Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect was an ambitious adventure that dropped players into a distant future filled with planets to explore and races to discover. It truly felt like you had the whole universe at your fingertips. Mass Effect 2 expanded on this by giving players even more worlds to explore, a wider range of customization, and far more refined gameplay (read: ditching some of the first game’s boring bits). Commander Shepard’s crew seemed to have more depth to their characters as well, making the conversations, and difficult choices, even more realistic. We also got Miranda Lawson portrayed by Yvonne Strahovski. Niiice.
SSX (2012)
In 2007, SSX Blur was released exclusively for the Nintendo Wii. While it featured much of what made the SSX franchise great, the motion controls were hit and missat times and the visuals just couldn’t compare with what was possible on Nintendo’s competitor’s consoles. Five years later, SSX was refined from the ground and gamers were given the most realistic SSX ever. The game introduced new challenges in the form of environmental challenges, such as extreme colds, extreme darkness, and so on. It was a huge change for the franchise and die-hard fans may have longed for some of the over-the-top gameplay and style from before, but ultimately the end result was a far deeper experience with a very cool social element that provided endless challenges.
Halo 2
One of the most iconic shooters of all time, Halo gave gamers a compelling story, solid FPS action, and huge environments to explore. Halo featured local, split-screen multiplayer and also allowed for LAN style gaming with the Xbox system link. So, how did Bungie step up their game for the sequel? The campaign moved the theatre of war to Earth, making the whole campaign feel a bit more personal. Oh, and they also introduced online gaming via Xbox Live – a service that would redefine multiplayer gaming for console gamers.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Since it’s release, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has won over the hearts of gamers and critics alike. And while many regard its predecessor, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, as a great game, the reality is that The Witcher 3 has improved on almost every aspect of its predecessor to create a more solid game. The difficulty curve and combat have both been adjusted, making for a more satisfying and accessible experience. Add the fact that the story is just a whole lot more enjoyable compared to the second and you’ve got a great sequel.
Streets of Rage 2
Streets of Rage 2 is quite possibly the greatest beat-em-up side-scrolling game of all time, although I’m sure some Final Fight fans may want to throw down at that comment. While the first Streets of Rage was a solid game, it’s all the little improvements in Streets of Rage 2 that make it that much better. Playable characters increased to four from three, plus each of the characters have their own move set and unique special move to add some much-needed variety. And that soundtrack still rocks.
That concludes our top 10 Perfect List sequels, but we’re not quite done yet. Check out page 2 for a list of honorable mentions and a few considerations from this writer.