The Dude’s High 5s: Top 5 Most Wanted Video Game Sequels

I recently borrowed the Assassin’s Creed series from a friend.  As I completed AC2 and moved on to Brotherhood I got to thinking; damn this series has a lot of sequels.  So then I started thinking about series that were not as flushed out, or even independent IPs that could use a little more love.  So here you have it, if I was overlord of the world, these would be the video game sequels that I would demand be made.  (Requirements being that a game using the IP does not exist on the current level of home consoles)

5. Project Overkill (Playstation – 1996)

Project Overkill was a fun little game where you took up the identity of one of four mercenaries.  You then had to … well I guess it was important that you … if you didn’t act then … oh fuck the plot the game involved killing anything and everything around you in the bloodiest way imaginable.  It was fast paced action at its finest.

 

4. Flashback: The Quest for Identity (SNES – 1992)

 

On its surface Flashback QFI seemed like nothing more than a Prince of Persia skin placed in the future.  However its story is what made me love this game, not the gameplay.  You start out as Conrad Hart, and agent for the Galaxia Bureau of Investigation.  You find out that Earth’s political ranks have been slowly infiltrated by a group of aliens called Morphs.  Before you can act to stop them, your memory is erased and you are dumped on Titan and left for dead.  Fortunately you saved your memory before it was erased and left it with a friend.  There was a sequel to Flashback called Fade to Black (Playstation – 1995) however it was so poorly done that I am not even considering it as a sequel.

 

3. Vandal Hearts (Playstation – 1997) Vandal Hearts 2 (Playstation – 1999)

 

My favorite genre growing up was the strategy tactics games.  Give me Shining force and Ogre battle all day.  The first great boner I ever got was when Final Fantasy Tactics was announced.  So when I stumbled on a gem like Vandal Hearts, I was immediately enthralled.  The first game had a wonderfully woven world full of bright colors, compelling characters, and political turmoil.  I loved it instantly.  The second game’s story falls flat as its forgettable and dull; however the combat system was more polished.  Vandal Hearts 2 changed how I would perceive the tactics genre as you and your opponent would put in orders at the same time, and then they would execute.  It made you have to anticipate movements as well as plan for future threats.

2. Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy (Xbox – 2004)

I honestly would settle for being able to play Psi-Ops on my 360 as its not currently supported.  You start out as Nick Scryer, another hapless soul who has had his memory erased.  The story is forgettable … I think some dude named the General is looking for lost artifacts so that he too can have access to powerful mind powers.  The bread and butter is in the gameplay.  The powers that you have at your control are what drives the player forward.  There is also an elegant beauty in the amount of solutions to various situations.  Pinned down by a sniper with another group of soldiers bearing down on you? You could pull out a rifle and shoot him back. Or you could take control of the sniper’s mind, have him pick off the soldiers and then jump off the building and have him kill himself.  Or you could take control of one of the soldiers, have him off his buddies, shoot the sniper and then pull out a grenade and hold it.  Another great part of this game was that they gave you a training room where you could hone your abilities against wave after wave of troops.  I spent more than few hours telekinetically surfing on wooden pallets only to light them on fire and then shoot them at my enemies.  The havoc physics engine is amazing along with the ragdoll effect.  I REALLY want back into this world.

1. Knights of the Old Republic  (Xbox – 2003) The Sith Lords (Xbox – 2004)

 

Fuck The Old Republic.  Until Fallout has one, fuck all MMOs.  And in all honesty, fuck Fallout’s impending MMO.  There, now that that is out of the way, I would love to see the single player of this franchise re-appear on consoles.  Hopefully Bio-Ware learned its lesson in taking on the WoW machine.  A lot of developers don’t realize that the reason WoW is the juggernaut that it is because of when it came out, not the content that is presently there.  I’ll use an example from real life.  I live in Massachusetts.  I dislike it here.  Taxes are too high, cost of living is through the roof, the politicians are corrupt as fuck, and the job market sucks.  However all my friends are here and so it all my stuff.  That’s why people don’t shift to new MMOs.  So please Bio-Ware, for my sake, and the fans, please bring KoToR back to consoles.  A little goodwill could also help after botching ME3’s ending.

So what games would you folks like to see get a big budget sequel?