Why do sequels like Dead Space 2 recycle the same old stuff?

SaracsticGamer - One of my biggest gaming pet peeves reared its ugly head in Dead Space 2. Don’t get me wrong, I’m about 6 hours in and I’m absolutely loving the game so far, perhaps even more than I enjoyed the original. As an avid gamer and someone who enjoys sharing their opinion with the Internets, I can’t help but feel a little annoyed with how the game starts out.

[-Mezzo-]

Great Article, I guess developer just want to be on the safe side by using the same old "Loved" formula. This generation the Development cost has been way too high for Developers to be trying new & unique ideas.

No one wants to loose money in this Economy.

I still haven't bought Dead Space 2, will be picking it up later next Week, but i sure hope it's not "Call Of Duty" Same.

[jaredhart]

Mezzo, it's a damn good game.

[Hitman0769]

No one's saying it's not good jared. Basically the point here is that like mezzo said a lot of companies don't want to upset their fans so tons of assets and concepts are recycled. It's not always a bad thing but it can turn certain gamers off. The trouble is if a company decides to change the game then they go to far from the original formula you have an even worse problem on your hands. It's a lose/lose situation unless they find a happy balance.

[ABizzel1]

I still haven't beat Dead Space 1 yet, and I've had it over a year now. I don't have as much time as I use to, and gaming has suffered because of it. Anywho I think it's fine to reuse some things, as long as there's improvement in the areas that need it as well as evolution to the things that were good in the first place.

For example if your gameplay worked well, why tear it apart and start over. Just evolve it, make things work better, transitions smoother, etc...

On the other hand, if you had technical issues the first time. They should be gone the second time around.

Finally add new features to the game to give gamers something new, that wasn't present in the first.

That is the basic formula a sequel should follow. Of course there are other things that could be added, but these 3 are the main ones to me.

[captain-obvious]

"Why do sequels like Dead Space 2 recycle the same old stuff?"

because if its not broken then you dont have to fix it
now DS is not as scary as the classic RE
but still is 1000000000 tines better than the cap capcom is giving us

[AntoineDcoolette]

^ Eh, classic RE is like B rated slasher films and RE3 relies on the pop-out boo scares lots of people complain about Dead Space using. I personally believe in terms of fear factor Silent Hill > Dead Space > Resident Evil.

[SpaceSquirrel]

I think it is fine for a sequel. I could see their point if it is the fourth of fifth game in the series.

[socomnick]

I bet costs have alot to do with it too.

Cheaper to just use the same models from the first game.

Bc2 is a good example of that, all of the weapons are recycled from bc1, they all feel different from bc1 but they are essentially the same skins and models.

Even the guns not in bc1, the m14 and g3 are recycled from bf2.

[hatchimatchi]

It's the second game in the series, why is this guy complaining? I think that DS2 is quite different from the first. It's much more fast paced than the original. There is much more emphasis on using the limbs from the necromorphs as weapons and more focus on stasis, etc. Also, the zero-g sections are executed much better than the original. I could see the complaints if this was the 5th sequel being pumped out on a yearly basis but it isn't. Also, Issac talks in this game, in the first game he was a completely silent character.

Where are the similar articles from this guy on the same FPS games that get released year after year....

[solidboss]

i completely agree with everything you said. dead space 2 literally just came out and we have people complaining about it recycling the same old stuff? as hatchimatchi said it is only the second game in the series! and this isnt the first time a game sticks to the core gameplay structure and just adds to it ( ex god of war series) take a good look at a franchise like COD and then you will understand what it means to recycle the same old stuff as for dead space 2 im enjoying every minute of it

[Red_Phoenix]

Refurbished plasma cutter ftw!

[vickers500]

Is there any difference in the two plasma cutters other than looks?

[itsralf]

Nope. But it's still very satisfying to shoot.

[Welshy]

you could say the exact same things for soooo many games. COD, FIFA, Madden, Guitar Hero and many more spring to mind.

if we were looking at Dead Space 6 then sure it needs freshened up but when has a franchise EVER launched to such huge admiration then drastically change everything players loved in the sequel?

these things dont happen. i loved the first and love the second.

in this case, similar is good. Dead Space 2 is a fantastic game.

[BYAAHHH]

I think the most difficult issue for developers today is balance. If you change a sequel (or prequel) too much, it will alienate original fans and will be accused of being a different game. If changed too little, it will be accused of being a cash cow and unimaginative. All that while promising solid technical performance and value. More pressure is being put on developers today, and I feel people shouldn't put them on pedestals.

[SuperStrokey1123]

Well what does he expect, them to recode the entire damn game each time? That would double dev times and costs... why would we want that again?

[Octo1]

Why do sequels like Fallout New Vegas recycle the same old stuff?
Why do most sports games recycle the same old stuff?
Why does COD get away charging $60 a pop when the "new" game is really just a re-skin of the previous?

-See what I did there?

Oh! and the Guitar Hero series and Tony Hawk.
That is all :)

[Enigma_2099]

... because you keep buying it...

[Coolmanrico]

That is a very stupid question. The reason they are called sequels is because they are continuation of the last game. When I buy a sequel, Yeah I expect new stuff, but I expect the old weapons and enemies to be back as well. The author of the article should just stop playing sequels if he expect a whole new gun set every iterations.

[Syaz1]

sometimes, "if it aint broken dont fix it" applies. make it too radically different and it will not be the same game people liked from the start. if anything, what sequels should really do is fix most of the shortcomings of the predecessor before adding any new fancy stuff.

[Rhezin]

yup Dead Space has proven itself to be my new favorite horror game. And I will continue to play every iteration of them. BUT PLEASE PLEASE CUT OUT MULTIPLAYER AND STUPID EA ACCOUNTS, focus all efforts on the single player and make it even LONGER than the second. That's why God of War 3 was so fantastic because they had focused all their efforts on a single player experience.