Top 5 Most Wanted Unlikely RPG Sequels

The video game industry is laden with many different kinds of genres, from shooters to platformers to racing games and everything in between, but the experience of playing role-playing games and the journeys within have always been the ones I've remembered and treasured the most. You define your characters through the choices you make, and the world and its inhabitants are shaped by them. Unfortunately, not all the role-playing games we love yield sequels, be it due to lack of public interest, funding, or simply that the company feels the story is complete. Despite  all that, here's a list of the top five unlikely role-playing game sequels I'd like to see. 

 

#5 Jade Empire 2

      In 2005, BioWare released Jade Empire, an action role-playing game for the original Xbox and later for the PC in 2007. Instead of medieval fantasy or a licensed Star Wars game based off the Dungeons and Dragons systems they were known for previously, BioWare attempted to do something different. Inspired by ancient China and mythology, Jade Empire was set in a fictional world filled with gods, spirits and martial arts.  

      The player started the game at a dojo training under the tutelage of Master Li, but when the nearby town of Two Rivers came under attack, the player began a journey that took him or her across the Jade Empire and face to face with assassins, gods, romance and betrayal. To survive, players had to develop and learn many different  fighting styles, from weapons to magic to hand-to-hand martial arts, all of which took place in real-time – the player actively decided when to attack and dodge, instead of a traditional turn-based system. In the end, the setting was great, the combat was fun, and the characters were enjoyable, even if the game was somewhat too easy and too short.  

      What I'd like to see in a sequel: Not many games take place in such a setting. A return alone might make me ecstatic. But a revisitation should include an even more visceral combat engine, engaging the player with smooth, powerful moves of fist and foot that look and feel real instead of reminding me I'm playing a video game with sloppy movements and reactions. I'd also love to see the story take place on a larger scale, going beyond the borders of the Jade Empire. A clash between the mythologies of ancient China, Japan and Korea could prove very interesting. 

 

#4 Knights of the Old Republic 3

      Knights of the Old Republic and its sequel, released in 2003 and 2005 respectively, are thought of by many as the best games and stories within the Star Wars universe. The original won countless game of the year awards, and was repeatedly placed on IGN's best games of all time lists. After all, who could forget HK-47 or its famous plot twist which left your jaw unhinged? Knights of the Old Republic 2, while developed by a different company and certainly flawed, was a worthy sequel that left us craving more. Both games featured well-written, rich storylines and characters that had us learn the ways of the Jedi, explore the galaxy, and fight (or become) the evil in its shadows.  

      At the conclusion of Knights of the Old Republic 2, we were left with clues about the protagonist from the first game, and given hints that the protagonist and his or her prior companions might reunite for a storyline that would take players beyond the known space of the Republic. In fact, the story, quests, environments, characters and items were all written for the third game, but when Lucasarts faced financial difficulty, the project was canceled. Because BioWare's MMO, The Old Republic takes place 300 years after the original games, we may never have another adventure with Revan, Bastila, Carth or the others. 

      What I'd like to see in a sequel:  A conclusion to the story outside of a brief mention or log entry in BioWare's Star Wars MMO. I want to see estranged lovers reunited and hidden foes confronted. Faster, more fluid combat would be welcome, too. I wouldn't be disappointed if a sequel implemented the lightsaber combat from Jedi Outcast or Jedi Academy. 

 

#3 Shenmue 3 

      Created by Sega's Yu Suzuki, Shenmue was a game ahead of its time, featuring unparalleled interaction and a thrilling plot of mystery, martial arts and revenge. As an open-world game, players could enter countless buildings, talk to numerous people, and pick up, touch, interact and play with innumerable objects in the environment. They could walk to an arcade and play classic Sega games, buy food and inspect the candy bar in their own hands, or spend quarters on toy capsules. Shenmue even featured a day/night cycle and, if connected to the internet, real-time weather. 

  The game's plot began on November 29, 1986 in Japan, as Ryo Hazuki returns home to his family's dojo only to witness his father's murder at the hands of Lan Di and the subsequent theft of the mysterious Dragon Mirror. As Ryo, players soon set out on quest that takes them across Japan and later, in Shenmue 2, to China, to learn the truth about Ryo's father and find the man who is responsible for his death. Along the way, the player made friends, allies, enemies, and grew stronger in the ways of martial arts by training with other masters and fighting in tournaments. However, due to high production costs and low sales, Shenmue 3 was canceled. The mysteries of the mirror, of Lan Di and Ryo himself, truths hinted at during the explosive Shenmue 2 climax, may never be answered. 

      What I'd like to see in a sequel: Answers! Conclusions! We got neither. And a Ryo who wasn't oblivious to the romantic cues from the women around him. 

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