The first game is the original. The second game is the weird one. The third does the first again, but better this time.

[SolVanderlyn]

Anyone else notice a LOT of game trilogies follow this exact same formula?

Zelda. The original is the foundation. The second game ditches all of that and goes for a sidescrolling, RPG-lite adventure. Link to the Past is the first game with all of the adventure elements from Zelda II, a ton of new mechanics, much better graphics, an actual story and a much more structured adventure.

Castlevania. The original is the foundation. The second game ditches all of that and goes for an RPG-lite adventure, although it's much more similar to the first than in Zelda's case. The third goes back to the basics, adds more playable characters, and has tighter gameplay and level design.

Metal Gear Solid. The original is the foundation. The second game purposefully deconstructs the idea of a generic sequel with a meta-narrative about memes and what people expect vs. the truth, replaces its main character, and has a much different vibe. The third replays the basic beats of the first with new camo mechanics, a more robust codec team, and an interesting switch-up by being a period piece set in the 1960's.

Any other examples? Why do you think this is? Why is the second one usually "the weird one?"

 

[Raccoon]

Spyro, 100%

 

[Jawmuncher]

Not an example, but I sure wish Dino Crisis would've followed that route lol (It did for 2/3's of it).

 

[lowhighkang_LHK]

DMC1
DMC2
DMC3

 

[Strings]

There's Fire Emblem, where Gaiden abandons most of what makes the series good, before Mystery returns to it.

A lot of folks dislike FFII for it's weirder systems too, which III walks back.

 

[Adam_Roman]

MGS doesn't really follow that because the whole point of MGS2 is that it does what 1 did. And personally I still feel MGS3 is the weird one and between the 3, it's my least favorite

 

[Deleted member 56266]

Many would say Dark Souls.

 

[Deleted member 19924]

-

 

[BasilZero]

DMC1
DMC2
DMC3

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DMC the thread yo.


Also Super Mario Bros (NA Region) and Zelda

 

[Glass Arrows]

Many would say Dark Souls.

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Yep, came here to post this. It's controversial as to whether DS3 is "better" than 1 or not but it certainly tries to be.

 

[Dice]

Reluctantly putting the NES Mario games here.

 

[Dreamboum]

This isn't the case about MGS at all. 3 has far less in common to 1 than 2 to 1

 

[Landford]

Dark Souls for sure, but Ill say that the 3rd does the first one worse

 

[Hate]

Drakengard.

 

[Annabel]

Spyro, 100%

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Ehh.

I'd argue Year of the Dragon is the weird one, adding a bunch of characters for no real reason. Spyro 2 felt more like the proper sequel.

 

[Archduke Kong]

Metroid, Metroid II and Super Metroid
Super Mario Bros. 1, 2 USA and 3

 

[Benzychenz]

Final Fantasy II with it's weird experience system and preset characters/classes.

Super Mario Bros 2 (USA ver), straight up different IP with Mario skins.

 

[Strings]

It happens a lot in films too. And imo, it's because the creatives at the heart of the project are vindicated by its success, and typically bring ideas they were forced to cut by others into the sequel, for better or worse. Indiana Jones is a lot like that.

It can go the other way too. A lot of Terminator 2 is stuff Cameron cut from the original because he didn't have the know-how or money to realise (the T1000, etc). The Raid 2 was written before the first, but cost too much, so it was benched and a smaller concept constructed.

... I'm struggling to think of a game where the sequel is what they really wanted to make, but I know I've read examples.

 

[Red Arremer]

Going by the Western releases, Mario also follows this.

Metroid kind of as well - Metroid 2's progression is based on killing certain amounts of Metroids rather than just getting powerups, while Super Metroid returns to the roots but significantly better.

Feels like a lot of Nintendo series do it lol.

 

[Why would you do that?]

I don't feel like Metal Gear 2 is a weird game. If anything, it's exactly the same as Metal Gear Solid, but in 2D. In other words, it was extremely ahead of its time.

But yeah, Star Fox would have been part of that if the SNES game Star Fox 2 came out. It was so different from the other games in the series, except for Command on DS.

 

[Richietto]

Super Mario 1, 2 US, and 3 for sure. Also yeah DMC1-3 is a prime example.

 

[SolVanderlyn]

MGS doesn't really follow that because the whole point of MGS2 is that it does what 1 did. And personally I still feel MGS3 is the weird one and between the 3, it's my least favorite

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Haha, you can never get a general consensus on anything with this series...

I think 2 purposefully deconstructing 1 by doing 1 again and then blowing it all apart and TELLING you look, we tricked you, it's not what you thought, retroactively changes all those beat-for-beat moments and makes it an entirely different beast. And you can't deny MGS2 was a very ambitious and weird game compared to the first. There's an unsettling vibe that everything isn't what it seems for the entire Plant chapter, I think.

They are all "weird," but I think MGS2 feels the most weird. That's just my opinion, though. I think because the series is so weird people will have a lot of different viewpoints on each individual game.

 

[roguesquirrel]

Ehh.

I'd argue Year of the Dragon is the weird one, adding a bunch of characters for no real reason. Spyro 2 felt more like the proper sequel.

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Completely agree with you

Most sony platformers seemed to go "The original, a formula refinement sequel, a third entry that follows the sequel to a t except they add way more minigames/vehicles/characters". Spyro, Crash, Ratchet, Jak and Sly all follow this to some degree

 

[Xavi]

Does Zelda count?

Edit: Im going to bed now lol

 

[Kindekuma]

Metroid! Metroid II is out there with the progression hindered by Metroids left alive, exploration is heavily dependent on Spider Ball, etc. Super goes back to Metroid 1's roots and builds on top of it all to become the best in the series.

 

[DaciaJC]

As others have said, Dark Souls follows this formula, though its debatable whether DS3 actually manages to do the original "better."

 

[Gundam]

Just in terms of style, not quality, Halo is this for me. Halo 3 has a lot more imagery evocative of the original, but it's more refined.

Halo 1 is still way better

 

[Murugo]

Silent Hill, story-wise. 2 tried it's own thing, then 3 came to conclude the first. In terms of gameplay, though, 2 and 3 didn't introduce or deviate that much.

 

[steviestar3]

There's another noticeable trend as well: first game is the original, second game does the first again but better, third game is kind of bloated and aimless (but not necessarily bad) because the developers already blew their load on making the second game perfect.

Examples:

Mega Man X1/X2/X3
Spyro 1/2/3
Crash 1/2/3
Ninja Gaiden 1/2/3 (NES)

...guess it's just a thing that happens with platformers because those are the main examples I can think of.

 

[Sub Boss]

Dark Souls is the best example of this.

Also Super Mario Bros

 

[LegalEagleMike]

Thought this was a dark souls thread.

 

[Kouriozan]

Can't wait for Bayonetta 3 then :p
But yeah, plenty of good example in this thread.

 

[Slappy White]

First that came to mind is Mario.

 

[Deleted member 37233]

Final Fantasy II is the weird and really bad one, but I don't think FF really fits here because I is better than III.

 

[Platy]

Street fighter in a way fits it, since the "only Ryu and ken returns" is a throwback to the first one, where they are the only characters playable

One could say brawl speed is more smash 64 than meele

Does Zelda count?

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Literally the first example in the op

 

[Xavi]

Street fighter in a way fits it, since the "only Ryu and ken returns" is a throwback to the first one, where they are the only characters playable


Literally the first example in the op

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lmao, I need to sleep

 

[Prof Bathtub]

It's tempting to say console Punch Out!! games follow this, but Super Punch Out!! was more like the preceding arcade titles.

 

[A Syrian Communist]

Dark Souls is the best example of this.

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I was really confused until I realized I was thinking about Demon's Souls as the first and straight up forgot Dark Souls 2.

 

[dharmapolice]

Xenoblade Chronicles
Xenoblade Chronicles X
Xenoblade Chronicles 2

 

[Strings]

Xenoblade Chronicles
Xenoblade Chronicles X
Xenoblade Chronicles 2

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Hiss

 

[Deleted member 4372]

Reluctantly putting the NES Mario games here.

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They belong.

 

[Cathcart]

Many would say Dark Souls.

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Many are wrong about a lot of things.

 

[Mechaplum]

Many are wrong about a lot of things.

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Fortunately this is not the case.

 

[saenima]

There's another noticeable trend as well: first game is the original, second game does the first again but better, third game is kind of bloated and aimless (but not necessarily bad) because the developers already blew their load on making the second game perfect.

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Dead Space is exactly this.

 

[Maximus]

But Mass Effect 2 is the best one 🤔

 

[AniHawk]

disgaea tried this and failed real hard when they tried recapturing the feeling/tone of the first game, and disgaea 2 went on to have a pretty good fanbase of its own despite being a sort of tonal one-off for the franchise.

 

[ericsp17]

Mario fits well in this scenario, though 2 in the US was really doki doki panic.

Halo is a good example, though some would argue 3's campaign isn't the best one. I feel it's easily the best designed campaign with one dud level that is best played as a speedrun.

You could apply this to 3d zelda as well. Oot - MM - WW.

 

[GingerbreadMan]

Metroid, Metroid II and Super Metroid
Super Mario Bros. 1, 2 USA and 3

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Going by the Western releases, Mario also follows this.

Metroid kind of as well - Metroid 2's progression is based on killing certain amounts of Metroids rather than just getting powerups, while Super Metroid returns to the roots but significantly better.

Feels like a lot of Nintendo series do it lol.

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I disagree with the Metroid example (although of course I see where it's coming from). Metroid 1 "metroidvania" design was almost an afterthought and it's not a meticulously designed game. It has some moments it really shines - like the beginning with the morphball - but overall with lots of same-looking rooms, secrets behind random walls and some dead ends, I don't think it created a paradigm to be followed like Mario 1 and Zelda 1 did.

Metroid 2 and Super both tried to make sense of Metroid 1 labyrinth design, with a more linear progressione (Metroid 2) or an almost open world (Super). You can see future Metroid game following Metroid 2 design (Fusion, Other M) or Super (Prime - the first one at least, haven't played Echoes and Corruption yet).

So, whereas Zelda ALTTP, Castlevania 3 and Mario 3 are clearly the successors of Zelda 1, CV 1 and Mario 1 - with the overall series pretending the second game almost didn't exist - I think both Return of Samus and Super Metroid are legitimately successor of Metroid 1, and the overall series having two different paradigms.

 

[dom]

There's another noticeable trend as well: first game is the original, second game does the first again but better, third game is kind of bloated and aimless (but not necessarily bad) because the developers already blew their load on making the second game perfect.

Examples:

Mega Man X1/X2/X3
Spyro 1/2/3
Crash 1/2/3
Ninja Gaiden 1/2/3 (NES)

...guess it's just a thing that happens with platformers because those are the main examples I can think of.

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Uncharted

 

[SolVanderlyn]

disgaea tried this and failed real hard when they tried recapturing the feeling/tone of the first game, and disgaea 2 went on to have a pretty good fanbase of its own despite being a sort of tonal one-off for the franchise.

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Only the first two games have a story worth anyone's time, IMO. And the second one gets neglected far too often. In many ways I preferred it to the original.

D3 did certainly try to capture D1's magic, though.