When it comes to sequels, games most often attempt to go bigger than what came before. More dangerous threats, more detailed locales, and more characters to meet. However, some titles take the opposite approach. For one reason or another, they opt for a smaller, tighter experience that does not quite fit the same scale as its predecessor.
This is not necessarily a bad thing. A smaller experience can still build on the strength of its predecessor while distilling what made the original so great. As is the case with many of the following titles.
For this article, the scope refers to the themes and gameplay elements that have been reduced since previous entries.
8Resident Evil 6 To Resident Evil 7
From Continent Jumping To House Hunting
TheResident Evilseries had been on an action cascade for years, with each one upping the ante even further. The ultimate culmination of this trend was inResident Evil 6, which was the biggest the series has been to date. Four playable campaigns spread across different continents, along with new kinds of zombies forprotagonists both new and oldto battle. It was overwhelming for many and thus called into question how the series would move forward.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, rather than attempting to one-up its predecessor, opted to call back to the series' roots. Swapping out bombastic action for tense horror, Resident Evil 7 largely took place in a single house inhabited by a mad, infected family.
7COD Black Ops 4 To Modern Warfare 2019
Back From The Future
TheCall of Dutyseries has covered a wide array of conflicts in its many entries, ranging from the Second World War to futuristic battlefields.Call of Duty Black Ops 4fell into the latter category, bringing with it a sci-fi premise of soldiers battling in repeated simulated training missions. The series' iconic zombie mode was also just as wacky as ever, with a time-jumping storyline featuring Roman Gladiators and the Titanic.
Modern Warfare 2019chose to tell a story that was far more contemporary than what had been happening for the past few years. Centered around a fictional conflict battling terrorist forces, the series' campaign mode utilized realism in a way the series never really had before.
6Far Cry To Far Cry 2
A Step In The Right Direction
The firstFar Cryis often considered the black sheep of the series. The debut title plays differently from the rest of the series in several ways, boasting a much more linear approach to gameplay. This trend continued into its storyline, which, without counting spin-offs, is easily the most wild. Its plot includes deadly mutants, mad scientists, and nuclear bombs, culminating in a volcanic eruption that saves the free world from a potentially deadly outbreak.
Far Cry 2 steered the series into waters that were much more recognizable to fans of the series. Rather than delve deeper into the madness of the first game, Far Cry 2 took things in a more real direction. Allowing you to choose from several different mercenaries, the game focuses on playing sides in a civil conflict in Africa while battling the effects of malaria.
5Borderlands 2 To Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel
Shooting For The (Smaller) Moon
To this day,Borderlands 2is a masterclass in co-op design and one of thebest looter shooterson the market. Gushing with personality and humor, the second entry in theBorderlandsseries is a fantastic action romp across the plains of Pandora in pursuit of the illustrious vault. All the while battling the forces of the wonderfully villainous Handsome Jack.
Eventually,Borderlands 3would take things beyond Pandora to brand-new worlds, but before that could happen, the Pre-Sequel would keep things more local by centering things on Pandora’s moon. The map is considerably smaller than the one found in Borderlands 2, with a story that’s intended more to fill in the gaps between the first and second games. However, none of the series' charm is lost with this size reduction, with the Pre-Sequel even bringing in all new kinds of weapons and abilities.
4AC: Valhalla To AC: Mirage
Returning To The Shadows
TheAssassin’s Creedseries has always been a dynamic one.AC: Originswas one of the biggest turning points in the series, which relaxed the stealth elements in favor of creating anexciting action RPG— a trend that continued into the sequelsOdysseyandValhalla. AC Valhalla still has one of the biggest maps in the series to date, bringing along hundreds of collectible items and side missions to complete.
It would be reasonable to assume that, as a sequel to Valhalla,Miragewould find a way to make things even bigger. But that turned out not to be the case. Rather than another massive map, Mirage focused its action on a single city, and in doing so, called back to the earlier days of the series with stealth-based gameplay.
3MK: Armageddon To Mortal Kombat (2011)
Beyond The Apocalypse
Mortal Kombat Armageddon,the eighth entry in the series, has one of the most convoluted stories, built on the back of the many games before it. With 62 fighters, as well as a Kreate-A-Fighter mode, it stands as one of the biggest in the series to date in many respects.
Mortal Kombat (2011), also known as MK9, opted to reel things back in more ways than one. Through time travel shenanigans, only the first three games are relevant story-wise and with a base roster brought down to 28 characters, MK9 leaves much more room for individual fighters to stand out.
2Yakuza 5 To Yakuza 6
A Softer End Of An Era
TheYakuzagames contain some of the best crime drama stories that gaming has to offer. Throughout the years, these titles have explored themes of greed and corruption, while presenting action sequences as memorable as they are brutal. Yakuza 5 takes things to, what was at the time, its biggest, with five playable characters to experience throughout an extensive campaign. This plot brought in many series regulars and new characters alike to weave a tale that is just as epic as what the series is known for.
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life chose to break from the trend of more and more main characters, instead focusing on the original main character, Kiryu. Acting as a swan song to his extensive criminal career, Yakuza 6 chose a more interpersonal storyline with a smaller city to better hone in on the themes as well as give Kiryu the send-off he so rightfully earned.
1FNAF 2 To FNAF 3
The Many Faces Of Horror
Five Nights At Freddy’shas firmly established itself as a pop culture phenomenon and a staple of horror games. For a stretch, new entries were coming out mere months after the last to maintain a constant stream of interest. The second game in the series dramatically increased the number of threats from the first, upping things from 4 to a deadly 15.
This increased the difficulty and horror elements dramatically, and left fans wondering how the third game would take things even further. Much to the surprise of many, FNAF 3 only featured one lethal threat, the Springtrap, along with several phantoms that would make each night more difficult. Though on paper this might seem easier, this new style helped keep the horror fresh with one of the most clever antagonists the series has to offer.
