10 Hated Video Game Sequels Everyone Was Too Hard On

Sequels tend to suffer from way more scrutiny than the average release

While many gamers are willing to forgive flaws or oversight in a debut title

the same love is not often extended to follow-ups as the weight of expectation sits heavily on their shoulders

This sadly means that plenty of games that would have otherwise been considered good, if not great, are thrust into a world of unjustified hatred

So, I'm Sai, this is WhatCulture, and here are 10 hated video game sequels that everyone was too hard on

Mirror's Edge Catalyst 2008's Mirror's Edge made a pretty decent impression on the gaming landscape when it ran onto the scene

and many people look back on this free-running speedfast as a hidden gem

that probably didn't get the attention it deserved despite its, frankly, generic narrative

The follow-up, however, is not so fondly remembered but was Mirror's Edge Catalyst really that bad

This prequel shifted from the first game's carefully constructed linear design to an open-world setting

allowing players to explore the city of glass at their own discretion. However, this significant alteration alongside the once again lacklustre story

and clunky combat drew plenty of ire from fans. Of course, while the transition from tightly designed linear levels

to an open approach did neglect part of the original's appeal, the game still offered a fun environment to explore

Plus, the real highlight was the impeccable movement mechanics which genuinely improved upon the original

The free running was smoother than ever with a focus on momentum and exploration that often pushed you into addictive flow states

Sure, not as good as the original, but Catalyst is still a gorgeous looking high octane parkour experience that not enough people talk about

Doom 64. Making a Doom game should be pretty easy, right? Step one, give the players some big old guns

Step two, throw some scary monsters at them. Step three, carnage. However, finding the right blend of atmosphere, action and thrills whilst keeping the franchise evolving is far from simple

as demonstrated by the harsh reaction to Doom 64. This spin-off game sought to bring the popular FPS series to the Nintendo 64 in a big way

Rather than reinventing the wheel, id Software and Midway chose to build a game mechanically similar to what came before

albeit with new sprites, levels and a new engine. However, one significant change they made that rubbed many the wrong way was the shift in tone and pacing

Rather than being the typical non-stop action fest players were used to

Doom 64 instead focused more on puzzle solving and exploration with fewer enemy encounters

This frustrated many, yet it was a unique approach that allowed the game to create a stellar sense of atmosphere and dread

Doom 64's tough levels and less predictable firefights have caused a lot of fans to resent it

but the game has since developed a dedicated cult following, and rightfully so. Tomb Raider Underworld. Tomb Raider is a franchise that easy belongs on this

list as looking through its catalogue is like gazing at an assortment of chocolates. Some are

so mouthwatering you'll want to gorge them down without hesitation and others will make you think

yeah I think I leave the bounties for someone else But while the likes of Tomb Raider 2013 is a must and the Angel of Darkness is a spit out of your mouth what the hell is this kind of experience

The often needlessly hated Tomb Raider Underworld is delicious, but it might have an odd aftertaste

Okay, this simile is getting away from me. Underworld is the third game in Crystal Dynamics' first Lara Croft reboot

and whilst it's not the most disliked Tomb Raider out there, it certainly has a shed load of detractors

A significant portion of the criticism stems from the game's wonky camera

occasionally awkward controls, brief campaign, and some other issues. However, loving Underworld is easy if you're a fan of the classic Tomb Raider experience

and have a soft spot for the franchise's goofier side. I mean, in the first game she fought a T-Rex. It's pretty silly

There's plenty of fun exploration, good puzzling and platforming, and a gorgeous visual design

and it also hits all of the fantastical vibes the series was known for before rebooting in 2013

with appearances from the Kraken, Thor's Hammer and other over-the-top elements. So what's not to love

Fable 3. You'll often find that there are only two camps when it comes to arguing about which Fable game is the best

The one for the original Fable and people who are wrong. I'm kidding, of course

People love Fable 2. I'm not people, but people do love it. However, this obviously excludes a major game in the lineup

That being Albion's ugly little duckling, which is Fable 3. Whilst it's definitely not the best game in the series

there's certainly an argument that it deserves more love than it gets. Fable 3 is certainly flawed with repetitive combat

forced mechanics like hand-holding, and shoddy UI choices. However, the game is not shy about taking risks

something exceedingly rare for AAA releases, and as such, the last thing you can call it is boring

The game takes you on a grand adventure across a land littered with fun characters voiced by big-name actors

with its main narrative and bouncy full-side content giving you plenty of laughs and action along the way

On top of that, the game's bizarre choices fill it with imaginative features

such as the fun real estate mechanics, genuinely, or the massive mid-game twist that flips the story and gameplay on its head

Sure, Fable 3 didn't quite stick the landing, but it at least did a couple of cool flips on the way down

Castlevania 64. Final Fantasy The Legend of Zelda Super Mario Bros. These are but a few examples of massively popular video game franchises

that transitioned from 2D to 3D with unmatched grace. Heck, their respective jumps into the third dimension

are still considered by many to be some of the best video games of all time

Sadly, the gothic action-adventure series Castlevania didn't join the 3D realm with that same level of prestige

Look, we've all kicked Castlevania 64 around a little bit, so maybe it's time to give it some of its well-deserved flowers

The one thing you need to know when going into the game is that it is janky. So janky, in fact, that you'd think that Dracula had put a curse on you

the player directly to stop you from preventing his return. But if you can look past all this

you'll find that Castlevania 64 released of course simply as Castlevania is actually a pretty

enjoyable ride. It's utterly bombastic and there is a boss fight for example where you battle a king

skeleton surrounded by skeletons on motorbikes Okay sure didn know that was a thing but the atmosphere classically Castlevania great music balls lunacy and dual protagonists with unique abilities and storylines

make it a flawed but enjoyable benchmark in early 3D gaming. Not every game can be Super Mario 64

Some games have to not be Super Mario 64, so we have a benchmark. Benchmarks are good

Silent Hill Downpour. Ah, yes, the Silent Hill sequels. It's hard to find a collection of games more hated than these

The once untouchable horror series was slowly but surely decimated by the onslaught of generic

uninspired post-Silent Hill 4 releases that seemed to forget what made the franchise special

Some people wouldn't even include Silent Hill 4 in the list of good ones, and they'd be wrong to do so

but it's way, way less common for fans to throw support at the likes of Silent Hill Downpour

So, let's give that a try. Downpour is far from the heights of the franchise, with the combat and monster designs being particularly bland

However, it boasts some plus points that are often overlooked, like the generally strong narrative

The story of escaped convict Murphy Pendleton facing the nightmares of the town

after surviving a bus crash nearby makes for a thrilling setup, with some great payoff, especially in the player choice impacted endings

Additionally, the implementation of sidequests adds a unique edge to the game

that provides some stellar motivation for world exploration. Is it great? Maybe not, but it's not as bad as many people think that it is

The Legend of Zelda 2 The Adventure of Link. When asked to picture what a classic Legend of Zelda game looks like

you might think of the top-down 2D style of the original, or perhaps the polygonal 3D of Ocarina of Time, depending on your age

However, it's doubtful you'll think of the franchise's bizarro side-scroller, Zelda 2 The Adventure of Link

Nintendo, at this point, had yet to establish the Zelda mold when they completely broke it

introducing a sequel that not only switched the visual perspective, but also the focus, honing in on RPG elements and action over complex puzzle solving

Given this huge shift, the game has since become a maligned part of Hyrule's gaming roster

often falling into the lower end tier lists, if not at the very bottom

If not for Skyward Sword. God, I hate that game. But those who hate Zelda 2 for simply being different are robbing themselves of a great NES experience

This action-packed game, while not a conventional Zelda title, is a thrilling adventure with challenging combat that keeps you on your toes, interactive NPCs

and solid RPG elements. It's a great time if you were looking for a throwback to late 80s gaming

It's also the origin of a bunch of really great Zelda songs as well, so that's good too

Banjo-Kazooie Nuts and Bolts. Imagine, if you will, that the massively anticipated Half-Life 3

were to release finally, but as a tile-matching puzzle game. Even if it was the best tile-matching

puzzle game ever made plenty of people would still hate it for being a tile matching puzzle game

That is precisely what happened to the Banjo-Kazooie series as the long-awaited third game switched up

the formula so much that it drove fans to fury despite being actually pretty good at what it set

out to do Banjo Nuts and Bolts released eight years after the last mainline title so fans were foaming at the mouth at the mere thought of it However when they got their hands on the game rather than the typical 3D platforming they were accustomed to

the gameplay instead focused on vehicle building. Now, this was very jarring

and you're entitled to feel certain ways about it being completely jarring

but there's no denying that the mechanic was incredibly well executed. Yes, it was a major department from what fans expected

but the crafting pushed your creativity to the max, allowing you to find unique solutions to problems and experiment in meaningful ways

The bright and colourful atmosphere was still there in droves, as was the humour

so while everything was different, it also still felt authentic to the series. Also, Tears of the Kingdom did basically the same mechanic and everyone loved it

And it fits in Zelda as much as it fits in Banjo, so what's the problem

Fatal Frame 4, Mask of the Lunar Eclipse. There are two things that all but every Fatal Frame, or Project Zero, depending on who you ask

fan can agree on, that Fatal Frame 2 Crimson Butterfly is the best game in the series

and that Fatal Frame 4 Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is one of the weakest. However

Lunar Eclipse is not necessarily a bad game, it's just being compared to some of the best

horror titles of all time, so you kind of forget that it's got plenty of things going for it

The game tells an incredibly atmospheric and melancholic story about a collection of characters

two girls with a mysterious past, and the detective who rescued them. This trio return

to the scene of their haunted past wielding the iconic camera obscura and the new spirit stone

flashlight and the aforementioned flashlight introduces a thrilling new feature to the series

utilizing motion control in a way that was actually fun sadly a lot of the game's hate stems from

forces outside of its control such as being on the nintendo wii and the company's refusal to

localize it to the west until the 2023 remaster as such it's often regarded as the black sheep of

the Fatal Frame franchise, despite putting in a pretty admirable effort. Senua's Saga Hellblade 2

Senua's Sacrifice rocked the industry back in 2017, setting a new benchmark for AA gaming. It was

visually impressive, cinematically astounding, and an absolute masterclass in sound design, with the biggest drawbacks being the slow pacing and mediocre combat. Unfortunately, the recent-ish

sequel Hellblade 2 was visually impressive, cinematically astounding, and a masterclass in

sound design, but it was also let down by slow pacing and mediocre combat. Who could have seen

that coming? In fairness, it's often expected that a gaming sequel will improve upon its predecessor's

weak points, so Hellblade 2's repetitive battles and brief as hell runtime are valid letdowns

However, while Ninja Theory fell at this hurdle, they upped the ante on the spectacle

delivering a game with atmosphere, phenomenal acting, and a dedicated focus on storytelling

While the brief runtime is a big shame, it at least packs a punch with the time that it does have

Senua's Saga is by no means the masterpiece that fans were hoping it would be

but it feels damn unfair to hate a perfectly decent if flawed game

simply for not revolutionising the industry for a second time. Hey, if you want to stick with us talking about video game sequels

here's a video on screen now for 10 perfect video games with even better sequels

Thanks for watching this video, I've been CypherWattCulture, and have a good week