It's almost hard to believe that Diablo III is actually out. Blizzard's action-roleplaying game has been delayed so many times over the past decade, it came awfully close to challenging Duke Nukem Forever for the title of Vaporware King.
But here we are, 12 years after Diablo II, and the third game is actually a thing. It exists. Really. I've played it. This isn't one big practical joke.
Makes you wonder, doesn't it? If Diablo II, a game from 2000, can get a sequel in 2012, why can't other beloved titles from that era? I can think of at least five 2000 games that deserve 2012 sequels. Let's brainstorm.
Vagrant Story
Critically and commercially acclaimed, Vagrant Story was one of those franchises that developer Square just left in the dust, never to be seen or played again. It's been re-released on PlayStation Network, but otherwise ignored. Which is seriously a shame.
Sure, Vagrant Story director Yasumi Matsuno might be with developer Level-5 now, but that's okay. Square Enix has worked with Level-5 before, partnering for Dragon Quest VIII and Dragon Quest IX. Why can't they do it again for Ashley Riot and his medieval, Shakespearean, dungeon-crawling adventures?
Skies of Arcadia
Sega's cult classic is an adventurous romp about sky pirates, which is pretty much all you need to know about the game. People love it. Love love love it. But Sega has steadfastly refused to release any sort of sequel, and despite rumors, a remake doesn't seem in the cards anytime soon for the struggling company. So Skies of Arcadia fans may be out of luck.
One possible glimmer of hope: protagonist Vyse will make an appearance in Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, Sega's upcoming kart racer. So maybe he'll get his own game again one day. Maybe.
Chrono Cross
You'd think that Square Enix would enjoy making money and pleasing its fans, but nope. Despite countless rumors about Chrono Break trademarks and other crazy plans over the past decade, we've yet to see a sequel to Chrono Cross (itself a sequel of beloved Super Nintendo RPG Chrono Trigger). Why not? No, really, Square Enix, why not? Just the remake of Chrono Trigger sold 790,000 copies. Imagine how a third game in the franchise would do.
Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn
Sure, we're getting remade ports of Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate II for iPad, PC, and Mac later this year. But what we really need is a new game in BioWare's classic Western RPG series.
The Bhaalspawn plotline has run its course, but I'd love to see a Baldur's Gate III set in a different part of the lore-packed Forgotten Realms. It could be a new story, with new characters and a completely new chunk of the world. We could see cameo appearances from series' favorites, like the berserker Minsc and his space hamster, Boo. And, hey, Kickstarter has proven that people still want top-down, party-centric RPGs. So what's the risk?
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
That's right. A direct sequel to Majora's Mask. Bring it, Nintendo.