- 11 hours ago
We're diving into a bunch of titles that faced some potentially unfair hate and totally deserve a second look. Lets check out some big sequels that changed things up and got slammed for it.
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00:00Sequels tend to suffer from way more scrutiny than the average release.
00:04While many gamers are willing to forgive flaws or oversight in a debut title,
00:08the same love is not often extended to follow-ups as the weight of expectation
00:12sits heavily on their shoulders. This sadly means that plenty of games that would have
00:16otherwise been considered good, if not great, are thrust into a world of unjustified hatred.
00:22So, I'm Sy, this is WhatCulture, and here are 10 hated video game sequels that everyone was too
00:28hard on. Mirror's Edge Catalyst. 2008's Mirror's Edge made a pretty decent impression on the
00:34gaming landscape when it ran onto the scene, and many people look back on this free-running
00:39speedfest as a hidden gem that probably didn't get the attention it deserved, despite its, frankly,
00:45generic narrative. The follow-up, however, is not so fondly remembered, but was Mirror's Edge Catalyst
00:50really that bad? This prequel shifted from the first game's carefully constructed linear design
00:56to an open-world setting, allowing players to explore the city of glass at their own discretion.
01:01However, this significant alteration alongside the once-again lacklustre story and clunky combat
01:07drew plenty of ire from fans. Of course, while the transition from tightly designed linear levels
01:13to an open approach did neglect part of the original's appeal, the game still offered a fun
01:17environment to explore. Plus, the real highlight was the impeccable movement mechanics which genuinely
01:23improved upon the original. The free-running was smoother than ever, with a focus on momentum
01:27and exploration that often pushed you into addictive flow states. Sure, not as good as the original,
01:33but Catalyst is still a gorgeous-looking high-octane parkour experience that not enough people talk about.
01:40Doom 64. Making a Doom game should be pretty easy, right? Step 1, give the player some big ol' guns.
01:47Step 2,
01:47throw some scary monsters at them. Step 3, carnage. However, finding the right blend of atmosphere,
01:52action and thrills whilst keeping the franchise evolving is far from simple, as demonstrated by
01:58the harsh reaction to Doom 64. This spin-off game sought to bring the popular FPS series to the
02:04Nintendo 64 in a big way. Rather than reinventing the wheel, id Software and Midway chose to build
02:09a game mechanically similar to what came before, albeit with new sprites, levels and a new engine.
02:16However, one significant change they made that rubbed many the wrong way was the shift in tone and
02:20pacing. Rather than being the typical non-stop action-fest players were used to,
02:25Doom 64 instead focused more on puzzle solving and exploration with fewer enemy encounters.
02:31This frustrated many, yet it was a unique approach that allowed the game to create a stellar sense
02:36of atmosphere and dread. Doom 64's tough levels and less predictable firefights have caused a lot of
02:41fans to resent it, but the game has since developed a dedicated cult following, and rightfully so.
02:46Tomb Raider Underworld. Tomb Raider is a franchise that easy belongs on this list,
02:51as looking through its catalogue is like gazing at an assortment of chocolates. Some are so mouthwatering
02:56you'll want to gorge them down without hesitation, and others will make you think,
02:59yeah, I think I'll leave the bounties for someone else. But while the likes of Tomb Raider 2013 is a
03:04must-eat and the Angel of Darkness is a spit out of your mouth, what the hell is this kind
03:08of experience?
03:09The often needlessly hated Tomb Raider Underworld is delicious, but it might have an odd aftertaste.
03:15Okay, this simile is getting away from me. Underworld is the third game in Crystal
03:19Dynamics' first Lara Croft reboot, and whilst it's not the most disliked Tomb Raider out there,
03:24it certainly has a shed load of detractors. A significant portion of the criticism stems from
03:29the game's wonky camera, occasionally awkward controls, brief campaign, and some other issues.
03:34However, loving Underworld is easy if you're a fan of the classic Tomb Raider experience,
03:39and have a soft spot for the franchise's goofier side. I mean, in the first game she fought a T
03:44-Rex,
03:45it's pretty silly. There's plenty of fun exploration, good puzzling and platforming,
03:49and a gorgeous visual design, and it also hits all of the fantastical vibes the series was known for
03:54before rebooting in 2013, with appearances from the Kraken, Thor's Hammer, and other over-the-top elements.
04:01So what's not to love?
04:02Fable 3. You'll often find that there are only two camps when it comes to arguing about
04:07which Fable game is the best, the one for the original Fable, and people who are wrong.
04:11I'm kidding, of course, people love Fable 2, I'm not people, but people do love it. However,
04:15this obviously excludes a major game in the line-up, that being Albion's ugly little duckling,
04:20which is Fable 3. Whilst it's definitely not the best game in the series, there's certainly an argument
04:25that it deserves more love than it gets. Fable 3 is certainly flawed with repetitive combat,
04:30forced mechanics like hand-holding, and shoddy UI choices. However, the game is not shy about taking
04:37risks, something exceedingly rare for AAA releases, and as such, the last thing you can call it is
04:41boring. The game takes you on a grand adventure across a land littered with fun characters voiced
04:46by big-name actors, with its main narrative and bouncy full-side content giving you plenty of laughs
04:51and action along the way. On top of that, the game's bizarre choices fill it with imaginative features,
04:57such as the fun real estate mechanics, genuinely, or the massive mid-game twist that flips the story
05:02and gameplay on its head. Sure, Fable 3 didn't quite stick the landing, but it at least did a couple
05:08of
05:08cool flips on the way down. Castlevania 64. Final Fantasy The Legend of Zelda Super Mario Bros.
05:14These are but a few examples of massively popular video game franchises that transitioned from 2D to 3D,
05:20with unmatched grace. Heck, their respective jumps into the third dimension are still considered by
05:25many to be some of the best video games of all time. Sadly, the gothic action-adventure series
05:30Castlevania didn't join the 3D realm with that same level of prestige. Look, we've all kicked Castlevania 64
05:37around a little bit, so maybe it's time to give it some of its well-deserved flowers. The one thing
05:42you
05:42need to know when going into the game is that it is janky. So janky in fact that you'd think
05:47that
05:47Dracula had put a curse on you, the player, directly to stop you from preventing his return.
05:52But if you can look past all this, you'll find that Castlevania 64, released of course simply as
05:56Castlevania, is actually a pretty enjoyable ride. It's utterly bombastic and there is a boss fight,
06:01for example, where you battle a king skeleton surrounded by skeletons on motorbikes.
06:05Which, okay sure, didn't know that was a thing. But the atmosphere, classically Castlevania great
06:10music, balls to the wall lunacy and dual protagonists with unique abilities and storylines, make it a
06:15flawed but enjoyable benchmark in early 3D gaming. Not every game can be Super Mario 64. Some games have
06:22to not be Super Mario 64, so we have a benchmark. Benchmarks are good. Silent Hill Downpour. Ah yes,
06:28the Silent Hill sequels. It's hard to find a collection of games more hated than these. The once
06:34untouchable horror series was slowly but surely decimated by the onslaught of generic, uninspired,
06:39post-Silent Hill 4 releases that seem to forget what made the franchise special. Some people wouldn't
06:44even include Silent Hill 4 in the list of good ones, and they'd be wrong to do so, but it's
06:49way,
06:49way less common for fans to throw supports at the likes of Silent Hill Downpour. So let's give that a
06:54try. Downpour is far from the heights of the franchise, with the combat and monster designs being
06:59particularly bland. However, it boasts some plus points that are often overlooked like the generally
07:04strong narrative. The story of escaped convict Murphy Pendleton facing the nightmares of the town
07:09after surviving a bus crash nearby makes for a thrilling setup with some great payoff, especially
07:15in the player choice impacted endings. Additionally, the implementation of SideQuest adds a unique edge to
07:21the game that provides some stellar motivation for world exploration. Is it great? Eh, maybe not,
07:27but it's not as bad as many people think that it is. The Legend of Zelda 2 The Adventure of
07:33Link.
07:33When asked to picture what a classic Legend of Zelda game looks like, you might think of the top-down
07:382D style of the original, or perhaps the polygonal 3D of Ocarina of Time, depending on your age.
07:44However, it's doubtful you'll think of the franchise's bizarro side-scroller, Zelda 2 The
07:49Adventure of Link. Nintendo, at this point, had yet to establish the Zelda mold when they completely broke
07:55it, introducing a sequel to not only switch the visual perspective, but also the focus,
07:59honing in on RPG elements and action over complex puzzle solving. Given this huge shift,
08:05the game has since become a maligned part of Hyrule's gaming roster, often falling into the lower
08:10ends of tier lists, if not at the very bottom. If not for Skyward Sword. God, I hate that game.
08:15But those who hate Zelda 2 for simply being different are robbing themselves of a great NES
08:20experience. This action-packed game, while not a conventional Zelda title, is a thrilling adventure
08:26with challenging combat that keeps you on your toes, interactive NPCs, and solid RPG elements.
08:32It's a great time if you're looking for a throwback to late 80s gaming. It's also the origin of a
08:37bunch
08:37of really great Zelda songs as well, so that's good too. Banjo Kazooie Nuts and Bolts. Imagine,
08:45if you will, that the massively anticipated Half-Life 3 were to release finally, but as a tile-matching
08:51puzzle game. Even if it was the best tile-matching puzzle game ever made, plenty of people would still
08:55hate it for being a tile-matching puzzle game. That is precisely what happened to the Banjo Kazooie
09:01series as the long-awaited third game switched up the formula so much that it drove fans to fury,
09:05despite being actually pretty good at what it set out to do. Banjo Kazooie Nuts and Bolts released
09:10eight years after the last mainline title, so fans were foaming at the mouth at the mere thought of
09:15it. However, when they got their hands on the game, rather than the typical 3D platforming they were
09:19accustomed to, the gameplay instead focused on vehicle building. Now, this was very jarring,
09:24and you're entitled to feel certain ways about it being completely jarring, but there's no denying
09:29that the mechanic was incredibly well executed. Yes, it was a major department from what fans expected,
09:34but the crafting pushed your creativity to the max, allowing you to find unique solutions to problems
09:39and experiment in meaningful ways. The bright and colourful atmosphere was still there in droves,
09:45as was the humour, so while everything was different, it also still felt authentic to the
09:49series. Also, Tears of the Kingdom did basically the same mechanic and everyone loved it, and it
09:53fits in Zelda as much as it fits in Banjo, so what's the problem? Fatal Frame 4, Mask of the
09:59Lunar Eclipse.
10:00There are two things that all but every Fatal Frame, or Project Zero depending on who you ask,
10:04fan can agree on. The Fatal Frame 2 Crimson Butterfly is the best game in the series,
10:09and the Fatal Frame 4, Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is one of the weakest. However,
10:13Lunar Eclipse is not necessarily a bad game, it's just being compared to some of the best horror
10:17titles of all time, so you kind of forget that it's got plenty of things going for it.
10:22The game tells an incredibly atmospheric and melancholic story about a collection of characters,
10:26two girls with a mysterious past, and the detective who rescued them. This trio return
10:30to the scene of their haunted past, wielding the iconic Camera Obscura and the new Spiritstone
10:35Flashlight, and the aforementioned Flashlight introduces a thrilling new feature to the series,
10:39utilizing motion control in a way that was actually fun. Sadly, a lot of the game's hate
10:44stems from forces outside of its control, such as being on the Nintendo Wii, and the company's
10:49refusal to localize it to the west until the 2023 remaster. As such, it's often regarded as the black
10:55sheep of the Fatal Frame franchise, despite putting in a pretty admirable effort.
11:00Senua's Saga Hellblade 2 Senua's Sacrifice rocked the industry back in 2017, setting a new benchmark
11:07for AA gaming. It was visually impressive, cinematically astounding, and an absolute
11:12masterclass in sound design, with the biggest drawbacks being the slow pacing and mediocre combat.
11:18Unfortunately, the recent-ish sequel Hellblade 2 was visually impressive, cinematically astounding,
11:23and a masterclass in sound design, but it was also let down by slow pacing and mediocre combat.
11:28Who could have seen that coming? In fairness, it's often expected that a gaming sequel will improve
11:33upon its predecessor's weak points, so Hellblade 2's repetitive battles and brief-as-hell runtime
11:37are valid letdowns. However, while Ninja Theory fell at this hurdle, they upped the ante on the
11:43spectacle, delivering a game with atmosphere, phenomenal acting, and a dedicated focus on
11:48storytelling. While the brief runtime is a big shame, it at least packs a punch with the time it does
11:53have.
11:53Senua's Saga is by no means the masterpiece that fans were hoping it would be, but it feels damn
11:58unfair to hate a perfectly decent if flawed game, simply for not revolutionising the industry for a
12:05second time. Hey, if you want to stick with us talking about video game sequels, here's a video
12:09on screen now for 10 perfect video games with even better sequels. Thanks for watching this video,
12:14I've been Cy for WhatCulture, and have a good week.
12:17Keep it up and I've got in a quick video game.
12:17We'll see you in the next video game.
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