Editor’s Note: I generally agree with Trevor that game sequels are better than movie sequels…though I think you’ll find plenty of quickie cash-ins in both industries. I won’t argue that game sequels are usually technically superior, though. What do you think? -Greg
Take a moment to think about every good movie that resulted in a sequel. Were any of those sequels as good as the original? Heck, no. Movies sequels often fall into the trap of trying to completely copy the original movie but adding an aspect to the movie that didn’t need to be there.
A good example is the sequel to Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, which was called Dead Man’s Chest. Dead Man’s Chest tried to completely copy The Curse of the Black Pearl, which just milked the original concept and made it well-worn.
The aspect that was added to the original idea was comedy, which while being sort of funny, didn’t fit with the rest of the movie. There are some exceptions to this rule, though. For example, The Dark Knight was leaps and bounds above Batman Begins.
Well this is an epic pirate tale.
Now think about all the sequels to good games you’ve ever played. Have they been generally better than the original?
They are almost always, in my opinion. Was Gears of War better than Gears of War 2? No. Was Killzone better than Killzone 2? Who would say yes? And Uncharted 2 looks a lot better than the original, in my opinion. Even Area 5’s Matt Chandronait predicts that the yet-unannounced Infamous 2 “will kick major ass.”
Wait…what’s the train holding onto?!
What is the reason for this? I have a two theories:
1. A game sequel usually looks better. You can’t always say that for movies. The quality of graphics is something that almost always is improved in a sequel, while image-quality technology in film advances significantly more slowly.
2. One word: interactivity. With a “third dimension” (audio is “x,” visual is “y,” interactivity is “z”) of changes, developers have more things to add to videogame sequels. In a movie, you can improve the dialogue and the setting (the “x” and “y”), but you can improve the dialogue, setting, and add co-op (“x,” “y,” and “z”) in a game.
Now this also means that videogame developers have more factors to worry about — but that’s what QA is for. Videogames probably also have more focus-testing than movies (I have nothing to back this up, however).
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Readers: What do you think? Why are sequels to games better than sequels to movies? Or do you disagree with that statement?