With the release of Diablo 3 looming above the industry to undoubtedly shake things up (for better or worse), I feel we should take this moment to reflect on what a sequel is and should be, what a sequel is for and who it should be aimed at.
Much like evolution, video games progress in small leaps and bounds, and those games who try to drastically change their formula will, beyond a shadow of a doubt, either fail or ultimately disappoint.
But rather than say what has been said thousands of times, let's instead lay out some basic rules on HOW to make a good, true sequel.
The purpose
There are primarily two purposes to creating a sequel. To progress a narrative and to improve game play for an establish fan base.
Keep in mind, you can expand a narrative without improving game play in the form of expansion packs (Remember those? Yeah, me to...)
Creating a narrative is a very straightforward process. Establish a main plot, introduce the back story and character, keep true to the premise of the story and finally deliver on the main plot by tying all loose ends in order to deliver a strong, satisfying ending.
Redefining the game play of an established franchise, however, a much higher chance of failure and complication. By keeping in mind a few rules, companies can reduce the chance of failure:
What a sequel should be
1) Never change genres in the middle of a franchise.
This is a given. If you create a strategy game, do not create a sequel that is an FPS (unless it's a spin-offs)
2) Stay true to the premise of game play from the previous games.
If you're game is focused around exploration for instance, stay focused on exploration. An example would be the Elder Scrolls series. There really aren't many redeeming features about the Elder Scrolls outside of exploration. The combat is rather dull and repetitive and the main plots tend to be cliche, but the massive amounts of exploration that the Elder Scrolls offers is what makes this franchise a best seller. Think of your favorite game, take away what makes it unique and ask yourself if the other systems of the game would be enough to make it a successful game. You can learn a lot about games by doing this.
3) Do not attempt to expand beyond your core fan base.
Just don't. Not only does it not work 90% of the time (excluding short term success) but you piss off the people who got you to where you are and you look like a douche in the process. Seriously. Knock it off.
4) Know when to stop.
If your developers have lost the passion of the series, don't force them to complete it. Would we like to see Half Life 3? Sure. Would we like to see it if it meant turning it into an isometric RPG with completely different characters? No.
5) Know why you're making it.
Are you making the sequel for yourself and your friends? Congratulations! You're a competent game developer! Are you making the game to make money? Than you're a businessman and would be better suited in a production field rather than development.
What made you great?
Diablo, Starcraft, Turok, Zelda, what made all these games great? I don't know... Only the developer knows, and the developer knows that a true sequel doesn't mean making the same game and slapping shiny graphics on it.
A true sequel is something that is not only well made, but necessary. A sequel MUST be necessary, whether by narrative progression or fan base demand if you can confidently improve the game play (IE making a Donkey Kong sequel, a game purely based on game play).
Move on
If a game studio fails to meet these rules when discussing a sequel, than that studio should not be afraid to leave their game series behind. Just let it rest peacefully on peoples game shelves. No one wants Dead Space 18 or Call of Duty 43.
Many times the industry gets diluted with an overabundance of games. MMOs in particular fail victim to this, but game franchises can also become diluted. The FIFA series for instance, is losing a lot of steam. Why? Because all 12 of those games involve the same thing; the player kicking a ball back and forth on a green playing field. Granted, it's fine if the developer wants to make a sequel to FIFA so they can improve game play. But 12 FIFA games? How much until people have had enough?
In closing, if you don't meet these requirements but still REALLY want to make a sequel, just let Obsidian Entertainment develop it and save yourself the embarrassment
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