7 Video Game Sequels That Gave You LESS
Where's The Rest Of The Game?!
Due to laws of diminishing returns, video game follows ups will often try to outdo their predecessors to keep you hooked in the increasingly crowded gaming landscape, and if we're to consense that thought down into something more marketable we'd say that devs and publishers view sequels with a "bigger is better" mentality.
Whether it's new gameplay modes, weapons or locations, the idea of giving you more than last time is a pretty safe bet when that sequel you’ve been pining for is approaching release, which makes it all the more strange when some titles land on the market with less content or features than before!
The reasons behind this rather strange choice are myriad; fear of bloating a game out, having to reset players advancements to make the new adventure more challenging, or just dropping bits that were otherwise down and out broken, developers will sometimes cut out existing content to make room for all the hot new stuff they're presenting in their latest iteration.
7. The Fruit Bazooka - Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time
For those of us born in the 90s, the Crash Bandicoot gamers an absolute institution, and when the box art for third outing Crash Bandicoot: Warped was first seen we all thought the same thing: He’s on a motorbike, and he’s got a bazooka.
Yes indeed, after a tricky aerial battle with bomb-headed boffin N-Gin, Crash was gifted the Fruit Bazooka as a power-up, promising devastation for both hard-to-reach crates and enemies alike. Whilst it made the following levels a lot less challenging, the unbridled joy of returning to previous stages armed to the teeth for that one bit that always caught you out was palpable for many a young one enjoying the game.
When the remastered N-Sane Trilogy dropped in 2017 fans around the world were overjoyed to once again pull the trigger of this fruity firearm, if they hadn’t broken their controller playing High Road that is. The classic-inspired Crash 4 followed a few years later, but the Bazooka was curiously absent from the tough-as-nails game where it really could’ve done some good. For that one box you’ve being dying to break for hours in pursuit of the gem, it would’ve been invaluable. Maybe even controller saving.
Maybe the idea of a tooled-up marsupial in an ostensible kids' game was one that the developers actively stepped away from, but we can’t help the feeling that something’s missing with the bazooka’s absence. As as a concept it was hilarious, and a weapon it was unstoppable.