The New Gamer

Sequel Penance Commentary
By G. Turner
Posted December 9, 2004

I feel dirty.

Fastest sequel of the year.

Burnout 3, Golden Sun 2, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Half-Life 2, Halo 2, Jet Set Radio Future, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes, Metal Gear Solid 3.

Normally I'm the guy in the corner espousing creativity, something new, not the same-old same-old. And it's not that I'm violently opposed to sequels; they can be just as fresh and innovative as the next original game. No, I just don't like what they represent: laziness, stagnation, facile game design.

Metroid: Zero Mission, Onimusha 3: Demon Siege, Pikmin 2, Ratchet & Clank 2: Going Commando, R-Type: Final, Silent Hill 3, Silent Hill 4: The Room, Sly 2: Band of Thieves, Sonic Heroes, SSX 3: Out of Bounds. And those aren't even all of the sequels/franchise follow-ups I've played this year.

So why the hell am I playing so many sequels? At least one-third of the games I played this year were sequels. Eight out of ten of the last games I've played were follow-ups! Well, the majority of the time it's because I haven't played the first. Had I experienced Burnout prior to the third in the series? Nope. Onimusha 3 was a deflowering experience. Ratchet & Clank 1? Nah, never got around to it. SSX existed before Out of Bounds? I'm a busy man, don't burden me with your trivia. Why didn't I play Halo before? None of your business.

Sequels, sequels everywhere. Now let's all have a drink.

Castlevania: Lament of Innocence, Fatal Frame 2, Gradius V, Jak II, Jak 3, OutRun 2, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Prince of Persia: Warrior Within, Ratchet & Clank 3: Up Your Arsenal, Viewtiful Joe 2, Way of the Samurai 2. And that's not every sequel or follow-up in my Gamefly queue.

However, I feel that by even playing these games I'm assisting in driving the gaming industry towards creative bankruptcy. I'm not going to stop playing sequels but when seasons like these pop up, where I'm playing practically nothing but sequels a little trigger goes off in my head. Instead of anticipating a sequel, I become skeptical. Knights of the Old Republic II? Pfft, Bioware's not developing it. Metroid Prime 2? Looks like more of the same, except that I'll be cursing twice as much! Viewtiful Joe 2? You promised me multiplayer.

Is this a healthy reaction? Probably not. But many things I do aren't too healthy for me. Now, pass me that second bottle of whiskey and let me get back to Mega Man X8.

Devil May Cry 3, Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, Oddworld Stranger's Wrath, Resident Evil 4, Star Fox Assault. I am so ashamed of myself.

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