As some of you may know, I’m a bit of a gaming outsider. I tend to keep myself a console or two behind due to nostalgia and a lack of disposable income. It would take something truly incredible for me to consider upgrading to the current generation of home consoles. These 15 hypothetical sequels would give me that push over the line. Some of these are confirmed, whereas others were underrated gems dead on release. So in no particular order, here are 15 sequels I would upgrade for…

Beatdown: Fists of Vengeance 2

Last entry: 2005
Beatdown: Fists of Vengeance had me hooked immediately following its release mid-2005. It was a breathtakingly vast beat ‘em up title that helped find me a place within the genre, alongside classics such as Tekken and Mortal Kombat. Unfortunately Beatdown was received very negatively by critics and currently sits at 48/100 on Metacritic. This means that we won’t be receiving a follow up to this open world extravaganza any time soon, and all hope for it has become nothing but a means of self harm.

Bioshock 4

Last Entry: 2013
It’s hard to believe that it has been three whole years since Bioshock Infinite blessed our consoles. Bioshock 4 is a hell of a lot more possible than a sequel to Beatdown, in fact Bioshock 4 has been confirmed as in development, and could be out as early as the end of the year. I was quite disappointed with Bioshock Infinite as I felt it lacked the charm of Rapture and was a step in the wrong direction. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it, I just hope that when we hear more about the fourth instalment, it features a little more Andrew Ryan.

Borderlands 4

Last entry: 2014
It hasn’t been too long since we’ve had our fix of loot-filled explosive Gearbox gameplay. A fourth Borderlands title has also been announced as ready to begin development, and they’re hiring too. The announcement referenced it as ‘the BIG one’, so hopefully this one will have even more locations, classes and of course EVEN MORE GUNS!!! In other Borderlands news, if you’re in China you’ll soon have access to ‘Borderlands Online’, which is sure to blow up worldwide at some point.

Bully 2

Last entry: 2006
It’s been a decade since Bully/Canis Canem Edit was brought into the spotlight, and what a long decade it’s been. Every year or so we get a little snippet of information about this Rockstar franchise but it tends to either end up as a hoax or amount to nothing. This game has a huge fan following and Rockstar would have to be blind not to realise this. We’ll just have to hold out hope that Bully 2 will be announced when the time is right, and not be a Duke Nukem-esque trainwreck.

Burnout

Last entry: 2011
One of the best and most innovative arcade racing series ever to exist, it’s been 8 years since we’ve had a real burnout game. In 2011, Criterion released ‘Burnout Crash!, which was a horrible spin-off not worth your time or your memory. Burnout Paradise really felt like Burnout had finally found its place among the racing genre, and it’s such a shame that Criterion has moved away from making racing games. This title is worth your wishes, but they may not bear much fruit.

The Club 2

Last entry: 2008
SEGA’s The Club was very hit-or-miss, and for most of the gaming community – it missed. This fast-paced run and gun third person shooter had a lot going for it, but fell short on delivery. With its vast array of characters to choose from and innovative, enjoyable game modes this game was prepped to become the next big thing for SEGA. A sequel was a part of the conversation until Bizarre Creations moved on to Activision. I wouldn’t expect this game for at least a few more decades.

Fairytale Fights 2

Last entry: 2009
It’s never going to happen. After the creation of this fairytale flop, the developers went under. As enjoyable as the original can be with a co-op partner it just isn’t enough to get back off the ground. I also wouldn’t expect anything like it, as this game was received horribly and nobody would ever dare to touch on its territory ever again.

Habitrail: Hamsterball/Hamster Heroes 2

Last entry: 2007
This cuddly Super Monkey Ball rip-off is never coming back. I actually have received confirmation of this being one of the most farfetched dreams imaginable. 2010 did see a completely different developer create ‘HamsterBall’, released exclusively on the PS store. Unfortunately this courageous attempt at recreating the magic with different wizards didn’t go to plan, and the game was far too easy, and far too repetitive.

Left 4 Dead 3

Last entry: 2009
Left 4 Dead 3 is very highly sought after. As are a lot of sequels to Valve games. Half-Life 3 is the most speculated game in ever. A third portal game is yearned for by millions of couch co-op fanatics intent on more valve goodies. I think the best thing we can hope for from Mr. Gabe Newell is a new orange box with sequels to these three games and maybe a third Team Fortress too.

Max Payne 4

Last entry: 2012
After 2008’s feature film, I lost a lot of love for the cynical alcoholic protagonist of the incredible Max Payne franchise. However, with 2012’s Rockstar release of the third instalment, I fell right back in, head over heels in love with the slow motion, no-fucks-given badass. Unfortunately, with the success of the latest Grand Theft Auto and the desire for a RDR 2 and second Bully game, Max may be put on the back burner for another 9 years.

Naughty Bear 3

Last entry: 2012
Every inch of me tells me this will never happen, especially considering that for the last game they downgraded to downloadable only, and still didn’t sell well. I can still hold out hope for our paw friend Naughty to make a comeback. It hasn’t been too long since we saw an entry, but any longer it will become unbearable.

Stranglehold 2

Last entry: 2007
For a long time, there have been talks about Stranglehold being made into a feature film with John Woo at the helm. The spiritual successor to 1992’s Hard Boiled movie, this game screamed action. From sliding down banisters to swinging off chandeliers, this game felt like a blend of Max Payne and Assassin’s Creed with subtle hints of Enter the Matrix. I’m doubtful that the movie will come to fruition, let alone a video game sequel.

The Elder Scrolls VI

Last entry: 2014
It’s been two years since TES: Online, and five years since the last major instalment – Skyrim. I miss the vast landscapes and endless questlines, the thousands of NPCs and countless things to do. Skyrim for me was a bit of a letdown when compared with Oblivion, and I sure do hope Bethesda get their act together for the series next AAA title. There’s been no confirmation yet, but we’ve had two Fallout games since Skyrim, so I believe it might just be The Elder Scrolls turn for a new addition.

Star Wars: Battlefront

Last entry: 2015
It hasn’t even been six months since this series got a new game, but maybe that’s why I need a sequel so badly. I do not own a console with the ability to run the new Battlefront, but I have watched a lot of gameplay and a tonne of content relating to it, and I don’t think it truly lives up to what was the best game on the PlayStation 2. There are mods for the PC version of the original which allow characters such as Kylo Ren to be playable, but it just won’t do. We need a brand new game as an apology from EA, just make sure it features Galactic Conquest.

And finally…

Timesplitters 4

Last entry: 2005
For eleven years I have been waiting to see a fourth Timesplitters game. That’s over half of my life. I’ve witnessed the rights change hands more than a hand-me-down bicycle, and I’ve seen developer after developer make the wrong decision and make uninspired military shooter after uninspired military shooter instead of this game. Luckily for us, a team of modders are working on creating Timesplitters: Rewind, which will effectively be everything from the first three instalments, with added characters and a new story and new levels too. If there is a game that would make me buy a new console at the drop of a hat, this is it. MAKE IT HAPPEN!