The gaming industry is full of sequels, and while that’s not a bad thing, sometimes the story keeps on rolling without any time to sit down and explain what just happened or how we even got to this point in the first place. That being said, some games have taken the term sequel very lightly and flipped it around instead of opting to focus on the past rather than the future. This developer choice has brought us some of the best games in gaming history while confusing a ton of us as the next entry is marked with a sequential number rather than labeled as a prequel. Here are 15 of the best video game prequels that gave new life to the franchises they came from.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Best Video Game Prequels
Red Dead Redemption was released back in 2010, and it immediately left fans wanting more as Rockstar games managed to revitalize the old Western genre in video games. Years went on, Grand Theft Auto V started to dominate every console known to man, and Red Dead fans were left high and dry begging for more. Prayers were finally answered in 2018 when Rockstar Games dropped the next entry in the series, Red Dead Redemption 2, revealing it to be a prequel to the first game leaving many fans questioning if it was the right choice.
Turns out it was wrong to doubt Rockstar Games.
Set in the years leading up to the first title, players follow the story of Arthur Morgan: a lieutenant of the well-known Van der Linde gang. Players then embark on a long journey of pain, redemption, and betrayal with the events in this prequel leading directly to the beginning of the first game. Players get to experience John Marston’s character progression through Arthur’s eyes adding another layer of appreciation for the beloved protagonist from the first entry.
Outside of the story, RDR 2 was known for its incredible scope of its open world, insane detail in the graphics department, and gameplay mechanics that heavily focused on player choice. The world of RDR 2 is expansive: full of engaging content and memorable characters that you’ll find yourself occupied with for hours.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is arguably Rockstar’s greatest work and one of the greatest prequels to date.
Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening
Best Video Game Prequels
The first Devil May Cry changed the action-adventure genre with the introduction of Dante: a demon hunter wielding a giant sword who’s on a lifelong mission to vanquish demons. Devil May Cry 1 performed very well, and Capcom hoped to build off of that with a sequel. However, Devil May Cry 2 failed miserably leaving the series hanging on to dear life.
Not wanting to give up on the series, Capcom went back to the drawing board. Rather than going forward, they went back to the past and delivered Devil May 3: Dante’s Awakening.
Set before the events of the first game, Dante’s Awakening introduced us to a younger Dante who discovers his powers and explores his conflict with his brother Vergil. DMC 3 took everything that made the first entry great and dialed it up to 1000 with super stylish combat, unique weaponry for Dante to wield, and some banging music. While it was heavily criticized for its difficulty back when it was released in 2005 (back before Demon Souls), gamers experienced a revitalization in the series like no other as elements from DMC 3 have been brought forward to each new entry.
Kudos to Capcom for sticking with their guns and Dante.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Best Video Game Prequels
Ask any gamer on the street if they’ve heard of Metal Gear Solid and an overwhelming majority of them will immediately refer to this game.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater serves as the starting point in the long-standing series with the events of this game setting up the future of the series. Taking place in an alternate version of the Cold War, players take the mantle of Naked Snake as he journeys to track down his former mentor in a wild adventure filled with military conspiracy splashed with James Bond vibes. Director Hideo Kojima has told some outlandish stories in previous entries, but Metal Gear Solid 3’s story showcased why he’s so revered in this industry.
While the first game introduced the “stealth-action” genre, Snake Eater refined it with new gameplay editions such as a camouflage system, a dash of survival elements to match the jungle setting, and a new hand-to-hand combat system. Not to mention, there were plenty of neat easter eggs that cleverly altered gameplay.
There’s a lot more to this title than can be explained, but this is Metal Gear Solid at its absolute finest.