Summary
- Sequels that allow players to carry over their progress from previous games create a more rewarding experience for players.
The video game industry is flooded with sequels and that’s a good thing. One of the biggest examples this year was The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Critics and fans alike seem to adore it just as much as the original. However, for players of Breath of the Wild, it might be frustrating to see the progress that could carry over be taken from them at the start.
Being able to use the powers, weapons, and abilities that were developed throughout a previous game would feel more rewarding to those that played previous titles. Luckily, these ambitious games tried just that.
8 .Hack//Infection
.Hack//Infection is the first game in what would become a quadrilogy RPG anime series. .hack//Mutation, .hack//Outbreak, and .hack//Quarantine are the three sequels that would follow. The series centers on a fake MMO that starts to glitch out and trap people inside.
The core gameplay is an action RPG with party members joining the main hero, Kite, in his quest to fix the game world. Every game has a level gap, and when players go forward, all of their progress is saved. It is the most complete form of this carryover data idea and it’s impossible to play now unlike the sequel series, .hack//G.U., which did get a remaster.
7 Champions Of Norrath
Champions of Norrath is a top-down action RPG that was exclusive to the PS2. It, and its sequel, Champions: Return to Arms, are still trapped on the PS2. Players could create a typical fantasy character like a Barbarian and then go on quests, level up, and collect loot.
The game was made more fun with co-op enabled via the PS2 multitap. The aforementioned sequel allowed players to carry over their characters which made it feel like continuing a Dungeons and Dragons campaign.
6 Dissidia Final Fantasy
Dissidia Final Fantasy was the first fully dedicated fighting game in the Final Fantasy series. It was released in 2009 on the PSP in North America with the sequel to follow in 2011. That game, Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy, was both a sequel and an expansion as it contained the original game and more inside.
Players with save data from the first game could import their characters to continue doing battle in flashy combat. This could not be done with the third entry which makes sense since there was a bigger gap between releases not to mention consoles.
5 Mass Effect
Mass Effect had a trilogy of games with over a hundred hours of gameplay between the three of them. A lot of games say they have branching paths where choices matter, but they can sometimes fall flat. Except for the ending, BioWare stayed true to its word regarding the choice system in this trilogy.
Decisions from the first Mass Effect game could be carried out until the end, making players feel like their version of Shepard was a special one. Levels and other progress like that got reset every time though.
4 Pokemon Series
Nintendo has a lot of weird hang-ups when it comes to multiplayer and carrying over data between consoles. The one exception is the Pokemon series. Because of the integrated trade mechanic, players could conceivably carry over their Pokemon from the first games through multiple generations of both games and consoles for years.
The first big leap was between Pokemon Red/Blue and Pokemon Gold/Silver. Being able to use the same Pikachu, for example, through multiple decades is a huge accomplishment.
3 Skylanders
Skylanders helped create the Toys-to-life genre and it is an offshoot of the Spyro series. Players could buy toys of their favorite heroes, use them in the game, and then continue to use them in the sequels. There were exceptions between sequels where support was halted for some characters though.
It’s the same idea as the Pokemon series with trading except that players got to have a physical status with Skylanders. Imagine the amount of money that Nintendo and Game Freak could rake in if they attempted this idea with Pokemon. The capabilities within Amiibo are right there.
2 Telltale’s The Walking Dead
Telltale had some success with adventure games before their series based on The Walking Dead was released. The company truly exploded after its release. This is another narrative-based data transfer example like Mass Effect except on a bigger scale because more decisions were made in a smaller amount of time.
Choices made in each episode would be carried over. These decisions even got included in the sequel seasons to follow just like a TV show except with 100% more viewer input.
1 The Legend Of Zelda: Oracle Of Seasons/Oracle Of Ages
The Legend Of Zelda: Oracle Of Seasons/Oracle Of Ages was an ambitious project that almost got three games before the trilogy was canceled. Released on the same day, both The Legend of Zelda games feature class top-down action and puzzle solving for the Zelda series. Every world was completely different and revolved around two different gimmicks.
In Oracle of Seasons, players could change the literal seasons of nature to solve puzzles. In Oracle of Ages, players got to manipulate time. Finishing one game would give players a password to import into the other, which would connect the two stories in small ways. This is ultimately how the best ending was unlocked for this duology.