5 of the best games ever made that deserve a sequel

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Over the past few years, we've played so many fantastic game remakes that allow us to relive some of the greatest moments we've had in gaming, or these remakes have introduced a new audience to unforgettable gaming adventures. The latest being Shadow of the Colossus that was simply a remake masterpiece and the greatest remake of this generation.

I love a good remake, and it has its place in gaming, but more than wanting to experience an old game with better graphics and physics, I long for new journeys. It got me thinking about some the best games I've ever played, and I realized that quite a few of those games have either never had a sequel, or haven't had one in the past decade. To that end, here are my top five games that deserve either a sequel or a successor.

1. Blade Runner

  • Year released: 1997
  • Platform: PC exclusive
  • Developer: Westwood Studios
  • Publisher: Virgin Interactive

Blade Runner is a point-and-click adventure game based on  Ridley Scott's 1982 film of the same name. The game follows a different story than that of the film, but at times intersects with its plot. I'm a huge fan of the film, and I've watched it more times than I care to remember. I was at first very skeptical of a game set in that distinct universe, but I ended up replaying the game more times than what I've watched the movie. It was really that good.

In Blade Runner, you play as a detective, and most of the game is about finding unraveling clues. The soundtrack and 'feeling' of the game are very similar to that of the movie, and it is hard to believe that the developer, Westwood Studios could conceptualize and make that world so accurately in a video game. It is an incredibly atmospheric game and one of my top games of all time.

The game has multiple endings (13 to be exact), butt sides with one of three story branches. One of them, as with the film, makes you question if the protagonist is, in fact, himself a Replicant.

Westwood Studios later merged Virgin Interactive, was bought by EA, until it was also closed down by EA in 2003. So what will a sequel look like and who can develop the game? Warner Bros. and Sony Pictures distributed the new film, Blade Runner 2049. A new game based on exactly that story would be perfect.It could also release on all major platforms.

Below is the first seven minutes of the game. Keep in mind it was created in 1997 and was a masterpiece for that time.

2. Return to Krondor/Betrayal at Krondor

  • Year released: 1998
  • Platform: PC exclusive
  • Developer: PyroTechnix
  • Publisher: Sierra

Return to Krondor might not be the best role-playing game I have ever played, but it had a charm to it that I remember to this day. I was also drawn to the game because of my love for fantasy literature. Its world is based on Raymond E. Feist's fictional Midkemia, and in November 2000 he released Krondor: Tear of the Gods which was based on the game. Return to Krondor was the sequel of Betrayal at Krondor, and many argue that the first title was the better of the two.

A new sequel with the depth of the first game and the continuation of the Krondor story would have tremendous potential. I would still want some of the old school charm in a sequel, so I wouldn't want it to be modeled after say the Dragon Age series. One of the game's strengths in both installments was its party system – even though you only play as one character.  It somehow managed to capture that sense of being on an epic adventure with friends, and traveling through a vast, mythical world.

Return to Krondor re-released on GOG.com in 2010, and on Steam in 2016. However, it didn't age well, and the Steam version was also plagued with technical issues. The trailer below doesn't manage to capture the magic of this series, but if you've played it when it released in 1993 and 1998, then you would agree that a sequel is a definite yes please.

3. Quake 4

  • Year released: 2005
  • Platforms: PC & Xbox 360
  • Developer: Raven Software
  • Publisher: Activision

It's been over a decade, and we need a new Quake. Not a multiplayer-focused version (for that we have Quake Champions), but a single-player, first-person shooter set in the Quake world. I will forever remember that conveyor belt section in the Strogg Medical Facility. That chainsaw coming down and the protagonist jerking as he is cut limb by limb. Being turned into a Strogg-human hybrid turned out to be the coolest thing, and I loved Quake 4 for its overboard action and combat. It was an incredibly enjoyable experience, and although some of it resembles DOOM, it has its own character and feel.

A Quake 4 sequel can again feature Kane as the protagonist, but with a new enemy. The game did end with him receiving new orders, so a sequel makes sense.

4. World of Warcraft

  • Year released: 2004
  • Platform: PC exclusive
  • Developer & Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment

It's been 14 years of one expansion after the other. Some of it fantastic, some good, and some bad. Later this year, Battle for Azeroth releases, making it the seventh expansion for a very, very old game. I left World of Warcraft after Cataclysm, as the game started to feel more like a job than something I did for entertainment. I still miss it though, and I would love to return.

World of Warcraft desperately needs new graphics, fresh ideas, better gameplay and combat, fewer dailies and innovative ways to level up after end game. Perhaps even a new world and not Azeroth. How about neutral cities, different races, bigger differences between classes. Let's not even talk about better PvP.

I remember when Valve released Team Fortress 2, how players who loved the first game streamed back to play the new version. It was an improvement on the original in ever aspect. That is what I want from a World of Warcraft successor.

Instead, another run-of-the-mill is coming.

5. Half-Life 2

  • Year released: 2004
  • Platforms: PC & part of the Orange Box on Xbox 360 & PS3
  • Developer & Publisher: Valve

Half-Life 2 is probably the greatest game ever made. Ever. There has never been anything like it, nor will there ever be. Unless Half-Life 3, which is a myth.If you're a gamer (even if you prefer console), then you've heard about the Half-Life saga. But for reference's sake, let me pin it down. You play as a nerdy scientist, Dr Freeman, who hasn't uttered a word or made a sound in two decades. Yes, he is the silent protagonist, and his weapon of choice is a crowbar. He looks a bit like Hugh Laurie from the TV series House. Half-Life has many fascinating characters besides the enigmatic Dr. Freeman, there's the Combine, Dr Kleiner, the vortigaunt, delightful headcrabs, but at the top of the list has to be the G-Man. There is so much mystery surrounding the G-Man I believe Valve will do well to make a game just about him!

It's at once easy and extremely difficult to explain our fascination with Half-Life. The first and second games were both extraordinary for its time, and a few years back I played the Black Mesa mod, and called it the perfect game even with its outdated graphics. For PC gamers, Half-Life is like family. We've immersed ourselves so deeply into its universe, that it has become something of a personal matter to see the story to its conclusion. If I am forced to describe exactly what makes Half-Life so exceptional I'd say that it combines every game mechanic perfectly to deliver an experience that is immersive, interesting, and incredibly fun.

I'd much rather prefer to use creative writing and tell you that in playing Half-Life you are able to travel without moving. It takes you to a world that is unlike anything you've ever experienced.

For the life of me, I don't understand why Lord Gaben refuses to let us out of our misery. We'll even be happy with Half-Life 2: Episode 3.

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What other games should get either a sequel or a successor? Drop us a comment in the section below.

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Marco is the owner and founder of GLITCHED. South Africa’s largest gaming and pop culture website. GLITCHED quickly established itself with tech and gaming enthusiasts with on-point opinions, quick coverage of breaking events and unbiased reviews across its website, social platforms, and YouTube channel.

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