If you guys have been paying attention to the news this week you'd know that there is finally a Beyond Good and Evil sequel in the works. It still needs to be green-lit by Ubisoft but I see it being officially announced in the near future. My favorite genre happens to be the adventure game: the perfect blend of exploration, action-oriented combat systems, puzzles, story, and RPG elements. BG&E is one of the best examples of the genre and it sorely needs a sequel, especially with that cliff-hanger ending. I even liked the game better than Wind Waker, which didn't come out long before. I'm really glad this is one of those titles that hardcore gamers have really whined about enough to get the developer's attention. This game is, though, one of a few that I'd like to see more of.
Another on my list is actually one you'd probably wouldn't guess. One of my favorite games of last generation was Stubbs the Zombie. Yeah, that's right. As much as I love RPG's and Adventure games, there's nothing like something new that plays around with a bunch of genres. Stubbs was built on the Halo Engine and, despite it not really being a shooter, really felt like Halo but with some really vibrant personality. The exploding organs that you threw were pretty much the same as the plasma grenades we know and love and the vehicles felt exactly the same. However, there were some awesome aspects of the game that really appealed to me. First of all, I love being an anti-hero as it really mixes up how the protagonist fits into the story. And let me tell you that leading an entire pack of zombies that bite humans and create more zombies (as the screams of the victims fill the air) is one of the most amazing things you can ever experience. Oh, and the loading screens were some of the most memorable of any game as zombies quietly moan and as the status bar advances they get louder and louder and start yelling "BRAAAAAAINNNNNNSSSS." It makes my tummy rumble just thinking about it. This game needs a sequel fast, built on the Halo 3 engine and with an online co-op component.
My last title should be no surprise to anyone. My favorite RPG of all time is of course SKIES OF ARCADIA. The main character is my namesake and it is one of the most underrated works of art even among the most hardcore gamers. No matter how many times I've started this game up, I've never gotten bored with it. It has one of the most delightful casts of characters (including a non-silent protagonist, thank you!), a great battle system that revolves around you saving up spirit to perform special moves (PIRATE'S WRATH!!), and a world that was fun to explore and was much different than the shires of your average medieval-era role-player. Then there are the ship battles! This game was not content with having just one type of battle so it threw an entire other one right at you that forced you to use strategy to defeat other air ships and giant monsters. I can go on and on about this game but you should really look around for a copy of it for the Game Cube and give it a whirl in your Wii so you know what I'm talking about. There's a lot of buzz about a sequel to this game and now with Vyse and Aika showing up in Valkyria Chronicles for the PS3, I can only hope that someday I'll get the sequel I most want more than any other. I've been burned by rumors of Skies 2 so many times before so I won't get my hopes up, but I'll be watching for it and you'll be darn sure I'll say something the minute I see that leaked screenshot or press release from Sega.
What games do you want sequels to? Comment with your hopeful titles and why!
Images courtesy of Sega, Ubisoft and Aspyr.
