2010 AG Awards: The Breakfast Club 2 Award for Most Unnecessary Sequel

Feature from Nat - Wednesday, 22 December 2010 @ 7:09pm

The 2010 AG Awards: 2010 AG Awards: The Breakfast Club 2 Award for Most Unnecessary Sequel

Every year, developers are forced to make the choice between artistic integrity and commercial gain. This award celebrates the latter, highlighting great games that so badly didn’t need a sequel it seems almost stupefying they got one in the first place – We’re looking at you, Tony Hawk: Shred/ Guitar Hero 6/ Anything by Activision.

The AG Nominations

Shouldn't it be clear by now that every single time this comes out it brings nothing new to the table? I admit, I bought it. But I'm a Pokemon tragic that someone convinces herself that a pedometer brings something new to the table. It doesn't, if I'm being honest with myself. Watch me as I buy Black/White next year with whatever gimmick they try to throw in next - What's that? A new set of just 150 pokemon? My aging brain just leapt with excitement knowing that I might be able to recite all the pokemon in a game again. Aw crap.

Stop me if you've played this before...

Yeah, I'm going to be that pretensions games-are-art tool. Crackdown 2, Dead to Rights 2, Just Cause 2 and (Bethesda forgive me) Fallout: New Vegas could all be called unnecessary sequels. What they didn't do however, was pull a Saw on us and threaten what was already established. Bioshock neatly covered the past, present and future of Rapture in a suitably air-tight package. It didn't need a sequel. That it has one feels like transparent franchise flogging. I already feel like I'm trolling, so I'll add that I'm not actually one of those fans who refuses to see fault in it. Among other things, the endings were imbalanced, both in in-game reward and overall sense of fulfillment. It could even be argued that it isn't as original as gamers have since made it out to be and maybe the whole thing should have ended an act sooner. However I remember it as a beautiful, dark , twisted and unique experience. To me, it remains one of the most atmospheric games on the market, complete with story telling elements that display a true understanding of its medium. Oh yeah, and they made a second one. You can duel-wield and everything.

"Nah bro, it's totally different - they've got girl Big Daddies now!" Actual conversation from my genius buddies.

Hey look at me I’m LucasArts and I made a good Star Wars game that sold a lot so here I am churning out a sequel that does the same thing. This time though I make a cosmetic change and put in dual light sabers. It doesn’t change game play but it looks cool. Really guys this game should’ve either been DLC or given a proper storyline. SW fans will undoubtedly be disappointed. The game was fun but too many features brought it down. Announcements about a cancelled production of a threequel, before the 2nd had even released, was a sure fire way of telling us that the higher ups knew this was going to be a dud.

It’s not hard to look at Crackdown 2 and say, really WTF! We know the original probably only sold as well as it did because it was packed with beta access to the next big Halo game. But whose silly idea was it to decide to go with a sequel… Crackdown 2 didn’t do anything different; it was basically the exact same design as the original including the gameplay and the identical damn city. By 30 minutes into the game, you have seen everything that this thing has to offer. It wouldn’t surprise me though if we see them poop out a third one next year considering Microsoft doesn’t have much on their plate right now for exclusive titles. Let’s hope they at least think of some new ideas.