Sequelitis

Games keep getting better. Every new generation, graphical prowess increases. We now have something in games, apparently, called "physics." The ways in which we interact with games change, as does what we expect out of our software.

Sequels should take a great concept of a new IP and improve upon it while still retaining the soul of the original. It should be better and more fun than the original, or it will just be the Star Wars prequels. So I have a question: when sequels suck, does that make the original game less fun? My answer seems to be: maybe.

Gamers are constantly crying for innovation in their games, yet millions of people buy crappy movie tie-ins every year. When Devil May Cry was first released, critics and consumers loved it. It was Resident Evil if your character wasn't a mook. When Devil May Cry 2 came out, it was almost universally hated. My favorite review quote for DMC2 was "...one of the most disappointing sequels in gaming history." (Find that particular review here.) When a sequel sucks that much, it definitely tarnishes the franchise and the developer's integrity, but does it make the first game seem worse just by being associated with it?

In movies, sequels are almost expected to be worse than the original (except Spider-Man 2). In games, if you're not pushing the franchise and the industry forward, you may as well have been vaporware for all anyone cares. Parappa the Rapper 2 is the first game, but easier and with worse songs. That's not OK with me. That's why number 2 isn't revered as a classic of the genre, or a must-buy for the system. The original Parappa is.

Still, Fallout 3 is a masterpiece. Tony Hawk 3 is sublime (let's just ignore all the ones that have came out since then). GTA IV is the best that the series will get before the formula becomes stale. Sequels are easier than creating full games, and need to be better than the originals to even be viable in today's tough economy. People don't have as much disposable money as they used to, and they don't want to waste it on games that aren't guaranteed to be great. Try your best, game developers. Please?