12 Abusive Video Game Sequels That Completely Missed The Point

8. Deus Ex: Invisible War

Deus Ex is frequently cited as one of the greatest games ever made, a dense, super smart sci-fi action RPG that frequently defies categorisation. The use of nano-tech augmentations and the heavily dialogue-driven story made it an instant hit, as did the hugely explorative nature of the game, and how no two playthroughs were ever the same. A sequel, Invisible War, hit stores to huge anticipation 3 years later, and remains one of the most dispiriting let-downs in video game history. It's easy to argue that Invisible War feels "lesser" than its predecessor because the game was also designed with the Xbox in mind, but really, that wouldn't account for how ridiculously pared-down and simplified the game is. Basically, the non-linearity of the first game is pretty much inverted: the freedom of choice is largely taken away, and as such there's not much point even exploring those environments which do allow you to go snooping around. In addition to all this, the AI is even worse than in the original game, and the game is also far too short. Thankfully, the third game, 2011's Human Revolution, was a considerable return to form, actually living up to the greatness of the original game.