Much like with the movie industry, money gets put where the publishers know they are certain to get a return. That's why we get Call Of Duty every year and why we (used to) get Assassin's Creed every year.
While gamers rail about a lack of creativity in the industry, the fact of the matter is that sequels, prequels, reboots, and HD remasters sell, thus they continue to be pumped out.
That being said, not all sequels are blatant cash grabs with no substance, and in fact quite a few over the years have built up and even exceeded their predecessors. In fact, there's several sequels due out in the coming months that look to significantly shake up the formula, or at least refine it so the series can stand proudly in the current generation.
Here we're going to take a look at 12 impending sequels or reboots that fans have been anticipating for a good long time. A few are being purposefully left out, however.
For the sake of not rehashing pipe dreams, I'm not even going to going to bother with slides for Half Life 3 or Portal 3 – those aren't happening. Likewise, I'm skipping Alan Wake, as a new entry doesn't seem to actually be in the works, despite gobs of Easter eggs appearing in Quantum Break that gave fans false hope.
Dawn Of War 3
Before long we'll get to prosecute a genocidal war against the xenos to spread the Imperium of Man across the breadth of the galaxy yet again as the third entry in this RTS series is coming next year.
I still regularly play matches of the original Dawn Of War, Winter Assault, and Dark Crusade, so anticipation is high as the gameplay footage revealed at E3 seems to indicate this new game will follow a similar base building pattern as the first entry.
So far only the Space Marines, Eldar, and Orks have been announced, essentially putting it on par with the first two main entries, but we can hope for more to be revealed (or at least to be available for multiplayer). Expect this bad boy to drop for PC in late 2017 courtesy of Relic Entertainment and Sega.
Dishonored 2
It would appear all did not go well after Emily was reinstated on the throne at the end of the first game following Corvo's maniacal killing spree (or completely peaceful revolution – but who seriously took that route?).
This time around you get to play as either Corvo or a grown up Emily, again choosing from a variety of different ways to complete levels using stealth, magic abilities, ranged attacks, melee, or a combination of them all.
The downtrodden industrial revolution feel of the first game was just absolutely nailed, and I for one am greatly looking forward to returning to this opened-ended series. Hopefully we'll get a character just as disturbing (and intriguing) as Granny Rags, and its a good bet based on the teasers released so far that there will be entirely new powers to use in unexpected ways while haunting the rooftops in search of prey.
The Last Of Us 2
The first game was an absolute smash hit, and not just financially, but also on a storytelling and gameplay level. There aren't many post-apocalyptic, quasi-zombie games that can hit you in the feels as strongly as The Last Of Us did (repeatedly).
It's a foregone conclusion a sequel will arrive, and while not officially “revealed” yet, its the worst kept secret in the industry that this game is in development. Somehow part 2 wasn't announced at E3, despite all indications it would be, but I don't think we'll be waiting too much longer.
For those who can't handle the anticipation, Days Gone looks to provide a similar experience, but with a lot more zombies and a biker theme.
God Of War
This one's balancing on a razor's edge with fans at the moment, who aren't quite sure what to make of the change in setting (and godly pantheon) or the gameplay style featuring a son you have to constantly protect.
At this point it basically looks like The Last Of Us in a mythological Norse setting with world's worst dad Kratos.
I'm very interested in what is done with the concept, but it would seem many fans are already prepared to write the series off as lost. We'll find out which faction properly called it in 2017.
Dead Rising 4
For good or ill, photographer Frank is back! The previous third entry in the series – launching with the Xbox One -- didn't fare as well as hoped in this franchise that's equal parts infuriating and amazing.
What's been shown of Dead Rising 4 does look to have all the absurd hilarity of the first two, however (remember mowing down hordes of zombies... on a tricycle while dressed up like a little kid?)
This is a series that people tend to like despite major problems, and the concern is that those flaws in design have now essentially become the established norm. Capcom really needs to make some changes this time around.
I mean does anyone actually like the timed cases or the overly hard bosses that play completely differently from the rest of the game? Those should definitely be filed under the “bugs” column rather than the “features” column.
System Shock Remake
What these young whippersnappers today raised on Bioshock and SOMA might not know is that long ago there was an equally disturbing sci-fi experience called System Shock that inspired all that was to come down the line.
That '94 classic is set to return soon in a very different form, rebuilt from the ground up in Unity with updated mechanics (as well as graphics of course). In two days the Kickstarter campaign for a complete remake of System Shock has raised more than $500,000, so it's a good bet this one will hit more than a few stretch goals.
The expected release date of December 2017 is feasible (especially considering a demo has already been created) if perhaps slightly optimistic, and the new version will feature the talents of gaming legend Chris Avellone.
Mass Effect Andromeda
It's been four years since the last game arrived, so we're overdue for a new one -- but sadly it will be some months still before Andromeda arrives, as the game is now expected to drop in Q1 2017.
This coming entry will be heralded by a series of novels explaining what went on in the centuries between Mass Effect 3 and Andromeda, and was recently teased with footage at E3 2016.
Supposedly there are going to be big changes to this sci-fi series in the fourth iteration -- not just in setting but also in gameplay, with a more open experience and bigger emphasis on exploration. Based on the video clips released so far, there will still be some similar mechanics, like having a ship home base.
Borderlands 3
Now that the Battleborn vs. Overwatch death match has essentially ended, Gearbox can get on giving us all what we really wanted: more of the zany, quirky, deadly nonsense that is Borderlands.
I don't know that I've ever had more of a straight up fun experience than co-oping my way through Borderlands 2 as a screaming Gunzerker while interacting with insane characters like Tiny Tina.
Hopefully they can recapture that magic yet again for the coming installment, which is expected to have an even more wide open world map and likely to arrive sometime in 2018.
Not much else is known at this point, but you better believe we'll be covering this one extensively in the months ahead as news starts to leak.
Battlefield 1
We are in a very interesting time for the FPS genre, especially in the ongoing battle between those two titans of the genre: Battlefield and Call Of Duty.
Battlefield is an odd position at the moment, as previous entry Hardline wasn't exactly beloved and Battlefield 4 had a rocky launch, but there's no question the recent trailers have put fans much more solidly in Dice's camp than Infinity Ward's. Those old school tanks and zeppelins look particularly enticing.
Every clip that has been revealed has just made the hype stronger, as this looks to be the most polished, graphically advanced, and entertaining game in the series. While I have every intention of playing Infinite Warfare, you better believe I can't wait to go back in time to World War I and get my hands dirty with some deadly trench warfare as well!
Gears of War 4
There's no beating around the bush here - this is the reason I bought an Xbox One. Chainsaw duels, hammerburst sniping from cover, endless rounds of horde mode: the Gears Of War experience is what I most associate with the Xbox consoles.
Part 4 heads into the future of Sera after Marcus and Adam Fenix decided to go all full-on genocide against the locust. This time around the son of Marcus will be embroiled in a battle against new monstrous creatures, very little of which is actually known at this point.
The game did take a bit of a beating after a lackluster beta test, however, but confidence is returning after recent announcements of graphical upgrades and gameplay tweaks following beta feedback.
Personally I'm not too worried on the visual front: I still play horde mode on Gears 3 regularly and don't mind even going back and playing the uglier looking first game from time to time, so graphical perfection isn't particularly a big concern for me, and I'd be buying this even if if was a text adventure.
Mafia III
Like Sleeping Dogs, the Mafia games are the more serious of the open world car theft simulators, existing on a whole other end of the spectrum from the likes of Saint's Row or Grand Theft Auto.
I remember when I first started playing Mafia II, my wife asked what this game was about. My immediate response was “It's GTA, but you have to drive the speed limit.”
The third entry in the series is looking very promising, and those trailers are giving off a very serious classic mobster movie feel with a hint of a Tarantino twist. This one arrives in October, so there's not too long to wait to get your fix of organized crime mayhem.
Final Fantasy XV
OK, I have a secret to admit: I don't think this game is going to be any good. Certainly not worth the 10 year development time, anyway. Final Fantasy's glory days have come and (long) gone.
The only anticipation I have for Final Fantasy XV is how hard its going to flop, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention it anyway, since everyone else has hyped themselves up to levels that the game won't be able to meet.
Get ready to go on a cross country road trip with a bunch of Japanese emo kids in late September. Serious question: will there be a National Lampoon spinoff movie version?
Clearly there's more big name sequels coming than most gamers will ever actually have time to play – so which of these titles are you most looking forward to playing, and which one will you be buying first?
Be sure to also let us know what upcoming anticipated video game sequels we missed that should have made the list!
Published: Jun 29, 2016 05:09 pm