Sequels that far surpass the original!

Now I’m not against sequels at all when they’re used as vehicles to propel a property and when past issues are fixed. So here are some best sequels (of this generation) that have either matched or exceeded its original.  Included in this list are only games in which I've played the original title.  So no, I didn't forget to add Portal 2!  But be sure to chime in on the comments section.

Assassin’s Creed 2

I did not like Assassin’s Creed!  There I said it…I thought the original was incredibly slow paced and the mission structure was a redundant mess.  I couldn’t even force myself to complete the game, I actually YouTubed the ending (and yes YouTube is a verb).  So going into AC2, I was a little cautious but that was thrown out the window pretty quickly with the introduction of Ezio Auditore da Firenze.  Ezio was a far more relateable character than Altair and there was some real variety in the mission structure made this a far superior game than the original.  Luckily, the story was engrossing enough in the original to keep me interested in this franchise or I may have missed out big time.  And by the looks of things AC3 will raise the bar again for this franchise.

Splinter Cell: Conviction

Splinter Cell was never really a game I looked forward to playing; however, once I got a chance to see Conviction in action I was sold on the legitimacy of Sam Fisher and the new direction the game was taking.  From the outset, you could see that Sam was not in a good mood and his new set of moves showcased his deadly temperament   Ubisoft made sure to keep some of the stealth pieces intact and rewarding players with Mark and Execute points that would allow Sam to "mark" enemies (or destructive objects) and "execute" them with precise efficiency.  With Splinter Cell: Blacklist set for April 1st, 2013 release date, I'm extremely excited to play out the adventures of Sam Fisher.



Mass Effect 3

ME3, as you already know is one of my favorite games of all of all time, but greatness can't be denied.  The Mass Effect trilogy features a fully customizable Commander Sheppard in which your actions and decisions from the previous games carry over to the next.  So not only do you get to see all of your actions fully realized through an epic sage, you get to see the upgrades of the newest game.  ME3 finally masters the perfect balance between shooter and RPG.  If you haven't given Mass Effect a shot, don't miss out on one of the best game series of our generation.

Gears of War 3

Gears of War has been a figurehead for Xbox 360 (along with Halo) since it's inception and after getting your first kill with your chainsaw infused rifle (better known as a Lancer) you'll know why. The battles within the Gears universe is intense and visceral, but the story was always lacking in the previous entries.  Not the case in GoW3, I don't want to get spoiler-y but there is a moment that may have you a little shocked.  Split screen and online co-op ups the ante as teamwork is integral to survival.  Throw in the always creative online multiplayer and you've a must play game.

Batman: Arkham City

Batman is hands down one of the coolest characters to grace any form of media and fortunately Rocksteady put together on hell of sequel to Batman: Arkham Asylum. Arkham Asylum was a fantastic game and is a must play, but surprisingly Arkham City is leaps and bounds better.  Like most sandbox games you can expect side missions, however in Batman the "side" missions actually feel like their apart of the main story.  With a story that could rival any Batman comic and one could even argue that Christopher Nolan could just coop the story and make a fourth movie, you can see why this sequel is vastly greater than it's predecessor.


Agree/disagree?  Think I missed out on any awesome sequels/threequels, sound off in the comments section.