10 Video Game Spin-Offs That Surpass The Original

8. Unreal Tournament (Unreal)

unreal tournament
Epic Games

Just as first-person shooters were on the cusp of going stale, Unreal came onto the scene and revitalised the genre. Whether it was the graphics, music, or the enemy AI, it was hard to find fault with the epic shooter.

Save for one issue. Despite all the praise Unreal received, it was evident the online multiplayer was let down by lag. Recognising this flaw, Epic Games and Digital Extremes tried to fine-tune the network code, hoping to release a multiplayer expansion pack.

As the project grew, so did the companies' ambition. Believing they had enough material for a whole new game, the creators released a spin-off called Unreal Tournament, focusing more on online playing.

Rather than just chucking out the same title with a more refined multiplayer, everything was overhauled to perfection. By improving the enemy AI, polishing the character models, and balancing the weapons, the final result was unreal. (I couldn't help myself.)

Despite setting the bar through the stratosphere and beyond, Unreal Tournament's follow-ups remained just as consistent.

And when Unreal's only official sequel, The Awakening, received average reviews at best, it was further proof Tournament had outstripped the original.

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James Egan has been with Whatculture for five years and prominently works on Horror, Film, and Video Games. He's written over 80 books including 1000 Facts about Horror Movies Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about The Greatest Films Ever Made Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Video Games Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts About James Bond 1000 Facts About TV Shows