10 Incredible Sequels That Came From Terrible Video Games

1. Grand Theft Auto III

Do you ever wonder why no one mentions any Grand Theft Auto titles prior to the third instalment? While the original top-down entries into the series provided the core ideas that would later cement the franchise as a gaming powerhouse, these primitive forays into 2D open world mayhem didn€™t exactly boast the same tantalising mix of violence and exploration that everyone expects from the series today. In fact, a lot of the gameplay itself wasn€™t even that particularly enjoyable. With clunky controls and only a very basic hook, sessions of earlier GTA games weren€™t exactly the hours upon hours of immersive murder-fests they are today. But with Grand Theft Auto 3, Rockstar essentially reinvented itself along with the entire series. Basically creating modern open world games as we know them, GTA 3€™s legacy simply cannot be overstated, as this seemingly innocuous and out-of-nowhere sequel established the single most successful video game franchise in history. What are your favourite franchises that came from awful first instalments? Let us know in the comments!

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Josh has over 11 years of experience as a published writer, having worked nine of those years as a full-time content producer at WhatCulture. In that period he has created hundreds of articles, videos and podcast episodes for multiple WhatCulture channels, specialising in gaming, horror and film & TV. He now primarily works as a senior content producer and presenter on WhatCulture Gaming where he co-hosts the WhatCulture Gaming Podcast, a top 3 UK most listened to gaming podcast that he co-created in 2018. Over the years he has reviewed several high-profile gaming releases, covered industry events with on-site reporting, opined on breaking news, and even kicked off his interviewing career by chatting to childhood hero, Tommy Wiseau.