10 Games With 90+ Metacritic Scores That Deserve A Sequel

The 90+ section on Metacritic is packed with legendary franchises and their numerous sequels, with titles like The Legend of Zelda taking up at least half a dozen slots among the highest-rated games of all time. But not every masterpiece (at least by Metacritic standards) is part of a series. Some games, like Minecraft and Celeste, were one-and-done deals, but others, like Bloodborne, are in desperate need of a follow-up.

Unfortunately, even critical acclaim didn’t save these games from getting left behind by the gaming industry. Whether it’s been too long since their last entry or they just never got the sequel they deserved, these abandoned, highly-rated games deserve a long-overdue comeback.

10

Wipeout XL Is Long Overdue For A New Game

The Franchise Died With Its Studio’s Closure

Wipeout XL, also known as Wipeout 2097, is a sequel in itself. Rated 93 on Metacritic, the Wipeout XL continued to build on the formula of Psygnosis’ first game, combining anti-gravity racing with a pulse-pounding soundtrack, and sending it to the top of the charts.

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The Wipeout series had its share of sequels, all of them well-received and rated between 80 and 90. Sadly, the last time there was a true new entry (that wasn’t just a collection of remasters) was 2012. A true sequel seems highly unlikely now that the studio behind it has been closed, but Sony now owns the IP, so there’s still hope for fans.

9

Skies Of Arcadia Never Got The Sequel It Deserved

The Adventures Of A Merry Band Of Sky Pirates

While Sega’s short-lived, internal studio Overworks was better known for Sakura Wars, Skies of Arcadia won over many fans and earned a 93 rating and a must-play tag on Metacritic. The 2000 Dreamcast title followed a group of three sky pirates who traveled around on their airship, exploring and adventuring throughout the floating continents of Arcadia.

Sega considered developing a sequel for the GameCube or Game Boy Advance, but production never moved past the planning stage. Although the game is now 25 years old, Skies of Arcadia developer Kenji Hiruta still holds out hope, writing as recently as 2020 (in an archived article from US Gamer) that “I really want to develop the sequel.“

8

Grim Fandango Sequel Is Unlikely, But Not Impossible

A Memorable Journey Through The Land Of The Dead

The unforgettable journey of Manny Calavera through the world of the dead is a classic, and many fans would love to revisit the unique world and its quirky cast of characters. The adventure game by Tim Schafer and LucasArts is a beloved classic with a respectable 94 rating on Metacritic.

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Tim Schafer has admitted on the record that he considered the possibility. Ultimately, Schafer has expressed more interest in creating something new rather than revisiting Grim Fandango, so a sequel will likely never happen.

7

Jet Set Radio’s Sequel Has Gone Radio Silent

Quirky Counter-Culture Graffiti And Music

Jet Set Radio (94 on Metacritic) and its Xbox sequel Jet Set Radio Future take players through the stylized streets of Tokyo. Perched atop inline skates, players zoomed through various stages, eluding the authorities, spraying graffiti, and rocking out to the distinctive funk soundtrack.

The grungy game acquired a cult following of fans clamoring for a sequel in the years since. A new game was teased by SEGA on YouTube during the 2023 Game Awards, but it’s unclear if this is a reboot or a true sequel, and SEGA hasn’t revealed too much information about it.

6

Portal & Portal 2 Should Get A Third Entry

You Could Be Thinking With Portals Again

Both the original Portal (90 on Metacritic) and its equally excellent Portal 2 (95 on Metacritic) make it to many fans’ top games of all time list. The puzzle game had people thinking with interconnected, wormhole-like portals as they made their way through a series of test chambers.

Portal 2 was released in 2011, making it over 14 years since fans have had an official Portal title. Although many other games have tried to recreate the games’ magic formula of hilarious writing and mind-bending puzzles, it’s about time to revisit one of the most iconic games and add a third title.

5

Half-Life Fans Are Still Waiting For The Third Game

There’s No Telling If It’ll Ever See The Light Of Day

The third game in the Half-Life series has allegedly been in the making for so long that it’s become a meme. Every Half-Life game released so far has made it to the top of the Metacritic rankings, including both Half-Life (96 on Metacritic), Half-Life 2 (also 96 on Metacritic), and the 2020 VR spinoff Half-Life: Alyx (93 on Metacritic).

To say that it’s time for a Half-Life 2 sequel would be an understatement, as fans have been waiting for 21 years. Once in a while, rumors about Half-Life 3 resurface, but as of this writing, the game has never been officially announced by Valve.

4

Eternal Darkness Sequel Attempts Keep Failing

Blurring The Lines Between The Game And Real World

Once in a while, a game is released that changes people’s perception of what a game can be. Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem (92 on Metacritic) was a 2002 game that blurred the line between game and reality, implementing a sanity meter that often broke the fourth wall by showing players a vision of the main character shooting themselves, or the TV’s volume changing (which got me every time even though my TV’s volume control looked completely different).

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Any follow-up to Eternal Darkness so far has been doomed, with both its potential sequel and spiritual successor never managing to get off the ground. Which is too bad, because a modern-day sequel would be incredible thanks to all the technological advancements, improved graphics, and generally more ways to mess with players that have evolved since then.

3

Bloodborne Fans Have Been Begging For A Sequel For Years

The Lovecraftian Horror Shooter Sibling Of The Souls Games

FromSoftware single-handedly managed to create a new genre with its Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls franchise, but none are quite as beloved as the main series’ sibling, Bloodborne, which has a 92 on Metacritic. The title swapped the high-fantasy setting of the mainline Souls titles in favor of Lovecraftian horrors, gun-toting protagonists, and true co-op.

Fans have been begging FromSoftware to make a Bloodborne sequel for years, but so far, nothing has come of the requests. Part of the problem is that a sequel would have to get the green light from Sony, which now owns the IP. As more time passes, a Bloodborne remake remains in the cards, but the potential for a sequel dwindles.

2

Perfect Dark Could Have Had An Amazing Reboot

A Tense FPS Inspired By GoldenEye 007

When Perfect Dark was released in 2000, it pushed the N64 to its limits as one of the most technologically advanced games on the console. With a score of 97 on Metacritic, the GoldenEye 007-inspired first-person shooter remains one of the highest-rated games of all time to this day.

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This Kojima Sequel With A 96 Metacritic Score Puts Death Stranding 2 To Shame

Death Stranding 2 received stellar reviews, but I was disappointed after what Kojima delivered on his first high-profile sequel in 2001.

A 2005 follow-up game never quite matched the original’s success, leaving fans hungry for a new, modern-day sequel. The good news is that last year, Nintendo added Perfect Dark to the Nintendo Switch Online service. The bad news is that a “AAAA” reboot for the title has just been canceled, leaving the classic firmly in the past.

1

Conker’s Bad Fur Day Could Never Happen Today

Starring The Eponymous Raunchy, Foul-Mouthed Squirrel

After the successes of Rare’s Banjo-Kazooie, Donkey Kong 64, and Banjo-Tooie, the team went on to make a game that had a similar art style. Anyone who’s played Conker’s Bad Fur Day (92 on Metacritic), though, knows that the similarities end at the aesthetics. The game starred a raunchy, foul-mouthed squirrel and gross, inappropriate humor—elements that made it a beloved game at the time but would likely be deemed too offensive today.

Conker has returned to the gaming world a few more times, but never with the same level of success or as a full-scope game. Still, hope for a sequel lives. In recent years, video game companies have been relying heavily on nostalgia, bringing back games that older gamers may remember from their childhoods. Although many highly-rated games like Conker’s Bad Fur Day and Bloodborne seem to be getting left behind, there’s still hope that they might one day, finally, get the modern sequel they deserve.

Source: Metacritic (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13), US Gamer, SEGA/YouTube

Bloodborne

Released

March 24, 2015

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Violence

Developer(s)

From Software

Publisher(s)

Sony

Engine

Havok

Multiplayer

Online Multiplayer