It’s easy for sequels in fantastic franchises to play it safe and simply provide more of what you loved about the original, but games like Hollow Knight: Silksong and Assassin’s Creed 2 that aim to offer an even more ambitious experience are more impressive. Although not every sequel tends to land like the original, there are still more than a few excellent games out there that achieved even greater heights.
Even if there are plenty of examples of great sequels out there, sometimes it feels like there are even more cases of successors to classic games failing to reach anywhere near the same heights as previous entries in a franchise. While it’s an increasingly rare sight to see, there are still more than a few games out there that both redefined the franchise moving forward and even managed to overshadow their legendary predecessors.
Age of Empires 2 Is Still A Cult-Classic Strategy Experience
The original Age of Empires is by no means a bad game, but it pales in comparison to the massively increased amount of content, gameplay depth, and visual improvements made by its successor. Offering dozens of unique civilizations with plenty of options for tech trees to choose from, there’s a reason Age of Empires 2, along with its recent remake, is still a go-to for many real-time strategy fans.
Even the single-player mode of Age of Empires 2 is leagues above the campaign of the original. Not only does it offer more narratives to choose from, but it also explores their historical settings with an even more immersive atmosphere.
Few Games Up The Ante As Much As Portal 2
While there’s no denying that the original Portal was an innovative puzzle game with an incredibly unique atmosphere, Portal 2 took the experience to a whole new level. Exploring even more about the mysterious testing facility filled with egomaniacal robots, Portal 2 also had more humor and character development to latch onto between Glados, Wheatley, and even the silent Chell.
On a gameplay level, Portal 2 also added even more complex puzzle mechanics to shake up the experience, all wrapped up in a more beautifully dilapidated facility thanks to Portal 2‘s improved visual fidelity. Everything leading up to a memorable, climactic conclusion that holds up as an appropriate ending to the saga 15 years later.
The Original Silent Hill 2 Is Still A Masterclass In The Horror Genre
Despite the original Silent Hill being praised for its unique horror atmosphere more than anything else, Silent Hill 2 evolved the concept by applying it to a more mature character-driven narrative with an incredibly complex protagonist. Improving its open world, puzzle design, and memorable cast of characters, it’s not hard to see why Bloober Team recently opted for an atmospheric Silent Hill 2 remake rather than starting with the original game.
Jumping from an excellent raw horror game into a thought-provoking psychological one is still the best decision the series has ever made. Silent Hill 2 provided a framework for not only its direct successors to follow, but also for plenty of narrative-driven experiences in the genre.
Borderlands 2 Provided An Even More Varied Gameplay Experience
Even if the classic Borderlands experience still has plenty to offer for revisiting players, the sequel is undeniably a more refined experience that elevates the gameplay to greater levels. More mission variety, greater RPG mechanics, humor that sticks the landing, and one of the greatest villains in gaming history all improve the overall experience, setting a gold standard for looter shooters to follow.
Even with the gameplay improvement of future entries in the series, few games have been able to capture the magic that made Borderlands 2 and its expansions such a memorable experience. From its emphasis on unique character builds to a great endgame experience, so many elements here surpassed its predecessor.
Few Multiplayer Games Have The Legacy Of Battlefield Bad Company 2
Acting as the successor to the original Battlefield 1942, the 2010 release of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is still the biggest leap forward the franchise has ever seen. Offering fully destructible environments, more varied map design, and even greater depth through vehicle combat and squad-based mechanics, there’s a reason people still talk about Bad Company 2 to this day.
Even without the levolutions of later entries, Bad Company 2 had an unprecedented level of destruction that is still an awe-inspiring display, even if it comes at the cost of occasionally harming its overall level design.
Few Games Had An Impact Like Arrowhead’s Helldivers 2
While the original Helldivers had the same core concepts of defending Super Earth from alien threats across the galaxy, its narrative style was drastically improved by Helldivers 2’s switch to a third-person horde shooter. Far surpassing the legacy of its predecessor, Helldivers 2 has grown into an absolutely massive multiplayer experience that has received plenty of updates since release.
With larger-scale battles, more cinematic action, and live galactic events that put you in the action even better than its top-down predecessor, Helldivers 2 is easily one of the best kinds of sequels that any game could ask for.
Halo 2 Took Its Sci-Fi Epic To Even More Dramatic Heights
Even if no game in the series will likely overcome just how iconic the original Halo: Combat Evolved is as an innovative staple of the series, Halo 2 undoubtedly took the experience to even greater heights. With more diverse combat mechanics, new weapons, and a greater variety of gameplay options, Halo 2‘s multiplayer and campaign experience were much more refined in the second outing of the series.
While we’re getting more Halo content in 2026, it’s hard to beat the epic space opera provided by the original Halo 2‘s dual perspectives of both Chief and the Arbiter, greatly expanding the scope beyond the single fight for humanity’s future on the faraway Halo Array.
Batman: Arkham City Offered A Whole New World To Explore
Maintaining the core elements that made the original Batman: Arkham Asylum so brutally creative, Batman: Arkham City drastically expanded the scope of its predecessor by taking the experience all across Gotham City. Rather than exploring a single linear island, Arkham City offers a fully explorable open world separated into distinctly recognizable districts.
Still standing as one of the best superhero games out there, even when compared to later entries in the series, the advanced combat mechanics and interconnected side quests helped Batman: Arkham City‘s world stand out in a way its predecessor struggles to compete with.
Titanfall 2 Is Leagues Above Its Controversial Predecessor
Even with some entertaining gameplay mechanics and plenty of opportunities for intense firefights, the original Titanfall fails to live up to the outstanding legacy of Titanfall 2. Expanding the mobility and depth of its multiplayer combat with new movesets and variety, Titanfall 2 was able to far surpass its predecessor to become a cult classic multiplayer shooter.
This isn’t even to mention Titanfall 2‘s brand-new campaign mode, with the unique mechanics and surprisingly emotional narrative coming as a massive surprise given how the mode was entirely absent from its predecessor. Unfortunately, despite its improvements, you’ll have to rely on fan games to pass the time before we ever see another sequel to the ambitious sci-fi series.
Assassin’s Creed 2 Is The Franchise’s Shining Moment
Even if the first Assassin’s Creed laid down the core foundations that made the series a staple in the gaming world, Assassin’s Creed 2 is where Ubisoft’s classic gameplay loop really started to shine. On top of introducing one of the most beloved protagonists in the series with Ezio, AC2 also offered an even richer world that greatly refined its predecessor’s experimental mechanics into an award-winning formula.
To this day, Assassin’s Creed 2 remains one of the best entries in the series despite its age, offering an unforgettable experience with one of the most charismatic protagonists. After the smash success of Assassin’s Creed 2, Ezio even got two additional sequels to explore his story with AC: Brotherhood and AC: Revelations.
- Released
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November 7, 2009
- ESRB
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M for Mature: Blood, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language
- Engine
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havok, anvil
- Franchise
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Assassin’s Creed
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