Imre Csete said:
Splinter Cell
Just compare the first two to the fifth one. What the hell were they thinking.
I dunno, each Splinter Cell game was different in its own way. The first game was the most revolutionary, in terms of graphics and premise, but gameplay-wise the entire game was basically an extended tutorial. Ubisoft then changed - mostly subtly, but changed nonetheless - the gameplay, abilities and equipment in every damn sequel. Having to un-learn retconned moves and get to grips with new ones made my head spin like some kind of hyperactive owl. (Melee attacks and wall run? They're canned, context specific actions now! Here's the SWAT roll! Now we've taken it away again! You can shoot cameras to destroy them. No, wait, you need to use the scrambler. No, actually, you use alt-fire on your pistol. Hey, we just invented a knife, use this! etc, etc). Overall, I don't think you can say there is such a thing as the *definitive* Splinter Cell game - even though 5 took the biggest departure from the generally established gameplay formula, I enjoyed each of the games on its own strengths (I really must get around to playing through 4 someday, never played that one).
Anyway, game series' that have made me throw up my hands and say "aaah, f**k this"...
- Dead or Alive. I loved 2 and 3. Then DOA:Ultimate happened, which was awkward because although the game lost characters and moves it *gained* new stages, improved graphics and gameplay features, meaning DOA3 and DOA2:U kind of stood side-by-side, neither the definitive DOA. And then DOA4 tinkered with the balance one time too many and just plain broke things (teleport moves, what the...)
- Heroes of Might and Magic. In my humble opinion, 2 was the pinnacle and every sequel managed to find more things to break. (HoMM3 added a couple of improvements, but I prefer HoMM2's nicely drawn sprites over the garish, 90s pre-rendered CG of HoMM3).
- Halo. Now please bear in mind that I think anybody who claims ODST was bad or Reach is boring must frankly have been playing a different series to the one I've been playing, and having great fun with, for the past decade. The point is, the series is done. There is a clearly defined beginning, middle and end (hint: the end involves 90% of the cast dying, the three major adversaries being destroyed, and a truce being reached between the humans and the recently-enlightened aliens), which makes the idea of a Halo 4 seem like blatent cash-cow territory.
- Soul Calibur. This game BLEW MY MIND on Sega Dreamcast but, once again, the developers seem hell-bent on making the series worse with every sequel. SC2 was pretty good but by no means great. By SC3 I had lost all interest and SC4 is frankly unrecognisable. They've turned cool and original character designs into grotesque caricatures who parade around in gaudy Mardi-Gras costumes and engage in pyrotechnic juggling matches with ill-fitting cameo choices. F*ck this series up it's f*cking *rse, I couldn't care less about SC5 if I tried.