Feature: The Top 21 Games that Didn't Need Sequels! Subscribe to this RSS feed

The Top Five Unnecessary Sequels!

5- Die Hard Trilogy

One part action, one part driving, one part light-gun shooter, Die Hard Trilogy was a total aberration for the gaming industry. It was an aged license that took some creative risks but still ended up turning out pretty goddamn good.

Of course, Fox Interactive had to test fate by creating Die Hard Trilogy 2, which attempted to follow up the original trilogy with a single story, keeping the same gameplay formula, albeit with crappier gameplay. Ok, Fox? A- Die Hard Trilogy 2 wasn't a freaking trilogy. 2- The game sucked with a vengeance. It's a good thing you're not making games any more, you morons.

4- Area 51

It may not have set the light-gun arcade genre on its head, but Area 51 was pretty freakin fun. Instead of pictures of shooting nondescript dudes with sunglasses and guns, Area 51 had you blasting pictures of deformed creatures. After a wholly unnecessary quasi-sequel, the series laid dormant for a few years.

With the last generation bereft of quality light gun titles, Midway decided to resurrect the franchise... as a first-person shooter. Despite a complete lack of interest from the entire world, Midway is pressing on with yet another sequel, and rumors persist that a movie adaptation is nigh. For Area 51. Sigh.

3- Turok: Dinosaur Hunter

The original Turok was a novel concept--kill dinosaurs with guns--that spoke to gamers of the mid-nineties. Subsequent sequels also spoke to gamers, with the exact same tone, to the point where fans wanted the series to shut the hell up. Unfortunately it still hasn't, as the series has been befouling consoles well into this decade.

2- Resident Evil Outbreak

The idea of taking the Resident Evil series online was appealing, until Capcom thoroughly botched it with Resident Evil Outbreak, a game that featured a thoroughly boring cast and less player communication than Backgammon on Yahoo Games, circa 1998. Of course, Capcom saw fit to make another, which added a half-assed communication system, a bunch of generic new levels, and no new boring characters. Meanwhile, the prospect for an excellent zombie-based MMO still goes unrealized.

1- Fighting Force

Fighting Force was one of the first halfway decent 3D-brawlers. It may not have been the equivalent of Double Dragon or Final Fight, but it laid the groundwork for a potentially amazing franchise. So of course, Eidos made a single-player only stealth-focused sequel, since it was completely obvious nobody bought the original because of the fighting or force.