depth of gameplay content. The brand-new Havok physics engine made the game a sandbox in and of itself, and the likes of the game's gravity gun gave the players some incredibly fun tools to take full advantage of it.
It's pretty remarkable that both games have been in the conversation for the "best of all time", especially considering the leaps and bounds Half-Life 2 makes from its predecessor.