10 Incredible Sequels That Came From Terrible Video Games
5. Saints Row 2
Starting off as nothing other than a rather bland GTA clone, the original Saints Row didnt particularly stand out as a title that pushed the open world genre forward. While the game functioned perfectly as an imitation of a better, more mechanically sound franchise, it wasnt until the release of the second entry that the series truly found its quirky identity. Around the same time GTA IV was adopting a super-serious tone, the Saints Row franchise brilliantly took the exact opposite approach and embraced the inherent silliness that sandbox games tended to revel in. And it was this move that ultimately allowed this second iteration to stand out as its own distinct entity, far away from the stigma that came with imitating a more popular franchise. With this hugely enjoyable new direction, developers Volition cemented the trajectory for the rest of the series in its commitment to embracing enjoyably frantic over-the-top gameplay in every respect.
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.
