Easy Sequels

[KeheiZero]

Because we need more active topics here.

Why do sequels get easier than their originals? Anyone got any thoughts on this?

I think it all comes down to equipment/abilities. Look at the Crash Bandicoot games. First game? You had jump and spin. Nowadays? Slides, bazookas, double jumps on so on. You could say they add new challenges that make these skills essential, but they never seem enough.
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"You know what? My squirrel instinct tells me he's even more of a bastard than I first thought." - Gene Hunt

[Honjetan]

Hrm. I remember Ratchet and Clank. Since it was my firsthand try at a game like that, it was pretty difficult. Not insanely, just difficult. As the series went on, I noticed a decline in challenge. I think it was the strafing feature that really did the trick. Then they incorporated auto-strafe in the 3rd. Then every single damn platform element was removed and you ended up with the sinspawn crap-tacular game known as Deadlocked, an all out brainless shooter whose purpose is questionable. At least to me.

I think it was a filler. It had to be. It was just too gay for it to be considered an actual part of the series. Thankfully, it'll be going back to its platforming roots on the PS3.

[WizardoftheWood]

I don't think sequels get any easier. Usually they get a bit more difficult, due to the added features and challenges.

[bowiegranap]

1 word: Konamihard.

Konami used to make some of the hardest games on the planet. This was because they made games at a time when home consoles were competing with arcade games, and thus home-game had the same mentality -- push the boundaries of difficulty in order to squueze as many quarters from the players as possible.

These days though, games are about entertainment. Gamemakers are no longer earning money every time you lose in the game -- they make money when someone _enjoys_ it. For example, the people who played video games in the eighties/nineties want to go home from work, kick their shoes off, and relax with a fun game that won't add to their frustration. Sequels, being, by definition, newer games, do become easier. Those that were "too easy" in the first place (and thus, made poor sales) don't make sequels at all.

[Stratadrake]

Not all sequels are easier than their predecessors. But of the ones that are, sometimes it's because, after playing the first game through, you're already adjusted to the controls and there is less of a learning curve. (e.g. [i]We Love Katamari[/i])

In other cases it can be simply because of the game's design. The first Devil May Cry game was freakin' [i]hard[/i]. The second one . . . meh, not so much. I beat almost every boss in DMC2 without getting killed. Some of the bosses had really nagging blind spots (one in particular, I could simply stand at a distance and keep shooting, the boss couldn't do a thing except try to draw me in closer), some of the arenas were a bit on the large side (admit it, everything's tougher when there's less room to maneuver).

The toughest bosses are the ones where you either learn their patterns or die trying.
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[HerculesRockefeller]

Devil May Cry 3 original versian.

[kittyshootingstar]

Well, my easy sequel experience is Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2. The first one, I could barely get to the third level. The second one? I beat it in five days. Granted, it took me 30 hours, but still, I was able to beat it.

[Stratadrake]

I played KH2 on Expert mode from the start. Reaction commands made for generally easier battles (provided you don't take damage), though there were still a few battles that bested me. Xaldin's ultimate attack gave me (and Mickey too) a hard time, and it was a miracle I could heal from Xigbar's ultimate attack at all.
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[DG-sama]

I thought Majora's Mask was far easier then Oricana of Time. Maybe it was because so many of the puzzles in MM were so similar to those in OoT. Those that stumped me in the first game I figured out right away in the second.