Summary
In the world of video games, it’s a tale as old as time. A sequel to one of our favorite games gets announced, only for us to be left waiting for what feels like an eternity, hoping the game we eventually get makes all that time spent sitting around and getting hyped up feel worthwhile in the end.
A lot of long awaited video game sequels end up victims of a ruthless visit todevelopment hell, but luckily for us, some of those games manage to come out of a long development time not only unscathed, but better than we could have ever expected.
Announced what feels like one hundred years in the past, The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom didn’t even have a name for most of the time we spent waiting for it to resurface after first seeing the game’s chilling announcement teaser in 2019. By the time the game finally got a title drop in 2022, the hype had reached critical mass, and yet,the final game somehow did not disappoint.
In the time since release, some critiques have been levied against the game, but for the sheer scale of new additions, the story, and the imaginative new mechanics, it’s hard to argue that Link’s secondopen world adventurewas anything less than a fantastic time.
Ten years after the release of Fallout 2, Elder Scrolls developer Bethesda released what is even today fondly remembered as one of the most importantand influentialvideo games ever made: Fallout 3.
The series' return brought with it everything the world of Fallout needed to make it shine in the 2008 market, but beyond that, Fallout 3 brought new fans to the wasteland in droves. For not only reviving the series after ten long years, but making it something special that has stood the test of time, it’s easy to see why Fallout 3 has garnered an atomic reputation.
2016’s reboot of Doombreathed new lifeinto a franchise long thought dead by its fans, and after four years spent wondering if that smash hit was a fluke, id Software proved to the world that they’ve still got what it takes to make the best brutal shooters in the business with 2020’s Doom: Eternal.
Doom: Eternal strips away the ease of its predecessor and really makes you work for your victories in a way the 2016 title never did, and while that might be off-putting to some, the end result is a game that isn’t just more of the same, but a brutal evolution that pushes you to stand up and fight back, no matter the odds.
The long awaited sequel to 2005’s psychological action platforming gem Psychonauts was in a state of development hell for what felt like forever, and for that reason, a lot of fans very nearly gave up hope that the sequel could happen at all, let alone that it would be good if it did.
Thankfully though, Psychonauts 2 would finally release in 2021 as one of the finest examples of cinematic action adventure in video games, combiningquirky and colorful characterswith gameplay that is an all-out platforming delight. Like its predecessor did all those years ago, Psychonauts 2 smashes expectations in all the best ways.
5Pikmin 3
Little Fellas, Big World
Pretty much anything with the Pikmin name attached to it after the Gamecube’s Pikmin 2 has felt like a shoe-in for the “things that we have to wait a long time for that are worth waiting for” category, and whilePikmin 4is easily the most vocally demanded sequel, true Pikmin aficionado remember the agonizing wait for Pikmin 3, and just how worth it that long wait was in the end.
Pikmin 3 steers away from the series' old protagonist, Olimar, and instead sees you controlling three new captains, and commanding a few new Pikmin, too. With stunning visuals on both Wii Uand Nintendo Switch, Pikmin 3 is a strategy lover’s dream come true.
Funnily enough, it seems nobody can really decide for sure what 2017’s Prey is actually supposed to be a sequel to, just that it is a follow-up of some kind. Elements of the canceled Prey 2 are probably in there somewhere, as are the developers' claims that the game is actually meant to bea spiritual successorto System Shock 2.
Released 18 years after System Shock 2 and 11 years after Prey 2006, it’s clear that Prey 2017 was worth the wait, even if we weren’t sure what exactly we were waiting for. The game tasks you with surviving an alien threat on an art-deco style space station, and isa must-play for fans of sci-fi horror.
Yes, Western fans are still waiting for an English release of Mother 3, and that means that under some definitions the game still isn’t actually out yet, but even in Japan,where the game remains available via Nintendo Switch Online, Mother 3 took a long time to release, surviving a scrapped Nintendo 64 project and numerous delays before eventually releasing on the Game Boy Advance in 2006.
Mother 3 elevates the style and gameplay that make Earthbound what it is in almost every way, with a tear-jerking story, uniquely rhythmic combat, and delightful sprite work. Having played the game myselfin Japanese, I can promise you that Mother 3 is worth waiting for.
Persona 4 was already a fan favorite RPG hit, but the sequel, the long awaited and much hyped Persona 5, had big shoes to fill when it launched worldwide in 2017 (Except for Japan, where it launched in 2016, but you get the idea). Despite all of that hype for the sequel to a game from 2008, Persona 5 released to universal acclaim from critics and fans alike.
The stylistic energy on display in Persona 5 is worthy of praise on its own, but the sheer length of the game and the content presented therein is almost unmatched in the RPG space, resulting in a game that will stand for years as the pinnacle of what aturn-based RPGcan be.
A sequel 23 years in the making, Baldur’s Gate 3 is a triumph of gaming history that must be experienced to be believed. With multitudes of player-driven possibilities, beautiful visuals, and engaging gameplay, we will be celebrating Baldur’s Gate 3 as one of the greatest ever made for years to come.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is set in the world ofDungeons & Dragons, and the imaginative qualities of the tabletop RPG are wonderfully brought to life here. In may have taken a while for 2000’s Baldur’s Gate 2 to get a sequel, but in the end, Baldur’s Gate 3 was absolutely worth waiting for.
