Sequels that saved a franchise

[GreasyDogMeat]

While Resident Evil 4 is old news on consoles, it recently came out on PC. While I can't stand consoles, I don't mind playing a port of a console game if it was a good game.

 

I have to say that Resident Evil 4 is just blowing me away. It is an amazing game that keeps introducing new situations, monsters and weapons that keeps the game interesting all through the 15-20 hour single player mode. Not only is the single player great but once you beat it you unlock 2 bonus adventures with a different character as well as survival mode in a small enclosure with constantly spawning enemies.

 

After years of the awkward camera that previous RE titles had the game finally takes a third person camera mode, ratchets up the action yet still maintains the horror and uneasiness of previous games in the series.

 

Unfortunately, they did a terrible job porting it to the PC. As a game, I would give it a 9 or a 10, but as a port, I would give it a 1 to 3. There is no mouse aim, which makes hitting enemies extremely difficult. Not only that but the idiots didn't even bother updating the buttons, so during events where you need to press a button to survive a scene, it will show a button that you aren't using on your keyboard like a 1 and a 3. Two years later and they couldn't even fix these minor issues... really, how hard is it to add mouse support and display the correct buttons on the screen?

 

Despite these flaws, it was the best 20 dollars I've spent on a game in a very long time.

 

The massive improvements they have added to Resident Evil 4 got me thinking of other franchises that were getting stale with repetition and sequels that have saved them. Other franchise savers might be GTA 3 taking the series to full 3D, or the recent Tomb Raider remake. I used to love Tomb Raider, but somewhere around Tomb Raider 3-4 the series became incredibly stale. I tried the recent demo and it looks like a huge improvement to the game play has finally come along.

[Calax]

some would argue that NWN2 was a considerable life saver..

 

However for every sequel that saves a franchise theres 2 dozen that kill the suckers.

[Morgoth]

While Resident Evil 4 is old news on consoles, it recently came out on PC. While I can't stand consoles, I don't mind playing a port of a console game if it was a good game.

 

I have to say that Resident Evil 4 is just blowing me away. It is an amazing game that keeps introducing new situations, monsters and weapons that keeps the game interesting all through the 15-20 hour single player mode. Not only is the single player great but once you beat it you unlock 2 bonus adventures with a different character as well as survival mode in a small enclosure with constantly spawning enemies.

 

After years of the awkward camera that previous RE titles had the game finally takes a third person camera mode, ratchets up the action yet still maintains the horror and uneasiness of previous games in the series.

 

Unfortunately, they did a terrible job porting it to the PC. As a game, I would give it a 9 or a 10, but as a port, I would give it a 1 to 3. There is no mouse aim, which makes hitting enemies extremely difficult. Not only that but the idiots didn't even bother updating the buttons, so during events where you need to press a button to survive a scene, it will show a button that you aren't using on your keyboard like a 1 and a 3. Two years later and they couldn't even fix these minor issues... really, how hard is it to add mouse support and display the correct buttons on the screen?

 

Despite these flaws, it was the best 20 dollars I've spent on a game in a very long time.

 

The massive improvements they have added to Resident Evil 4 got me thinking of other franchises that were getting stale with repetition and sequels that have saved them. Other franchise savers might be GTA 3 taking the series to full 3D, or the recent Tomb Raider remake. I used to love Tomb Raider, but somewhere around Tomb Raider 3-4 the series became incredibly stale. I tried the recent demo and it looks like a huge improvement to the game play has finally come along.

 

Make sure to install the official patch for graphical improvements. Also, there's a Mouse Aim Mod available: Clicky

[Diamond]

some would argue that NWN2 was a considerable life saver..

I'm sure roshan would disagree.

[Tale]

Resident Evil 4 (though, for me, it didn't really need saving)

Neverwinter Nights 2 (massive improvement over the 1st in terms of original content)

Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner (Far better by many accounts than the first, though some like it enough that it may not have needed saving)

Shadow Hearts (Many don't know it is actually a sequal to a relatively obscure PS1 title Koudelka)

Wild Arms 2 (There was a first?)

Star Ocean: The 2nd Story (There was a first?)

Tomb Raider: Legend (Lara's back as a good game!)

Legacy of Kain: Defiance (The third installment in both the Soul Reaver and Blood Omen franchises, not sure how it compared to Blood Omen 2, but Soul Reaver 2 was poor)

Suikoden V (Much needed after III and especially IV)

Edited May 29, 2007 by Tale

[Bokishi]

Tomb Raider Legend saved Lara!

[Pidesco]

Star Ocean: The 2nd Story (There was a first?)

 

Yes, and it was quite excellent for its time.

[Musopticon?]

Legacy of Kain: Defiance (The third installment in both the Soul Reaver and Blood Omen franchises, not sure how it compared to Blood Omen 2, but Soul Reaver 2 was poor)

Wait...what?

[Llyranor]

The 27 Final Fantasy titles coming out this year are going to save that franchise!!!

[legion]

Unfortunately, they did a terrible job porting it to the PC. As a game, I would give it a 9 or a 10, but as a port, I would give it a 1 to 3. There is no mouse aim, which makes hitting enemies extremely difficult. Not only that but the idiots didn't even bother updating the buttons, so during events where you need to press a button to survive a scene, it will show a button that you aren't using on your keyboard like a 1 and a 3. Two years later and they couldn't even fix these minor issues... really, how hard is it to add mouse support and display the correct buttons on the screen?

Quick time events are retarded, no matter how well (or badly, as the case may be) they're ported. My survival depending on how quickly I can mash a random button that doesn't actually correlate with the standard controls in any sensible way isn't my idea of a good time. I wish devs would stop using this game mechanic altogether.

[Musopticon?]

A certain bar fight between Khelgar, Qara and Neeshka, just saved the NWN franchise, for me

 

Heck, the game does suffer from horrible fps, bad ai and such, but goddamn that made my day. I'm officially head over heels in love.

[Darque]

RE4 is a step backward, not a step forward.

 

Too much action and no horror

[Volourn]

"some would argue that NWN2 was a considerable life saver.."

 

Some would be be wrong. While I know there's a certain sect that loathes NWN1, it's irrelevant. The NWN franchise did not need saving. NWN2 just adds to the goodness.

[Xard]

^ That depends on POV

[Volourn]

Nah. It doesn't. Not when you are tlaking about 'saving' a franchise.

 

In order for a franchise tyo be 'saved' it means it is in danasger of dying or it had done poorly.

 

NWN1 doesn't qualify because.

 

a) It had 1 game at the time so it's really ahrd to refer to it as a franchise.

 

b) The game was very successful both in popularity and critically wise.

 

c) The game was still going relatively strong after a few years of release.

 

 

To me, a franchise needs to either a) been gone for awhile (ie. BG series) or b) the last game in the series had been a bomb (ie. Ultima whatever the number was).

 

 

Here's an example: I hate the ES series. I haven't played Oblviion yet; but it be silly for me to do so, like it, qand then claim that itr 'saved' the series for 'me'. That would be beyond silly.

 

 

It might have 'saved' the series for you; but the thread title implies something much larger than that... But, I'm not surprised the answers in this thread have been narrowminded and selfish focusing only their own point of view and not the big picture.

 

 

So...in that case, I hope NHL 2008 'saves' the series ... despite its long term success even thoguh I've eprsonally been dissapointed in the last few games. L0L

[Xard]

A certain bar fight between Khelgar, Qara and Neeshka, just saved the NWN franchise, for me

 

Notice last two words

[LadyCrimson]

After Might and Magic7, I kept waiting for the sequel that would save that series, but alas it never came ...

 

It didn't 'save' the series in terms of popularity/sales, but I personally was very glad for Caesar4, since while Pharoah and Emperor and all those were ok, I didn't like they direction they going with them. But I think I'm in the minority there.

[EUIX]

NWN 2 for sure. At least the OC (no not that stupid show), the original NWN OC was just so bad, first RPG I never finished, and hopefully last.

 

On a rather related note Deus Ex wasn't a sequel but it sure did save Ion Storm's ass.

 

Some games which were definite improvements over their prior titles I thought were Heavy Gear 2 (huuuuuuuuuuuuuge), Quake 4 (really impressed), and BG2.

 

But yea for every game with a better sequel there are 3 without. Deus Ex, Thief, amongst others come to mind.

[karka]

Saving a frachise and being the best game of a franchise are two different things. NWN 2 can be a better game than the first one, but it didn't save the franchise. NWN is still one of the best sellers of Atari. A best seller doesn't need to be saved.

[Volourn]

"Saving a frachise and being the best game of a franchise are two different things. NWN 2 can be a better game than the first one, but it didn't save the franchise."

 

Karka wins easily.

[Pidesco]

RE4 is a step backward, not a step forward.

 

Too much action and no horror

 

Really?

 

Well, that sucks. I was thinking of buying RE4.

[Tale]

It really was the easiest Resident Evil game for me to beat. They'd been moving towards action for a while, introducing a few things in Code Veronica, then really upping it in 3 before 4 came along and they went full tilt. I've beaten all 3 and, by comparison, I've never beaten a single Silent Hill and Resident Evil 0-2 were only beaten through cheats or glitches. I don't handle stress well.

[Pop]

RE4 was still a horror game in some respects, it just wasn't survival horror, a genre which burned itself out when it married the J-Horror craze and gave birth to so many uninspired "games". RE4 is to Aliens what RE was to Alien. They decided to stop making enjoyment of the game dependent on ammo rationing and arbitrary puzzles and instead made it dependent upon (vastly, vastly, vastly) improved combat.

 

The important difference is that RE4 doesn't require cheating / exploitation to beat.

Edited May 29, 2007 by Pop

[mr insomniac]

But yea for every game with a better sequel there are 3 without. Deus Ex, Thief, amongst others come to mind.

Planescape: Torment

 

I'm kinda curious to see whether Fallout 3 will save the franchise.

[@\NightandtheShape/@]

After Might and Magic7, I kept waiting for the sequel that would save that series, but alas it never came ...

 

For me Dark Messiah did. I was already a fan of Arkane studios work before DM was released, and DM was supposed to be Arx 2, it was just adapted a franchise.