Underrated Games That Deserve A Sequel In 2022

There are plenty of underrated games that have released over the years, and many that deserve to have a sequel made in 2022 that would release on consoles like the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch. Although the chances for some of them are slim, there’s still hope that some of the niche or cult-classic games of the world will be revived with a new entry. From the calming to the chaotic, developers should consider revisiting some of the games that were fun and exciting, but may not have gotten their moment in the spotlight.

Whether it’s being overshadowed by a bigger name, not getting enough marketing, or just plain bad luck, there are many reasons that an amazing game might become underrated. Even bigger-name games that deserve direct sequels, like GTA: SanAndreas don’t get them when they should. They sadly get left behind as the industry calendar plows on, all while their loyal fanbases continue to play them and hope desperately for an eventual sequel. There are a great many games in the world that deserve a new title in 2022, one that would delight old players and bring in new ones.

Sunset Overdrive, a chaotic storm of explosions and teddy bears; Fantasy Life, a cathartic fantasy job simulator; Fossil Fighters, a dinosaur-themed excavation and fighting game; and Custom Robo Arena, an engaging story with plenty of miniature-robot-fighting action, are just a few of the underappreciated games that deserve new games, and hopefully they’ll get them in 2022. They vary in terms of how likely they are, but each one is a classic game that would likely translate well to modern consoles. Games like Dragon Quest Swords, on the Nintendo Switch, could get beautiful and vastly-improved sequels. Whether or not new titles for them are coming, many fans would agree that they should be.

A Sunset Overdrive Sequel May Be In The Cards

Sunset Overdrive was an Xbox-exclusive game that was well-received upon release, but has sadly fallen to the wayside in favor of bigger properties. Players control an unnamed protagonist in Sunset City, where the FizzCo corporation has just released their new energy drink, Overcharge. After the drink mutates those who ingest it, the player is forced to flee to their home with the help of a crowbar, an inappropriate shotgun, and some conveniently-placed graffiti. Sometime later, they emerge into the “Awesome-pocalypse”.

Although the game has received little attention in recent years, its cliffhanger ending, recent activity by the director, and some well-placed Easter Eggs in the Ratchet & Clank trailer may indicate that a sequel is indeed coming. Whether Sunset Overdrive would come to PlayStation consoles first or at all is also a matter of debate. If a sequel does come, there isn’t much that it would need to do to improve. The varied weapons, wicked traversal, and chaotic gameplay all hold up today, so the keywords for a new game may be “bigger” and “more”. Outdoing the previous title might be Sunset Overdrive 2‘s only problem, since it’s pretty hard to beat the experience of firing exploding teddy bears at mutants.

Fantasy Life Deserves A Full Console Sequel

Fantasy Life is, in a word, cathartic. Set in the world of Reveria, players customize their own citizen and choose their Life (aka their job) and help stop the sky from falling with the help of a girboy, some pirates, the prince of darkness, and a talking butterfly. The game itself may be odd, but it’s also incredibly soothing, to the point where even farming sims like Stardew Valley could take mechanics from it. Everyone is nice – even the villains – and the silly humor, cutesy art style, and satisfying class progression and crafting all combine to make the game into a calming and relaxing experience.

Technically speaking, Fantasy Life already had a sequel. However, it was for mobile only, never released outside of Japan, and was discontinued in early December. Reception was mixed due to microtransactions, gacha-game character collection, and requiring “stamina” in order to play.

A sequel on consoles, without mobile-game restrictions and monetization, could do the original more justice and build upon it in a big way. If it is ever made, there are a number of new features it can add. The first game already allows players to decorate their homes, so being able to build and customize them from the ground up, or do the same with entire towns, could be well-received. In games like the upcoming Pokémon Legends: Arceus, town-building mechanics are in demand, and the genre is on the rise. Another option would be to borrow farming elements from such games as Rune Factory or Story of Seasons.

Fossil Fighters Could Get Its Fourth Game on Switch

Currently, there are three Fossil Fighters games, and each one is filled with prehistoric fun. Players take on the role of a “Fossil Fighter”, someone who digs up dinosaur fossils and revives them into living vivosaurs that they will then send into battle. Real-life dinosaurs such as the Stegosaurus and Triceratops became fantastic creatures for players to collect and battle, and digging up the fossils required for them was just as fun as battling the actual vivosaurs.

A fourth Fossil Fighters game, one that would most likely come on the Nintendo Switch, would need some improvements. A more open world would be an improvement, as the third game, Fossil Fighters Frontier, only allowed players to explore most areas inside a vehicle. Immersive open world games like TESV: Skyrim would be a good inspiration for new exploration mechanics. Visual upgrades would also be a plus, since the Switch’s bigger capacity and improved graphics would be able to handle them. Expanding the roster of vivosaurs would likely be a given, but including some ancient artifacts in addition to the gems and fossils that can be excavated would be an interesting addition.

Custom Robo Arena Could Blossom On Nintendo Switch

There are five Custom Robo games, but only the last two were released outside of Japan, and the last one came to North America in 2007. In Custom Robo Arena, players control a nameable protagonist who is just starting out as a commander, someone who pilots the miniature battle robots known as Custom Robos. These Robos are used for a variety of things, but the most popular is fighting them as a professional sport, and battling Robos is almost as common as a handshake. Smash games like Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl could greatly improve by taking inspiration from this game, since the gameplay was, and still is, very good for its time. The main character quickly hones their Robo-battling skills and becomes the world champion of the sport in a story that, frankly, would translate very well into an anime series.

A different game by one of Custom Robo’s developers, Synaptic Drive, has many parallels with the games, but also has a lot of differences, and is much more gritty. A new Custom Robo game, possibly picking up where Custom Robo Arena left off, would likely be able to improve a lot on the Nintendo Switch. Since it was released for the Nintendo DS, the technological improvements mean that it has a lot of options. Graphical improvements, possibly into a 3D art style instead of 8-bit, would be a good place to start. Expanding the arsenal of Robos and the weapons they can use, increasing the size of the combat arenas, and possibly adding melee weapons would be great ways to improve the battles.

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