10 Best Sequels From Terrible Video Games

As the title suggests, Platinum Games' robot-bashing title is a follow-up to Nier, which was released in 2010. 

However, the series' origins go back earlier than that. In 2003, Cavia released a hack-and-slash title called Drakengard. Though the first two instalments were panned, they made enough cash to warrant the Nier spin-off, set a millennium in the future. 

This instalment was also heavily criticised, due to its mediocre graphics, bland environments, and janky animations. After receiving three strikes, the franchise could've been abandoned then and there.

Instead, PlatinumGames released a follow-up seven years later, blowing its competition out of the water. Even though NieR Automata follows a similar structure to its predecessor, every aspect is more cohesive and balanced. The gameplay blends genres beautifully, including hack-and-slash, RPG, shoot 'em up, and even text adventure. 

The immense size of the enemies makes the simplest battles feel epic. More impressively, the framerate rarely lags, no matter how many screen-filling foes our heroes face.

NieR Automata also requires multiple playthroughs to unlock new areas and story elements. Although playing the main campaign repeatedly can be tedious for certain games, players are encouraged to replay Automata to comprehend the inner complexities of the heroes and the overall story.