Best Sequel
Between the four games in the Sly Cooper series, a lot of folks regard its best entry as the first sequel, Band of Thieves. It may be too easy and doesn’t have much replay value outside of collecting clue bottles, but there’s no better feeling than pulling off a heist with the Cooper Gang. Unlike the first one, it runs at just the right length, and it isn’t overcrowded with mini-games.
Ratchet’s best sequel (and best game in the series, period) will always be Up Your Arsenal. There’s a ton to do in the game, from the main story to the battlefield missions and Captain Qwark levels. It’s got the best arsenal the series has seen, with the campaign boosted by its best villain. Its multiplayer? Fun, but probably would’ve worked better for the here and now instead of 2004. If Insomniac ever decided to bring Up Your Arsenal to the PS4, or something of its caliber, it wouldn’t go unappreciated.
Jak’s shift from childish platformer to edgy early 2000’s action game may have rubbed some fans the wrong way, but there’s no denying how fun Jak 2 is. The open world setting of Haven City works, and it actually isn’t too bad of a GTA clone. It’s fun using Dark Jak powers and being plain old Jak with a foursome of gods doesn’t make you any weaker. And any game that has Clancy Brown as the villain is an automatic win.
Winner: 3-Way Tie
The PS2 had a fantastic lineup of games, and these three absolutely deserve to be among the jewels in the crown. If your parents weren’t too keen on getting you GTA or God of War, or if you wanted just some fun games, you couldn’t go wrong with the Golden Sequel Trinity of Insomniac, Naughty Dog, and Sucker Punch.
