10 Video Games Sequels That Were EXACTLY The Same

Remember that weird period of gaming when Guitar Hero and Rock Band clashed for the title of which franchise was a better musician simulator? Even though it was glaringly obvious that they were the exact same game and each new installment in both series just a different playlist over the same gameplay?

Thankfully, this period is behind us, but it wasn't all too long ago when no respectable gamer would be caught dead without a plastic guitar and drum kit within ten feet of their console of choice. The games were based on the simple QTE-style mechanics inspired by old Dance Dance Revolution arcade games. Each game had a different song list and innovative features like new instruments and celebrity cameos, but the sensation of playing each game in either series was repetitive at best. Even when the graphics tried to add variety to the game, by either being uber-stylized or aiming for realism, it always took a backseat to the scrolling fretboards filled with colorful note markers anyway so it didn't help to make any game distinguishable from one another.

They even used the same color combinations, instrument hardware, and crowd-reaction system from game to game. And while other games that are just remakes of their prequels at least have some shreds of creativity to make them stand out, this level of repetition smacked of sheer laziness.