5 Sequels Everyone Was Hyped for That Ended Up Being Better Than the Original Games

Sequels to popular video games are usually very profitable. Creating a new game is expensive, so when one succeeds, developers naturally want to build on that success with a follow-up. This often creates a lot of excitement among fans, who have high hopes for the next installment. While not every sequel lives up to the hype, sometimes they completely surpass the original, exceeding even the wildest fan expectations. Here are five games that did exactly that. While many sequels are improvements, these five truly went above and beyond, delivering something special.

Here are five great sequels that more than lived up to fan expectations.

5) Borderlands 2

The original Borderlands became surprisingly popular. Before that, the developer Gearbox was mainly known for its Brothers in Arms games, which were realistic tactical shooters. Borderlands was a big departure, offering a much more over-the-top, sci-fi experience focused on collecting loot.

When it first came out, the game was a huge success, exceeding all expectations and selling over two million copies. It also essentially created a new style of game focused on collecting loot. While it wasn’t perfect – many players found the final boss disappointing – the positive response led Gearbox to start working on a sequel, Borderlands 2.

Gearbox created a truly outstanding game that significantly improved the player experience and broadened almost every part of how the game was played. Borderlands 2 sold more than twice as many copies as the first Borderlands, proving the game’s lasting appeal.

4) Red Dead Redemption 2

It wasn’t a shock that the original Red Dead Redemption did so well. Rockstar Games had a reputation for quality, and in 2010, they were one of the most popular developers around. Also, Westerns hadn’t been explored much in video games at that point, so pairing a top developer with that setting was almost guaranteed to be a hit.

When Rockstar announced they were making a sequel to Red Dead Redemption after Grand Theft Auto 5, fans were excited – and for good reason. While the first game had a great ending and didn’t necessarily need a follow-up, Westerns hadn’t been explored much in gaming, even though the original Red Dead was popular.

Red Dead Redemption 2 exceeded all expectations. While the gameplay can feel slow-paced at times, it remains the most cinematic game experience available. Rockstar’s storytelling in this title set a new benchmark that hasn’t been surpassed.

3) Portal 2

The original Portal came as a big surprise. While it was developed by Valve, the company behind Half-Life 2, the Portal team was largely unknown. Valve discovered a student project from DigiPen called Narbacular Drop and hired the students to create a complete game.

That project eventually became Portal, a puzzle game now considered one of the funniest and most acclaimed of all time. When Valve announced they were making a sequel and had significantly expanded their team, fans were thrilled. In fact, a month before Portal 2 came out, Valve’s president, Gabe Newell, confidently stated it was their best game yet.

It definitely lived up to expectations! The main story offered clever new puzzles and a hilarious new character, Wheatley, who teams up with GLaDOS to deliver the game’s signature comedy. Plus, the co-op mode is exceptional, making the puzzles even more fun and solidifying this game’s place among the all-time greats.

2) Diablo 2

I still remember when the original Diablo came out – it was HUGE for Blizzard! Everyone on the team was hoping for around 500,000 copies sold, but it absolutely blew past that, eventually selling over 2.5 million! What really hooked me, and so many others, was the way it combined that top-down dungeon crawling with randomly generated items. It just meant you could keep playing and discovering new things forever – it was totally addictive!

Diablo 2 expanded on the original game, offering more character classes, levels, and weapons. It quickly became a massive success, outselling the first Diablo game in just two months.

The excitement around Diablo remained strong until about 2010. Even though it had been out for ten years, the Diablo: Battle Chest was still consistently among the top 10 best-selling PC games that year. While World of Warcraft is Blizzard’s most popular game, Diablo 2 is undoubtedly one of their biggest successes.

1) Mass Effect 2

While Mass Effect wasn’t exactly an unexpected success, it was a smart move for BioWare. They were already incredibly popular, and creating a new sci-fi universe felt like a safe bet. Some fans were hesitant about it being exclusive to the Xbox 360, but the game quickly became both a critical and commercial triumph.

BioWare promised that your decisions in the original Mass Effect would have a real impact on later games. Mass Effect 2 was the first time players got to experience this, and BioWare exceeded everyone’s hopes. Relationships you formed in the first game carry over, though you can end them if you choose. And if a character died in your previous playthrough, they won’t be around anymore, even if they were important to the story.

Back then, Mass Effect 2 offered an incredible level of player freedom—something rarely seen in games. It also improved the action, added a deeper character system, and featured a final mission that was remarkably detailed and had real consequences. While the first Mass Effect was a strong contender for Game of the Year, Mass Effect 2 was in the running for Game of the Decade.

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2025-10-29 23:17

5) Borderlands 2

4) Red Dead Redemption 2

3) Portal 2

2) Diablo 2

1) Mass Effect 2

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