10 Iconic Video Game Features Needlessly Cut Out Of Sequels

9. Looting And Upgrades - Mass Effect 2

Unlike the slight jump between Mass Effect 2 to Mass Effect 3, the difference between Bioware's original RPG and its seminal sequel was gargantuan. From combat to exploration, pretty much every core feature and mechanic was tweaked in some way to make for a more streamlined experience. For the most part the radical changes paid off, but in a few areas, scaling back and cutting elements impacted the role-playing element.

Customisation options in particular took a huge hit. In the original, you were inundated with items every single time you dropped down to a planet's surface, from different kinds of weapons, armour and ammo that all had subtle variations to their stats and aesthetics. That was embraced by the fans, of course - after all, what's an RPG without a whole load of loot to find and tinker around with? - but the inventory system itself made managing this gear difficult.

However, rather than focus on making this feature better in the second game, Bioware decided to torch the whole thing. You could still customise Commander Shepard to an extent, but the amount of options to choose from were about a single percent of those included in the original release. It might not be a big deal in isolation, but at the time the removal of loot felt indicative of the game's overall move away from its RPG roots.