10 Awesome Video Games That Never Got Sequels

The simplest way for gaming studios to earn money is to pump out more of what everybody wants

So long as there is a demand for Super Mario, Final Fantasy, and Resident Evil

the gaming giants will continue to churn out sequels, spinoffs, prequels, remakes

and crossovers till the cows come home. That said, there are exceptions to the rule

Despite receiving rave reviews, a few of the best platformers, RPGs, and first-person shooters

never got a part two. For some entries on this list, that was because a sequel was never strongly

considered by the powers that be, and on the other hand, some other games got so close to

becoming a franchise, it's all the more crushing how they never saw the light of day

Although the games we've got for you here may receive a sequel in the future, you probably

shouldn't be holding your breath. I'm Jess from WhatCulture and here are 10 awesome video games that never got sequels

Number 10. Sleeping Dogs Starting off as a true crime sequel, United Front's project was reworked into a spiritual

successor called Sleeping Dogs. Though Grand Theft Auto copycats are a dime a dozen, this Hong Kong

based crime saga is anything but a cheap imitation. In fact, in certain ways, Sleeping Dogs surpasses

Rockstar North's defining brand. The gameplay moves at a steady pace, giving characters plenty

of time to be fleshed out, and every voice actor is on top form, no matter how minor they roll

The slow-mo shootouts and Arkham Asylum-inspired combat is so dynamic, GTA's action pales by comparison

Though many of GTA's side missions are generic, just as much effort has been put into Sleeping Dogs' sub-quests as the central missions

Upon its release, the odds were not in Sleeping Dogs' favour, since it was a new IP contending against heavy hitters like Borderlands, Far Cry, and FIFA

Although Sleeping Dogs sold an impressive 1.5 million copies, the publisher regarded it as a failure

Though a Sleeping Dogs sequel and a multiplayer spin-off were intended at one point or another

both projects were put to sleep. Number 9, L.A. Noire. During its grueling seven-year development, L.A. Noire suffered multiple delays

numerous staff complaints, and a change in platform and publisher. But it all seemed worth it in the end, since Team Bondi's detective sim was a wowing success

Though its well-designed voice acting and intricate plot were applauded, it was the motion capture, interrogation sequences, and focus on deduction that made L.A. Noire tower over its competition

In a way, L.A. Noire didn't really have any competition, since there's never been a game like it before or since

But after selling over 7 million units and receiving every single accolade under the sun, it was obvious the masses wanted more

There was just one problem. Five months after its release, Bondi went into liquidation

placing LA Noire's future in jeopardy. Though a spiritual successor called of the Orient

was developed for several years, that too was shelved indefinitely until 2016. The rumor mill

was in full swing again in 2020 with rumblings that LA Noire 2 was in the works, but as before

these claims went nowhere. Although the LA Noire VR spinoff received decent reviews

fans are still desperate for a real sequel. Number eight, Blastcore. Rare repeatedly knocked it out of the park on the Nintendo 64 firing out hits like Diddy Kong Racing Perfect Dark Banjo Conker Bad Fur Day and of course GoldenEye 007

Due to Rare's repertoire, it's easy to forget about their earliest work

on the system, BlastCore. In this game, the objective is to secure a route

for an approaching nuclear transport unit by destroying anything it might collide into

Players can demolish through buildings with bulldozers, dump trucks, missiles, and mech suits

Basically, you have everything to destroy everything to save everyone. It may not have been as mind-blowing as other Rare projects

but the innovative concept, fluid controls, and variety in puzzles made Blastcore, well, a blast

Also, reducing a 20-story skyscraper into rubble by slamming into it from above never gets old

Sadly, Blastcore didn't hit its sales quota, killing any chance of a sequel

Since Rare as we knew it no longer exists, Blastcore 2 is pretty unfeasible

Since technology and motion controls have advanced so far since Blastcore debuted

it'd be amazing to see how a modern installment would turn out, so hopefully that'll happen

Number 7. Catherine. Simply put, there just is no game like Catherine

Half the gameplay is the dating sim with the protagonist Vincent trying to date multiple women who share the same name

The other half of the gameplay involves Vincent trapped in the dream world as a sheep

where he must complete block pushing puzzles to navigate up a collapsing tower

while being chased by nightmare-inducing monsters. The concept is utterly bonkers. It shouldn't work, but it does, and so well

Catherine has something for everyone. It offers brain-teasing puzzles, strategic platforming, social simulation interactions, an otherworldly narrative

a dollop of horror, and most importantly, it's got sheep. Even if puzzles aren't your cup of tea

you may be totally invested in Vincent's conflicting relationships, or vice versa. Also, the real-world sections offer a lot of freedom, so you can decide what to do or

who to speak to. If players want to cut the dating section short and jump back into the dream world

there's nothing stopping you. Eight years after its release, a new version called Catherine Full

Body was released, which featured a whole new love interest. Although this edition was welcome

there's no mention of a Catherine sequel, even after a decade, and that's just a pity

Number 6. Muramasa The Demon Blade On paper, Muramasa The Demon Blade sounds too ambitious for its own good

After all, this Wii title is a beat-em-up hack-and-slash-Metroidvania with RPG elements

which incorporates Kabuki theater, Buddhist theology, and Japanese mythology. Even though it should be impossible to juggle that many ideas at once

Muramasa pulls it off with flying colors. Due to the absorbing battle system, luscious visuals, beautiful music, and awesome bosses

there's no doubt Vanilla Ware Samurai side-scroller is among the Wii's most underrated games

Now, considering Muramasa was released the same year as not just Wii Sports

but also Wii Play and Mario Kart Wii, it really shouldn't have stood a chance

But the Demon Blade didn't just meet sales expectations, it surpassed them

Alas, even though it did, a follow-up never materialized. Weirder still, there's no real reason why

Interestingly Vanillaware have never made a sequel to any of their properties This is an odd practice since the company is surprisingly consistent at doling out successful games untied to established brands I mean

how many other gaming companies can make that claim? Though the PS Vita port of Muramasa the

Demon Blade contained plenty of extra content, a true sequel would definitely be appreciated

Number 5. Space Station Silicon Valley DMA Design's quirky platformer follows a sentient microchip called Evo

who crash lands on a space station populated with animal robots. Each android has one key power

meaning Evo must figure out who to possess to complete specific tasks

Upon its release, SSS-V received heavy praise and several game awards due to its wacky humor, catchy space pop tunes

inventive puzzles, and challenging levels. However, what makes the gem stand out is the variety in its gameplay

With over 40 creatures to control and dozens of diverse levels to explore, there's never a dull moment

Evo can possess gorillas to swing through vines, kangaroos to reach higher platforms, or penguins to swim in iced water

Puzzles, routes, and enemies can be conquered through multiple means, allowing players to find the solution that best suits them

and they're incentivized to revisit completed areas to locate the incredibly well-hidden trophies

Sadly, Space Station Silicon Valley didn't sell well, which is why a follow-up never came to fruition

Since this body-hopping puzzler hasn't been ported in 20-plus years, it's tricky to get a hold of

But if you have an N64 or a PS1 handy, it's really worth tracking down a copy

Number 4, Sekiro Shadows Die Twice Though Souls fans have been pining for another Bloodborne for a decade

Sekiro Shadows Die Twice is arguably more deserving of the sequel treatment

Not only did Bloodborne already get an awesome DLC, it's likely it'll be remade in the foreseeable future

But Sekiro is owed a follow-up more than any other From Software title because it takes the biggest departure from the genre

Despite following the Soulsborne blueprint, this shinobi slasher has an array of unique mechanics that distinguish it from its predecessors

Rather than wailing on enemies, the combat revolves around counter-attacks, parries, and dodges

The posture system urges players to focus on timing and precision instead of force

Although Sekiro beautifully captures Sengoku history, that's just one time period. Since countless conflicts raged in feudal Japan for over a millennium

there are so many other periods that could be explored in later entries. Considering how much untapped potential Sekiro Shadows Die Twice has

it's annoying how there isn't a word or a whisper of the samurai saga making a comeback

3. Mark of the Ninja Even though stealth focuses on covertness and subtlety, games in the genre tend to involve a lot of direct violence

However, Maka the ninja takes stealth to the extreme. Facing enemies head-on never ends well, forcing players to constantly operate in the shadows

Fortunately, our ninjutsu-trained protagonist utilizes many innovative mechanics to stay hidden, including hiding bodies, picking locks, disabling lights, and distracting guards

The Nameless Ninja is equipped with darts, a grappling hook, spores, mice, smoke bombs, noisemakers, and suicide-inducing darts

offering a variety of methods to dispatch baddies and disable security systems Also our hero is rewarded with extra points if subtler techniques are used on enemies Since these points can be exchanged for helpful items and upgrades

players are very encouraged to assess every danger and find the most inconspicuous strategy to

progress. Due to the versatility in gameplay, Mark of the Ninja is considered one of the best

2D stealth titles ever. For this reason, it's strange how Klay Entertainment have never pursued

a sequel. They made a follow-up for Shank, and that's nowhere near the same caliber

Although the 2018 remaster was definitely appreciated, fans are still pining for a whole

new installment. Number 2, Vagrant Story. Final Fantasy is such a dominant RPG, it's easy to

forget about Square's other incredible roleplayers, including Secret of Mana, Dragon Quest, Chrono

Trigger, and Bravely Default. But if any Square property deserved more credit, it's Vagrant Story

Simply put, the PS1 roleplayer was way, way ahead of the curve

It utilized pausable real-time combat, chained abilities, and weapon crafting long before any of those mechanics became the norm

Hiroshi Inogawa and his art team pushed the graphics as far as possible

to the point where it's hard to believe the console's hardware could even handle them without issue

Though exploration is a big factor in roleplayers, Vagrant Story cranks it up a notch

setting the entire game in a labyrinth-style grid. Though this structure could result in tedious wandering

it's never an issue due to the perfectly designed map. Thanks to the lavish score, innovative battle system, epic story, and enthralling characters

it's no surprise Vagrant Story became the third video game to receive a perfect score from Famitsu

As such, Vagrant Story has all the qualities needed to launch a franchise

But since this treasured title was released at the end of the PS1's life cycle

it didn't make a profit. Nevertheless, Vagrant's story has become so widely revered for the last

20 plus years, it's strange that Square haven't given it another look

Number one, Bully. Bully got so much attention for its controversial themes during its release

there wasn't enough focus on the fact that it was a really awesome game. Bully boasted a well-structured

open world, a tight script, diverse missions, and a slew of creative minigames. Due to its success

a remaster was released two years later, which offered new objectives, characters, classes

and a multiplayer mode. But the gaming community wanted more. Although a sequel wasn't initially

on the cards, the developers changed their tune when Bully surpassed sales expectations

In 2008, a team at Rockstar New England got to work on the follow-up. Hoping to match the quality

of Red Dead and GTA, Bully 2 was expected to focus more on advanced AI, so the smallest decision

would affect characters' behavior later on in the main campaign. Within the first year of development

the project seemed to be shaping up nicely, with six to eight hours completed

But in 2009, Rockstar suddenly pushed the developers onto other titles, causing the project to stall

Despite former Rockstar exec Dan Hauser saying the company had hoped to circle back to the sequel

nothing ended up coming of it. Although Bully 2 has been confirmed on several occasions

such news has repeatedly proven to be false. Even though a Bully sequel would be a dream

it looks like we'll have to settle with the original for the foreseeable future