Should there be a sequel?

Everybody has a favorite series, and it isn't uncommon for people to have a favorite game in a favorite series. However, there are some people whose love borders on obsession or is obsession. All of a sudden, people clamor for the "next such and such", a sequel to that particular game. It's kind of bothersome; after making whichever game it is and succeeding with it, the developers more often than not are willing to move on to other things, whereas the gamers are not.

Two prime examples because of many people's lack of capacity to shut up about them would be Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and Final Fantasy VII.

It is my belief that the reason why people had/have such problems with subsequent releases in both series is because they so desperately want a sequel to those specific games. They continue to wonder why a sequel hasn't been made for those specific games. I don't know what goes on in the developers' minds, but I have some ideas as to why they aren't in any rush to appease gamers with the "next FFVII/ Symphony of the Night/ you're most wanted sequel of choice".

First reason why they might not make a sequel to these particular games may be because these games are part of a franchise, an established series, not a series unto themselves. The risk they would be taking if they do make a sequel to those games is shifting attention away from the series they are a part of. All of a sudden, the focus will be specifically on Cloud/Sephiroth/Alucard/significant character in your most wanted sequel of choice.

Rondo of Blood wasn't released outside of Japan until Konami remade it and put it as the first game in Dracula X Chronicles, but Symphony of the Night was the sequel to this game. How exactly would a sequel to a sequel work?

Another reason why the developers might not want to touch these specific games is because they have ideas they would like to implement in the overall series that wouldn't fit in cohesively with these games.

The final reason why I believe the developers won't make a sequel, and I can understand this the most is because of fear of their efforts being unappreciated. People might find something to complain about, and will still think that the preceding game is better.

Consider this; three games were made that had some sort of relation to Final Fantasy VII. Most people outside of Japan never played Before Crisis because generally speaking, cell phone games were mostly unheard of(or at least not as big) outside of Japan at the time of its release.

Dirge of Cerberus was not well received, and there were people who had issues with Crisis Core. I am aware of the flaws that most people mentioned in both of those games, and I can understand people having a problem with some of those aspects, but the point is, they weren't held in the same regard as the game that is responsible for Squenix making them in the first place. Imagine what would have happened if either of them were the actual sequel to Final Fantasy VII.

I believe that Nomura Tetsuya(I can't remember if it was him or someone else) said in one of the extra features of Advent Children that with the movie, they had opened Pandora's Box which to me is an implication that they had no intention of doing anything related to that particular game again.

If the subsequent releases are not as good/ not as well recieved and the developers go back to these specific games, the fans will most likely accuse them of "milking the cash cow", which is rather ironic, since that's what the fans were asking for, right? Please try to move on with developers and enjoy their subsequent releases for what they are rather than what they are not.

(3)

Jason Lomberg

March 20, 2011

To play devil's advocate, a "sequel to a sequel" is not exactly uncommon. Look at Uncharted 3, Resistance 3, Mass Effect 3, and countless others. Each of these isn't simply another entry in the series, but presumably continues the overarching storyline.

That being said, I'm not generally in favor of direct sequels unless the storyline calls for it. In the case of Uncharted, a latter-day Indiana Jones (itself inspired by old serials), it makes perfect sense. Most of the part 3's this year have a solid reason to exist (beyond the "search for more money").

FF7 and Castlevania: SOTN both resolved themselves satisfactorily. What need would there be for sequels? There've been tons of games that used similar *mechanics* as SOTN (how often have you heard the phrase "Metroidvania"?), but no direct sequel.

Matthew Anfuso

I'm a little confused about the SOTN thing. I was under the impression that all Castlevania games took place in the same universe, which is why the Belmont clan is so important, and also how Alucard was able to show up in multiple games, including Aria of Sorrow. If they are part of the same shared universe, then wouldn't every Castlevania game after SOTN be considered a sequel?

As for FF7, as you stated, Square-Enix made 2 sequels, Dirge of Cerberus and Advent Children, and 2 prequels, Before Crisis and Crisis Core. At this point, I think Squenix is just done with that universe and wants to move on.

J Santos

March 21, 2011

@Matthew, in the case of Castlevania, yes, they are part of the same universe, and if you got the anniversary pack that Konami was giving to the people who preordered Portrait of Ruin, they actually include a timeline showing what order everything actually happened.

Regarding the way I think of sequels, the way I think of sequels is in the sense of Aria of Sorrow and Dawn of Sorrow, where both have something to do with characters from the previous game. In the case of a game such as Silent Hill, Origins comes before the first game, the third game is the sequel to the first, etc. Resident Evil 3 is the sequel to the first, but 2 preceded it because that was what was happening while Jill/Chris/Barry and friends were at the mansion, and Resident Evil 4 is the sequel to Resident Evil 2. Wow, the sequels are totally scattered!!

Anyway, games that come out in a series after another a la Final Fantasy are just a continuation of a series unless there is another game that is clearly associated with another, such as Dawn of Sorrow after Aria of Sorrow. I hope this helps!!

WHAT THE HECK IS A BITMOB?