Overwatch 2 - Gaming Sequels DON'T WORK

To Be (A Sequel), Or Not To Be: That Is The Question

Sometimes, granted, a follow-up or sequel is an absolute no-brainer. If a new IP is well received by players and critics and becomes a big financial success, talk of another release in the near future becomes all but inevitable.

At the same time, though, some developers and publishers push this concept too far. The Assassin's Creed, FIFA and Call of Duty games are examples of franchises that started to dole out new entries on a predictable, annual basis. In the case of FIFA and Call of Duty, in particular, the argument can be made that these new entries scarcely differed from each other in terms of the core mechanics and gameplay.

Are fans paying for a true sequel that advances the franchise, or for a package of the same content with a bit of a visual overhaul? That's the question that detractors of such series often ask.

Singleplayer campaigns in titles such as Call of Duty can radically differ from each other, certainly, but it's the multiplayer that's the real star of the show. In essence, the experience on offer in that regard hasn't changed a tremendous amount. Fans happily payout for each new entry and have a whale of a time with each one, of course, but is this the right direction to take with such series, profitable as it might be?

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege is another Ubisoft property, one that remains committed to steadily expanding and improving over a long lifespan rather than hastily releasing new entries. They have committed to a 10-year plane across multiple console generations. With even a free upgrade to boot. Maybe this sort of approach is healthier all around, for developers as well as players.

Updates, Expansions And Sequels, Oh My!

This is the difficulty with producing true sequels to certain titles in today’s update, season pass and DLC-centric gaming landscape.

Take Pokémon Sword & Shield, for instance. Prior to the games’ launch, fans were convinced that Game Freak would, as per series tradition, release a third version. The equivalent of Generation VII’s Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon or Generation III’s Pokémon Emerald. Such a release, it seems, has been rendered unnecessary by the Sword and Shield Expansion Pass, which offers the Isle of Armor (released in June 2020) and the upcoming Crown Tundra expansions.

Both represent significant extra story content, additional Pokémon and other features. In short, the series’ first ever DLC expansion has been bolted right onto the Sword and Shield base games, rather than having its content released separately.

Is this what happened with Overwatch 2? Well, it is and it isn’t, which is where the issues lies.