The better Sequel

So I am currently replaying through the Arc the Lad Trilogy of PlayStation games and after finishing the very vanilla first entry, I've jumped into the sequel which has proven to be a massive improvement overall in terms of story, characters, customization, and general game layout. It's almost astonishing to think this game was developed by the same team as the first one, and even more so when you realize the game's are only a year apart from each other.

This got me thinking about these types of sequels, where the first game is simply okay but then the sequel blows everything out of the water. The other entry that comes to mind for me is Assassin's Creed where the first one was repetitive and okay, but the sequel kept me hooked from beginning to end. What are some other sequels that are massive improvements over the previous entry?

Dragon Age 2. Fight me, haters.
X-2. Embrace the girl-power campness.
XIII-2. I like it, so there.
Borderlands 2. The first game felt like more of a proof-of-concept, while 2 was a fully-fleshed finished product.
Fable 2. The first Fable is overrated, and I really feel that 2 improved upon it in pretty much every conceivable way.
Uncharted 2. Don't get me wrong, I liked the first one. But the second one blew it out of the water.
Mass Effect 2. Despite a thin plot, it was a much slicker, more compelling package than the original.

You're simply wrong about Dragon Age. I liked DA2 (loved it, even) but DA1 is just too much of a masterpiece to accept that claim.

I like Fallout 2 a little more than Fallout 1. I like many sequels of Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy more than the first games. Gothic 2 (even though again I love the first). I can't really think of any example where I disliked the first, but then later ones were good.

Resident Evil. First one was a pain in the ass because of the lack of auto-aim. Then the second one gave you auto-aim, improved on everything the original did well, and came with the excellent A/B story thing that was utterly fantastic.

Definitely agree with Assassin's Creed 2, Borderlands 2, Uncharted 2 and Mass Effect 2. As for my own additions,

Kingdom Hearts 2
The Witcher 2
Diablo 2

To name a few that haven’t been named yet

The Witcher 3
A Link to the Past
Baldur’s Gate 2
Persona 2
Pokémon Gold and Silver
The Sims 3
KH Chain of Memories

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Originally Posted by Fynn

KH Chain of Memories

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I'm playing through this right now having just replayed KH1 and my dude that opinion is wack. CoM is so restricted and repetitive. Which I get, because it was originally on the GBA and that's the limitations of the system, but it's definitely not a better game. The only area I can really say it is better than KH is that Larxene and Axel are far more interesting than most of the original's antagonists but that's about it.

Having owned every GTA game, the leap from the original PlayStation trio to GTA3 on the PS2 was insane. It truly created one of the biggest franchises in gaming and was genre defining (nobody cares about Driver, sorry). GTA2 was the 64th best selling PS1 game. GTA games then went on to hold 1st, 4th and 6th spots on the PS2.

Also Vice City is much better than GTA3

Metal Gear Solid 2, at least in terms of gameplay. Also Crash 2, Halo 2, Rayman 2, Mega Man Legends 2, Star Wars Battlefront 2 and countless others.

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Originally Posted by Psychotic

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Originally Posted by Fynn

KH Chain of Memories

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I'm playing through this right now having just replayed KH1 and my dude that opinion is wack. CoM is so restricted and repetitive. Which I get, because it was originally on the GBA and that's the limitations of the system, but it's definitely not a better game. The only area I can really say it is better than KH is that Larxene and Axel are far more interesting than most of the original's antagonists but that's about it.

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See, that’s the thing about opinions. They’re subjective. CoM always pulled me in far more than I because of its incredibly gripping main plot (with Sora’s character actually undergoing deconstructive, not-so-nice changes, and despite his assurances near the end, not everything gets resolved neatly by the end, and Riku’s story is just insanely good), and I still consider it the writing goal standard for he series which no other entry has ever reached. Not to mention I found the card battle system incredibly engaging and fun, not to mention just plain unique as no other entry, or game for that matter, has anything like it.

So yes, I find it to be the better game and - to me - the best KH experience overall. So of course I’m going to consider it the better sequel because it’s my faborite in the series. And I know I’m alone in this opinion but, to be fair - I don’t give a single crap about that :monster:

Mega Man 2. First game was limited to 6 robot masters and had plenty of early installment weirdness, including a score system and no passwords.

Compared to the first, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake blows it out of the water and established many of the conventions the MGS series would be known for.

Street Fighter II deserves a special mention. Hardly anyone knows of the 1987 original (which was fairly well received at the time), and it's not worth playing today.

Nier: Automata > Nier

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Originally Posted by WarZidane

Diablo 2

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My man.


Also I submit:

Attachment 75195Mortal Kombat 2 (although I like 3 the best)
Attachment 75195Doom 2
Attachment 75195Marvel vs Capcom 2
Attachment 75195Silent Hill 2
Attachment 75195WCW vs NWO Revenge

TimeSplitters 2

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Originally Posted by Vyk

Nier: Automata > Nier

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I was struggling to come up with any games that the sequel so truly eclipsed the first entry.

How could I forget Nier?

Disgaea 2, and I love the first Disgaea.
Senran Kagura 2, took the established characters from the first game. Upped the ante, threw in some crazy bosses, and toned down the fanservice.
Senran Kagura Estival Versus, and on that note, the spin-off sequel is a lot better than the original too. Shinovi Versus is just a rehash of the first game with a barer plot and a different school and doesn't add much. Estival Versus is an original story that adds much needed character development to those two new schools.