When a movie, show or game is a big hit, people (especially hard-core fans) usually really want a sequel. Even if the original media product was intended to be a one time thing and everything has been concluded, fans will often ask for at least a spin-off or some other means of enjoy the world and fantasy created in that media. But this begs the question, what should come next? How should a story or game be continued? Should it just be the same thing with just a new skin applied to it? Should it be drastically different and take fans through a whole new experience? I’m sure these are questions the creative team of product go through when designing a sequel, and although there does not seem to be a clear formula for creating a sequel, there seem to be general practices people can follow that will help.
1. Keep the Core. Diversify with the rest.
I sure am blinded by it’s beauty 😉
I have been recently playing the sequel to Ori and The Blind Forest, Ori and the Will of the Wisps (no spoilers! I’m not far yet) and I’ve been very impressed with how similar yet different the sequel is. A core and strong element of the first Ori game I would say would be story. Ori and the Blind Forest had a very solid story involving friendship, family, survival, loss, tragedy, and perseverance. I was legit bawling when I was first playing the game and as the premise of the story was established. This strong and beautiful story really made the game stand-out to me, and the sequel follows through (from what I’ve seen so far) by continuing this story and not really disappointing in that aspect. Yes, the story is pretty different from the first one, but it does a good job picking up where it left off and maintains the strong themes that existed in the first one. It’s also different enough that it is still engaging and explains the aspects of the Ori and the Will of the Wisps that differ from the first. Like in the sequel, there are far more NPCs and a more apparent in-game economy and this difference keeps the sequel engaging because it’s not the same-old stuff, but the story still links all of this well-enough that these changes don’t seem jarring or out-of-place. So keeping a strong story core and diversifying gameplay and interactions seemed to work well for this sequel.
~~~wow its so pretty~~~
Also, slightly side note, the sequel does a great job continuing to produce stunning aesthetics like the first one. And rightfully so because the beautiful and elegant story and gameplay of Ori deserves to be coupled with graphics and soundtracks that match.
I think Mulan 2 fails to do well in this criteria. Like, personally, I still enjoyed the movie because I am a huge Mulan fan and you could have literally given me 90 minutes of Mulan just talking and I would have loved it. But I definitely understood people’s disappointment in the movie, stating that it lost it’s core theme of family honor, identity and bravery. The sequel felt like it had far less substance to it compared to the first because although it kind had similar themes as the first, I don’t think the way it executed them was as compelling as the first one.
Because I find a lot of people don’t know…
2. Don’t just repeat. Spice it up a little!
If you’re a hard-core fan, you might be satisfied with the same exact content essentially because your concern will probably be with trying to stay in the fantasy and world a little long. But, for most people, the same thing is not going to cut it, so when you do a sequel, you’re going to have to introduce novelty while not corrupting the core essence that defined and made it great to begin with.
I would not have been competent enough to pull of what he did.
A movie series that I feel did not do well with this was Home Alone. The first movie was amazing and hilarious; the concept of being a parent-free (control-free) child is amazing for children and it was told in a very comedic way. The sequel however I felt was just okay. I’ve already experienced the fantasy of being in-charge as kid, so the sequel did not feel like it provided me with any additional depth. It did not do what the original one did better nor did it provide me with any thing really new so it fell a little flat (although it was still fun to watch, but I wouldn’t call it great or recommend both the first and the second one).
3. Don’t force it. Spin-offs are also an option.
I think children TV shows/challenge do a good job of creating spin-offs to keep the world they have created keep going. Now, personally, I think they usually make spin-offs because those working on the original series want to move on, but regardless, channels like Nickelodeon or Disney I felt did well in figuring out what fans liked the best of the original and using it to create a spin off. This is sometimes the better option than trying to produce a sequel because if a story is cleanly concluded, it does not always make sense to make a sequel. And worst yet, it sucks when creators muddle the story and string along fans in an attempt to make vie for a sequel. A continuation of a media product does not need to always be a sequel so please don’t destroy something by dragging it along and instead make a spin-off focusing on the parts of the story or world you think deserves more attention.
These are my general tips/takeaways I’ve developed from all the media I’ve consumed. And I cannot stress enough the last one because a manga I’ve been reading for like 4+ years now has been stringing me along (not with hopes of sequel but with hopes of extending the story over a longer time I think?) and it’s been driving me crazy! If you have a strong core, don’t mess with. But if you think there is a way to keep the core and still do something new and interesting building off the original content, go for it! You know the fans will love to continue experiencing the world you’ve created.
^.^ 