GAMEBOOMERS provides you with all the latest PC adventure computer games information, forum, walkthroughs, reviews and news.

GB Reviews

Latest & Upcoming Adventure Games

GB Annual Game Lists

GB Interviews

BAAGS

GB @ acebook

About Us

Walkthroughs

free games galore

Game Publishers & Developers

World of Adventure

Patches

GB @ witter

GameBoomers Store

Print Thread
Why are many sequels so disappointing? #1041433
11/16/15 09:19 PM
11/16/15 09:19 PM
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 908
C
Cari Offline OP
Settled Boomer
Cari  Offline OP
Settled Boomer
C

Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 908
Why are many sequels so disappointing? You all know the scenario, occasionally a game is one that’s got the Wow factor and you can’t wait for the sequel and oh dear it’s such a disappointment. I’m sure you can name more than I but here's a few, Broken Sword, Monkey Island comes to mind and Lost Horison2 is the latest.
Maybe the developers have got a new games engine and decided to give us some timed episodes etc to struggle with. No, you got it right the first time; that’s why it sold and made us happy and made you money, leave it alone. Rant over, back to my question, why do you think sequels so often fail to live up to the original and meet our expectations?.

Re: Why are many sequels so disappointing? [Re: Cari] #1041434
11/16/15 09:31 PM
11/16/15 09:31 PM
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 48,228
near Yosemite
Marian Offline
Global Moderator
Marian  Offline
Global Moderator
Sonic Boomer

Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 48,228
near Yosemite
I thought that the sequels to Monkey Island and Broken Sword were very good, actually. I also liked Black Mirror II. smile

I haven't played Lost Horizon 2, but it does seem to be a disappointment for some people.

Re: Why are many sequels so disappointing? [Re: Marian] #1041442
11/16/15 10:54 PM
11/16/15 10:54 PM
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 16,783
Upper Arlington, Ohio
Space Quest Fan Offline
Graduate Boomer
Space Quest Fan  Offline
Graduate Boomer

Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 16,783
Upper Arlington, Ohio
I have played some bad sequels but I must say Gabriel Knight 2 The Beast Within is still one of my favorite games of all time. That is too bad about Lost Horizon 2. Hopefully your next game will be more fun for you.


It's nice to be important but it is much more important to be nice.
Re: Why are many sequels so disappointing? [Re: Space Quest Fan] #1041464
11/17/15 04:25 AM
11/17/15 04:25 AM
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 34,312
United Kingdom
Mad Offline
Sonic Boomer
Mad  Offline
Sonic Boomer

Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 34,312
United Kingdom
I've played sequels that weren't at all disappointing - but I can't comment on Lost Horizon 2 as I'm waiting for an alternative release to the Steam one before I will buy it smile


Time : The Most Precious Commodity
Re: Why are many sequels so disappointing? [Re: Cari] #1041487
11/17/15 09:59 AM
11/17/15 09:59 AM
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,048
SE Michigan
T
The Haze Offline
Addicted Boomer
The Haze  Offline
Addicted Boomer
T

Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,048
SE Michigan
I have a theory I'd like to propose using what I consider to be a really fine game. Take a look at Still Life. The first game was rather successful and many of us clamored for Still Life 2, which we eventually got. However, the producers of the game had changed it. It was less visually impressive; the controls were a bit more awkward, (I am woefully bad at techno-discussion)and the game had been simply changed. Note that Myst, throughout virtually the entire series, remained MYST. The first Sherlock Holmes game (The Mystery of the Mummy) wasn't very well done, so they fixed it. After that the series has stayed about the same with some minor but intelligent tweaking. All in all, problems seem to occur when publishers and creators take a game we already like and for some reason "Adjust" it. Perhaps they should simply leave it alone.


If all the people were heroes, there would be no one to watch the parades.
Re: Why are many sequels so disappointing? [Re: Cari] #1041494
11/17/15 11:21 AM
11/17/15 11:21 AM
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 908
C
Cari Offline OP
Settled Boomer
Cari  Offline OP
Settled Boomer
C

Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 908
Of course our personal preferences play a lot to how we rate the games we play, two reviews of the same game on our forum can give an A and a B- it depends on what we are looking for in a game. That being said, do you remember the quote from Charles Cecil” Point and click is dead, long live adventure games!!” on the launch of Broken Sword 3?
So why did Broken Sword 4 and The Serpent's Curse 5 return to point and click. The answer is obvious isn’t it?
I remember also first inclusion of 3D graphics in Tales of Monkey Island and trying to get Guybrush to walk in a straight line, to stop bumping into things and turning round in circles.

I have said enough about Lost Horizon2 and it’s not a bad game but its light years away from the original, it almost feels that it was made by two separate developers.

Re: Why are many sequels so disappointing? [Re: Cari] #1041560
11/17/15 06:03 PM
11/17/15 06:03 PM
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 40,644
southeast USA
Jenny100 Offline
GB Reviewer Glitches Moderator
Jenny100  Offline
GB Reviewer Glitches Moderator
Sonic Boomer

Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 40,644
southeast USA
Originally Posted By: Cari
Why are many sequels so disappointing?

Lack of development money as compared with the original.

Company that made the original bought out by a different company that has a mistaken idea of what made the original game good -- or that simply doesn't care and only wants to throw something together as cheaply as possible to extract money from fans of the original game.

Company that made the original gets new management which thinks they can make more money by changing a successful formula -- and proceeds to make a huge botch.

Original game a "one hit wonder" from developers that were never able to repeat their success because they felt they had to add unwanted "features" to the sequels in order to be "relevant to today's gaming" (whatever that means)

Obsession with 3D, despite problems. Developers only seeing the potential, unproven adventages of 3D engines and being blind to potential issues. Bugs being much worse than expected. Development time allotted for debugging woefully inadequate. Release of games sorely in need of patching. Release of games with extremely high system requirements for how the game looks and plays -- so you get a chuggy, buggy game that looks worse than its 2D (or 2.5D) predecessor, even on computers that play modern RPG's without difficulty.

Obsession with supporting all possible game platforms, which means using certain game engines and expecting the gamer to endure their quirks, like lack of true point-and-click controls and ugly prefab interface.

Obsession with gimmicks, like Achievements, Facebook/Twitter/Steam integration, and gameplay borrowed from casual games -- things many of us consider negatives -- especially when they replace the more traditional adventure gameplay that was what drew us to the adventure genre in the first place.

Originally Posted By: The Haze
Take a look at Still Life. The first game was rather successful and many of us clamored for Still Life 2, which we eventually got. However, the producers of the game had changed it.

The developers of the original Still Life game no longer existed as a company at the time Still Life 2 was made.

The development arm of Microids, Microids Canada, which developed the original Still Life, was one of the victims of publishers non-payment of developers for their games. Microids Canada was sold off and the individuals who worked on Still Life ended up working on action games for Ubisoft, or finding work elsewhere. The team that worked on Still Life was never brought together again and never made another adventure game together. Still Life was the last game made by the real Microids.

Still Life 2 was developed by a completely different company, GameCO Studios. The publishing arm of Microids continued to exist for a few years longer before it also went under and was purchased by Anuman around 2009 or 2010. Not that it mattered. All they were at that point was a name.

Buying a bankrupt company and publishing games under that company's name does not automatically make the games resemble the original company's games. Not in the slightest. The development arm of Microids has been dead since 2005 -- and that's the one that actually made the games as opposed to publishing some other company's games.

Re: Why are many sequels so disappointing? [Re: Cari] #1041589
11/17/15 09:48 PM
11/17/15 09:48 PM
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 483
C
CountZero Offline
Settled Boomer
CountZero  Offline
Settled Boomer
C

Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 483
Wasn't Still Life kind of a sequel to Post Mortem?

Re: Why are many sequels so disappointing? [Re: Cari] #1041694
11/18/15 04:34 PM
11/18/15 04:34 PM
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,048
SE Michigan
T
The Haze Offline
Addicted Boomer
The Haze  Offline
Addicted Boomer
T

Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,048
SE Michigan
CountZero; It was, as you correctly note, "Sort of" a sequel. Indeed the main character of Post Mortem was the main character for about 30 percent of Still Life. The games were very different in style and texture, but both games were rather dark, both involved a complex and grotesque murder, and both were a bit violent. (I must also admit that they are both in my Top Ten.)


If all the people were heroes, there would be no one to watch the parades.
Re: Why are many sequels so disappointing? [Re: Cari] #1041998
11/20/15 07:27 PM
11/20/15 07:27 PM
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 828
New Jersey Shore
sureshot Offline
Settled Boomer
sureshot  Offline
Settled Boomer

Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 828
New Jersey Shore
I too feel that some sequels just didn't live up to the original games. One of my favorite all time games was The Neverhood and I waited and waited for the next game which took many years to become available. Well Armikrog finally came out! I have it now, and I've started to play it with great anticipation. Now it is just sitting on my PC half way done and I have not even tried to complete it. Sorry - big let down for me! cry


It's not the years honey, it's the mileage!
Re: Why are many sequels so disappointing? [Re: Cari] #1042262
11/22/15 07:33 PM
11/22/15 07:33 PM
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 1,691
Hiding Under a Rock
gamenut Offline
Addicted Boomer
gamenut  Offline
Addicted Boomer

Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 1,691
Hiding Under a Rock
Yes, it is a shame when you get a sequel and is is no where nearly as good as the original. I agree with what Jenny100 said. This is true in the Casual game field as well. Money, people coming and going from a company, poor vision of what the product should be-it all takes its toll...irks me no end. Big hype comes out for a sequel and many times I wish had not purchased.. Even if you play a demo and it seems good it can be a bust. OH-forgot to mention--when the developers offer up beta testing and the testers let them know about things they don't like-seems like most of the time those comments get ignored (probably because that game gone farther down the pipline and the dev doesn't want to be late releasing and so....we get a fizzle game. tsk, tsk.

Re: Why are many sequels so disappointing? [Re: Cari] #1042310
11/23/15 10:18 AM
11/23/15 10:18 AM
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 908
C
Cari Offline OP
Settled Boomer
Cari  Offline OP
Settled Boomer
C

Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 908
I think the only answer to disappointment is to wait for the reviews to appear before you shell out hard cash for a game.
Though reviews for Lost Horizon2 are hard to come by, as Ana said, Quote: They haven't responded to requests for a review copy also, so it's a bit frustrating. Maybe they don't want anymore reviews.

Of the reviews I have managed to find the score is 15 against the game and 2 for and many of those who have given a thumbs down are far more harsh in their criticisms than I have made. On reflection I wouldn’t pay more than 12 or 13$ for the game, its way overpriced at 40 $. and if you have to update your video card to play, forget it.
I should add that rather than full reviews the fifteen I mentioned were from comments by players of the game.

Last edited by Cari; 11/23/15 10:55 AM.
Re: Why are many sequels so disappointing? [Re: Cari] #1042689
11/25/15 11:04 PM
11/25/15 11:04 PM
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,048
SE Michigan
T
The Haze Offline
Addicted Boomer
The Haze  Offline
Addicted Boomer
T

Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,048
SE Michigan
I have recently begun playing Syberia (For the umpteenth time) again and I have a new theory on why sequels seldom work. If we like a game well enough to demand a sequel, we have probably invested a bit of emotion in the main character. In the case of Kate Walker, we know how she feels, thinks, etc. We know why Oscar irritates her. If the character in a sequel doesn't meet those characteristics, we won't like the game. Did that make sense?


If all the people were heroes, there would be no one to watch the parades.
Re: Why are many sequels so disappointing? [Re: Cari] #1042727
11/26/15 09:18 AM
11/26/15 09:18 AM
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 600
M
mbday630 Offline
Settled Boomer
mbday630  Offline
Settled Boomer
M

Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 600
I agree with Jenny100. "Company that made the original gets new management which thinks they can make more money by changing a successful formula -- and proceeds to make a huge botch." Simon 3D comes to mind. I loved the first 2 Simon games and they were successful - but then Hasbro (not sure) bought the game and changed it to 3D and had action elements and it fell flat. After multiple attempts at playing the game, I finally finished it and now I enjoy the game, but, it took probably 10 years before Ii could say that. Jack Keane is another game that I thoroughly enjoyed the first game, but, the second one fell flat and had action elements that took me forever to get past. I guess I play adventure games for the thinking process, and I don't enjoy using manual dexterity and quick reflexes. With the reviews of Lost Horizon 2, I think that unless I find a really good sale on it, I will pass.

Re: Why are many sequels so disappointing? [Re: The Haze] #1042737
11/26/15 10:30 AM
11/26/15 10:30 AM
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 34,312
United Kingdom
Mad Offline
Sonic Boomer
Mad  Offline
Sonic Boomer

Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 34,312
United Kingdom
Originally Posted By: The Haze
I have recently begun playing Syberia (For the umpteenth time) again and I have a new theory on why sequels seldom work. If we like a game well enough to demand a sequel, we have probably invested a bit of emotion in the main character. In the case of Kate Walker, we know how she feels, thinks, etc. We know why Oscar irritates her. If the character in a sequel doesn't meet those characteristics, we won't like the game. Did that make sense?


I consider Syberia 2 to be one of the successful sequels, The Haze. Do you ??

And some of the others I feel were successful include :

Monkey Island 2
Legend of Kyrandia 2
Both Agatha Christie sequels
Broken Sword 2
The whole caboodle of Carol Reed sequels
Discworld 2 and Discworld Noir
Gabriel Knight 2
Journeyman Project 3 Legacy of Time
Kings Quest 5, 6 & 7
Phantasmagoria 2
Sherlock Holmes Rose Tattoo
Sherlock Holmes The Awakened, Versus Jack the Ripper, The Testament and Crimes & Punishments
Simon the Sorcerer 2
Both Tex Murphy sequels
Both Black Mirror sequels
Return to Zork, Zork Grand Inquisitor and Zork Nemesis



Time : The Most Precious Commodity
Re: Why are many sequels so disappointing? [Re: Cari] #1042744
11/26/15 11:34 AM
11/26/15 11:34 AM
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,048
SE Michigan
T
The Haze Offline
Addicted Boomer
The Haze  Offline
Addicted Boomer
T

Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,048
SE Michigan
Mad; thanks for your list. It is generally the list I would write. All the Holmes games are wonderful. (I,ve owned "...The Rose Tattoo" for years and never found a computer that would run it.) I would disagree with the "Black Mirror" games because I loved the first one and thought the entire business was perfect at the end. The other games didn't work for me. I also have never liked the "Diskworld" games, but have never known why. Please know that I am one of those "Any MYST game, anywhere, any time" guys and firmly believe that Myst V,whatever it is a sequel to, is a work of genius.

Note: I consider Syberia II to be in a very special category which includes "The Lord of the Rings" films and nothing else. They are so perfect that they are aren't really sequels but are, rather, continuations. When one is done you go to the next with no transition. (It also doesn't hurt that both games and all three films are consistently beautiful.)

Last edited by The Haze; 11/26/15 11:36 AM.

If all the people were heroes, there would be no one to watch the parades.
Re: Why are many sequels so disappointing? [Re: The Haze] #1042753
11/26/15 12:04 PM
11/26/15 12:04 PM
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 34,312
United Kingdom
Mad Offline
Sonic Boomer
Mad  Offline
Sonic Boomer

Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 34,312
United Kingdom
Well, I guess we just like rather different types of games, The Haze, which is of course our entitlement and is why any list composed by any person will not be agreed to by all laugh

The first Myst I ever actually managed to play to the end was Myst III: Exile and I did manage a lot of the Uru selection. But none of the Myst games are among my favourites.

I'm very sorry, though, that you haven't been able to play The Rose Tattoo.
Have you ever asked for help on the Glitches Board ??


Time : The Most Precious Commodity
Re: Why are many sequels so disappointing? [Re: Mad] #1042755
11/26/15 12:07 PM
11/26/15 12:07 PM
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 48,228
near Yosemite
Marian Offline
Global Moderator
Marian  Offline
Global Moderator
Sonic Boomer

Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 48,228
near Yosemite
Originally Posted By: Mad
I'm very sorry, though, that you haven't been able to play The Rose Tattoo.
Have you ever asked for help on the Glitches Board ??


One word: DOSBox. wink

And now back to the topic. turkey

Re: Why are many sequels so disappointing? [Re: The Haze] #1042762
11/26/15 12:54 PM
11/26/15 12:54 PM
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 40,644
southeast USA
Jenny100 Offline
GB Reviewer Glitches Moderator
Jenny100  Offline
GB Reviewer Glitches Moderator
Sonic Boomer

Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 40,644
southeast USA
Originally Posted By: The Haze
Note: I consider Syberia II to be in a very special category which includes "The Lord of the Rings" films and nothing else. They are so perfect that they are aren't really sequels but are, rather, continuations.

My memory is that Syberia 1 and 2 were originally intended to be one game, but the developer needed some income and more time in order to finish so they split the game -- perhaps a similar situation as with Broken Age and Broken Sword V, where the developers ended the first part but always intended to finish up the game in a Part 2.

Originally Posted By: Marian
Originally Posted By: Mad
I'm very sorry, though, that you haven't been able to play The Rose Tattoo.
Have you ever asked for help on the Glitches Board ??


One word: DOSBox.

Exactly. Rose Tattoo may have worked on computers with Windows 95 back in 1996 (the time of its release), but only if the computer was configured for sound in DOS, as most home computers used for games would have been back in 1996. You might get Rose Tattoo working in XP using VDMSound to emulate DOS sound. But you can be sure the game contains 16-bit code, which means it will not work without emulation on 64-bit Windows. On modern computers it is possible to get Rose Tattoo working inside DOSBox.

There seem to be plans to get Rose Tattoo and Serrated Scalpel working in ScummVM because it's listed on the ScummVM compatibility list for the SVN builds of ScummVM at http://scummvm.org/compatibility/

It would be nice if GOG would offer these two Sherlock Holmes games.
If you want to add your name to the community wishlist at GOG, Rose Tattoo is ***here***
and the wishlist for the previous game, Serrated Scalpel, is ***here***

Re: Why are many sequels so disappointing? [Re: Jenny100] #1042766
11/26/15 01:11 PM
11/26/15 01:11 PM
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 34,312
United Kingdom
Mad Offline
Sonic Boomer
Mad  Offline
Sonic Boomer

Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 34,312
United Kingdom
Thank you so much for those GOG voting links, Jenny100 bravo

I can still play Rose Tattoo and Serrated Scalpel on my Win98SE machine - which has DOS {DOS 6.2 I think} - but how wonderful would it be to have tweaked versions of both available from GOG ?? pumpkin

EDIT :
oops Still off topic, I guess. Sorry Marian ghost



Time : The Most Precious Commodity
Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread

Moderated by  BrownEyedTigre, Marian 

Who's Online Now
0 registered members (), 232 guests, and 0 spiders.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Staff, Mod
Newest Members
PierreLombardo, Dux, WillPowerGoat, Ebalon, J7769mon
9388 Registered Users
Powered by UBB.threads™