Two Is Better Than One

Sequels, as we all know, can be hit or miss. And this extends to threequels, prequels, and whatever else comes before or after. Point being, is the next one better than the one that came before it?

In most media, the original stays winning, but in gaming, that isn’t always the case. There’s a lot more levels to judge on where gaming is concerned. With the jump in tech happening so fast the sequel to a game can LOOK better than the first and win out on those merits, but they can falter a bit in the story/writing department.

What you’ll usually find in gaming is that a sequel to a game is, probably 8 times out of 10, better than the original. Especially the more recent you look. Uncharted 2, Assassin’s Creed II, Mass Effect 2…all outshine their previous counterparts. But then go back even further. Was Kid Icarus 2 better than the first? Was Contra? Mario…well, that’s kind of a special case isn’t it?

It doesn’t always work but it is usually pretty close and there’s almost always some aspect of the later games doing at least one thing better than the original. The problem, however, is that if a studio can make a good first game, it might end up being a long time before you ever see them make anything new again. It takes a long time and a lot of money to make these things and when they work, you can expect them to ride that horse into the ground.

And then there’s Ubisoft, who haven’t made another Splinter Cell game (non-animated series or guest spot in another game franchise, remake, or VR exclusive) in 3,105 days.