Top 10 game franchises that desperately need a sequel in 2022

❘ Published: 2022-01-07T17:56:29

Toys For Bob, Ready At Dawn, Double Fine

Some franchises are just simply left to rot, and it’s unfair to loyal fans who are desperate for sequels. So regardless of a packed year for video games, here are 10 sequels that we would love to see in 2022.

With franchises of the caliber of God of War, Horizon, Gran Turismo, Pokemon, and more all getting new games in 2022, it leaves little room for too many other top games. But to that we say, you can never have too many games!

There are some in particular we think are long overdue in the sequel department. The time is perfect for them all to make a stunning comeback, and these 10 sequels could easily make an impact in 2022.

10. Time Crisis VR

VR is the perfect stage for Time Crisis to return.

The quintessential on-rails shooter that cultivated a generation of clones and arcade machine expenditure. Holding a G-Con or any other Time Crisis peripheral device was a blast.

Read More: Top 5 PlayStation VR games ranked: Best PSVR games to play before PSVR 2

Eventually, the series stagnated and it’s been a while since we last saw Time Crisis. But with the growing potential of VR and PSVR 2 on the way, we think it’s time to dust off the hardware. Now is the perfect moment for Time Crisis VR to launch as a flagship title for Sony’s VR headset sequel.

9. Darkwatch

Darkwatch is still one of the most underrated FPS games of its generation.

Never heard of it? That wouldn’t surprise us. Darkwatch was a beautifully gothic first-person shooter that was genuinely scary, sexy, and superb.

Jericho Cross was the unfortunate recipient of a vampire curse and became embroiled in a feud with Lazarus himself. The pacing, levels, variety of weapons, abilities, and a large array of destructive weaponry meant that Darkwatch never let up for a second.

Early footage of Darkwatch 2 was revealed at GDC 2006, but it got stuck in development hell and was subsequently canceled. There’s still plenty of time for someone to resurrect a series with all the potential in the world.

8. Brutal Legend

Remove the strategy elements and Brutal Legend 2 could be a bloody, good time.

A game that was sold on false pretenses as players didn’t know about its real-time strategy elements. Despite this, it has a large cult following thanks to the title’s brutal gameplay and kickass soundtrack.

Jack Black was perfect in his role, and, just like Darkwatch, Brutal Legend could only improve and become very successful. Maybe remove the RTS aspect, maybe chomp down hard on the gory, grizzly gameplay, and Brutal Legend 2 could live up to its name in gaming folklore.

7. Ape Escape

Who wouldn’t want to catch more of these pesky pests?

Outside of a PlayStation Move spin-off, there hasn’t been a proper Ape Escape game in well over 10 years! That’s quite a baffling statistic when you consider that Ape Escape’s humorous monkeys were kind of PlayStation mascots at one point.

Did you know that the original Ape Escape game was the first in history to require the use of dual thumbsticks? The series has quite the legacy, and with classic video game heroes returning in the last few years, Sony would be bananas to not let us clash with these crazed monkies once more.

6. The Order

Sir Galahad has a story that is waiting to be told.

The Order 1886 was a victim of its own hype and anticipation. Despite promising gameplay footage and fantastical creatures and content, Ready at Dawn’s project was released to a mixed reception.

Read More: 5 best games you didn’t play in 2021

Its outrageously stunning graphics and filmic aesthetic were overshadowed by its noticeably short run time and bugs on release. On the other hand, its story and characters were praised, and it left players wanting to know what happened to Sir Galahad.

Given how unique its setting and themes were, we think it deserves one more shot to get things right, plus, the Thermite Rifle was a thing of beauty.

5. Bloodborne

Enemies up close are much larger than they appear.

The need for Bloodborne 2 isn’t as great as other neglected games on this list due to Elden Ring and…oh sod it, we want Bloodborne 2 FromSoftware!

In our ranking of all the main Soulslike games, we crowned Bloodborne as our undisputed Souls game. Yharnam was such a curiously fascinating world, and its hideous, hostile hosts were the perfect folly for our mysterious Hunter.

It just felt different from every other FromSoftware game — and still does. After Elden Ring, it might finally be time to return to the horrors of Yharnam.

4. Burnout

Arcade vehicular mayhem at its finest.

Need For Speed is often regarded as the pinnacle of Arcade racing games, but for a while, Burnout was definitely in the conversation. Burnout 3 and Burnout Revenge represented the genre in a way never seen before, both creatively and artistically.

One minute you were tearing up the tarmac in a regular race, the next you were slingshotting a 200mph supercar into oncoming traffic in the hope of causing a catastrophic chain-reaction of pointastic proportions.

Burnout Paradise’s open-world approach was bold and brilliant, but rekindling nostalgia would be amazing. With the power of modern-day hardware, explosions and chaos would look better than ever.

3. Spyro The Dragon

Crash 4 was a huge success, so we are surely getting a new Spyro adventure, surely?

The N.Sane Trilogy remaster really was a game-changer. It resulted in a Crash Team Racing remaster, a new Crash Bandicoot game, and also the Spyro Reignited Trilogy.

Spyro’s return sold very well and it reminded the world why Spyro was so beloved for so many years. So, why not make a new Spyro The Dragon game? Crash 4 showed that there’s still plenty of energy left in these older legs. The Reignited Trilogy brought dated visuals into the future and 3D platforming will never die.

We’re due another cheeky Spyro grin.

2. Bully

jimmy hopkins putting a kick me note on a kid's back

Jimmy Hopkins was the ultimate anti-hero and we still hope to bask in his antics again someday.

It was revealed that Bully 2 was not only in development but was fully playable with a few hours of gameplay under its belt too.

Read More: Resident Evil 9: What the sequel to RE Village needs to get right

Bully, later renamed Canis Canem Edit due to protests, was released during the peak, PS2-era GTA games, yet managed to feel fresh and different. It understandably dispensed with the gratuitous violence and adult themes of Grand Theft Auto games.

However, it retained Rockstar’s penchant for developing deep, fun-filled playgrounds (literally) for players to explore. With rumors and murmurings of a sequel persisting, there’s every chance that the Bullworth Academy student can rattle off some more stink bombs.

1. Half-Life

It will be a genuine travesty if we never get a true Half-Life sequel.

You knew it was coming, but the pain of no Half-Life 3 or Half-Life: Episode 3 continues to hurt too much.

Half-Life 1 was a game way ahead of its time, and Half-Life 2 was pretty much on another planet in terms of its innovation and execution. Half-Life 2 is regarded by many as the greatest FPS title in video game history, it seems insane that it’s been 15 years since Half-Life 2: Episode Two, and we’re no closer to Half-Life 3.

Creative shortcomings, problems with the Source engine, and a myriad of other issues have stunted any potential Half-Life sequel. But, Half-life: Alyx, Valve’s VR-exclusive title, has renewed hope, and will probably create another 15 years of despair if Half-Life 3 truly never comes to fruition.