20 Amazing Video Games That Never Got Sequels

In an era where a successful debut can guarantee a trilogy before the credits even roll, there is a special kind of heartbreak reserved for the one-hit wonders and underappreciated gems of the world. These games feature captivating worlds, tight mechanics, and stories that stayed with us long after the credits rolled, but additional entries were never developed.

There are myriad reasons why such a thing may happen. Perhaps the game didn’t sell well enough to warrant another title in the same world, maybe the creative teams wanted to go in a different direction for their next work, or possibly the corporate structures have changed in such a way that such titles are no longer desired.

Whatever the cause, there are many games whose debut left us wanting more, only to never see a follow-up come to fruition. From cult classics that were simply ahead of their time to blockbuster masterpieces that left us on permanent cliffhangers, here are 20 amazing video games that never got sequels.

1

Bloodborne

A Gothic Nightmare Where Blood is Both a Blessing and a Curse

The game many consider to be FromSoftware’s Magnum Opus, Bloodborne moved away from the established Dark Souls series’ world and brought players into Yharnam, a decrepit Gothic city full of beastly foes and mysterious eldritch beings. Despite being both critically acclaimed and financially successful, Bloodborne has not seen a sequel.

To make things worse, the game is still locked to 30 FPS when playing it on the PS5. While many would love to see a continuation of the world and story, a remaster, or even a PS5 patch, hopes for such a thing may have been dashed by the closure of Sony’s in-house remake specialists, Bluepoint Games.

On FromSoft’s end, the studio has had its hands full with other titles finding their own success. Fantasy epic Elden Ring has sold more than 30 million copies, and Armored Core 6 and Elden Ring Nightreign have sold millions themselves. To twist the knife further, FromSoftware announced The Duskbloods, a Nintendo exclusive Action RPG set in a distinctly gothic setting.

Given FromSoftware’s other creative priorities, it seems unlikely Bloodborne will be getting love any time soon. If players are hoping for more Bloodborne, the best bet is to keep dreaming, dear hunters.

2

Vagrant Story

Uncover a Burgeoning Conspiracy in Leá Monde

Written, directed, and produced by Yasumi Matsuno, the man behind the Ogre Battle/Tactics Ogre games, Final Fantasy 12, and Final Fantasy Tactics, Vagrant Story follows the elite agent Ashley Riot as he works to uncover a conspiracy taking place in the city of Leá Monde. Vagrant Story takes place within the world of Ivalice—the same setting as Final Fantasy 12 and Final Fantasy Tactics.

Despite its critical reception being positive, the game did not sell particularly well. However, the lasting memory of Vagrant Story is a complimentary one, with its complex and deep battle mechanics, eye-catching visual style, and wonderful story that stands the test of time, cementing its status as a cult classic.

While there is certainly room to expand upon Ashley Riot, Leá Monde, or even this period’s Ivalice, there are no immediate plans to do so. Additionally, many of the story concepts that Matsuno had plotted out for Vagrant Story follow-ups were used in the “Save the Queen” storyline for Final Fantasy 14, as well, further diminishing the likelihood of a continuation.

3

Super Mario RPG

Band Together With Rivals and Friends to Repair the Star Rod.

Super Mario RPG focuses on Mario’s quest to defeat the Smithy Gang, who have crashed into the kingdom and scattered the Seven Star Pieces of the Star Road, the magical pathway that grants people’s wishes. On this journey, Mario teams up with friends and enemies alike to stop Smithy from achieving his aims.

Super Mario RPG sold over 3 million copies and is regarded as one of the best turn-based RPGs ever made, but a sequel is unlikely, especially 30 years after its initial release. The initial delay was likely caused by Nintendo and Square’s deteriorating relationship in the wake of the PlayStation’s release, as Square jumped ship to partner with Sony for their major releases. While the relationship has largely been mended, and a remake has been released, the time for additional titles may have simply passed by.

4

Skies of Arcadia

Sail the Endless Blue and Discover the Secrets of the Floating Continents

Skies of Arcadia

Systems

Released

October 5, 2000

ESRB

t // Mild Animated Violence, Suggestive Themes

This turn-based adventure was the premier RPG of Sega’s doomed Dreamcast. With a great focus on exploration, players piloted an airship between floating continents. Vyse and his crew form a faction of pirates who oppose the tyrannical rule of the Valuan Empire, but eventually find themselves in deeper waters.

The game underperformed expectations, and with the Dreamcast discontinued, there wasn’t much opportunity for further stories featuring Vyse and crew. The team behind Skies of Arcadia would continue to do great work, making a sequel to Shinobi, Sakura Wars 4, and many members of the team even went on to help develop Valkyria Chronicles.

5

Sleeping Dogs

Go Undercover to Root Out the Triads

Sleeping Dogs follows the story of Wei Shen as he goes undercover to infiltrate and destroy the Triad organization known as the Sun On Yee. Known for its legendarily robust combat, varied scenarios, and detailed environments, the game was well received and is still brought up frequently in discussions of the genre.

Sleeping Dogs sold over 1.5 million copies by the end of September 2012, yet Square Enix deemed it a failure, closing the studio behind it before they could finish production on the scheduled sequel game. While no sequel will likely see the light of day, a film is in production, so there’s something to look forward to, at least.

6

Bully

Classes, Cliques, and Chaos

Bully

Released

October 17, 2006

Rockstar’s action-adventure game Bully was a look into the life of a single delinquent named Jimmy as he tries to stop the bullying at his new private school. With options for traversal like skateboarding, go-karts, and bikes, players had a lot of freedom to traverse the campus as they looked to gain popularity in the game’s “cliques.”

While the game was well-received and sold well enough to warrant a sequel, Bully 2 never made it out the door, with production being halted sometime in 2013 after work had started on the title. With the release of Grand Theft Auto 5 in 2013, Rockstar has done little beyond making Red Dead Redemption 2, porting old titles, and printing money with the online games Red Dead Online and GTA Online, making future Bully titles unlikely.

7

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Ashina Will be Freed From the Dragon’s Heritage, One Way or Another

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is another classic by FromSoftware, which has players control a shinobi during the late Sengoku Period in a fictionalized Japan. With a heavier focus on parrying and environmental traversal, Sekiro marked a clear deviation from the design approach the company had honed in its Souls games.

Receiving resounding critical and commercial success, Sekiro was almost immediately recognized as a masterpiece. However, even 10 million copies were not enough to persuade FromSoftware to develop a sequel; instead, it released Elden Ring in 2022. Given the finality of the story in Sekiro, it is little wonder no further titles have been planned, but a new entry would surely be welcome if they desired to make one.

8

Mad Max

Driving on the Desert Dunes, Destroying Dumb Dudes

Mad Max

7/10

Released

September 1, 2015

• 

Max Rockatansky is an iconic character, battling lunatics in the Australian wasteland for decades in each of the Mad Max films. Mad Max (the Video Game) is no different, with the eponymous hero running down War Boys in his new car, the Magnum Opus. While the game underperformed (likely in large part thanks to its shared release date with Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain), it was still a great take on the Mad Max universe, with some really neat car combat and characters thrown into the mix.

Sadly, the team behind the game took the brunt of the blame for the underwhelming sales, and Warner Bros. ultimately canceled the planned DLC. Given the lack of support from WB and the ultimate commercial failure of the title, a Mad Max sequel will most likely never come to fruition, though that doesn’t mean more games set in the same world cannot be made.

9

Planescape: Torment

Death is Only the Beginning

This cult classic CRPG follows The Nameless One, an immortal man who forgets everything if he is killed. Planescape: Torment sets players on a journey through multiple planes to reclaim the main character’s memories. The Nameless One must discover who made him immortal and why, and confront his past self along the way.

Despite the powerful emotional impact of the story and the incredible scenery within the game, it did not sell well enough to warrant additional follow-ups immediately following release. There were plans to begin work on a sequel titled Planescape: Unraveled in 2016, but these fell through due to a lack of funding, making this iconic CRPG the first and only one of its kind.

10

Legend of Dragoon

Harness the Spirit of the Dragons

Legend of Dragoon

Systems

Released

December 2, 1999

ESRB

t

Developed by Sony Computer Entertainment, this RPG lived up to its name by telling a great story centered around magic and dragons. The main character, Dart, is a warrior who fights as a dragoon in search of the Black Monster, the entity that killed his parents.

While the gameplay is mostly standard RPG fare for the era, Legend of Dragoon spiced things up by introducing timed button press mechanics to its battles to initiate powerful magic abilities and long chain combos. Despite the game’s relative success and cult classic status, no second adventure was ever released.

While no official reasoning has been given, the departure of writer and director Yasuyuki Hasebe from Sony Computer Entertainment was likely a big reason why we never saw a second game. Finding a new team to follow up on the game would be a daunting task, and one that the company may not have viewed as a priority, given the success of other RPGs on the PlayStation platform.