There are so many games that release to critical acclaim and become financial successes, only to never be followed up by another entry. It doesn’t matter how much support one of these games receives from fans, nor how well they do in the charts; these games are destined to be one-off experiences that tantalize and tease fans to no end with the prospect and potential for future entries that will seemingly never materialize. It is a sad fate, but one that occurs every now and then as a result of numerous factors, such as studio closures, a lack of interest from publishers, or simply a lack of funding, to name a few.
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However, as much as these games may never get a sequel, there is also the slightest chance that they will. We must retain our hope in the off chance that it could finally happen, and our favorite games get the sequels they deserve. After all, while some titles don’t particularly need to become a series, even if their fans want them to be, others genuinely need a follow-up to flesh out unexplained story beats or build upon mechanics that never quite lived up to their potential. There are a plethora of games like these out there in the wild, but these games absolutely need a sequel sooner rather than later in order to truly capitalize on their capacity for greatness.
5. Vanquish
Vanquish may not be immediately familiar to all, as although it sold surprisingly well, it remains a cult classic. Renowned for its incredible sliding mechanic that sees you blasting across maps, gunning down foes on your knees, Vanquish is a phenomenal third-person shooter developed by Resident Evil’s creator, Shinji Mikami. It comes from studio PlatinumGames, which some may know better for the Bayonetta trilogy, and is packed with all the character action of those games and the Devil May Cry series, albeit with a greater focus on gunplay than melee combat.
Sadly, Vanquish remains one of those hugely underrated sci-fi masterpieces, destined to be abandoned to time. With Mikami leaving PlatinumGames to found Tango Gameworks shortly after wrapping development on Vanquish, it doesn’t appear that the interest is there to make it into quite as big a phenomenon as the aforementioned Bayonetta and Devil May Cry. That being said, there’s plenty of room for another game in the series, especially considering no other third-person shooter on the market offers such frenetic and high-octane action. The combination of fast-paced gunplay and short mission lengths makes this a truly unique action title that we absolutely need to see more of, ideally within this over-the-top and hyper-stylized universe.
4. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided was a direct sequel to the incredible immersive sim, Human Revolution. It took the very best aspects of its predecessor and built upon them in meaningful and transformative ways, delivering a campaign that was truly groundbreaking and remains a lot of fun to play through today. However, as great as Deus Ex: Mankind Divided was, its pre-launch controversies, coupled with rumors of the series financial straits, led it to be the last mainline game to be released, with the Deus Ex brand seemingly on a permanent hiatus.
The issue is that Mankind Divided was clearly intended to be the second entry in a trilogy, with whatever the allegedly cancelled sequel would be delivering the conclusion to the epic story. Alas, it seems like we’ll never get it, as Deus Ex is undoubtedly a series that will never come back, or at least any time soon. Square Enix sold the developer and the IP to Embracer Group back in 2022, which then reportedly went on to cancel an in-development Deus Ex project. Mankind Divided absolutely needs a sequel, if only to wrap up Adam Jensen’s story, and I sincerely hope it gets one, even if that remains a distinctly unlikely possibility.
3. Bully
Bully, Rockstar’s beloved yet seemingly forgotten GTA-esque school sim, released all the way back in 2006. After 20 years, it seems like we’re likely never getting a sequel, despite the many reports claiming that one was in the works. Considering Bully was a financial success, it makes sense that Rockstar greenlit a sequel, allegedly being developed by Rockstar New England, who developed Bully: Scholarship Edition. Reportedly, the sequel featured a world three times as large as the original game, numerous accessible interiors, and a greater focus on narrative and character, much like Rockstar’s other games of the time.
Sadly, while the interest is clearly there and no other game has come to dethrone Bully as the de facto school sim, Rockstar isn’t particularly interested in creating a sequel. That’s a shame, especially as, while GTA is undeniably a fantastic series, there was something rather brilliant about Rockstar’s other IP, Bully, and L.A. Noire included. It would be nice to see the studio return to some of these ideas, as they had so much potential and would hugely benefit from Rockstar’s seemingly infinitely large budgets and technical innovations. There really is nothing else like Bully, which means that the only way we’ll ever get more of it is for Rockstar to produce a sequel. Here’s hoping it does soon.
2. Bloodborne
It is a joke at this point how much people want to see either a sequel to or a remake of FromSoftware’s critically acclaimed Bloodborne. Sadly, neither of these options has transpired, and, seemingly, they won’t for quite some time. Ironically, it isn’t due to publisher interference, such as in the case of Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, nor a lack of financial success. Rather, FromSoftware has allegedly been rejecting Bloodborne remake and sequel pitches from studios like the now sadly defunct Bluepoint.
This is a shame, as much like how Dark Souls evolved rather exponentially across its trilogy, Bloodborne, while certainly excellent already, has plenty of room to grow. Additional sequels set within its depressingly gorgeous world would be phenomenal, both to expand upon its unique implementation of the Souls formula and to deliver more gothic fantasy experiences that have clearly enraptured players. Of course, we’re getting The Duskbloods, which appears to more or less offer a similar experience; however, there are key differences between it and Bloodborne, namely its focus on online-play, which makes it more of a spiritual successor. As a result, there’s still the potential for a true Bloodborne sequel, one I hope will be FromSoftware’s next major game.
1. Half-Life 2
Before Bloodborne became the subject of endless memes and jokes regarding a potential remake or sequel, there was Half-Life 2. Developed by Valve, the same folks behind Steam, Half-Life 2 and its predecessor were some of the most revolutionary first-person shooters, both mechanically and for their heavy use of narrative. Of course, much of what they achieved well over two decades ago has been replicated ad nauseam since, but back then, Half-Life 2 especially was considered genre-defining. Sadly, Valve has expressed a lack of interest in creating sequels set within the world of Half-Life beyond a VR spin-off that remains, unsurprisingly, one of the greatest VR games ever made.
It isn’t hard to see why people want a sequel to inarguably one of the greatest first-person shooters of all time. Practically every game Valve has created, from Left 4 Dead 2 to Counter-Strike and Team Fortress 2, has been not only phenomenal and beloved by fans but also industry-leading. Valve has set the bar rather high, and, as a result, only it can create something that would do Half-Life 2 justice. Half-Life: Alyx is great, as aforementioned, but being trapped on VR means it’s largely inaccessible to most people. A true sequel would allow Valve to complete the tantalizing narrative and further flesh out the bizarre world from Half-Life 2, as well as revive the story-driven linear first-person shooter, which it played such a large role in perfecting.
Which games do you think deserve a sequel? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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Image courtesy of Netflix
