#disappointing sequels

what the flip was that. that was SO BAD. genuinely the plot was nonexistent, like two things worth mentioning happened. the whole thing felt rushed, moriarty's death was just... underwhelming. this movie doesn't even deserve a proper review from me so I'll let the letterboxd comment below do all the heavy lifting

Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly

While Insomniac Games went off to create the Ratchet & Clank series, Universal Interactive kept the rights to Spyro and handed the next console game off to fledgling studios Check Six Studios (who would handle programming and design) and Equinoxe Digital Entertainment (who would handle the art). This was their first big project, and it would unfortunately be their last due to a protracted development cycle full of issues, disagreements with Universal who frequently flip-flopped on the game’s direction, and weeks of unpaid crunch.

King’s Quest: Mask of Eternity

By 1998, adventure gaming was dead, or so everyone seemed to be saying. With the shift in the computer gaming marketplace targeting faster paced action games, Sierra decided to completely revamp King’s Quest, ditch nearly all of the adventure elements, and turn it into an action-RPG. The result is a game that’s almost entirely unfamiliar. The lack of a roman numeral suggests that this eighth and final installment was meant to be spinoff rather than a true sequel, but it is known as King’s Quest VIII in some European territories, negating that particular excuse. 

Unreal II: The Awakening

The first Unreal game successfully broke iD Software’s dominant position in the first person shooter genre and have made a name for Epic Games as a serious developer. With the market shifting towards competetive arena shooters it was inevitable that Unreal and Quake franchises would receive this kind of entries: Unreal Tournament and Quake III Arena respectively. The proper sequel to Epic’s breakthrough hit wasn’t even developed by either them or Digital Extremes, as it was initially planned since these teams were busy with the Tournament game. Instead, it was the job of Legend Entertainment, a company mostly known for text/point-and-click adventure games, but who were responsible for Return to Na Pali expansion pack for the original Unreal. 

Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight

The Command and Conquer franchise has been such a long-running presence in real-time strategy that its various games and offshoots comprise three distinct continuities. Of these (which include the campier alternate history of the Red Alert games and the grittiness of Generals) the original that began with the first title in 1995 (since retconned as Tiberian Dawn) still holds a place of honor among fans. Notably serious and grim, with a combination of sci-fi action and esoteric mystery, the Tiberium timeline helped popularize the notion of RTS, introduced FMV cutscenes and deeper plots, and introduced Kane, one of the most infamous yet memorable characters in PC gaming. With that honor, however, come high expectations, especially in the wake of Westwood Studios’ closure in January 2003. Any continuation or follow-up would thus be seen as a daunting challenge. One that EA Los Angeles took head-on. 

Summer of 2007 was the season of disappointing sequels. Resident Evil Extinction, Spiderman 3, Pirates of the Caribbean at World’s End, Shrek the third, Die Hard 4.0, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Rush Hour 3, Evan Almighty, Ocean’s 13. From mediocre to outright terrible, it was a tough time for movie buffs like me. The most egregious misfire was 28 Weeks Later, which starts with a…

I have never been so excited about a game before...and this worries me deeply.

Because the last three games I got really excited for (Bioshock Infinite, Dark Souls 2, and Mass Effect 3)...were colossal disappointments.

And even though I am SO hyped for Inquisition and think everything about it looks awesome...I am panicking thinking about all of the things that could go wrong in it, or things that might be left out that I'd really like to see.

I'm so stressed about a fucking video game.