Rehashes, spinoffs, reimaginings; call them what you will, sequels have been a part of the gaming industry for the most part ever since it’s ever been an industry. The notion of going back to mechanics that are tried and tested and creating a title that already has a fan base, just makes more sense than risking it all on a game that potentially nobody is going to be interested in. Now, that’s not to say that new ideas can’t work; games like Splatoon and Dying Light were entirely new franchises for 2015 and both have commendable sale figures. But as I look at the list of games that have released this year; Batman Arkham Knight, The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, I can’t help but notice a theme. Simply put, the vast majority of major game releases nowadays are sequels… I don’t think that’s really a bad thing.
I mean, really think about it. As much as people preach that sequels are safe or boring, that they’re oversaturating the industry or that they’re not as good as the original; sequels can be damn good! In fact some of the best games ever; Super Mario Bros 3, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, all sequels and all great.
The prospect of sequels to my favourite games, genuinely excites me. I love to speculate so that’s what I’m going to do in this column; look back to the origins of gaming franchises, track their evolution and speculate about future sequels.
Now, where to start… It’s Halloween soon, right?