10 Video Games Sequels That Were EXACTLY The Same

Puzzle games can involve some of the most creative gameplay innovations in the entire medium, but any game where every mechanic is based around a single element is going to be confined to the limitations of that element. This is the case of the nevertheless admirable Portal franchise.

The first Portal was an absolute masterclass in FPS puzzle gaming. Players took the role of silent protagonist Chell as she used the eponymous portal gun to solve complex mazes to satisfy and eventually outsmart the villainous AI GlaDOS. The sequel tried to differentiate itself by involving new characters, developing the story, focusing on world-building, and including a multi-player mode for co-op gaming.

And they almost got away with it too. The problem was the gameplay. There wasn't a very drastic change between the two games and while the puzzles were different, the level layouts were similar and they were solved the same way. This made both games functionally identical to one another, despite their noticeable differences.

However, this is understandable. Portal was already pretty much as close to perfect as a game could get and the only thing that Portal 2 could have done to make it better was just slap a few more bells and whistles on the whole thing. Both games are still some of the best puzzle games ever designed and are practically necessities for any respectable PC gamer.