Whether you’re talking about books, movies, or games, sequels pose a huge question that creators have racked their brains to come up with an answer to: How do you let it become better? If a game is good enough to get a solid response to begin with, it can be pretty tricky to try to improve on the formula while also making something different enough that it doesn’t just feel like a rehash, but a lot of games already do Here we are, counting down our favorites.
Before we get started, though, I want to highlight a few honors worth mentioning. Games like Super Mario Bros. 3, Resident Evil 2, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, and Half-Life 2 are all great and redefine their franchises in some way . They should be considered incredible sequels, but unfortunately this humble edit was timed after them, so I can’t pretend to appreciate them as they should be. Additionally, there were a few games I wanted to put on this list (Pikmin 4, Grand Theft Auto V, Batman: Arkham City, Warhammer Endgame 2), but there simply wasn’t room.
10. Baldur’s Gate III
If you’ve read any of my previous work, you’ve probably guessed that this game will make an appearance here. Returning to Baldur’s Gate may take years, but Larian’s RPG proves that sometimes great things do come to those who wait. Building on the D&D systems invested in earlier games without sacrificing its CRPG roots, Baldur’s Gate III sets an example for role-playing game making, and we’ll likely see similar games over the years. , hoping they can reach its heights. It takes place over 100 years after the events of Baldur’s Gate II, and isn’t a direct sequel like some of the other games, but it’s too good that I couldn’t skip it.
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9. Pokémon Silver/Gold
From recent hits to sweet nostalgia, Pokémon Gold and Silver is our first real look at how far Pokémon can go as a franchise. gives us a whole new area to explore, as well as Kanto in the endgame, with tons of cool designs, new types of Pokémon, and the best mythic trio we’ve ever had (yeah, I support that, suck it legendary birds), Pokémon Gold and Silver still have me asking for a Gen 2 remake, even though we’re long past that point.
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8. Borderlands 2
This is not a place without heroes. Borderlands 2’s intro sequence alone is enough to get you hyped for one of the best shooters of the 2010s. The perfect combination of great characters and gameplay with a Western-style narrative that has you returning from exile to hunt down Handsome Jack makes Borderlands 2 a game that no other game in the series fears. It was such a great sequel that nothing that came after it really lived up to it, and fans were worried that nothing would.
7. Mass Effect 2
The first Mass Effect game introduced us to one of the best space opera storylines we’ve seen since Star Wars, and its sequel matches the gunplay and character work to the lofty galaxy BioWare built. Mass Effect 2’s story is simpler than the first and third games, but it’s incredibly simple, connecting you with your squad and then putting them all on the line, and that’s all One of the best final missions in the game.
6. “Call of Duty: Black Ops 2”
As 2025 approaches, we won’t have the technology in Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, but we’ll always have the 2012 game to remind Treyarch of its role in appealing to Call of Duty skeptics like me Incredible work being done on joining the franchise. We all remember the multiplayer craze of Nuketown 2025, Taken, and The Raid, but for me, the real highlight of Black Ops 2 was its Zombies mode. Walking away by the bus in Tranzit is a gaming memory I’ll never forget, and figuring out how to play Rusty Cage in Mob of the Dead somehow made taking down the undead even cooler.
5. Red Dead Redemption 2
This may be controversial given how much people love Red Dead Redemption, but Rockstar’s 2018 Western – until Grand Theft Auto VI comes out – is the most flexibility it’s left to the gaming industry . It’s impossible not to be impressed by the world of Red Dead Redemption 2 . There’s a shrunken polo in the snow, for God’s sake. All kidding aside, without the satirical anchor of Grand Theft Auto, Rockstar achieved a storytelling masterpiece with Red Dead Redemption 2 that somehow managed to make a prequel even within the constraints of the original story. Arthur Morgan may be one of the best characters in all of media, but he would be nothing on his own without the performances brought to the table by the rest of the Van der Linde gang and the cast.
4. “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt”
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is touted by many as the greatest game of all time, so honestly, it really has to make this list. The game that truly gave Cyberpunk 2077 all the hype, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt blew its predecessor out of the water in terms of world, combat, characters, and storytelling. Today, it still manages to impress as one of the best fantasy RPGs you can play. In addition, Gwent also participated in this game. A silly mini-game that became so popular that it became its own thing.
3. Halo 2
If we talk about industry impact, it’s hard to exclude Halo 2 from the top three. Like Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2 allows players to play against each other in split-screen multiplayer, but it’s also introduced online via Xbox Live. After this, the world of shooters is never the same. Multiplayer aside, it’s also worth highlighting that Halo 2 also provides a great build-up to the story set-up in the first game, especially by letting us know more about the Covenant.
2. Portal 2
While Valve fans often cry over Half-Life 3, I’d love to see another Portal game. Taking risks in Aperture Labs – even in its dilapidated state – always feels like fun, and it somehow manages to outdo a game that was already considered an instant classic back in 2007. Additionally, the co-op mode that appears this time around proves to be effortlessly fun, especially if you like sending your friends through portals to annoy them.
1. “Assassin’s Creed II”
This seems like an odd choice for first place. Most people would argue that Assassin’s Creed II isn’t as good as most of the other games in the top 5, but we’re not just evaluating these games on their own merits, I consider Assassin’s Creed II an entry on this list as a sequel achieved the greatest success. Before Ezio Auditore came on the scene, Assassin’s Creed was a solid action stealth game with an interesting historical concept at its core. Only with Assassin’s Creed II featuring one of the best protagonists in gaming, the best environments for parkour, and a rich history that you’re seamlessly immersed in can the series prove it can take over the world. I think without Assassin’s Creed II, we’d be living in a very different gaming world, one where Ubisoft wasn’t as big as it is now and Assassin’s Creed was still a somewhat niche franchise right. “Ezio’s Family” was a piece of music that would define the future of the series, demonstrating the impact of even seemingly minor gameplay moments.
What do you think of our list? What would you add?
