6 IPs from 2015 That Deserve a Sequel

2015 has been a pretty huge year for game releases despite a number of games being delayed until next year. While some of these games released as part of an existing franchise and gave players more of the familiar action they’ve been craving, others decided to offer players an entirely new experience with unfamiliar mechanics, stories, and characters.

When a new IP (Intellectual Property) releases, the question always lingers as to whether it could be turned into a fully sustainable franchise, and two key questions get asked during this decision-making process. Is the story or overarching theme capable of supporting successors? And is there a demand from players for more of the same?

If the answer to both or sometimes either of these questions is yes, there is a strong possibility that a sequel is likely. Other times, no matter how much players want them, for one reason or another, the developers won’t make the sequel. So without further ado, here are six IPs that released this year that we’d love to see sequels of.

The Order 1886

This may seem like a bit of a backward choice for this list. After all, every other game on this list was received with open arms by fans and critics alike, but while the Order 1886 may have completely missed expectations set for it, that doesn’t mean that a sequel can’t right the wrongs. Its tendency to focus on QTE’s, lackluster gameplay and ridiculously short campaign are all issues which could be solved in a sequel that continues the story of Galahad and the rest of the Order.

However, The Order 1886 did have a particularly interesting story and an engine capable of putting out some beautiful visuals. If Ready at Dawn went back to the drawing board on some of their gameplay decisions and drew these into a substantial single player campaign, we’d love to play through the next chapter of Galahad and Co.

Until Dawn

Until Dawn was one of this year’s surprise hits. Nobody really thought that a horror game pretending to be a corny American teen slasher movie could (or would) work. Safe to say, Until Dawn proved this theory wrong and had people wondering why Sony hadn’t put more effort in promoting and marketing the game leading up to its launch.

Its incredible branching storylines, lovely visuals, and dedication to keeping the gameplay true to those cheesy horror films are blended to create an authentic and enjoyable experience for veteran gamers and newcomers alike. While Rush of Blood isn’t exactly the sequel that we had in mind for Until Dawn, we’re sure we’ll be seeing more of the horror hit of 2015 soon. Give us a new cast of characters, the same great branching storyline formula, and a completely new setting and we’ll be sold.

Life Is Strange

Dontnod Entertainment hit on something when they began releasing their episodic series Life is Strange back in January this year. From the very first episode, it had us hooked with a cast of characters that we just had to know more about. There was a mystery that had to be solved and it was down to us with our special powers and ability to make tough decisions to solve it.

But as we played through each chapter, the story became more and more engrossing, we began to care more for the characters, and most importantly it left us with so many “WTF?!” moments and cliffhangers that we just had to keep playing. Whether or not there is enough life in the first season’s cast for another tale is up for debate, but we’d personally love to see Dontnod carry on and make another game in the same vein as Life is Strange.

Splatoon

When Splatoon released this year, it made one thing perfectly clear. A shooter with all the classic charm of a traditional Nintendo game could exist and be merged with tactical and enjoyable shooter gameplay. With a whole host of game modes, maps, and weaponry (and with more being added through frequent free drops of DLC), Splatoon is a prime example of the kind of game Nintendo needs going forward.

We’d love to see Splatoon receive a sequel over the next couple of years and develop on the great foundations that have been built in this year’s release, with more crazy weapons, game modes and even a few new game mechanics revolving around that vibrantly colored ink. With Splatoon releasing to widespread critical praise and rumors making the rounds that this could be Nintendo’s next dive into eSports, we’re hard pushed to think of any reason why this shouldn’t happen.

Super Mario Maker

 Super Mario Maker gave players the tools to create some weird and wonderful Mario levels with a variety of different skins, items, enemies, and blocks that could easily be placed. With what is arguably a beginner’s dev kit for Nintendo’s most popular franchise, the possibilities have seemingly become endless as to what the community can create and share with the rest of the world. Nintendo has even got in on the action putting out some of their own challenging levels for players to test their skills at.

If Nintendo were to further open up the amount of tools, options and perhaps even basic templates to allow players to create their own 3D worlds, we’re sure the already large fan base would get even larger. Imagine creating your own Super Mario Galaxy levels just as you did in Super Mario Maker. While there are sure to be more complexities and issues for Nintendo to address, we can’t fathom the scale and replayability of a definitive Super Mario Maker. Perhaps we’ll see this launching on the NX, whatever form it may take.

Bloodborne

From Software decided to take a little break from Dark Souls this year, instead opting to try out something new in the form of PlayStation 4 exclusive Bloodborne. The result was a game which difficulty was strikingly familiar to From Software’s popular Souls franchise, set in an even darker and more atmospheric world.

Bloodborne gave hardcore gamers everything they wanted during the lull in the early months of 2015, and while not for everyone, fans of the game would be eager to dive back into Yharnam, or another equally freaky environment as soon as possible. If Bloodborne is anything to go by, the future of From Software is bright (well…gloomy) following the conclusion of the Dark Souls franchise in April.

What game franchises created this year would you like to see more of? Let us know in the comments below.