The gaming industry has always been packed full of sequels, as developers and studios have aimed to capitalise on the success of their previous instalments. This has led to lengthy franchises in some circumstances, such as the Call of Duty series, which has been going strong since 2003.
Now, there is an emerging trend of rebooted sequels of classic games, with a prime example being Silent Hill 2. These titles play on the nostalgia factor while at the same time offering new aspects to appeal to a fresh generation of players.
The Gaming Industry Has Always Relied on Sequels
In the film industry, sequels have always tended to be hit or miss, with only a select few able to better their predecessors. That’s not the case in the gaming sector. On the contrary, sequels in gaming often surpass the titles that came before them. This is because developers can build on their pre-existing worlds and improve aspects that didn’t work before. New titles can piggyback on the success of older ones while improved platforms allow for more advanced graphics and mechanics.
Sequels have always been abundant in the console industry, and their power is now being put to good use in other forms of gaming as well. An example of this is the iGaming market. This sector is packed full of slots for players to choose from, but some titles perform better than others. For instance, the Big Bass Bonanza slot is one of Pragmatic Play’s most popular offerings. It’s renowned for its 2,100x max win and fun fishing theme. Thanks to the number of players the game attracted, it led to a sequel and a Megaways version, both of which aimed to benefit from the success of the original.
Nostalgic Rebooted Sequels Are the New Trend
Some sequels have been so good that they’ve gone down in history and lived longer in the collective memory than the games that came before them. Many of these are now being given high-budget remakes so that they can be experienced on the state-of-the-art consoles of today. The announcement of the Silent Hill 2 reboot is a prime example of this, as the 2001 offering from Team Silent is regarded as one of the greatest games ever made.
The Silent Hill 2 remake from Bloober Team is on the way for the PlayStation 5 and Windows, and the new instalment will make use of the major graphic advancements that have occurred since the game was first published on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox over two decades ago. It will follow the same plot as the original, with the major changes coming to visuals and gameplay. That means it will be able to draw upon the nostalgia effect of the first title while also appeasing new players who enjoy state-of-the-art contemporary games.
Another horror title that’s up there with the best games ever produced is Capcom Production Studio 4’s 2005 survival game, Resident Evil 4. Capcom has decided to reboot it for modern consoles, with the game set to drop in 2023. It will doubtlessly attract players who enjoyed the original but will also allure younger generations. With games like this, many of today’s players want to check them out but find it hard to cope with the now inferior graphics of the originals. That’s why reboots are so important.
What Other Titles Could Get This Treatment?
There are plenty of other games that will most likely receive the reboot treatment in the years ahead, especially after studios witness how well Silent Hill 2 and Resident Evil 4 perform. In terms of amazing sequels of yesteryear, developers have a wealth of options to choose from.
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty would be a standout choice for a modern reboot. The stealth classic developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan sold more than seven million copies and helped push the genre forward. The complex gameplay in the series has benefited from console advancements, and it would be great to revisit stories like this one in a rebooted form.
Getting the chance to dive back into some of the top sequels ever made is hugely exciting, and the experience will be made even better by the enhanced capabilities of modern platforms. After Silent Hill 2 and Resident Evil 4 next year, there is likely to be an influx of other rebooted classics.