<p>In all media forms there can be found those titles that just never seem to die.</p>
<p>I don’t mean go away forever, or die as in be destroyed; I simply mean that there are those sequels and worlds whose creators can’t seem to just let go.</p>
<p>Think of any entertainment medium and I’m sure you can rattle off a half dozen series’ that surprise us all with their invulnerability; although these rare immortal story lines appear to be limited to mostly horror and children’s genres (<em>Winnie the Pooh</em>, <em>Saw</em>, <em>Friday the 13<sup>th</sup></em>, <em>Silent Hill</em>, <em>The Land Before Time</em>, <em>Super Mario Bros</em>., etc.).</p>
<p>And while perhaps there are some diehard <em>The Land Before Time XIII: The Wisdom</em> of <em>Friends</em> fans, I’m going to take a stand and say that at a certain point a sequel becomes not only incomparable to the original, but demeaning to it’s memory.</p>
<figure id="attachment_14091" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-14091" style="width: 206px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://bagogames.com/lbs-killzone-great-series-ends/landbeforetime/" rel="attachment wp-att-14091"><img class="size-medium wp-image-14091" title="landbeforetime" alt="" src="https://bagogames.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/landbeforetime-206x300.jpg" width="206" height="300" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-14091" class="wp-caption-text">What have they done to you Little Foot?! You&#8217;re unrecognizable!</figcaption></figure>
<p>This isn’t to say that I’m not a fan of sequels; absolutely I am- as long as they’re fun, can logically fit into the world of the original, and aren’t offensive to my sense of rational storyline law, I am always eager for the next installment in a great series (<em>Bioshock Infinite</em> anyone?).</p>
<p>However, after even the briefest of glances at the game selections available these days it appears that a great sequel is hardly the norm. With the Final Fantasy franchise in the triple digits, no end in sight for the Modern Warfare titles, and every game company eager to prove it’s newest release as the next great series, the sheer volume of bad sequel games screams right past overwhelming territory and camps out in overbearingly annoying.</p>
<p>The newest discussion about these sequels that won’t die appears to be revolving around the <em>Killzone</em> series the rumors circulating that <a class="zem_slink" title="Guerrilla Games" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guerrilla_Games" target="_blank" rel="wikipedia noopener noreferrer">Guerrilla Games</a> and Sony Computer Entertainment will be soon announcing a surprise new installment, which is hinted at during the end credits of <em>Killzone 3</em>.</p>
<p>Yet while there are millions of fans and several reasons to keep this series going, I have to argue that it would be better to let the excellence that is the <em>Killzone</em> series end.</p>
<p>The <em>Killzone</em> series is one I’ve been with since the beginning, possibly my first first-person shooter on my first real love console the PS2 (that’s a lot of firsts) and when <em>Killzone 2</em> was announced I was ecstatic, perhaps even made more so by the release of <em>Killzone 3</em>. But then at the end of <em>Killzone 3</em>to have it be hinted at that there was more to come, that this world I had come to know and love (well, respect) was going to keep spouting stories…</p>
<figure id="attachment_14090" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-14090" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://bagogames.com/lbs-killzone-great-series-ends/killzone/" rel="attachment wp-att-14090"><img class="size-medium wp-image-14090" title="killzone" alt="" src="https://bagogames.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/killzone-300x250.jpg" width="300" height="250" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-14090" class="wp-caption-text">Funny that a series called Killzone won&#8217;t die.</figcaption></figure>
<p>Well, let’s just say it would have been on par if at the end of <em>The</em> <em>Return of the King,</em> Frodo had jumped off the boat last minute with a, “Just kidding guys! Let’s have more adventures that J.R.R. Tolkien can tell everyone about!” (Oh by the way, <em>The Lord of the Rings </em>is historical non-fiction, in case you weren’t aware).</p>
<p>So while the idea of more adventures is exciting at first, the reality that your anticipated closure was all a ruse to get more of an emotional investment out of you begins to feel like emotional manipulation.</p>
<p>Which you shouldn’t let your<em> parents</em> do, let alone a game company (which is even worse because they manipulate you for money, and not into doing something morally decent like attend a cousin’s wedding).</p>
<p>Basically the sentiment here is that no matter how great a premise, world, or setting it has to end sometime, why not let it end on a high note? Go out with a bang rather than watch it slowly fizzle away into a sad, sputtering memory of what it once was?</p>
<p>Consider the stories and games that really made an impact on your life. I’m sure there a few sequels in there, but how many people can claim that <em>Star Wars: Episode II- Attack of the Clones</em> changed their perspective on alien life when there are five other (and arguably better) episodes?</p>
<figure id="attachment_14093" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-14093" style="width: 213px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://bagogames.com/lbs-killzone-great-series-ends/supermario/" rel="attachment wp-att-14093"><img class="size-medium wp-image-14093" title="supermario" alt="" src="https://cdn.bagogames.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/06205315/supermario-213x300.png" width="213" height="300" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-14093" class="wp-caption-text">Look at the mess Mario games have become! (For five sadness points- find Luigi)</figcaption></figure>
<p>I suppose gaming companies need to begin making difficult decisions about sequels, decisions companies like Nintendo and <a class="zem_slink" title="Square Enix" href="http://www.square-enix.com/" target="_blank" rel="homepage noopener noreferrer">Square Enix</a> never made and whose once respected and beloved characters have assuredly suffered for it.</p>
<p>Sure, you can milk a storyline and setting for every moment and penny it’s worth, or you can create something worthwhile that will undoubtedly earn your company more fans (and profits) in the long run.</p>
<p>I guess in more basic, and relatable terms; does the<em> Killzone</em> franchise, and any gaming franchise for that matter, want to be remembered as comparable to great defined sequels like <em>The</em> <em>Lord of the Rings</em>, or the never ending dribble that is <em>The Land Before Time</em>?</p>
<p>Do you disagree? Agree? Are there any sequels out there that continue to keep getting better? Let me know!</p>
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LB’s Take: Killzone, And Why A Great Series Is One That Ends
- Categories: Opinion
- Tags: Guerrilla GamesKillzone
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