Sequels v. Prequels

            First off, why do we even have sequels? The first game was fun enough, right? We have additional entries into these games (or movies and books) because the gameplay could be expanded upon. Most sequels in video games improve upon the mechanics of the predecessor. Maybe they introduce a new ability, more characters with their own playstyles, or possibly new stages that play out unlike anything seen in the last title. This is why it’s a good idea that when you make a game, put in just enough features for the player to handle and if any other ideas show up, maybe save them for a future installment.

            Sequels can also be seen as a second chance to right the mistakes made in the original. Perhaps the story had weak structure, maybe platforming was a bad idea, or quite possibly having one hit deaths made things way too difficult. In addition to improving mechanics, sequels can fill in those pesky plot holes that showed up in the last game. Your hero broke through the walls of the fortress and shut down the power, but in the end credits it looks operational. What gives? You can make up an excuse like “They had an emergency backup switch.” This may not always work, but you can always plan out a story that intentionally leaves a few plot points out so that the story can continue.

            Prequels are virtually the same thing, but the story takes place before the original. This is only necessary if a character is in need of an origin story that is possibly too big to fit in one game. However, this doesn’t mean that the game can be a little worse than the original. It still needs to improve on things that went wrong. In the case of a prequel, you can try experimenting with new and unusual mechanics to see how they work. Players may or may not enjoy them, but it’s a good way to test something out to see if it works in a future installment. And if it doesn’t work out, now the players have a reason why this mechanic wasn’t in the original or the sequel.

            There are a few wrong ways about making additional games in the same franchise, though. The biggest mistake is padding content. A sequel or prequel should not be a carbon copy of the original with additional levels. It shouldn’t be gimmicky, either. Coloring your guns doesn’t amount to much. Making a sequel and focusing on just the story can be just as bad. “Oh, we’re just continuing where we left off.” Fine, you can do that, but at least throw some new stuff in there. Otherwise, it’s just an expansion pack that features more content and no new features.

            But when do you need to make a sequel? When do you need to stop expanding on the original game idea? I honestly couldn’t tell you. If your first game works fine, but has some flaws, a sequel can make it stronger. If the sequel is perfect, but fans love the IP, consider a prequel or another game genre that takes place in the same universe. Several developers have made tons of games on just one IP (Mario comes to mind) and they stick to the same basic mechanic that made the game work. They just add so much more with each title to keep it interesting and relevant. The only thing that suffers is the story. It becomes much harder to keep track of and players have to look at wikis to research all the lore or else play each of the ninety-nine titles in the franchise.

I feel like games are under more pressure than movies and books combined because the people want the experience of playing more than watching or reading. With movies, a set story plays out and it starts and ends when it wants to. The same goes with books. There is a start and an end to the series and hardly ever goes beyond five books. With games, we will constantly ask the developers when the next Half-Life game is releasing or if an older game like Legend of Dragoon will ever get an additional title to explain the unexplained. For the developers, just consider all ideas for a particular game and if it gets too big, cut it down to something more manageable and include the extra, still usable stuff in another installment. For players, the motto is simply “It’s done when it’s done.” But really, Legend of Dragoon could use a prequel. I would like to know what the Dragon Campaign was really all about.