When it comes to established formulas in video games, after a developer manages to nail anything from the feel of a jump to the sensation of close quarters face-smashing combat, plenty publishers will then allow them to rest on their laurels - churning out more of the same, presumedly until the end of time. You need only look to Ubisoft's map-based tower-unlock mechanic that's now everywhere from Watch Dogs to Far Cry and even The Crew to see how this approach can become very tiresome, very fast. Of course the flip-side to this assumption is that every subsequent release should push the boat further and further out, and that dismisses those times when fans generally do just want more of the same. Sometimes there's not enough of that secret sauce the first time through, be it through time spent in a given games' universe, plot threads that still need expanding on or simply that exquisitely enjoyable feel of gameplay people can't get enough of. So when it's so obvious what a developer has to do either through fixing the problems of the past or delivering a custom-made fan-pleasing package for the masses, if they completely drop the ball it can be heartbreaking - making for something that's not only disappointing, but that damns a once spectacular franchise in the eyes of everyone for the considerable future.
