History Main / ContestedSequel

** ''Recovery'' also creates very strong reactions. It served as Eminem's CareerResurrection, being perceived at the time as a return to his glory days that cemented his place in the rap pantheon, and it's still common to see people citing it as their favourite Eminem album, praising Eminem's new [[TookALevelInKindness mature and empathetic persona]], his fusion of "white-trash" genres like SouthernRock and CountryMusic with hip-hop, and and claiming its loving, emotional content got them through hard times. It's also common to see people considering it his worst album, a sickly one-eighty on his older and more interesting heel persona in which his {{Glurge}}y SelfEmpowermentBallad lyrical content is undermined by [[CluelessAesop grossout humour]], [[HurricaneOfPuns groanworthy puns]] and [[RadioFriendliness radio-bait pop production]]. Opinions are also split on whether his new hyper-aggressive, drum-solo-like rhythmic style is awesome and dramatic, or robotic and grating. A small but loud group hate the ''Recovery'' style ''so much'' that they contrived a conspiracy theory that the Eminem of ''Recovery'' onward is a body double to replace the original, who died of his drug overdose or was offed at some point after ''The Re-Up''.

** ''Recovery'' also creates very strong reactions. It served as Eminem's CareerResurrection, being perceived at the time as a return to his glory days that cemented his place in the rap pantheon, and it's still common to see people citing it as their favourite Eminem album, praising Eminem's new [[TookALevelInKindness mature and empathetic persona]], his fusion of "white-trash" genres like SouthernRock and CountryMusic with hip-hop, and and claiming its loving, emotional content got them through hard times. It's also common to see people considering it his worst album, a sickly one-eighty on his older and more interesting heel persona in which his inspirational lyrical content is undermined by [[CluelessAesop grossout humour]], [[HurricaneOfPuns groanworthy puns]] and [[RadioFriendliness radio-bait pop production]]. Opinions are also split on whether his new hyper-aggressive, drum-solo-like rhythmic style is awesome and dramatic, or robotic and grating. Some people hate the ''Recovery'' style so much that they contrived a conspiracy theory that the Eminem of ''Recovery'' onward is a body double to replace the original, who died of his drug overdose or was offed at some point after ''The Re-Up''.
** Probably the most polarising album is ''The Marshall Mathers LP 2'', which, depending on who you ask, is a personal, deep, and [[ContinuityNod continuity-referencing]] [[RockIsAuthenticPopIsShallow rock album]] displaying his stylistic versatility and [[TookALevelInKindness improved personality]], exploring wacky, retro and innovative pop and hip-hop sounds and demonstrating the greatest technical rapping of his career, or a pandering, shallow, overtechnical and inconsistent GoodIsBoring [[RockIsAuthenticPopIsShallow pop album]] by a relic [[AgeInappropriateDress dressing like a teenager in his forties]] who is out-of-step with modern hip-hop ''and'' moral sensibilities, still saying disgusting homophobic and misogynistic slurs even though his [[RatedGForGangsta shock value]] disappeared long ago. It's not uncommon to find people who think ''[=MMLP2=]'' is up there with his persona-named trilogy/better than ''one'' of those albums, and it's also not uncommon to find people considering it unlistenable. Some say it is better than the first ''LP'' -- others view it as a stain on Eminem's masterpiece.
** Due to Eminem's... polarising personality, it's not uncommon for both the case for worship and prosecution to be made in the ''same review''. "Eminem's best album since ''Music/TheEminemShow'', and the rapping is unbelievable, but it still sucks" has been a common trope to see in reviews of his work since ''Relapse'', especially ''Revival'', ''Kamikaze'' and ''Music To Be Murdered By''.

** Probably the most polarising album is ''The Marshall Mathers LP 2'', which, depending on who you ask, is a personal, deep, and [[ContinuityNod continuity-referencing]] [[RockIsAuthenticPopIsShallow rock album]] displaying his stylistic versatility and [[TookALevelInKindness improved personality]], exploring wacky, retro and innovative pop and hip-hop sounds and demonstrating the greatest technical rapping of his career, or a pandering, shallow, overtechnical and inconsistent GoodIsBoring [[RockIsAuthenticPopIsShallow pop album]] by a relic [[AgeInappropriateDress dressing like a teenager in his forties]] who is out-of-step with modern hip-hop ''and'' moral sensibilities, still saying disgusting homophobic and misogynistic slurs even though his [[RatedGForGangsta shock value]] disappeared long ago. It's not uncommon to find people who think ''MMLP2'' is up there with his persona-named trilogy/better than ''one'' of those albums, and it's also not uncommon to find people considering it unlistenable.

** ''Recovery'' also creates very strong reactions. It served as Eminem's CareerResurrection, being perceived at the time as a return to his glory days that cemented his place in the rap pantheon, and it's still common to see people citing it as their favourite Eminem album, praising Eminem's new [[TookALevelInKindness mature and empathetic persona]], his fusion of "white-trash" genres like SouthernRock and CountryMusic with hip-hop, and and claiming its loving, emotional content got them through hard times. It's also common to see people considering it his worst album, a sickly one-eighty on his older and more interesting heel persona in which his inspirational lyrical content is undermined by [[CluelessAesop grossout humour]], [[HurricaneOfPuns groanworthy puns]] and [[RadioFriendliness radio-bait pop production]]. Opinions are also split on whether his new hyper-aggressive, drum-solo-like rhythmic style is awesome and dramatic, or robotic and grating.

** Probably the most polarising album is ''The Marshall Mathers LP 2'', which, depending on who you ask, is a personal, deep, and [[ContinuityNod continuity-referencing]] album displaying his stylistic versatility and [[TookALevelInKindness improved personality]], exploring wacky, retro and innovative pop and hip-hop sounds and demonstrating the greatest technical rapping of his career, or a pandering, shallow, overtechnical and inconsistent GoodIsBoring pop album by a relic [[AgeInappropriateDress dressing like a teenager in his forties]] who is out-of-step with modern hip-hop ''and'' moral sensibilities, still saying disgusting homophobic and misogynistic slurs even though his [[RatedGForGangsta shock value]] disappeared long ago.
** ''Relapse'' also has a debate over whether it's nonsensical and unfunny [[ExploitationFilm sensationalism]] where Eminem raps over unfashionable beats in racist accents about [[TooBleakStoppedCaring depressing murder fantasies]], or a CultClassic ConceptAlbum which uses a SlasherMovie allegory to [[AddictionSong explore the misery of his drug addiction]] and is a highlight of his discography (or even, for some, his only truly great album - Music/TylerTheCreator has suggested as much).
** Due to Eminem's... polarising personality, it's not uncommon for both the case for worship and prosecution to be made in the ''same review''. "Eminem's best album since ''Music/TheEminemShow'', but it still sucks" has been a common statement in reviews of his work since ''Relapse'', especially ''Revival'', ''Kamikaze'' and ''Music To Be Murdered By''.

** It was a Contested Sequel even before it aired due to the TimeSkip aging the nine-year-old main characters to adulthood; some were relieved that people might finally stop judging them for watching {{lolicon|AndShotacon}} bait, others saw it as an insult to the original. Later accusations came from the copious amounts of [[DemotedToExtra screentime]] [[SpotlightStealingSquad shafting]] resulting from the franchise's LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters, the heavy reliance on the ExpandedUniverse to [[AllThereInTheManual explain many minor events]], and the return to the slow pace of season one rather than a quick-moving plot like ''A's'' had.

[[folder:Classical Music]]
* Music/HectorBerlioz's ''Lélio, ou Le retour à la vie'' is one to his ''Symphonie fantastique''. Whereas ''Symphonie fantastique'', despite its program, was an instrumental work, ''Lélio'' is made up mostly of choral movements [[DolledUpInstallment originally written independently]] linked together with spoken narration.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Music]]

!!Examples

[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]
* This shows up a lot in the ''Franchise/{{Alien}}'' series:
** ''Film/Alien3'', is a contested sequel... if anything because it was an attempt to bring the film series back to the claustrophobic monster-in-the-closet tone of the original film after ''Film/{{Aliens}}''' thrill ride. ''Aliens'' fans dislike it because they feel it [[HappyEndingOverride undid the ending]] of the second film, [[EarnYourHappyEnding where Ripley ends up with a makeshift family of her own after saving them from the hordes of aliens.]] By the start of ''Alien 3'', [[DroppedABridgeOnHim everyone from Aliens is dead but Ripley]] (bringing her right back to ''exactly'' where she was at the end of the first movie emotionally)... including [[TheWoobie the young child that Ripley saved after the girl's entire family was killed.]] It still has its fans, and fans who prefer the original movie over the first sequel are much more forgiving as well. There is also a fandom belief that the studio made the ''wrong'' film due to ExecutiveMeddling. There are a number of alternate scripts and rewrites in existence (including one by Creator/WilliamGibson) which offer completely different scenarios.
** ''Film/AlienResurrection'' could be seen as contested as well - there are positive reviews for it on Website/IMDb, hardcore [[Creator/JossWhedon Whedonites]], of course, won't say anything bad about it as a matter of principle, and no less a figure than [[WebVideo/TheAngryVideoGameNerd James Rolfe]] has praised it for "succeeding at being entertaining trash after ''Alien 3'' failed at being high art," but overall reaction was decidedly more negative even compared to ''Alien 3''.
** Similarly, fans are divided in regards to ''Film/{{Prometheus}}''. Some admire the film for its efforts to break off the formula established in the previous films by downplaying the Xenomorph attacks and instead bring something new by focusing on different aspect of the same universe, while others are critical of the fact that Xenomorph attacks are minimal at best and that the connections to ''Alien'' are incredibly small plot-wise [[note]]For those of you who don't know the concept was inspired by the "Space Jockey" fossil seen in ''Alien''. The plot reveals information about its species but we don't actually learn much about that particular individual[[/note]].
** Next up is ''Film/AlienCovenant'', which gained both favor and disfavor from fans of both the original films ''and'' Prometheus. To some, it has a plot full of thoughtless character decisions and unimpressively retreads familiar territory from the first films. To others, it's a frightening, atmospheric meditation on the nature of creation and the failures and costs of human ambition.
* ''Film/{{Babe}}'' is a very well received film from both critics and the general audience and was well liked due to its lighthearted plot and charming farm setting. [[Film/BabePigInTheCity the sequel]], on the other hand, is [[DarkerAndEdgier much darker]], including images of a dog being drowned in a lake, and a clown having a heart attack and dying. To some, it's a terrible film that simply doesn't do the original justice because of how dark it is and because it takes Babe off the familiar farm setting. To others, it's a brilliant follow up to an already great film, and some people (including both Siskel & Ebert) thought it was even better than the original.
* ''Film/BackToTheFuture'' is widely beloved, but there's a massive divide regarding preferring ''[[Film/BackToTheFuture Part II]]'' (an overtly complicated story dragged down by being too sci-fi, or a darker, more epic and adventurous plot with brisk pacing?) or ''[[Film/BackToTheFuturePartIII Part III]]'' (is the fact that it's primarily a Western good or bad?).
* ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'':
** While ''Film/BatmanReturns'' did better ''critically'' than the first Creator/TimBurton ''Film/{{Batman|1989}}'' movie, it was far more controversial and popular opinion is, to quote Batman himself, "split right down the middle". The most common criticism was that the film was overly grotesque and freakish for a ''Batman'' film, feeling more like a "Tim Burton film"; it was often disliked among comic book fans for making the Penguin TheGrotesque instead of a GentlemanThief; others argued that the change made the character more relatable, and it's noteworthy that ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' attempted to glue the base back together by [[BreadEggsBreadedEggs combining the two characterizations in their Penguin]]. Another controversial aspect is Batman's total willingness to kill; one controversial scene features Batman smirking at a circus strongman before blowing him up with a stick of dynamite. Still another criticism was similar to that of the first movie: the villains, all 3 of them, overshadowed Bruce Wayne/Batman to the point that he may as well not have made an appearance. On the other hand, those who consider the film an EvenBetterSequel usually see it as a purer interpretation of the ''Batman'' mythos by Tim Burton (the first film had some inconsistencies in tone due to ExecutiveMeddling) and an insightful study of the dangers of commercialism and alienation. Burton in one interview even said he had some people approaching him telling him that ''Film/BatmanReturns'' was a much {{lighter|AndSofter}} sequel, and others approached him saying it was a much {{darker|AndEdgier}} sequel.
** ''Film/BatmanForever'' is either a fun if inferior (mainly for being LighterAndSofter) follow-up to ''Returns'' or as bad as the [[FranchiseKiller franchise-killing]] [[Film/BatmanAndRobin travesty that followed.]] The film itself attempts to tread both lines; it features some fairly dark scenes recalling Bruce's past and transformation into Batman, but on the other hand, Jim Carrey is the Riddler. Notably, several deleted scenes reveal that the film was originally darker, closer to Burton's films (including an original opening in which Two-Face ties up and gags a guard, writes "The Bat Must Die" on the wall in blood, and escapes from Arkham Asylum), further fueling the flames.
** In Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy, ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises''. While it got great reviews, the fact that it followed [[Film/TheDarkKnight a movie]] [[ToughActToFollow with even better reviews]], and is not with its fair share of problems (from a bloated running time to the fact Batman himself hardly appears), has caused disappointment in some fans.
* ''Film/BillAndTed'' fans are split on the second film, ''Film/BillAndTedsBogusJourney''. Most say that, at the very least, it isn't as good as ''Film/BillAndTedsExcellentAdventure'', there are those who think it is as good or even better.
* ''Film/Birdemic2TheResurrection'': On one hand this movie has slightly better production values, has self aware jokes, actual ([[SpecialEffectsFailure albeit poorly CGIed]]) visual effects and put slightly more effort into the acting compared to the original. On the other hand, the poor production values, lack of self awareness, clip art birds and the much worse acting was something [[SoBadItWasBetter others feel made the first film fun to watch in the first place.]]
* ''Film/BoratSubsequentMoviefilm'' is either a significant step down from the first ''Film/{{Borat}}'', mostly rehashing the original's gags while overusing gross-out humour and being much more one-sided with its targets, or an EvenBetterSequel for its more progressive message, the additional main character adding new dynamics and CharacterDevelopment, and having less of a RandomEventsPlot than the original.
* ''Film/TheBourneLegacy'' and ''Film/JasonBourne''. Both of them were made after the [[Film/TheBourneIdentity first]] [[Film/TheBourneSupremacy three]] [[Film/TheBourneUltimatum installments]] of ''Film/TheBourneSeries'', and ''Legacy'' wasn't directed by Creator/PaulGreengrass (instead being directed by Tony Gilroy) and had a separate new protagonist for the movie played by Creator/JeremyRenner. ''Jason Bourne'', despite Creator/MattDamon and Paul Greengrass returning, didn't receive the same amount of praise as the first three movies [[ItsTheSameNowItSucks due to bringing nothing new to the table]] but is otherwise viewed as a decent installment in the franchise.
* It's often debated whether the second and third ''Film/{{Cube}}'' movies were worthy additions, or if it would have been best to let the first movie stand on its own. Even people who believe the first film to be far superior can't agree on whether ''Hypercube'' or ''Cube Zero'' was the better sequel.
** ''Film/Cube2Hypercube'' might have retained the mystery of the Cube, was more serious but far less gory, and had a unique look, but still had some silly characters and Narm scenes. (Sean Hood's original proposal script for Hypercube was on par with Natali's original; better characters, consistently darker mood as the plot goes on and actual, constant danger.)
** ''Film/CubeZero'' visually retained the industrial look of the first film and was far less serious with more humorous scenes than either previous film, and left little to no mystery at all, but heightened the gore in places and at least attempted continuity with the first film.
* Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse:
** ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'' has opinions so heavily divided compared to the original movie, ''Film/ManOfSteel'', it isn't even funny. There are some who find it better than ''[=MoS=]'', yet the definition of "better" can be between EvenBetterSequel and SoOkayItsAverage. There are also people who find the movie bad, with its definition of "bad" straddling between SoOkayItsAverage and staight-up horrible. There are also those who think its SoBadItsGood and just find the resulting trainwreck to be worth the price of admission.
** ''Film/WonderWoman1984'': good if inferior follow-up, SoOkayItsAverage, or an outright worthless effort. A great indicator of a split is how it still has a positive audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, but on Website/IMDb is the lowest rated DCEU movie, even below the widely criticized ''Film/SuicideSquad''.
* ''Franchise/DieHard'':
** ''Film/LiveFreeOrDieHard'' is either another solid installment of the series, or a demonstration that the series has become too outlandish (starting by John [=McClane=] being MadeOfIron). Especially contentious since they ditched the classic terrorism plots in favour of some good old 21st century HollywoodHacking. Depending on whether or not you're tired of absurd hacking tropes, this movie could be a fresh new take on the series or an awkward attempt at modernizing the franchise.
** A good while before that though, ''Film/DieHard2'' similarly got debated over. Largely instigated because of how a good number of people saw it as little more than rehash of the first movie in a change of location.
* ''Film/{{Divergent}}'':
** ''The Divergent Series: Insurgent'' -- for those who liked the first film, is it a step backwards (especially for [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks lots of changes from the book]])? For some who disliked the first one, they felt it was an improvement (with more material for Creator/ShaileneWoodley to work with, increased screen time for Creator/KateWinslet, better pacing). And some felt it was on par with the first one, being as good or bad as they felt it to be.
** ''The Divergent Series: Allegiant'' was panned by most critics, but some felt it was an improvement over the first two films. It doesn't help that the book it's adapting is the most divisive of the three, and some of the many changes made are still up in the air as to whether or not they are improvements.
* Everyone agrees ''Film/DumbAndDumberTo'' is better than the poor excuse for a prequel that was ''Dumb and Dumberer''. Otherwise, some fans of [[Film/DumbAndDumber the original]] view the sequel as [[{{Sequelitis}} a disappointment]] that relies too much on potty humor, while other fans praised the still intact comedic chemistry between Creator/JimCarrey and Creator/JeffDaniels and consider the film a worthy sequel to the original (and the Farrely Brothers' best film since ''Film/TheresSomethingAboutMary'').
* While ''Film/TheEqualizer'' clung to a "fresh" Rotten Tomatoes rating at a 60%, ''Film/TheEqualizer2'' ended up rotten at 50% [[note]]Though the average rating out of 10 differed by only a tenth of a percent, from 5.7/10 to 5.6/10[[/note]] with criticisms aimed at the film's bloated runtime, muddled script and overall lack of entertainment. Despite this, some action movie fans have been much kinder, with some fans of the first movie considering this to be an EvenBetterSequel.
* ''Film/EscapeFromLA'', the first and only sequel to ''Film/EscapeFromNewYork'', is often seen as this. Some people think [[{{Sequelitis}} the movie's a piece of garbage]], others think it's just as good as ''Escape From New York'', and still others actually [[EvenBetterSequel think it's]] '''[[EvenBetterSequel better]]''' (Rumor has it that last camp includes Creator/JohnCarpenter himself).
* ''Film/TheExpendables3''. It has its moments but, due to its PG-13 rating, new characters not fitting the casting aesthetic ([[MetaCasting young actors without the same credentials as the veterans]]) taking up screen time, and that the movie made #4 at the box office on its opening weekend, it's seen as a misstep in the series. Stallone acknowledged this, and says the fourth movie should WinBackTheCrowd.
* ''Film/FinalDestination2'' is a very different film from both the original ''Film/FinalDestination'' and ''Film/FinalDestination3''. It has a largely adult cast (rather than the teenaged protagonists of the other two films), has a greater emphasis on comedy and treats the visions rather differently. It also had a different director and writer. Generally fans of the series either dislike it or feel it is their favorite of the lot. Unlike the first film, ''Final Destination 2'''s methods of killing off the players were at least plausible, especially compared to the killer shower head in the first movie. This alone reduced the cheesiness of an otherwise interesting concept in some viewer's minds.
* ''Film/Firestarter2Rekindled'' is a sequel to the 1984 movie ''Film/{{Firestarter}}''. The first movie was a decent portrayal of the Creator/StephenKing [[Literature/{{Firestarter}} book]] it was based on. The sequel was made by people who didn't even pretend to have read the book (or seen the original movie, for that matter). This included having the BigBad be the same in both movies even though [[spoiler: he was killed in the first one.]] On the other hand, ''Firestarter 2'' has special effects that a movie made in the 80s could not.
* Virtually no one regards ''Film/TheFlyII'' as equal to [[Film/TheFly1986 its predecessor]], but the responses to it are easily split into two camps: One finds it an interesting continuation that uses its SpinOffspring protagonist to significantly open up its world and tell a different kind of story as he turns against those who have imprisoned, exploited, and lied to him from childhood, with large-scale action sequences and a plethora of gory deaths along the way. The other finds it to be, especially after its opening childhood stretch, a dumbed-down GenerationXerox retread of the first film (particularly where its romantic subplot is concerned) with generic characters compared to the richly drawn leads of the original.
* ''Franchise/FridayThe13th'':
** ''Film/FridayThe13thPartVANewBeginning'' was often considered one of the series' low points for being a trashy attempt at reinvention. [[VindicatedByHistory And then it started earning defenders]] [[CriticalBacklash who didn't find it so bad]], appreciating its sleazier feel and attempt to return to the mystery killer aspect of the first film.
** ''Film/FridayThe13thPartVIITheNewBlood'' is either the last good one (the introduction of Creator/KaneHodder as Jason, an interesting opponent to him in Tina, and their final fight at the end), or the very start of the downfall for the series (the plot retreads ''Part IV'', there are too many {{Asshole Victim}}s, excessive censorship gutted the violent scenes).
** ''Film/JasonX'', for being ''Friday the 13th'' [[RecycledInSpace IN SPACE!]], is either SoBadItsGood for embracing a ridiculous premise, or a horrid mess that took away any serious scares for self-indulgent {{camp}}.
* Some viewers believe that ''Film/Grease2'' is superior to the original, despite clearly being an attempt to mimic every little detail about the original with a new cast. (Likewise, there is a small group of fans who love ''Film/ShockTreatment'', but dislike ''Film/TheRockyHorrorPictureShow''.)
* ''Film/GIJoeRetaliation'' is either what a real ''Franchise/GIJoe'' movie should be, or not taking effort to improve (or match) [[Film/GIJoeTheRiseOfCobra its predecessor]].
* ''Franchise/{{Ghostbusters}}'':
** Although ''Film/GhostbustersII'' is said to be inferior to the first, with many accusing it of being a rehash that doesn't bring much of anything new to the table, it still has some fans who argue that even so, it doesn't really represent a drop in quality from the first, and it gives some characters who were previously in side-roles more focus and material.
** ''Film/Ghostbusters2016'' is either a fun, campy action flick, a cheesy, cash-grabbing reboot, or anything in between. In particular, the contention that they only swapped the genders of the main cast to profit off the controversy (and, in turn, the belief that liking/hating it makes you a feminist/sexist, regardless of the film's actual merits), as well as the [[spoiler:murder of Creator/BillMurray's character]] which some fans saw as a metaphorical middle finger to the original franchise, did not win the film any favors. Most fans will agree that ''Film/Ghostbusters1984'' is the best of the three, while ''II'' and ''2016'' fight for 2nd and 3rd place.
* ''Film/TheGodfatherPartIII'', released in 1990, is one of the prime examples of a contested sequel, especially one that was nominated for seven Academy Awards. Not only was it made more than 15 years after the previous installment, but it also suffered from Robert Duvall's absence and the casting of Creator/SofiaCoppola as Mary Corleone. Sofia's acting abilities were criticized (in subsequent years she would ironically prove more competent as a director in her own right), so her casting in such a pivotal role was perceived as nepotism on Creator/FrancisFordCoppola's part.[[note]]She wasn't Coppola's first choice though, only taking the role after Creator/WinonaRyder dropped out.[[/note]] Although Michael Corleone remains irredeemable at the end of Part III, his attempt to atone for his sins in this movie can also appear to make him more likable than he should be. A good deal of the problems with this movie come from seeing it as the final part of a trilogy, rather than the distant sequel it was intended to be (the film was originally titled ''The Death of Michael Corleone'' but was changed by ExecutiveMeddling, and Francis Ford Coppola has referred to the Godfather series as "two films and an epilogue").
* The various sequels to the ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'' franchise fall under this trope. Fans who complained that the American 1998 ''Film/{{Godzilla|1998}}'' movie was too different are also now complaining that the later Japanese films are too predictable due to Toho "not willing to take any risks." And then came ''Film/GodzillaFinalWars,'' which was neither predictable nor unrisky... but is absolutely unlike any other ''Godzilla'' film, and thus is a love-it-or-hate it example.
* ''Film/Gremlins2TheNewBatch'' is so radically different in tone to ''Film/{{Gremlins}}'' that there's practically an even split between fans who prefer the manic, live-action cartoon vibe of the sequel (including director Creator/JoeDante) and those who would rather have the darkly comic but largely straight-faced angle of the original. Finding someone with an equally positive opinion of both is fairly rare.
* ''Film/GrumpierOldMen'' is either a decent and funny followup to ''Film/GrumpyOldMen'' or [[ItsTheSameNowItSucks a needless rehash of the aforementioned film that lacks originality.]]
* ''Franchise/{{Halloween}}'':
** ''Film/HalloweenIIISeasonOfTheWitch'': A dull travesty to the series that moronically ditched Michael Myers with an annoying jingle played throughout, or is it an underrated gem with great Halloween atmosphere that should be taken on its own terms and be seen in the context it was intended as changing the franchise into an anthology series? Panned when it first came out, but as time has gone on has gotten a bigger and bigger cult following.
** ''Film/HalloweenTheCurseOfMichaelMyers'': A travesty that not only unceremoniously kills off a popular major character at the start but completely ruins the character of Michael Myers by stripping him of any mystique and tying him to the will of an evil cult, or is it an atmospheric and creative attempt at progressing the franchise that fleshed out the character and mythos in interesting new ways? Largely detested by critics and general audiences, but it has several staunch defenders in the hardcore fanbase. Particular the version of the film called the "Producer's Cut" which was thought to have made it a stronger piece that circulated for a long time in bootleg form before finally being released officially in later years. However, despite this cut giving Donald Pleasance more screen time than in the theatrical cut ([[ExecutiveMeddling which was the result of Dimension wanting to make the now grown-up Tommy Doyle a successor to Dr. Loomis]]), even that cut has been called out for it's notorious third act twist of [[spoiler: Michael being the father of Jamie Lloyd's baby and the final scene putting the Thorn tattoo on Loomis' hand, presumably forcing him into being the new cult leader for potential future sequels (despite Donald Pleasance's poor health during production and subsequent death)]].
** ''Film/HalloweenH20TwentyYearsLater'': Just a mainstream sellout with a glossy Lifetime channel look and few effective scares, or is it one of the very best of the series that got back to the series' more simple roots, provides a strong characterization and arc for returning series veteran Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode that also allowed for satisfactory closure to the series. Well...[[Film/HalloweenResurrection at least for a while.]] It actually did get the best reviews, mixed as the consensus wound up being, of the ''Halloween'' sequels from critics (again, also [[Film/Halloween2018 for a while]]) and easily did the best at the box office. Still, a sizable and rather vocal contingent of hardcore fans persist it wasn't the right course of action and hate that it disregarded the last several films in terms of continuity.
* ''Film/HarryPotter'':
** There's considerable disagreement among fans about whether the first two movies' (''[[Film/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone Philosopher's Stone]]'' and ''[[Film/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets Chamber of Secrets]]'') faithfulness to [[Literature/HarryPotter the books]] is their greatest strength or their greatest weakness. People in the first camp are likely to view ''[[Film/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban Prisoner of Azkaban]]'' as a horrific plot hole-filled mess, while people in the second camp are likely to see it as when the movies finally started to get it right.
** There really is very little common ground at all when it comes to fans' opinions of the ''Harry Potter'' films. Ask a group of fans to rate the films in order and it's almost certain every film will end up on the top and bottom of someone's list. Even fans that broadly agree tend to still disagree. Fans that prefer the post-Columbus films will argue about which one is best, and Creator/DavidYates fans can't agree on if ''Order of the Phoenix'' or ''Half-Blood Prince'' is best, and some will rank one top and one bottom.
** While the franchise's continuation with ''Film/FantasticBeastsAndWhereToFindThem'' had a mostly positive reception, that movie's sequel ''Film/FantasticBeastsTheCrimesOfGrindelwald'' ended up splitting the fanbase heavily: either it's as fun as the original, or a huge step down due to an overstuffed script with some twists that might be considered [[ContinuitySnarl contradictory to existing lore]].
* ''Franchise/{{Highlander}}'' has this in spades. Any film after [[Film/{{Highlander}} the first]] is contested, with many recognizing only the first and [[Series/{{Highlander}} the TV series]]. Aside from your occasional maverick that will defend ''[[Film/HighlanderIITheQuickening Highlander II: The Renegade Cut]]'', it seems to largely come down to which is the better sequel between ''Film/HighlanderIIITheSorcerer'' and ''Film/HighlanderEndgame''. Generally a fan picking one or the other, if they decide to choose ANY ''Highlander'' sequel that is. With what it seeming to come down to for many is whether or not they were in it for Connor [=MacLeod=] himself or if they were a fan of the TV series. Some Connor fans seeing ''Highlander III'' as a passable last hurrah for the hero, in spite of how many see it as little more than a beat-for-beat rehash of the first movie with little ingenuity. Fans of the series will generally prefer ''Endgame'' as an admirable attempt to merge the series and the original film that works alright as a capstone to the series, whilst other fans felt left cold by its greater emphasis on the TV characters and some even accusing the film of damaging Connor as a character or just not liking the fact that he was killed off. That being said, hardly anyone will argue that either film is any kind of masterpiece that can rival the original.
* ''Film/HomeAlone3''. Some hate it due to the different characters and further straining suspension of disbelief (a young boy defeats four ''spies'' with Rube Goldberg-style traps?!), while others (like Creator/RogerEbert) actually like it better than the previous two for reasons like better traps and a more plausible reason for being home alone (being sick from school rather than being mistakenly left behind while his family is on vacation at some point).
* ''Film/IndependenceDayResurgence''. It's either a good movie with its moments that can hold out on its own, or it just doesn't live up to its predecessor.
* ''Franchise/IndianaJones'':
** ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheKingdomOfTheCrystalSkull'' is this on multiple counts:
*** Is the fact that Indy is now old [[spoiler:and Shia [=LaBeouf=]'s daddy]] tainting your beloved childhood memories? Does the revelation that the antagonists are actually [[spoiler: aliens... sort of]] go against the spirit of the series? Or do you disagree with all that and think it's fun?
*** It's worth noting that [[spoiler:while the original Indiana Jones were based on adventure serials from the 20s and 30s which were liable to feature temples and ancient gods, the 4th movie was intentionally based on 50s films, which were liable to feature communists and aliens. Given that it was released decades after the first movies and the timeframe changed to match, this idea may more sense than you might initially think.]]
*** A main complaint was that [[spoiler:the film broke people's WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief with a nuclear-powered sledgehammer far too early on, instead of easing people into the Nazi-face-melting like the earlier films did]].
*** The abundance of CGI shots (the very first shot is a CGI ''molehill'') didn't go over well either. Things like armies of killer ants and gigantic temples were forgivable, but many other cases just felt out-of-place in an Indy movie.
** Long before that, ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom'' also divided fans: a successful variation on the Indy concept, or just [[DarkerAndEdgier too dark]] and {{squick}}y to be enjoyable?
** On a more positive note, while ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade'' is generally held to be a good movie, some fans even rate it higher than ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk'' for its more character-driven story and the strength of Harrison Ford's and Sean Connery's performances as Indy and his estranged father. It helps that a number of lines from this movie have become memes.
* ''Film/InspectorGadget2'' was critically panned like its [[Film/InspectorGadget1999 predecessor]], but viewers are divided. Some like it for being more faithful to the original cartoon than the first film (Gadget and Claw are no longer referred to by their civilian names from the first film, Gadget is more bumbling with Penny having to essentially do his job for him and Claw speaks with a gravelly voice and hides his face under a hat.) and others hate it for those same reasons along with its recasting of every character except the Gadgetmobile and weaker special effects. Then there are those who hate it, but still think it's better than the first film.
* ''Film/JamesBond'':
** ''Film/OnHerMajestysSecretService'' is perhaps one of if not the most polarizing of Bond films. Often appearing on both "Best of" and "Worst of" Bond film lists. Whilst its contemporary reviews were quite scathing, with the following film being envisioned as a "back to formula" film to try and WinBackTheCrowd by doing things including bringing back Connery no matter the cost, it's been getting stronger reviews over time. To some it is a boring follow-up to Connery's films, with the biggest criticism going to the performance of the one time Bond Creator/GeorgeLazenby who is often said to be the worst of the lot and wooden in his performance. To others however, it was a well done stripped-down back to basics sort of film that is often applauded for its level of faithfulness to Ian Fleming's novel, especially in comparison to most other Bond films, as well as having a strong emotional core in its story with the relationship between Bond and his ill-fated wife Countess Tracy di Vicenzo. Though Lazenby's performance itself remains a point of contention even among the film's supporters. Some feeling that he is the one glaring weakness that holds it back and claim that it would have been stronger had Sean Connery reprised the role, whilst others will tell you he was more faithful to the Bond of the books and brought a more human touch to the character as well as bringing a great physicality to it.
** ''Film/DiamondsAreForever'' was that film meant to WinBackTheCrowd and has had a mixed reception since release though nowadays its critical reception leans towards positive. Among fans it's really divisive. Creator/SeanConnery coming back is seen as a plus, but others would say he's just phoning it in. Whilst some can appreciate the more over-the-top/campy approach, that foreshadowed what would come with the next actor, many others don't. Ironically a major point of contention now is how it seems to only pay lip-service to the pervious film at the start with Bond seemingly on the warpath for vengeance against Blofeld for unstated reasons, but largely seems to ignore it. Which hurts it for some, especially now that ''On Her Majesty's Secret Service'' has been getting better respected with time.
** The Creator/RogerMoore Movies. Either silly romps that embraced the goofy nature of the Bond concept or cartoonishly overblown betrayals of the suave Connery era that ruined the character's credit.
** ''Film/NeverSayNeverAgain'' is this to the extreme that a good number of Bond fans refuse to acknowledge it as a true James Bond film, due to it not being produced by EON and lacking many of the series' trademarks (BondGunBarrel, Maurice Binder style credits sequence, Music/JohnBarry score), presenting portrayals of regular characters (M, Q, Moneypenny) quite different to the EON ones and not played by the same actors, and being an inferior rehash of ''Film/{{Thunderball}}''. Other fans appreciate it for having Sean Connery back in the role in remarkable form and seemingly enjoying being there this time around unlike [[Film/DiamondsAreForever his previous attempt]], having enjoyable villains in Largo and Fatima Blush, and being better paced and more focused than ''Thunderball''.
** The Creator/TimothyDalton Movies. Either solid darker returns to the original Ian Fleming ideal of what Bond should be that were canned too early or cheap 80s crime show knock-offs that were limited to two films for a reason.
** The Creator/DanielCraig movies. Either one loves the return to the series' roots, or wants every old cliché back, though there are those who like the older films too. (to the point ''Film/{{Skyfall}}'' became the series' biggest hit for [[{{Reconstruction}} "bridging" both old and new]], while things didn't go so well for ''Film/QuantumOfSolace'', which went too far from Bond, and ''Film/{{Spectre}}'', which was indecisive).
* ''Franchise/JurassicPark''
** There is an ever on-gong internet debate raging between whether ''Film/TheLostWorldJurassicPark'' or ''Film/JurassicParkIII'' is the better sequel. While neither is considered a great movie or as good as the original ''Film/JurassicPark'', both have been given points in terms of their action sequences and special effects. ''The Lost World'' is either a bloated, sluggishly paced, and overly-preachy follow-up, or a worthy enough sequel that ambitiously and organically expands on the story/scope of the original film. ''Jurassic Park III'' is either an uninspired and silly follow-up with too thin of a story, or a fun "roller coaster ride" that benefits from a back-to-basics approach. Each film's veteran leading man from the original film, Creator/JeffGoldblum in ''The Lost World'' and Creator/SamNeill in ''Jurassic Park III'', are also used as points of praise to their respective movies.
** Then came ''Film/JurassicWorld'', which is either a SurprisinglyImprovedSequel who is second to only the original, or an overly dumb feature that shows a franchise out of ideas.
** ''Film/JurassicWorldFallenKingdom'' is either praised for changing the status quo and offering a unique GothicHorror vibe or is criticized for having underdeveloped subplots, taking too many scientific liberties, and [[ItsTheSameSoItSucks just feeling like a barely-altered rehash of]] ''The Lost World'' in the eyes of some. The only thing anyone can agree on is that the [[PsychoPrototype Indoraptor]] is a pretty cool hybrid dinosaur who has a unique design and a memorable personality (in contrast to the BaseBreakingCharacter status of its predecessor ''Indominus rex'').
* There's some debate over whether ''Film/TheKissingBooth2'' is better, worse or on par with the [[Film/TheKissingBooth first movie]]. Some people like that it [[AuthorsSavingThrow removes the more problematic elements]] of the first film, particularly Noah's aggresive and controlling behavior, while others criticize the sequel for having a [[{{Padding}} bloated run-time]] and Elle coming off as UnintentionallyUnsympathetic.
* Whilst the first two ''Film/LethalWeapon'' movies are by and large considered buddy-cop/action classics, ''Film/LethalWeapon3'' and ''Film/LethalWeapon4'' [[BrokenBase are much more divisive]]. To some they are installments that have reached the point of self-parody in terms of their level of goofiness with things like the continued presence and pushing into center stage of the Leo Getz character as well as not having as strong of scripts after the departure of Creator/ShaneBlack. Whilst to others they while not as good as the first two are solid entries that continue to show off the great chemistry between its leads, match if not up the ante in at least some of the action scenes, and rounds off the story-arcs of its characters well. Particularly Riggs who finishes his progression from a crazed suicidal man to a more down to earth and at peace guy who can move on with his life and allow himself to be happy.
* ''Life During Wartime'' is either seen as a worthy sequel to ''Happiness'' or a complete disaster of a follow-up with none of the original's actors returning, with no middle ground.
* ''Film/MadMaxBeyondThunderdome'' whilst getting generally positive reviews from critics is starkly divisive among fans. It is generally either considered too much of a toned down sell-out or a worthy though not quite as strong successor to its preceding films that at least successfully enough both expanded the world and progressed the character of Max Rockatansky.
* Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse:
** Although ''Film/IronMan1'' is hailed as one of the strongest films in the entire universe, ''Film/IronMan2'' and ''Film/IronMan3'' are both contested. ''2'' was plagued with too many subplots compared to the rather simple original and had another villain that was "Iron Man, but evil", and the [[spoiler:reveal that the Mandarin was not the comic character many were expecting]] in ''3'' often send them to rather low rankings; however, both films have their defenders.
** The fans of Creator/EdwardNorton in ''Film/TheIncredibleHulk2008'' will complain about his replacement by Creator/MarkRuffalo beginning in ''Film/TheAvengers2012'', claiming that Norton was the better Banner and that the recasting of one of the six original Avengers was a poor move [[note]]Recasting had happened before - Creator/DonCheadle took over the role of [=Col. Rhodes/War Machine=] starting in ''Iron Man 2''[[/note]]. Given the relative unpopularity of the film with fans (most casual observers won't even realize it was a part of the [=MCU=] to begin with, despite multiple characters crossing between them), Ruffalo is generally seen as the superior Hulk.
** ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'' was considered a disappointment by many fans who found Ultron too quippy and the Hulk-Black Widow subplot unrealistic and uncharismatic. The largest criticism was that, despite the heroes trying to mitigate damage and death even more than ''The Avengers'', the total damage was far larger than the original (property damage to Manhattan vs. the complete destruction of a small Eastern European country). Again, there are fans who see it as a worthy successor to the original.
** ''Film/DoctorStrange2016'': Trippy visual masterpiece with cinematography and fight choreography like nothing seen before in a Marvel movie? Or ''Iron Man'' with magic? Fans will argue both sides.
* ''Film/TheMatrixReloaded'' and ''Film/TheMatrixRevolutions'' are both for the most part considered lesser to the original film. But there is often disagreement and debate over whether or not they are sub-par follow-ups that turned the story into a convoluted and incoherent mess that relied too much on special effects or if they were actually solid sequels that satisfactorily complete the trilogy by doing things like interestingly expand the mythology, creatively subvert certain tropes, and up the ante in terms of their action sequences.
* On a similar note ''Film/MenInBlack2'' is rather divisive for being a formulaic follow-up. Some don't like it for that and doing things like pulling back in Agent K, whilst others find it to be a serviceable enough sequel that benefitted from reuniting the buddy duo from the original. The major consensus regardless however, is that it is inferior to the original.
* ''Film/TheMummyReturns'' overall has gotten a quite divided reception. Most agreeing that it was a step down from the first film. However, the disagreement is to what degree. There are those who find it to be an overloaded sequel that relied too much on CGI, and some criticizing a perceived lightening in tone including the introduction of a kid as a leading character. And then there are others who find it to be a satisfactory follow-up that successfully expands upon the scale and mythos, as well as matching if not upping the ante in the action department. Less contested is the reception of the third film ''Film/TheMummyTombOfTheDragonEmperor'' which leans more towards the negative direction but appears to have its defenders. At least if stuff like the 5.2/10 rating on IMDB is something to go by.
* ''Franchise/ANightmareOnElmStreet'':
** ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreetPart2FreddysRevenge'': A rushed cash grab of a sequel that missed the original point of Freddy's MO and is filled with both hilarious failed attempts at horror and laughable homoerotic imagery and overtones, or is it actually one of the better sequels that tried something different and managed to maintain a really dark, ferocious, and truly terrifying Freddy Krueger? It was largely panned when it first came out, but over time has been getting a bigger and bigger cult following.
** ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet4TheDreamMaster'': The film where it all went downhill by going even further to make Freddy comical to the point that he is little more than a one-liner spewing joke on top of unceremoniously killing off the leads of the more popular previous installment or is it a well directed fun, creative, and flashy entry that knows what it is and embraces it with one or two good scares along the way and an above average slasher sequel heroine? It actually did okay with critics, polarizing reviews for a slasher sequel qualifies as such, and seems to be enjoyed by many fans whilst others see it as the beginning of the end or the end itself.
* ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'':
** The first two sequels, ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanDeadMansChest'' and ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanAtWorldsEnd''. Many praised them for their great special effects and actors doing a great job, while others thought they were too fantasy-like instead of a standard action adventure. ''At World's End'' caught extra flack for its confusing storyline, as well as the way they [[DroppedABridgeOnHim dispatched the Kraken]].
** The fourth film, ''[[Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanOnStrangerTides On Stranger Tides]]'', has the series showing shades of FranchiseZombie, especially with how it killed off [[spoiler:regular supporting characters Pintel and Ragetti, Marty, Cotton, and Cotton's parrot]] with a few lines of dialogue from Barbossa and [[spoiler:stuck the Black Pearl in a bottle]]. However, many people also loved the film for its more realistic tone and simpler storyline, and considered it a return to the series roots.
** And then ''[[Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanDeadMenTellNoTales Dead Men Tell No Tales]]'' showed up. Some have panned it as the worst, for being out of fresh story ideas and for continuity errors with previous installments. Others believe it is not so bad, and that it actually does have some creative elements, and also like how it returned to the story-arcs of the original trilogy.
* All the ''Franchise/{{Predator}}'' sequels faced this. Everyone has a favorite out of ''Film/Predator2'', ''Film/{{Predators}}'' or ''Film/ThePredator'', and hardly anyone likes all three the same.
* ''Film/RamboFirstBloodPartII'' and even more so ''Film/{{Rambo III}}''. There are those who don't like either of them for going into a more over-the-top action hero route in comparison to the more grounded and intimate original ''Film/FirstBlood'' and there are those who enjoy one or both of them as well-crafted action films that successfully up the ante. ''Film/RamboIV'' is even worse in being divisive, as not only it goes the brainless action route but is BloodierAndGorier. Then comes ''Film/RamboLastBlood'', which is either [[EvenBetterSequel a satisfying and action-packed killfest that serves as a great finale]] to the ''Rambo'' franchise, [[SoOkayItsAverage an entertaining film]] [[ToughActToFollow but not as good]] as the last movie nor the great sendoff that a legend like John Rambo deserved, or [[{{Sequelitis}} a terrible movie that lacks character and substance]] [[FanonDiscontinuity and should have ended with the last film]]. Fans are also [[BrokenBase divided]] on whether the film's similarities to ''Film/{{Taken}}'', ''Film/HomeAlone'', and ''Film/ManOnFire'' are a good or bad thing.
* While nearly all fans agree that ''Film/RoboCop2'' is not nearly as good as the first ''Film/RoboCop1987'', many argue that it is a flawed, yet entertaining sequel. Others express little but disdain for it, as many do for ''Film/RoboCop3'' which is perceived as a straight case of {{Sequelitis}}.
* ''Franchise/{{Rocky}}'' has two big cases, which adequately are directly tied to each other. ''Film/RockyIV'' is either filled with NarmCharm heightened by the emotional story of Rocky avenging Apollo's death at Ivan Drago's hands, and the training montages and soundtrack, or shameful for taking an understated series and making it borderline cartoonish, specially with the jingoism in basically doing the Cold War in a boxing ring. ''Film/CreedII'', which is also ''Rocky IV Part II'' for bringing in Drago's son to face Apollo's own, is either a worthy follow-up to ''Film/{{Creed}}'' that even developed [[GenericDoomsdayVillain the fairly generic]] Ivan, or a step too reliant on retreading the usual tropes of past Rocky films.
* ''Film/SawIII''. It amps up the gore and the {{Squick}} considerably from the first two, to levels that are not seen elsewhere in the ''Franchise/{{Saw}}'' series. There is much debate over whether or not this is a good thing. ''Much'' debate. It didn't stop there. Even after ''Saw III'', ''four'' more sequels were made, all of which contain more horrific imagery that either drove fans away or gained more {{Nightmare Fetishist}}s. Some people still love the series from start to finish, while others [[FanonDisContinuity immediately stopped watching]] after the third film, for obvious reasons.
* The sequels in the ''Film/ScaryMovie'' series are very contested. You can hear nearly every type of opinion on the sequels, as well as on the original movie. Some say that the first two installments in the series directed by the Wayans Brothers are leagues better than the third and fourth installments, while others like the Zucker-style sequels better. Though you'll be hard-pressed to find anyone who likes [[{{Sequelitis}} the fifth film]].
* The ''Film/{{Scream}}'' trilogy has been quite contested as well. None of the fans seem to agree on which movie was the best or the worst. Some say that the third was the weakest of the series. Others say it was an improvement over the second, but both pale in comparison to the first. Then there are some who say that the second was better than the first, and so on and so forth... and whether the fourth gets the series back into shape or falls flat is also disputed.
* ''Film/SpaceJamANewLegacy'' is either a SurprisinglyImprovedSequel for fixing flaws from the original (giving more purpose for the characters and offering better acting from the human leads) or a step down for drowning what worked in the original with excessive SequelEscalation (biggest ones being appearances of every property owned by Warner Bros instead of just Westernanimation/LooneyTunes, and replacing regular basketball with a video game filled with PinballScoring and such).
* ''Franchise/SpiderMan'':
** ''Film/SpiderMan3'' was a highly-anticipated sequel riding off the wave of critical and commercial acclaim its [[Film/SpiderMan1 previous]] [[Film/SpiderMan2 films]] had garnered, and was the highest-grossing of the three films when it was released (a position it held until 2019 when it was outgrossed by ''Film/SpiderManFarFromHome''). However, critical response was evenly split between general audiences who enjoyed the story and the new characters, and comic book fans (and some long-time fans of the films) who felt that the third film was a betrayal of all the plot threads that had been set up in the prior two films. It didn't help that ''3'' was subject to ComicBook/{{Venom}}, who wound up getting the short shift in terms of screen time. There is very little middle ground when it comes to opinion on the film. With the dust having died down, the general consensus is that it is the weakest of Raimi's trilogy, but there's still debate over whether or not it's a bad movie on it's own.
** Whilst the first ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan'' movie was not without its debates, its sequel ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan2'' had it even more so. Some fans will tell you that it is the worst ''Spider-Man'' film to date that is a bloated mess, has a "hipster" Peter Parker, and is nothing but a cashgrab by Sony. Other will tell you that it, often along with its predecessor, is the most reverent silver screen representation of the character to date with showing things like Spider-Man in all his joke-spewing glory in action scenes and will also cite the strong chemistry and relationship between him and Gwen Stacy's character that serves as the beating heart of the film. Still [[TakeAThirdOption other fans]] and most critics feel that it is [[SoOkayItsAverage neither the best nor worst iteration of the character]].
* Due to the fickle nature of its respective fanbase, the ''Franchise/StarTrek'' films have had to deal with this. Most fans tend to agree that ''Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan'' and ''Film/StarTrekFirstContact'' are the best TOS and ''Next Generation'' films, respectively, and the [[StarTrekMovieCurse even-numbered movies are good]], but anything besides that (barring ''Film/StarTrekVTheFinalFrontier'') tends to become this:
** ''Film/StarTrekIIITheSearchForSpock''. Successfully-executed thematic sequel to ''The Wrath Of Khan'', or massively disappointing follow-up to the same?
** ''Film/StarTrekGenerations'': A good transitional film between the "old guard" and the Next Gen crew, or a feature-length episode of the television series that dispenses with the franchise's original defining main character in a [[DroppedABridgeOnHim hamfisted way]]?
** ''Film/StarTrekFirstContact'': A great action film that finally allowed the TNG crew to have a good adventure without the lingering baggage of The Original Series, or a poorly written summer action flick that changed the Borg from a mysterious and unstoppable force of nature into a boring PunchClockVillain?
** ''Film/StarTrekInsurrection'': A fun ride with the TNG crew that was thematically consistent with all things Trek, or a two-hour long episode of the series and (another) poor attempt at a summer action flick?
** ''Film/StarTrekNemesis'': A decent (if not exactly amazing) conclusion for the Next Gen crew, a mediocre episode padded to two hours with a tacked-on character death and inoffensive subplot resolution to imbue false significance, or a botched attempt to remake ''Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan'' rather than create an original plot?
** ''Film/StarTrek2009'' is the highest-grossing in the franchise, and proved to be one of the few rebooted films that received critical and commercial acclaim by using time-travel to change the focus to an alternate-universe version of the original series crew. Yet, there still exists a segment of the fanbase that believes the film [[CanonDefilement destroyed the history of the franchise]] and irrevocably altered the plot lines of future films by having the crew [[EveryoneWentToSchoolTogether attend Starfleet Academy together]].
** There's [[BrokenBase a lot of debate]] amongst the fandom over ''Film/StarTrekIntoDarkness'' borrowing elements from the older Star Trek films, [[spoiler: Khan being the main villain and [[RaceLift now white]] (something that reeived an explanation in ancilliary material), and Kirk's [[DisneyDeath 5-minute death]]]].
** ''Film/StarTrekBeyond'' is either an entertaining sequel which feels more like the old series than the previous two films, or underwhelming and (for hardcore Trekkers) just too action packed to count as ''Star Trek'' in the first place.
* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
** Back in its day ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'' garnered some considerable debate and still does today, over things like whether or not it went into a too kid-oriented direction with things like the Ewoks, making Han too goofy or straight-laced, over rehashing certain plot beats like using another Death Star for the Rebels' central conflict or doing another plot twist revealing an established character as a member of the Skywalker family, rushing the story to its finish, or even making Darth Vader who was considered one of the baddest/coolest bad guys of his era into a sullen servant who ultimately redeems himself. Many others will say that it is just as entertaining as what came before and threads like Vader's redemption holding much emotional resonance. Nowadays opinions are generally positive though there is still a wide range from it being considered a more than worthy companion to the other two films in its trilogy, a solid conclusion but a step down from its predecessors, and some still who will call it an overall disappointment.
** The ''Franchise/StarWars'' prequels. Are they flawed movies with PlotHole-ridden stories, undeveloped characters, flawed dialog, too many CGI effects and a back story that ruined the series' lore? Or are they a great expansion on the mythos that makes the backstory behind the original trilogy even more tragic? In turn, the most debated of these prequels was ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'', with many fans finding it to be a SurprisinglyImprovedSequel with better acting, a better story and more emotional impact than the previous two movies. Others hated it and complained a lot about Hayden Christensen's performance as the lead role, Anakin Skywalker. Today the consensus is towards the side of it being a solid movie, even as good as the original trilogy, and the blame for any poor acting performances was placed on the director rather than the actors themselves, but there is a contingent of fans who still dislike it and usually hate all three prequels equally.
** ''Film/TheForceAwakens'' became one within a single weekend of its release. While considered by some a step up from the prequels, the arguments are still raging over whether it's a great return to classic ''Franchise/StarWars'' or if Disney just rehashed ''Film/ANewHope'' and not including enough original material to make it good. Add in the people who are already unhappy with the EU being made non-canon...
** ''Film/RogueOne'': A refreshing change of pace for focusing on MugglesDoItBetter, showing the brutality of the early Rebellion, going GrayAndGrayMorality, and addressing many of Creator/DavidBrin's and Chris Avellone's criticisms of the franchise, or a joyless slog with an underbaked cast of characters, some hamhanded attempts to shoehorn OscarBait tropes into a Star Wars film, and a KillEmAll ending that subverts the whole MugglesDoItBetter concept so that the cast really are nothing more than {{Red Shirt}}s?
** ''Film/TheLastJedi'' is easily the Star Wars episode that fits in this trope the most comfortably. [[BrokenBase To many people The Last Jedi is the best Star Wars film, but to an equal number it’s the worst.]] Most professional critics were pleased with T''he Last Jedi'' addressing the criticisms over the "formulaic" nature of ''The Force Awakens'' by challenging the formula. Fans remain heavily divided on whether or not it succeeded in its objectives. Supporters believe the film to be an EvenBetterSequel to ''Film/TheForceAwakens'', taking the strengths of that film and improving on it with a more original plot, stronger themes, better CharacterDevelopment, excellent performances, beautiful visuals, and expansion of the universe. Detractors feel it's weighed down by pacing issues, a bleak tone, excessive political overtones, overuse of trope subversion, abandonment of plot points established in ''The Force Awakens'', and poor handling of Finn and Poe's respective subplots. The direction of Luke Skywalker's character has also been extremely controversial, with some feeling Luke's actions in the film are out of character and the movie did a disservice to the original hero of ''Star Wars'', while others believe the nuanced take is perfectly in line with Luke’s characterization from the Original Trilogy and fits well with the movie's theme of overcoming failure.
** ''Film/TheRiseOfSkywalker'' suffered a lot with this, specially in trying to address all the disliked things in ''The Last Jedi'': those who disliked that movie liked the retcons, those who liked it were negative to discarding elements to appease the haters. There were also clear attempts at compromise made in order to satisfy the warring factions of the fanbase, to varying degrees of success. Otherwise, it's either a [[PanderingToTheBase fan-pleasing]] closure, or an [[ClicheStorm uncreative]] and [[AssPull at times nonsensical]] mess.
* ''Film/Ted2'' has both fans who approved of the funny shout outs, subtle comedy and likeable LoveInterest, and dissers who disliked the RandomEventsPlot that discarded all character development from the original, as well as focusing too much on Ted himself.
* ''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'': (see also 'WesternAnimation/{{TMNT}}'' in the animated films folder)
** Whilst the original film is largely lauded by fans and the third despised, ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesIITheSecretOfTheOoze'' gets a much more polarizing response. There are those that consider it a fun, if goofier, sequel that expanded the mythos well whilst others dislike it for the fact that it is toned down in areas, such as how the Turtles notably no longer really use their weapons or swear, from the darker original that is considered to have done a better job at remaining faithful to the original Mirage comics. Whether for better or for worse, it is often said to be closer to the popular cartoon from the 80's in terms of tone and style. It also can't be denied that ''The Secret of the Ooze'' just rehashes the plot of the original (Shredder hates the Turtles and tries to kill them) but gives the Turtles a (less-than-satisfying) origin story and makes things DenserAndWackier.
** ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesOutOfTheShadows'': an actual good movie that by PanderingToTheBase does what [[Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2014 its predecessor]] couldn't and actually feel like a genuine TMNT adaptation, or a still terrible movie that wastes many fan favorite characters?
* ''Franchise/{{Terminator}}'':
** ''Film/Terminator3RiseOfTheMachines'' is a very contested sequel, to the point that "OnlyTheCreatorDoesItRight" is often invoked. A major point of contention is how the film contradicts the underlying message of the previous movie - "[[ScrewDestiny There is no fate but what we make for ourselves]]" - but it also had many plot developments that changed the nature of the series, such as [[spoiler:Sarah having [[DroppedABridgeOnHer died of cancer]]]], Brewster being behind Skynet all along, and the titular rise of the machines. In fact, these developments were responsible for ''Terminator 3'' being completely ignored by the TV series ''Series/TerminatorTheSarahConnorChronicles'' (although ''Film/TerminatorSalvation'' follows the events of ''T3''). Despite all the criticisms, Arnold's performance and the action sequences are widely praised.
** ''Film/TerminatorSalvation''. While generally not considered up to the standards of the [[Film/TheTerminator first film]] and ''definitely'' not as well-regarded as [[Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay the second]], the fanbase is split as to whether this is a SurprisinglyImprovedSequel to [[Film/Terminator3RiseOfTheMachines the third film]], whether that film was at least trying to be significant while this one comes across as largely inconsequential, or whether the third film ''and'' this film [[FanonDiscontinuity should both be buried in a deep, dark vault and never spoken of again]]. In the same way, some fans loved it for its thematic departure from the previous installments, while other fans hated it for exactly the same reason. The release of the [[Film/TerminatorGenisys fifth film]] only muddled the waters further, and it's not uncommon to find bitter arguments over which of them is ''worse.''
** ''Film/TerminatorGenisys'' acts as a part sequel/part reboot, with an AlternateTimeline created through time travel. Some people were unhappy with the storyline from the previous films being discarded, while some felt it gave the film more room to do its own thing. Critics and fans complained that [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks too much was changed]] (throws the mythology out the window and has old characters portrayed in a way different manner) and/or that [[ItsTheSameNowItSucks too much was the same]] (has many a ContinuityNod and enough familiar elements to feel like a retread). Others just like that ''Genisys'' attempted something different and fulfilled the RuleOfFun.
** ''Film/TerminatorDarkFate'' [[{{Unreboot}} ignores the previous three sequels]] and brings back creator James Cameron as writer and producer. While the film received better reviews than the previous films, it still proved incredibly controversial with the fanbase, for many of the same reasons as ''T3'' and ''Genisys''. Like the previous sequels, ''Dark Fate'' [[ItsTheSameSoItSucks retreads certain plot points from the first two films]], has a HappyEndingOverride for ''Terminator 2'' [[spoiler:by suddenly killing off a main character]], and completely drops the ScrewDestiny message of that film and instead pushes a YouCantFightFate message by once again declaring that Judgement Day is inevitable.
* ''Film/TheThing2011''. A well-written film with surprising attention to detail that does a really good job paying homage to [[Film/TheThing1982 Carpenter's film]] while being something different? A great prequel that does a good job connecting to the Carpenter film, a cheesy monster film? A cheesy generic monster movie that fails to capture everything of the Carpenter film? A thinly-veiled remake of the Carpenter film?
* As you might expect from follow-ups to an already divisive [[Film/{{Transformers}} first entry]], the ''Transformers'' films have this ''big time'', particularly with the [[Film/TransformersDarkOfTheMoon third]] and [[Film/TransformersAgeOfExtinction fourth]] installments. Though the [[Film/TransformersRevengeOfTheFallen second movie]] is widely agreed to be a [[{{Sequelitis}} step backward]] and [[Film/TransformersTheLastKnight the fifth]] manages to be even worse, '' Dark of the Moon'' and ''Age of Extinction'' really have no popular consensus. Much like the ''Franchise/{{Terminator}}'' movies, however, critics preferred the third but fans favored the fourth.
* ''Film/TwentyEightDaysLater'' is widely considered to be one of the greatest zombie horror movies of all time. Its sequel ''Film/TwentyEightWeeksLater'', despite receiving pretty good reviews, [[DarkerAndEdgier was also a much darker film]] that [[ShootTheShaggyDog ended on a miserable note,]] [[spoiler:killing all of the main characters and having the virus spreading to the mainland.]] Fans of the original movie, which ended hopefully, were ''not'' pleased, and a third film has been trapped in DevelopmentHell for years.
* ''Film/TwoThousandTenTheYearWeMakeContact''. Detractors complained that it didn't live up to the [[MindScrew brilliant and unusual film making]] of ''Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey''. Fans argued that it was right not to try, as it never could have succeeded at that, but did work as a more conventional film which actually [[MindScrewdriver answered some of the questions]] in the first movie. Detractors responded by saying they [[TrueArtIsIncomprehensible didn't want those answers]].
* ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'':
** ''Film/XMenTheLastStand'' is either a bad representation of the [[ComicBook/TheDarkPhoenixSaga Phoenix Saga]] and a total [[DroppedABridgeOnHim cop-out as far as the role of Cyclops goes]], and being "The Wolverine and Jean Show" and devoid of all other character development... or it is an adequate adaptation of the Phoenix Saga that does away with plot elements that would have been out of place in the established movie canon, and a ''sweet'' action movie in which all hell breaks loose and Wolverine owns the show. Take your pick.
** ''Film/XMenOriginsWolverine'' is equally contested. For many it is a Narm-fest which flies in the face of the other movies' continuity (particularly rewriting a lot of back story from ''Film/{{X2|XMenUnited}}'', the franchise's peak), ruins both ComicBook/{{Gambit}} and ComicBook/{{Deadpool}}, allows a lot of characters to make stupid decisions in the name of advancing the plot, and all for the sake of making another movie centered on Wolverine when the first 3 were essentially his show anyway. For others, the continuity wasn't all that important, Sabretooth was finally given his due with some decent character development, the incorporation of some new mutants was interesting, and the whole thing is a fun action film.
** ''Film/XMenApocalypse'': Many critics and fans debate whether or not it is a worthy successor to its predecessors, with some saying it's very good, some [[SoOkayItsAverage passable]], while others a [[{{Sequelitis}} step backwards]], with some even comparing it to the much maligned ''Film/XMenTheLastStand''.
** ''Film/{{Logan}}'': The issue here isn't one of quality - nearly everyone agrees it's an amazing film. What divides fans is whether or not ''Logan'' should chronologically take place after ''Days of Future Past''. If it does, than the entire franchise is rendered a massive ShootTheShaggyDog story in the eyes of many. And a number of plot points raised in the film [[ContinuitySnarl call the continuity into question]].
** ''Film/Deadpool2''. Nearly everyone likes the movie. But while some find it an EvenBetterSequel, others did not find it as entertaining as the original.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''[[VideoGame/NintendoWars Advance Wars]]'':
** Even if the relative lack of new content made it feel a bit like a MissionPackSequel, the fandom almost unanimously agrees that ''Black Hole Rising'' was a major step up over the original ''Advance Wars'' due to the more balanced gameplay, the more refined enemy AI, and the vastly improved level design. However, opinion is much more split over the third game in the franchise, ''Dual Strike''. Many praised the game for the wealth of new units and game modes, the new dual-front battle system, and the overall faster pace of battles, while its detractors criticized the weak cast of new [=COs=], the almost nonsensical plot, and the overemphasis on gaming the CO Power system to win.
** ''Days of Ruin'' / ''Dark Conflict'' has caused an even greater divide than ''Dual Strike''. While its supporters praise the game for taking a [[DarkerAndEdgier darker, much more serious tone]] in its story and dialing back the importance of CO Powers and bonuses after ''Dual Strike'' took it to extremes (thus bringing the focus of battles back to strategy and planning ahead), its detractors deride it for [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks being so radically different from the rest of the series]] that it comes off less like an actual sequel and more like a knockoff with the ''Advance Wars'' name slapped onto it.
* ''VideoGame/AmnesiaAMachineForPigs'' is praised for its story, improved voice-acting, and sound design, and criticized for its [[ItsShortSoItSucks length]], lack of horror, and removal of many gameplay elements from the [[VideoGame/AmnesiaTheDarkDescent original]].
* Is ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossingNewHorizons'' a huge step forward for the franchise, an entry with improved graphics, new features like the photo studio, allowing changing hair at your will, having a healthy amount of {{ensemble darkhorse}}s among the FunnyAnimal cast, the increased focus on island customisation, with every part of the island under your control (even down to the layout and which villagers will move away), and a larger inventory for your player? Or was it completely ruined by the increased "gamification" of the mechanics, such as [[BreakableWeapons item durability]] on every tool (even the Golden Weapons), the removal of almost ''21 NPC's'' that have appeared in prior games in some capacity, the reimplementation of those [=NPC's=], content and events prior games had as standard via its new "Live Service" model, all at the expense of ''Animal Crossing''[='s=] traditionally laid-back atmosphere, wide variety of content, and interesting/funny villager interactions?
* ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'':
** ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIII'' received its fair amount of praise for its unique direction, naval warfare, and for its [[GrayingMorality portrayal of the antagonists]]. It was also criticised by fans for its glitches, scripted missions, lack of stealth, a poorly written story and a protagonist that wasn't as compelling as the previous one. To an extent, the divided opinions extend to the other games set in the Americas.
** Opinions over ''[[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedUnity Unity]]'' are divided. While it is praised for bringing the series back to its roots and its beautifully realised setting, some fans think this entry reeks of {{Sequelitis}} due to the plethora of bugs, mixed views on Arno, and the cliche ending. The fact that this game followed the highly praised ''[[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIVBlackFlag Black Flag]]'' did not help matters one bit. ''[[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedRogue Rogue]]'' on the other hand, is praised and loved by fans and critics alike.
** ''[[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedRevelations Revelations]]'' was a contested sequel. Some enjoyed playing as an older Ezio, moving on to a new setting in the Ottoman Empire, experiencing flashbacks from Altair's life after the first game, and wrapping up both tales. On the other hand, some considered the story to be boring, had cheap antagonist, removed all the supporting characters we learned to love in ''[[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII II]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedBrotherhood Brotherhood]]'', and some did not even feel that they played as Ezio.
* ''[[VideoGame/BackyardSports Backyard Baseball 2001]]'' and ''Backyard Soccer: MLS Edition''. Some people say that it is better than the original because of the pros and MLB/MLS teams, making a perfect "Dream Team," and others hate it because of those same pros.
* ''VideoGame/BaldursGateIII'' has become this for the series ever since the first demo playthroughs were shown to public. Supporters of the game applaud it for it's excellent "turn-based" combat, use of 5th Edition D&D rules, good world building and amazing graphical representation. Detractors, on the other hand, slam it for abolishing the "real-time with pause" gameplay from the previous games, it's lower party size (four instead of six members), it's somewhat lighter looking atmosphere (which reminds them of the Divinity: Original Sin series) and the (relatively) unlikeable character companions. From these points of contention, the juxtaposition between "turn-based" and "real-time with pause" seems to yield the greatest amount of discussion, nevertheless. Furthermore, there is a (relatively small) group of fans who find that this game should have been called "Divinity: Original Sin 3" (despite it not being set in Rivellon and having nothing to do with previous Divinity games) and who long for a Baldur's III game made by another developer entirely.
* ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie:''
** ''VideoGame/BanjoTooie'': While the core gameplay was virtually unchanged from the original (aside from some new moves for Banjo and Kazooie), the worlds were about triple the size, and each was connected to other worlds in some way, thus necessitating some backtracking in order to get some of the Jiggies. While many fans loved and embraced these changes, other fans of the original preferred the smaller worlds and being able to get all of the Jiggies in one sitting.
** ''Nuts and Bolts''. Some believe that it's a fun resurrection of the franchise, some think it's a good game but not a ''Banjo-Kazooie'' game, and some say that it destroyed any chance of a more traditional ''Banjo-Kazooie'' game being released.
** Its SpiritualSuccessor, ''VideoGame/YookaLaylee'', also gets this treatment. While some say it's a solid collectathon that manages to retain the same kind of charm ''Banjo-Kazooie'' had, others who view the game negatively claim it's inconsistent, retains many of the issues ''Banjo-Tooie'' had, and tries so hard to emulate ''BK'' that it never gets the chance to establish itself as its own franchise.
* ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamSeries'':
** ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamOrigins'', though it's a prequel, still qualifies. The game was made to expand the Arkham franchise beyond Rocksteady studios, and [[ChristmasRushed was rushed]] to the point there were [[GoodBadBugs many bugs upon release]] and the actual gameplay was [[ItsTheSameNowItSucks 90% identical to that of City]] (using mostly modifications of the City resources to build upon). Still, the change in production company and story writers is noticeable. The premise is more bare bones, telling a story that isn't overly convoluted and allows more emphasis on Batman's interaction with both enemies and allies. Many fans consider the story, taken by itself, to be the best of the series, even if the gameplay itself is underwhelming.
** Opinions are varied as to whether or not ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamKnight'' lives up to its predecessors ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamAsylum ''and ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity'' (and to some extent, ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamOrigins''). Some love the enhanced visuals, the expanded combat, the bigger world and find the story to be compelling and a fitting finale to the series. Others, however, find the story to be lacking, criticize the handling (and frequency) of the Batmobile, miss the on-foot boss battles that the series was well known for, and are disappointed of inability to use other characters in challenges. (Which, by now is fixed)
* ''VideoGame/BioShock'':
** ''VideoGame/BioShock2'' is either a neat exploration of the world of Rapture and its lore, or an an unnecessary slapdash redo of the first game with shoehorned multiplayer.
** ''VideoGame/BioShockInfinite'' is this for leaving the ''VideoGame/SystemShock2'' and ''VideoGame/BioShock'' roots, tossing away the ammo scavenging, enemy research, hacking, and different ammo types for a lot more combat. Depending on who you ask, it's either the best game in the series, or worst.
* ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyWorldAtWar'' and ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyModernWarfare2''. It's argued whether the former deserves the merit of being called a sequel despite the change in setting, and it doesn't help that many disliked on the principle it was made by [[OnlyTheCreatorDoesItRight Treyarch instead of Infinity Ward]] or was a UsefulNotes/WorldWarII game. The latter's major complaint is that it went too far into the RuleOfCool, hurting the more realistic impression ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare'' gave. For PC gamers, the major complaint with ''Modern Warfare 2'' was the lack of Dedicated Servers and mod tools.
* ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'':
** ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaIISimonsQuest'' attempted to take the platforming gameplay of its predecessor and build an ActionRPG around it. Its reception was mixed enough that ''[[VideoGame/CastlevaniaIIIDraculasCurse Castlevania III]]'' kept well away from its RPGElements and continuity.
** ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaLordsOfShadow2'': Many people consider the game as inferior to the original game at it takes place in a modern setting that doesn't quite fit with the ''Castlevania'' mythos (although the scenary and atmosphere is still very dark and Castlevania-like), undeveloped characters, and [[spoiler:the final battle with Satan is merely fighting your son possessed by Satan]]. On the other hand, it actually feels much more like a ''Castlevania'' game than its predecessor, playing as Dracula is fun, and it's certainly much darker than the previous game.
* [[FourX 4X games]] are very prone to this, especially the ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}}'' series, which is why the last two ''Civilization'' installments are designed from the start to be easily moddable. That allows fans to do whatever they want, even turn it into a remake of the non-Sid-Meier ''Civilization: Call to Power''.
* ''[[VideoGame/CompanyOfHeroes Company of Heroes 2]]'' and ''VideoGame/TotalWarRomeII'' were both heavily contested sequels due to the DLC commanders, the single player campaign for COH 2 and the poor optimization for ''Total War: Rome II''.
* ''VideoGame/Condemned2Bloodshot'' added a great deal of depth to the melee combat system, sharpened the graphics, and put in much more interesting forensic investigation. You either like it for those, or you dislike it for abandoning the creepy slums and giving the plot a ''ludicrous'' twist.
* ''VideoGame/ChronoCross'' was destined for this by being the only ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' sequel. There are a lot of people who loved the mood of the game, the huge cast of characters, and the plot seemingly delightfully tying [[HappyEndingOverride rather darkly]] into its predecessor in a way that proved interesting and engaging. The other half of the ''Chrono'' fandom hates it for the cast of characters not getting much time to develop aside from a small handful, calling the ties to ''Trigger'' making the whole story a rather dark {{Retcon}}, also calling the plot an epic MindScrew coupled with a GainaxEnding. Most of the fandom agrees that ''Cross'' a good game in its own right, with near-universal praise going to the soundtrack, frequently called one of the best original video game soundtracks ever. But the dispute as to whether ''Cross'' is a good sequel to ''Trigger'' is pure FlameBait.
* In the world of ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquer'', C&C Tiberian Dawn is the only game that isn't a sequel, and is consequently the only game that doesn't qualify. Red Alert is contested for being nothing but a Tiberian Dawn remake (Gameplay wise, at least) C&C Tiberian Sun is contested for being too dark and Science Fiction-y, C&C Red Alert 2 is contested for being too damn cheesy (Oh, and the CanonDiscontinuity) C+ C Generals is contested for being an InNameOnly spin off, C&C Tiberum Wars is contested for its CanonDiscontinuity and its striking resemblance to Generals, and C&C Red Alert 3 is contested for cheesy-ness that reaches outright silly, CanonDiscontinuity, and lots of other stuff. Lastly, ''Tiberian Twilight'' is reviled for its combat system being a significant departure from previous games and being closer to real time tactics than real time strategy. Suffice to say, epic Flamewars have erupted over which games are "good" and which games are "bad." Everyone agrees, however, that ''Sole Survivor'' never happened.
* The first three ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot'' games and ''VideoGame/CrashTeamRacing'' were made by Creator/NaughtyDog. Everything after that is [[BrokenBase hotly contested]]. Some say ''VideoGame/CrashBash'' and ''VideoGame/CrashTwinsanity'' were still good, some say more or all of the games were good, and a very small portion only like the ''Titans''[=/=]''Mutant'' duology.
* ''VideoGame/CytusII''. Fans of it prefer it over the original ''VideoGame/{{Cytus}}'' for its aesthetic, fleshed out story, and increased difficulty, while detractors [[PlayTheGameSkipTheStory find the story to be too in the way]], despise the excessive use of paid DLC, feel that the game resorts to FakeDifficulty for more difficult charts, and the tedious LevelGrinding that one has to do to progress said story and unlock new songs.
* As far as the main ''VideoGame/{{Darius}}'' series goes, ''Dariusburst'' is this to ''G-Darius''. Fans either like it for being less punishing on life losses and encouraging aggressive play with its Burst weapons, others feel that it took a serious hit in the level and boss design departments.
* ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'':
** While some people enjoy ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsII'', finding it even better than the first thanks to its mechanical improvements, some people hate it, criticizing various aspects of its gameplay design, music, storytelling/lore, and visual aesthetic as uninspired, lazy, and poorly thought-out compared to the first game. [[TakeaThirdOption Some people think it is still a pretty fun game, but]] [[ToughActToFollow just doesn't live up to the memorable experience of the first]], even taking Dark Souls 1's flaws into account. There isn't really a consensus.
** ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII'' has been generally well-received, however, there isn't much of a consensus on how the game stacks up to its predecessors. On one hand, gripes about its lack of individuality, combat more reminiscent of ''VideoGame/{{Bloodborne}}'' than the other two Dark Souls games, and [[ContinuityPorn callbacks to Dark Souls]] are common. Praise, on the other hand, for its detailed world, balanced difficulty curve, and [[AwesomeBosses/DarkSouls numerous and varied bossess]] is just as common.
* ''VideoGame/DarksidersII'' was overall well-received, but splits opinions regarding whether it's better than the original or not (those who prefer the first feel it's more polished and has a better story, the sequel camp feel the sheer wealth of content and a more interesting and charismatic protagonist tips in their favor). ''VideoGame/DarksidersIII'', on the other hand, had a more mixed reception, specially as ditching its predecessors' gameplay to instead take elements from ''Dark Souls'' is deemed as either a welcome change of pace or diminishing for dropping out what made ''Darksiders'' stand out in the first place.
* Every ''VideoGame/DawnOfWar'' game that ''is'' a sequel is a ContestedSequel.
** The original game's agreed-upon high water mark is the ''Dark Crusade'' expansion, which featured seven playable races (expanded to nine in the less-well-received ''Soulstorm'' expansion), a RiskStyleMap as its primary single player experience, and emphasis on large armies and building a traditional tech tree. Vehicles and infantry used separate [[ArbitraryHeadcountLimit population caps]], requiring different weapons to counter effectively (for example, heavy machine guns mowed down infantry but did little more than tickle tanks, while rocket launchers kicked infantry around somewhat harmlessly but were very effective against vehicles), and Heroes were powerful units that could attach to squads and were improved by research.
** ''VideoGame/DawnOfWarII,'' by contrast, was a tactical combat game that focused on smaller numbers of smaller squads (for example, a Tactical Marine squad in ''I'' started at 4, could reinforce up 8 and then add a Sergeant for 9, while the same squad in ''II'' started and maxed at 3 with an option to add a Sergeant) and no base building. There were three single player campaigns released, of which two were playable only by Space Marines. ''II'' started out with 4 playable factions, capping out at 7 in the final expansion, ''Retribution.'' The large armies and separate population caps were removed in favor of a simple 1-100 system shared across all units. In place of huge army and economy management, cover, positioning, firing arcs, and ability rotations were the game's core micro skill. Hero units were both expanded and restricted, with each player starting the game with a single hero unit that could be revived if killed and grew more powerful as the game progressed. These two games offered very different experiences, meaning that while there were many fans of both, most players had a distinct favorite.
** Then came ''VideoGame/DawnOfWarIII.'' It tried to split the difference between ''I's'' huge armies and ''II's'' intimate micromanagement and made... [[MasterOfNone something else]]. {{MOBA}} elements were worked into the multiplayer, with the single player being a single linear campaign shared by the game's three races (fewer than in any previous entry, and all whom had been present in the base games of ''I'' and ''II.''). Hero units became the primary micro skill, drawing criticism for the perceived MOBA influences. Vehicles became more like elite units, being less of a unit type to be countered and more of a LightningBruiser to be endured. The game has not fared well and has not seen post-release content in the vein of the expansions for the previous two games.
* ''Videogame/DeadOrAlive'':
** ''DOA 4''. Most competitive players hate the game and blame it for the stigma attached to competitive DOA. On the other hand, the more casual fans love it due to its unique online mode and flashy aesthetics.
** ''DOA 6'', for being TamerAndChaster and BloodierAndGorier.
** For the spin-off ''Xtreme'' series, ''Xtreme 2'', which while offering more than just beach volleyball (jet skiing, butt bumping, flag races, water slides) was decried by some for [[ItsTheSameNowItSucks retreading]], technical problems in spite of superior hardware, and unrealistic JigglePhysics. ''Xtreme 3'' got praise for improving the graphical part, but still divided by removing plenty of features of the other two games along with fan favorite characters.
* ''VideoGame/DeadSpace3'', for adding common ThirdPersonShooter elements (taking cover, being able to kill previously-regenerating enemies with enough shots, fights with gun-toting humans, etc.) to a SurvivalHorror, mixing in microtransactions and co-op mechanics to appeal to niches that never had much interest in ''Dead Space'', and finally [[spoiler: [[TorchTheFranchiseAndRun ending the human race by awakening the Brother Moons all over the cosmos]]]].
* The original ''VideoGame/DeusEx'' is often called "one of the greatest games of all time" so from the get-go its followup, ''VideoGame/DeusExInvisibleWar'', had a lot to live up to. Due to factors like the removal of the skill points system (meaning the only thing players can upgrade are their biomods), smaller levels as a result of also developing the game for console players, being an overall shorter game, and feeling like an ActionizedSequel, many are in agreement ''Invisible War'' ultimately did fail to live up to the standards set by the original. However the "contested" part comes in when people try and discuss if ''Invisible War'' is still a good ''game'' in its own right if you forget for a moment what it's a sequel to, as some argue that if it is seen more as a sci-fi FPS from the era when games like ''VideoGame/{{Halo}}'' were hitting it big then ''Invisible War'' stands out as one of the more unique FPS titles of the era.
** ''VideoGame/DeusExMankindDivided'' was yet another Contested Sequel. Coming off the well-received ''VideoGame/DeusExHumanRevolution'' this game was praised for evolving the gameplay of the previous game and having a well-written story, while placing more emphasis on dialogue-based bosses and giving you a bunch of cool new experimental augmentations to play with. However, the major complaint about the game was the [[ItsShortSoItSucks length]], clocking in at about twenty hours (including heavy side questing), and the experimental Augs you get, you have to permanently disable other Augs or else you will be penalized for using them, and while a sidequest to obtain an item to fix this problem is introduced and can be completed fairly early in the game (after the first few story missions) the actual solution is not implemented until much later in the game. Combine that with an online multiplayer mode that absolutely no one asked for and microtransactions. Making this even worse were the reports that Square Enix was [[http://www.psu.com/news/31018/Deus-Ex--Mankind-Divided-sequel-is-in-development apparently developing a sequel to Mankind Divided since mid-2015]]. this report, when combined with the relatively short length and the fact that there was only a single hub area, left many people to speculate that Mankind Divided was just the first part of what was supposed to be a much larger game.
* ''[[VideoGame/DinoCrisis Dino Crisis 2]]'' split the fanbase, with some praising the ActionizedSequel aspects while others criticized the lack of SurvivalHorror elements from the first game.
* By the same token, ''VideoGame/{{Disciples}} III'' features a significant departure from the previous two games in terms of graphics, storyline, battle mechanics (units can now move ''Heroes''-style), changes in types of leaders, resource management, etc. Once again, the fan base is split.
* ''[[VideoGame/DonPachi DoDonPachi DaiFukkatsu]]'', particularly version 1.5. The over-the-topness of the gameplay is either a fun diversion from past games' strictness, or a mockery of its own series.
** ''[=DoDonPachi=] Saidaioujou''. You either like it for going back to the series' roots after the bullet-cancelling craziness of ''[=DaiFukkatsu=]'', or the SequelDifficultySpike is [[ItsHardSoItSucks too off-putting for the game to be enjoyable]].
* ''Videogame/Doom3'' was either interesting and refreshing for incorporating a survival horror-inspired take, or the lack of in your face fighting the previous installments were known for makes it inferior to the others. The shift of tone in BFG Edition may have fixed this by making it more action-orientated than the original.
* ''VideoGame/DoomEternal'':
** Even though the game is generally praised, there are people who are unhappy with the changes from ''VideoGame/Doom2016''. ''Doom Eternal'' tries to combat against [[ComplacentGamingSyndrome using the same high-powered weapons and mods for most of the encounters]] by giving enemies generally tougher and emphasizing a TacticalRockPaperScissors approach to combat, and reducing the max ammo count significantly to encourage switching weapons more frequently. A consequence of this is that it breaks up the pace of combat by having you run away to find a fodder to chainsaw to restock and EarlyGameHell is in full effect due to how low your ammo capacity starts at, and enemies having an intended weakness can be seen as a form of FakeDifficulty that limits player expression more than anything.
** ''The Ancient Gods'' [=DLCs=] is a rare example of a Contested Expansion Pack. ''Part 1'' is a significant difficulty spike from the base campaign, with some majorly dickish enemy placements and the addition of even worse DemonicSpiders that [[FakeDifficulty seem like they were added solely to force the players to use the underpowered weapon mods more often]]. ''Part 2'' wierdly suffers from [[SequelDifficultyDrop being easier]] ''Part 1'' but still harder than the main game because of the addition of a GameBreaker of a weapon in the form of the Sentinel Hammer to combat said Demonic Spiders, and it ends on a [[GoddamnedBoss Goddamned]] AntiClimaxBoss.
* ''Franchise/DonkeyKong'':
** ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry3DixieKongsDoubleTrouble'' gets a lot of flak for its more subdued soundtrack, which wasn't produced by series veteran composer David Wise, and its greater emphasis on exploration and item collecting. It's generally seen as the weakest game of the 2D "Country" series no matter who you ask, but whether said fan will follow that up by saying it is still a perfectly fine game in its own right or decry it as being truly awful varies.
** ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong64'' is considered by some to be the best ''Donkey Kong'' game due to its huge levels, emphasis on exploration, and the ability to play as many different members of the Kong family. But at the same time, it's considered by some to be the one of worst ''Donkey Kong'' games due to its [[CollectAThonPlatformer high emphasis on item collecting]] in order to get the true ending.
* ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'':
** Take away the tactical elements that made ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' a callback to the oldies like ''VideoGame/BaldursGate'' and replace them with an emphasis on interactive combat. Take away the epic storyline of saving the world and replace it with a more in-depth and character-driven storyline with more personal stakes. Add a simplified item crafting system, a SuddenlyVoiced [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking main character]], and choices that have actual meaning to the protagonist, and you've got all you need for a [[FlameWar nice, long discussion about its merits as a game on its own and as a sequel]]. On the other hand, many fans praise the more in-depth writing and the unusual storyline (which starts as a struggle for survival and develops into a clash between WellIntentionedExtremist factions) as a refreshing departure from the usual CRPG "save the world" type of plot.
** ''Origins'' actually got some flack as a Contested SpiritualSuccessor to ''BG'' for similar reasons. It was initially criticized for being a poor tactical RPG due to class imbalances.
* ''VideoGame/Drakengard2'' wasn't directed by Creator/YokoTaro, and it shows, such as with the replacement of [[SociopathicHero Caim]] with the much more generic Nowe and a lighter atmosphere overall. On the other hand, the gameplay is ''significantly'' improved, and those who found the [[VideoGame/{{Drakengard}} first game]] was [[TooBleakStoppedCaring too dark]] might '''prefer''' a less gloomy game.
* ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriors 6''. While most fans will say it sucks, there are a significant number who actually enjoyed the game. Almost everyone agrees that the others are better, though.
* ''[[VideoGame/EccoTheDolphin Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future]]'', mainly due to completely abandoning the older games' storyline for a story written by someone who'd never played them.
* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'':
** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]''. Though critically acclaimed and a financial success, it is a contested sequel for fans of ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]''. Many dislike the LevelScaling and claim that it was [[ItsEasySoItSucks dumbed down]] for console users and casual players. In this vein, a lot of old-school ''Elder Scrolls'' fans have complained about one or the other facet of ''Oblivion''[='s=] gameplay. ''Oblivion'' did shake things up. The ''Shivering Isles'' expansion, however, is generally well received by both sides.
** Similarly, though to a lesser extent, this was an issue shortly after the release of ''Morrowind'' to ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIDaggerfall Daggerfall]]'' fans, but it's died down a little since ''Morrowind''[='s=] release, where it has become something of a SacredCow to some.
** Eventually, things settled between ''Morrowind'' and ''Oblivion'' fans. Then ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'' came around, and shook up the fandom once again. Though often praised for its enormous world and content, beautiful environments and more dynamic design, while also frequently being accused of butchering the "true" RPG elements the series held so far and seemingly not having learned anything from previous games as far as writing quality, locational variety/depth and ''especially'' pacing goes.
* Some fans of ''VideoGame/EtrianOdyssey'' appreciate ''Etrian Odyssey V: Beyond the Myth'' for refining the tried-and-true "create your own guild and explore a 30-floor dungeon" formula, especially the four-race system, expanded cosmetic customization options (such as RGB sliders for hair and eye colors and choosing voices for characters), and some of the more unique selections of new classes (the Harbinger/Reaper and Necromancer in particular stand out). Others don't like that the game did away with the Story Mode of the ''Untold'' games and the world maps of the past two non-''Untold'' games, resulting in [[ItsTheSameNowItSucks what feels like a bare-bones product]].
* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'':
** ''VideoGame/Fallout3'': Due to being a very different type of game than its predecessors, it is either game of the year by a mile or a lazy rehash of ''Oblivion'' with guns, depending on whom you ask. Although it's worth noting that this is only in comparison to the [[VideoGame/{{Fallout}} first]] [[VideoGame/Fallout2 2]] games (and to a lesser extent, ''[[VideoGame/FalloutTacticsBrotherhoodOfSteel Tactics]]'')[[note]]not counting the cancelled ''VideoGame/FalloutVanBuren''[[/note]]; in comparison to what came [[VideoGame/FalloutBrotherhoodOfSteel directly before it]], it's universally considered a SurprisinglyImprovedSequel.
** ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas''. While closer to the original games in atmosphere and story, some fans who preferred the atmosphere and style of ''Fallout 3'' found ''New Vegas'' to be lacking. Among the fans of the original games, reception was more positive.
** While many regard ''VideoGame/Fallout4'' as an improvement over ''Fallout 3'', how it compares to ''New Vegas'' is a major source of contention among fans. Much of this is due to Creator/{{Bethesda}} toning down the RPG elements that [[Creator/ObsidianEntertainment Obsidian]] brought back in ''New Vegas'' in favor of placing more emphasis on combat and exploration.
* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'':
** The entire ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' series. Some sequels, like ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIIRemake'', ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'', ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX2'', and ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'', get more hate than others, and as the years have worn on, the vitriol has gotten a lot worse. But all four games have large fanbases who will defend them to the death. In truth, all the games get argued over to death. You'd think a series where the sequels are deliberately out of continuity would not have this problem, but it had it even before Square started making direct sequels.
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXI'' and ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' are both [=MMORPGs=] that have fans debating over which one is better than the other. People who grew up on ''XI'' feel that ''XIV'' is [[ItsEasySoItSucks too easy and dumbed down]] while ''XIV'' fans feel ''XI'' is [[ItsHardSoItSucks too difficult]] and has outdated game design that simply doesn't fit in the modern trends of [=MMORPGs=]. There also fans who [[TakeAThirdOption like both games]] and acknowledge the flaws both games can present.
* ''Franchise/FireEmblem'':
** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn'' was the most divisive game in the series before the [=3DS=] titles.
*** Narratively, its fans like the moral complexity, and argue that its [[GodIsEvil storytelling]] [[DarkerAndEdgier cliches]] are at least ''different'' cliches from the rest of the series. Its detractors loathe that its story made plentiful haphazard changes of the mythology of TheVerse to do it, and are especially critical of the cut-down support conversations and rampant ShipSinking (rumor has it, in an attempt to [[PanderingToTheBase pander]] to the YaoiFangirl crowd).
*** Mechanically, its fans like the uncompromising challenge of the gameplay and shake-ups to the series formula at work. Its critics consider it to be overloaded with FakeDifficulty, [[ScrappyMechanic opaque or badly-designed mechanics]], and [[TierInducedScrappy uselessly-weak characters]].
** Both of the Jugdral titles also attract this kind of reaction.
*** ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemGenealogyOfTheHolyWar Genealogy of the Holy War]]'' attracts a lot of praise for its interesting and complex plot, willingness to move on from the Archanea universe, and many interesting and experimental gameplay choices, particularly the [[RelationshipValues Love and]] [[LevelUpAtIntimacy5 War system]] [[spoiler: plus the resulting "Second Generation."]] Yet, at the same time, the huge levels make avoiding the series' trademark permanent character deaths really hard (with the Love and War system adding ''further'' consequences to losing someone), many of the mechanics are either opaque or [[ScrappyMechanic artificially complex]], particularly the item management system, and there are lots of "newb traps" that can only really be discovered via TrialAndErrorGameplay.
*** ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemThracia776 Thracia 776]]'', in turn, has fans who call it a deep, uncompromising, well-designed game with many experimental features of its own, and critics who describe it as unfair, almost-fatally complex, and thoroughly unfun, with the "experimental" features being either [[ScrappyMechanic hated whenever they come up in later titles]] (Fog of War is the most obvious culprit), terribly-implemented (Escape chapters where Lief has to hang around until everyone else has escaped or lose them forever, the Rescue ability) or just plain bad ideas that add little and even detract from the experience and have never returned (Fatigue, Dismount).
** The 3DS titles caused a major NewbieBoom. ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening Awakening]]'' saved the series after Nintendo was seriously considering shelving it, and the strong sales of ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'' saw the company acknowledge the series as a major IP in the U.S. -- a big deal, given that it was strictly [[NoExportForYou Japan-exclusive]] for a long time, and the studio has frequently been skeptical of its ability to succeed outside its native country. However, in making the series more accessible, they attracted criticism from many series fans, who dislike that [[ItsEasySoItSucks lighter difficulties]] and [[ItsPopularNowItSucks "unskilled newbs"]] will be heavily influencing its direction for the foreseeable future.
*** The fans that love ''Awakening'' enjoy the high-headroom reclassing system and Pair-Up mechanic, the shipping-friendly Support system and the way it interacts with the time-travel plot, and the player-built protagonist. Its critics despise it for many of the same reasons.
*** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'' is largely held as improving on ''Awakening'' in terms of gameplay, but a step back in terms of storytelling. While the reworked Pair-Up, reclassing, and weapon mechanics are seen as well-made, and while it features some of the best, most-nuanced map designs in the series, the story is seen as poorly-written, and not well served by the [[OneGameForThePriceOfTwo business model that undergirds it]]. As a result, its overall quality compared to ''Awakening'' is difficult to determine, and often relies on what the individual subjectively values more.
* ''VideoGame/FreedomForce vs. The Third Reich'' split the fanbase. The additional powers were nice. The new characters were well developed. The plotline was good (although the [[spoiler:disappearing teammates]] angered people who liked those character and/or had invested a lot of experience in them). But they dumbed down the power consumption mechanic from a wide spectrum to three possible values of one-third, two-thirds, or all of your power bar, which nerfed many of the concepts, and minor changes in the engine meant most of the third-party models no longer worked in-game.
* ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIV''. Some love it for its realism, rich characters, production values and gritty nature, while others chastize it for those very things, preferring the zany, cartoony, over the top style of ''Vice City'' and ''San Andreas''. Notably, the developers put considerable effort into building a digital recreation of New York City with appropriate levels of detail, but they took away many popular gameplay features from previous games, like military vehicles, character customization options, non-urban environments, and every aircraft model except helicopters; some fans consider this an appropriate trade-off, while others disagree.
* ''VideoGame/GuildWars2'' has very little to do with the original ''VideoGame/GuildWars'' gameplay-wise, making any comparison between the two challenging.
* ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' has a few complicated cases. Everyone agrees ''Videogame/Halo2'' and ''Videogame/Halo3'' are {{Even Better Sequel}}s with beloved additions such as online play. But each game also has its share of detractors for things such as the weapon sandbox and how ''2'' [[NoEnding ends the single player abruptly]]. ''Videogame/Halo4'' had people decrying how it incorporated aspects from other shooters [[OnlyTheCreatorDoesItRight and lacked the polish of what Bungie had done]], along with those that liked that the core gameplay and elements were intact and there was also a more emotional story in the campaign. And then came ''Videogame/Halo5Guardians'', that while the fans accepted well the gameplay changes on the multiplayer, what was done in the campaign was very divisive, as the four player co-op stunted the OneManArmy feel and gave LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters that didn't contribute much to the story, to say nothing of [[spoiler:Cortana becoming the Big Bad of the franchise.]]
* ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon'':
** While ''[[VideoGame/HarvestMoonBackToNature Back to Nature]]'' is a popular game within the series, being the source of the series most popular titles, it is the MissionPackSequel to the game often considered [[VideoGame/HarvestMoon64 the best in the series]].
** ''[[VideoGame/HarvestMoonTreeOfTranquility Tree of Tranquility]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/HarvestMoonAnimalParade Animal Parade]]''. The latter gets major flak due to the slower pacing, less interesting characters, basically same storyline, boring festivals, etc.
** ''[[VideoGame/HarvestMoonDS DS]]'' has its fans but is also a source of scorn for many older fans, considering it's technically a combo of ''[[VideoGame/HarvestMoonAWonderfulLife A Wonderful Life]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/HarvestMoonBackToNature Friends of Mineral Town]]'' which are ''the'' most popular titles. The main issue is the ExcusePlot and how everyone was extraordinarily flanderized.
* While many fans of the ''VideoGame/HeroesOfMightAndMagic'' series despise the fourth installment due to turning the heroes into regular units (and allowing you to have your entire army composed of 7 uber-powerful heroes) and other gameplay changes, as well as destroying the old world developed in the first three games as well as ''Heroes Chronicles''. Others actually enjoy finally taking their heroes into the thick of battle and like exploring the new world. Then comes the fifth game, developed by a completely different company (in Russia), creates ''yet another'' world, this time completely unrelated to the rest of the franchise, changes the game mechanics (the heroes are once again merely generals, but still get their turn, during which they can attack or cast), and adds 3D graphics. But wait, there's more. The sixth game is made by a ''third'' developer. The fans are probably confused by this point.
* ''VideoGame/ImperiumGalactica II'' upgrades the series to 3D graphics. However, battle mechanics have changed as well and, in most fans' opinion, were dumbed down. SpaceFighters can no longer be directly controlled. Instead, the player can adjust the Attack-Defend behavior scale. However, fighters are also almost useless in this installment. The first game focused the fleet on the flagships, a special class of powerful ships that were the only ones who could carry invasion forces. The sequel removes the flagships and instead allows each capital ship to carry a certain number of tanks.
* After the original ''VideoGame/InazumaEleven'' ended, its sequel ''Inazuma Eleven GO'' got mixed reactions from the fanbase. Some people think that it's much better than the original while other think it's a step backwards.
* ''[[VideoGame/InitialDArcadeStage Initial D Zero]]'' departs from a lot of the traditions set by the first ''Initial D Arcade Stage'' that lasted until ''Initial D Arcade Stage 8 Infinity'', and it has proven to be divisive:
** Was the move from an up/down shifter to a 6-gear H-shifter necessary?
** Is the new J-rock soundtrack a refreshing change of pace, or TheyChangedItNowItSucks?
** Was moving from data cards to the online-requiring Sega Aime infrastructure a wise move? While it does mean that the player doesn't have to worry about outright losing their data -- since the data is stored server-side, card corruption ceases to be a concern and a registered Aime user who loses or otherwise is unable to use their card anymore can simply buy another card and tie it to their account -- it also means that the game, which is [[NoExportForYou Japan-only]], cannot be played outside of Japan; even if one were to import a cabinet and somehow able to get it running, they would not be able to save their data.
* ''VideoGame/{{jubeat}} saucer''. Fans like it because it is always being updated with new songs to play, but detractors are turned off by the monthly deletion of songs; not only were non-Konami originals not removed until ''saucer'', but this is the first ''VideoGame/{{BEMANI}}'' game to delete songs through udpates.
* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'':
** The biggest ContestedSequel in the franchise is undoubtedly ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep''. Some say the story was refreshing because it lacked the complicated story of ''II,'' returning to a simpler ''Star Wars''-esque story, while others say this is when the story started going off of the deep end, with the formal introduction of Master Xehanort and Vanitas complicating the plot of the numbered games. Some say that the action finally had more variety and that there was great exploration. Others feel that in terms of action,it was terrible all around because of the lack of combos, non-staggering enemies including bosses, lack of a magic bar/summons/multiple shortcuts, lesser mobility, etc.
** ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsChainOfMemories Chain of Memories]]'' gets this for its card-based battle system, ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsCoded Coded]]'' for its perceived contrived and {{Filler}}-esque story, and ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHearts358DaysOver2 358/2 Days]]'' for the character portrayal of several fan favorites, a ParodySue that some say CrossesTheLineTwice, and the new ability system. And then there's ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHearts3DDreamDropDistance Dream Drop Distance]]'', contested for the VirtualPet mechanics, its EPIC MindScrew nature and a surprise or two.
** ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII'' is one compared to ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI'' and ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII''. It's generally agreed that the scope, level design, combat, action scenes and emotional stakes are the best the series has ever had, but many fans still don't consider the game to be an EvenBetterSequel the same way they feel ''II'' (particularly its [[UpdatedRerelease Final Mix]] edition) was to ''I'', primarily due to the [[SequelDifficultyDrop easier difficulty]] with no Critical Mode at launch, no Final Fantasy characters until the DLC (even then, Cloud and Sephiroth are still missing and they only show up for two scenes), lack of battles against Disney Villains with most of the bosses of the worlds being giant Heartless, most of the plot being {{Filler}} until after all the Disney worlds are complete (with half of the Disney worlds not only following the plot of the movies but they also have the tendency to relegate Sora and co. out of the plot), lack of post-game content, lack of a big midway event like the second visits to Traverse Town and Hollow Bastion which makes the game feel less evenly paced, and the quality of the writing of the game. Some people were also not too keen with the implementation of ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsX'' content in ''III'' due to the relative obscurity of the mobile game and its microtransaction-heavy nature, and also felt like this meant the game spent too much time promoting the next big saga of the series instead of bringing a satisfying close to the saga at hand.
* Go to a Creator/{{Sierra}} fan board and ask if ''VideoGame/KingsQuestMaskOfEternity'' is a ''VideoGame/KingsQuest'' game. Then ask them if it's a ''good'' game. [[FlameWar Make sure to bring chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers for the inevitable cookout.]] ''VideoGame/QuestForGloryV'' gets this to a lesser extent. Most fans will still say it still feels like a proper ''QFG'' game in terms of story and humor, and appreciate [[BackForTheFinale the return of beloved characters for the final installment]]; the main points of contention are how badly the game hits the PolygonCeiling and the change in focus from puzzle-solving to combat.
* ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'':
** ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheAmazingMirror'', due to the {{Metroidvania}} aspect of the game. While plenty of fans enjoy this take on a ''Kirby'' game, other fans have criticized it for being overblown, confusing, poorly-designed and not meshing well the ''Kirby'' formula.
** It is often debated whether or not ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies'' holds up to the [[VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamland previous]] [[VideoGame/KirbyTripleDeluxe three]] [[VideoGame/KirbyPlanetRobobot games]]. Defenders of the game enjoy the return of the helper system from ''VideoGame/KirbySuperStar'', the HD graphics, many fan-favourite characters becoming playable and the new lore (particularly with the final boss), while the most common criticisms are the more streamlined level designs due to the greater multiplayer focus, the helpers making boss fights and puzzles trivial and the game too easy, the short length of the game[[note]]the game has 40 levels, around the same as several previous Kirby games, but only 4 worlds with around half the levels being thrown into the last world, the levels are simpler and a large chunk of the levels are boss levels with only 2 or 3 rooms before the boss[[/note]], and the game feeling rushed, especially around the ending, as well as the ''Return to Dream Land'' formula, itself being a revised ''Super Star'' formula, [[ItsTheSameNowItSucks becoming stale after its fourth consecutive use in a mainline game]].
* Regarding ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords'', most fans agree that the [[LeftHanging lack of an ending]] (due to Creator/LucasArts [[ExecutiveMeddling wanting the game out for Christmas]]) sucks. Other than that, they're largely divided over whether the story provides a much-needed {{Deconstruction}} to the Star Wars universe, or comes off as mean-spirited fan fiction written by someone who hates Star Wars. Then there's the sequel, ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'', an MMO, with all the usual polarizing aspects about [=PvP=], [=PvE=], "pay to win" with the Cartel market, which class is best, a large portion of the fanbase RootingForTheEmpire, and at least a dozen controversial decisions about the handling of Revan, Exile, and the legacy of their companions.
* ''VideoGame/TheLastOfUsPartII'' has many fans, but the many who don't like it argue that the game isn't a huge improvement on the original in terms of gameplay. The plot, on the other hand, is extremely controversial and opinions vary wildly from "masterpiece of the medium" to "unnecessary and incoherent disaster". Thankfully, the major consensus seems to be leaning on "average".
* ''VideoGame/Left4Dead2'' is hotly debated over whether or not it's an improvement over the first game. Fans who like the sequel love the varied environments and having levels take place during the daytime instead of always being at night while others feel that the horror of fighting zombie hordes goes out the window when the sun is introduced. Melee weapons, a new mechanic that was not present in the first game, are either liked for giving players more means of self defense or are hated for being "silly" (i.e. attacking zombies with a guitar or frying pan).
* ''VideoGame/LaytonsMysteryJourneyKatrielleAndTheMillionairesConspiracy'' is a somewhat divisive follow-up to the original and prequel trilogy, partly because it has a looser and more episodic plot, fewer ties to past games, and more "trick question" puzzles compared to previous games.
* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'':
** Until ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendofZeldaBreathOfTheWild Breath of the Wild]]'', any console game that [[ToughActToFollow followed]] ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ocarina of Time]]'' was immediately divisive among fans and gamers. ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask Majora's Mask]]'', for example, was not widely liked at the time of its release for [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks being too different]] from ''Ocarina of Time'' ([[DarkerAndEdgier and darker]]) but some fans consider it [[EvenBetterSequel the best game in the series]]. The subsequent games, ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker The Wind Waker]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess Twilight Princess]]'', went as far as causing a BrokenBase, as the former departed from the overworld mechanics and changed the visuals to cel-shading, while the latter followed the more traditional conventions, both to praise and criticism.
** ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword Skyward Sword]]''. Defenders argue that the game fixes the problems ''Twilight Princess'' had with items that were useless after their intro dungeon, pushes Wii Motion Plus to its limits with an amazing control scheme, gives Link a personality unseen since ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker The Wind Waker]]'', has a stronger, more cinematic plot behind it than most of the past games, and some of its dungeons (Ancient Cistern, Sandship, Sky Keep), bosses (Koloktos, Ghirahim) and in-game mechanics (Timeshift Stones, RPGElements) are ranked by longtime fans among the finest in the franchise. Detractors find the story cliché [[note]]particularly the childhood friend relationship with Zelda being similar to the childhood friendship with Ilia from ''Twilight Princess''.[[/note]], Fi has been called the most annoying [[ExpositionFairy guide character]] in the series due to her [[AnnoyingVideoGameHelper constant interruptions]] and [[CaptainObvious stating the obvious on where to go next]], feel the motion control is gimmicky, and there are criticisms of the game's linear progression, constant tutorials, and hand-holding.
** ''VideoGame/ZeldaIITheAdventureOfLink'' became a contested sequel long before the post-''Ocarina'' trend. There are fans who welcome the RPG and platformer elements of the game, while others prefer the traditional format instead. Whether its [[NintendoHard extreme difficulty]] is a strength or a flaw is also a point of debate. So far, it's the only game of its type in the main series – its 2D platformer style was copied for the CD-i games, which are pretty self-explanatory.
** ''The Wind Waker'' itself has spawned contested sequels as well, ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaPhantomHourglass Phantom Hourglass]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks Spirit Tracks]]''. The games took advantage of the DS' touchscreen, and as a result are almost completely button-free, both to the rejoice of those looking forward to a more unique gameplay style, and the dismay of those preferring button controls.
** Even ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'', while widely popular, has been controversial for making some of the most massive changes to the formula since the NES era. Some fans consider it a much needed reimagining of a series that was going stale, and a [[RevisitingTheRoots return to the roots]] of the first game. Others think that while it's overall a good direction for the series, too many staple elements of the series like dungeons and item collection were removed in favor of extreme open endedness and non-linearity. And some fans of the previous games feel it's so different that, regardless of whether it's a good game in itself, it isn't what they want in a Zelda game. These fans are concerned that with the massive critical and commercial success of Breath of the Wild, Nintendo will see no reason to make any more games in the classic style established by ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'' and ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'' (not helped at all by the poor fan reception of games with that traditional template like ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks'' and ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'', despite the latter addressing many of its flaws in the Switch version).
* ''Franchise/{{LEGO}}'':
** ''Island Xtreme Stunts'', compared to the first ''VideoGame/LEGOIsland'' (it's considered a SurprisinglyImprovedSequel compared to ''[[{{Sequelitis}} LEGO Island 2]]''). On one hand, it is a welcome return to the free-roaming sandbox approach of the first game, now combined with the increased freedom in movement introduced in the second game, and gives us a much larger island to explore, plus a hefty dose of SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic provided by L.E.G.O. Radio. On the other hand, it has [[TheOtherDarrin unprofessional voice acting]], carries over its predecessor's poor platforming (which becomes apparent, once again, when you must ascend the Brickster's tower), and has numerous {{Game Breaking Bug}}s including one particularly infamous one which corrupts your save file. Some fans of the series also feel that the ExtremeSportsPlot felt out-of-place in the LEGO Island setting, while others don't mind it at all.
** ''[[VideoGame/LegoRacers Lego Racers 2]]''. It tried to be anything except a sequel to the original. If anything, it tried to be the polar opposite. The game was a lot more open than the original (It had a ''VideoGame/DiddyKongRacing''-esque Adventure Mode), the power-up system was changed to randomization (in the original, you had four colors for different types and could add three additional levels of power to it), the controls were changed to be more realistic, there was a new car damage system, and every world now has five courses taking a different route through the world. These changes led to a wide variety of opinions.
** On the [[VideoGame/LEGOAdaptationGame Traveler's Tales side,]] there's ''VideoGame/LEGOMarvelSuperHeroes2''. Some like it and consider it one of the best in the series, citing the attention to detail in [[TheOverworld Chronopolis]], the story, several improved mechanics, and the large roster that includes many an UnexpectedCharacter. Others dislike it for ''[[SequelNonEntity lacking Expected Characters]]'' from ComicBook/XMen and ComicBook/FantasticFour due to Marvel's [[Film/XMenFilmseries Fox]] [[Film/FantasticFour2005 Embargo,]] as well as a copious amount of bugs, and '''[[GameBreakingBug not]]''' of the [[GoodBadBugs good bad variety.]]
* ''VideoGame/LittleBigPlanet 3'' had a load of {{Game Breaking Bug}}s at launch, and the community members were divided between going to the third game, with its new characters, 16-layer gameplay, and loads of new possibilities for creating, but having to contend with the bugs that plagued the game, or sticking back with ''[=LittleBigPlanet=] 2'', which had fewer choices for creating, but wasn't completely broken.
* ''VideoGame/MafiaIII'' is easily the most controversial game in the [[VideoGame/MafiaTheCityOfLostHeaven Mafia]] [[VideoGame/MafiaII franchise]]. Fans of the game believe the game is good in terms of storyline, cutscenes, soundtrack, and cinematics. Detractors of the game often feel that the storyline ([[AntagonistTitle the mafia is actually Lincoln Clay's enemy]]) does not fit the series, criticize the shift from a linear mission path to an open sandbox game, the fact that some of the more realistic features from ''Mafia II'' (such as dressing in different outfits and repairing, refueling, or modifying cars) were cut, and claim Lincoln is nowhere near as strong of a character as Tommy or Vito are.
* ''VideoGame/{{maimai}} Deluxe'', the first hardware upgrade to the then-7-years-old ''maimai'' series, has been met with mixed reception from fans. Fans enjoy the improved hardware (especially for slide note detection; the original hardware is known for having a relatively primitive touchscreen) and new note types. Others dislike the idea of arcades having to chuck out all their existing ''maimai'' cabs, the larger cabinet dimensions, how out-of-place the new note types are, and the phone holder replacing the camera, i.e. [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"]].
* ''VideoGame/MarioKartWii'' had this reputation since it came out, due to lacking both the two driver system from ''Double Dash!!'', the Mission Mode from ''DS'', or the Battle Mode from either of them with this game's iteration of the mode often seen as lackluster, but it has intensified thanks to the divisive nature of ''its'' sequels and the creation of the "Custom Track Grand Prix" mod, which adds 216 more tracks and several quality of life features to the game. The game is praised for its "loose", sportlike gameplay, which can be accredited to the introduction of bikes, the unique stats of each character in its large and varied roster, and enhancements/mechanics such as the half pipe ramp (which did not return in the series until ''Tour''), 12 player races, and tricks. The creation of the aformentioned mod is also cited as proof of the game's staying power and vibrant community, which fans of the other entries have attempted to mimic but cannot fully attest to. Its detractors, on the other hand, criticize it for many of the same reasons, particularly with the fact that each character and kart having unique stats allows only a handful of combinations to be viable, and the significant advantages bikes have over karts that, against its name, ''Mario Kart Wii'' ends up being more "Mario Bike Wii", while they feel that the mechanical improvements that came with ''Wii'' were done better in future entries (such as with tricks, as starting with ''7'' they can be performed simply by pressing the hop button). They also claim CTGP has distorted perceptions with how the mod masks issues with the original, such as its perceived lackluster selection of tracks, a lame Battle Mode, and various gameplay issues it has (particularly with "Ultra Shortcuts", which result in a glitchfest second only to ''Mario Kart 64''). Needless to say, especially for a game that's basically thrived on its community alone, there's not a lot of middle ground.
* ''VideoGame/MaxPayne 3''. A long development cycle and a change in developers led to it being very different stylistically than the previous games, both in gameplay and in general aesthetics. Those who favor it praise the detailed graphics and environments, the scale of the gunfights and feel the changes don't detract from the story. Those who don't like it feel the gameplay isn't as polished and loses some of the series' appeal, that the long and unskippable cutscenes are a poor replacement for the graphic novel segments, the noir aspects aren't as well done and that the story is too dark for its own good. There are those who would even say that it's a good game, just not necessarily a good Max Payne game.
* ''Franchise/MegaMan'' has entire series that are contested in this manner, particularly ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork'' and its followup ''VideoGame/MegaManStarForce''. {{R|olePlayingGame}}PGs and platformers being such different genres, this is probably to be expected. In the classic series, there's ''Mega Man 3''. The general consensus is that it's still a great game, but the debate is whether it lives up to the ToughActToFollow that was ''Mega Man 2''. Those that find it as good or better than its predecessor point to the more colorful and imaginative stages, new mechanics such as the slide, the excellent soundtrack, the length of the game (18 stages as opposed to 14, counting revisits), and the introduction of the popular new characters Proto Man and Rush. Those who find it worse bring up that it was rushed to market and has several flaws as a result, namely occasionally sloppy and unpolished level design, [[AllThereInTheManual a lack of context for anything that happens in-game]], various glitches and slowdown issues, a rather weak selection of Robot Master weapons (including the infamous Top Spin), and a general lack of difficulty, particularly in the Wily stages. Among the ''VideoGame/MegaManX'' series, there has been feuds between the games ''after'' ''VideoGame/MegaManX4'' and which one either stands as one of the better games in the series or the worst.
* ''VideoGame/MetalGear'':
** Depending on whom you ask, ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty'' is either a crowning achievement in gaming and video game narrative or an unspeakable abomination. There is no in-between on this.
** ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots'' is either a masterpiece of storytelling and a fitting conclusion to a great series or the worst game in the entire series that ruined everything with its anticlimactic "nanomachine" garbage and took away all ambiguity and weirdness that defined the series.
** ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVThePhantomPain'' is either the pinnacle of the franchise and the entire videogame stealth genre in its gameplay and attention to detail and a fitting send-off of the series under Kojima's hands; or an absolute disgrace and horrible way to end the original run of the series due to an absolutely clumsy and horrendous narrative that soiled the series even harder than the previous main titles.
** Most ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' games get this to some extent. The two PSP titles (especially ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidPortableOps'') are sometimes ignored, and ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater'' has its detractors, for mixing up the gameplay and introducing features such as the camo index and maintaining your stamina.
* ''VideoGame/MetalSlug'':
** ''Metal Slug 3''. A major point of contention is its length; some welcome the epic length of the game compared to other titles, but others feel that it succumbs to EndingFatigue and as a result [[ItsHardSoItSucks is very brutal in difficulty compared to other games]]. The more supernatural elements are also a point of controversy: While the non-human enemies are beautifully animated and give the game an unmatched visual flare, most of them are [[IncrediblyDurableEnemies bullet sponges]] who can be a slog to fight.
** ''Metal Slug 5'' made some considerable changes to the formula, introducing an entirely new set of enemies, [[AutobotsRockOut a rock/metal soundtrack]], [[DarkerAndEdgier a more serious tone]], and various gameplay changes like a ''Franchise/MegaMan''-style slide move. Fans say that these changes make the game a much-needed breath of fresh air and hold it up as one of the best in the series. Detractors argue that these changes were unnecessary and detract from the game, and regard it as one of the worst in the series. Some in the middle believe that while it had some good ideas, the execution wasn't there.
** ''Metal Slug 6''. Many look down on it for sharing several themes to ''3'' and being [[ItsEasySoItSucks considerably easier than the other games]], whilst many others love it for those very same reasons. Either way though, it is generally agreed that it is where the series got out of its AudienceAlienatingEra.
* ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'':
** ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime2Echoes''. Is it an interesting game with beautiful scenery, fun new powerups, a DarkerAndEdgier tone, memorable boss battles, and old-school difficulty, or is it a glorified MissionPackSequel with FakeDifficulty through the roof, unnecessary ammo mechanics, a story worthy of a bad romhack, a flawed multiplayer mode, and key-collecting ripped straight from an early-90s FPS?
** ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime3Corruption''. While the motion controls work very well and it provides good closure to the Phazon/Dark Samus plotline, as well as varied and beautiful level design (particularly in Bryyo and Elysia), not everyone was happy that the game leaned more towards action than exploration, as they feel the increased prominence of the plot and the presence of [=NPCs=] undermined the claustrophobic sense of isolation that had permeated previous entries in the series. Some players also feel that the gunship's features [[UnderusedGameMechanic weren't sufficiently exploited]].
* ''Every'' installment of the ''VideoGame/MonkeyIsland'' series has been contested by some fan or other. Some people don't like ''VideoGame/{{Monkey Island 2|LeChucksRevenge}}'''s darker tone, ''VideoGame/TheCurseOfMonkeyIsland''[='=]s cartoony style (and lack of Gilbert, Schafer, and Grossman), ''VideoGame/EscapeFromMonkeyIsland''[='=]s poor graphics/controls/grasp on the series continuity, or ''VideoGame/TalesOfMonkeyIsland''[='=]s episodic style.
* ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterWorld'' has received critical acclaim far and wide and gone on to not only become the best-selling ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'' game ever, but also the best-selling game ''out of all of Capcom's games''. Many who enjoy it cite its heavily-streamlined user experience (No more breakable gathering tools! Gunner and Blademaster weapons use the same armor now! Planning armors and weapons is more organized now!) and absolutely beautiful visuals that are the result of the game being designed around the [=PS4=]'s and Xbox One's cutting-edge hardware (as opposed to the Wii U port of ''Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate'' and the Switch port of ''Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate'', both of which were first released on the 3DS). That said, not everyone is pleased with it, even in relation to past ''[=MonHun=]'' games, with traditionalists feeling that [[ItsEasySoItSucks the game is too dumbed down]] and many series veterans finding that [[ItsShortSoItSucks the game has a sore lack of monsters or G-rank]], and others preferring older games due to the portable factor, something that ''World'' doesn't have due to being console- and PC-exclusive (even if you did manage to install the PC version on a laptop, it's not as on-the-go friendly as a handheld game system and there's still no local multiplayer, one of the biggest selling points of the PSP and 3DS ''[=MonHun=]'' games).
* ''VideoGame/Mother3'' is almost unanimously viewed as an EvenBetterSequel to ''VideoGame/EarthBound'' by international fans for a variety of reasons, including its rewarding Sound Battle system, its greater emotional depth, its tighter emphasis on plot, and its better-developed cast of characters. [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff On the home turf]], though, reactions are ''significantly'' more divided, with a number of detractors slamming the game for having a linear chapter-based style of progression as opposed to giving the player a semi-open world to explore, much smaller areas, weaker writing of incidental dialogue, abandoning the {{Eagleland}} setting that defined ''VideoGame/EarthBoundBeginnings'' and its sequel, and generally feeling joyless or even {{glurge}}y compared to the first two games. While some international fans have these criticisms as well, they're nowhere near as vocal about them as Japanese fans.
* ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes2DesperateStruggle'' is this compared to the [[VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes original game]]. Supporters cite the sequel's more mature plot, detailed levels, [[ScrappyMechanic lack of entry fees]] for getting into the next boss fight, more varied enemies and weapons, [[{{Padding}} the tedious sandbox aspect being gone]], and the retro style of the side job minigames. Detractors claim that the absence of an overworld (the aforementioned sandbox was replaced with a map screen that allows quick access to city locations) might potentially shorten the game's longevity despite the higher number of rank missions, that some of the bosses are tedious to fight, and have the opinion that the stages starring EnsembleDarkhorse Shinobu need polishing.
* ''VideoGame/PacMan Championship Edition DX'' to the original PMCE. While some players enjoy the massive ghost trains, varied mazes, and intense speeds, various players find that ''DX'' is too focused on [[SlidingScaleOfLinearityVsOpenness following a strict and rigid path]] compared to its predecessor.
* ''VideoGame/PAYDAY2'' has a sharp divide among the fan base over several elements. Fans who like the sequel praise the game for having multiple ways of tackling a heist, character skills that lets them customize their abilities to how they want to play, and weapon mods that also lets the player tailor their guns' performance to their liking. People who don't like the sequel feel that the levels are too small and boring compared to the bigger and more grand looking heists in the first game and they also feel that the sequel [[ItsEasySoItSucks is just not hard enough]].
* ''Videogame/PhantasyStarIII'' does not have the same developers of the rest of the tetralogy, and thus a different art style and a story separated from the rest of the rest of the universe (aside from something connected to the plot of ''II'' that shows up, and [[HijackedByGanon Dark Force eventually showing up]]) make its borderline GaidenGame qualities divisive. It works well as an independent chapter due to its standalone qualities, but not for those already familiar who expected something more like its predecessors.
* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'': Any game following the first two generations qualify.
** ''VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire'': Some fans consider it one of the best games in the series thanks to the SceneryPorn, new 135 Pokémon, the introduction of new gameplay mechanics like abilities and natures which improved a lot on the battles, ''many'' more berries (as well as the ability to farm them), contests, and better graphics; others felt it was too much of a ContinuityReboot and consider it one of the worst in the series. This was not helped by how some innovations the last set of games brought were stripped out, such as trading Pokemon with the [[VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue previous]] [[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver games]], (visible) morning/day/night, and being able to visit the previous games' regions. There were obvious technical reasons for this, but it does make the game feel like a smaller and shorter experience compared to Gold & Silver.
** ''VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl'': The games are praised for retrieving some of the features scrapped in the previous games (like day/night being visible in the overworld), introducing the Physical/Special split so Pokemon would not be restricted to certain Types based on their stats, and increased connectivity. However, they are also frequently criticized for a slow frame rate and a needlessly restricted selection of Pokemon (both of which are somewhat addressed in the UpdatedRerelease ''Platinum''), as well a large number of the new Pokemon being evolutions of older Pokemon or legendaries, which some viewed as lazy.
** ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'' is well-liked for its greater focus on story, characters, speeding up the battles from Gen IV and for providing a deconstruction of the franchise's basic premise. It is criticized, though, for limiting all past Pokémon to the postgame, the new 150 Pokémon having [[CripplingOverspecialization debatable competitive viability]], and many of them being [[{{Expy}} expies]] of past Pokémon.
** ''VideoGame/PokemonBlack2AndWhite2'' are also susceptible to this. Some fans also consider it one of the best in the series due to its large Pokémon selection and many new features such as the new legendary Pokémon forms, the Pokémon World Tournament and Black Tower/White Treehollow, and being a continuation of the story from the originals. Others have deemed it for its weaker story elements, and claimed that it introduces nothing original or new to the series. Additionally, while the original Black and White were criticized for [[ItsEasySoItSucks being too easy]], the sequels have often been criticized to be [[SequelDifficultyDrop even worse on that matter]].
** ''VideoGame/PokemonXAndY'' have become a particularly pronounced example, especially as time has gone on. The people who dislike the game tend to point to Kalos being a rather uninteresting region overall that, despite the "French" theme, doesn't do a whole lot of interesting things mechanically or story-wise to make it memorable (especially compared to [[VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite the 5th Generation]], which it comes right on the heels of) and what new mechanics there are, like Mega Evolution, feeling somewhat out of character for the series, with [[ItsEasySoItSucks the very easy difficulty]] and lack of post-game not helping matters. The fact that the games feature a considerable amount of [[ShoutOut references]] and [[CallBack call-backs]] to ''VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue'' has also drawn the ire of those irritated by the prevalence of [[NostalgiaFilter Genwunners]][[labelnote:Explanation]]People who feel that the first generation of ''Pokémon'' (and in some cases the second as well) are the only good one(s)[[/labelnote]] in the fandom, believing the references to be an over-exaggerated response to Generation V's [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks detractors]] or an attempt to [[WinBackTheCrowd win back]] older fans who grew up with Gen I but lost interest in the franchise overall.\\
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Those who ''like'' the games, though, tend to be very passionate about it, and are very attached to things like the huge Pokédex with two sets of starters and legendaries, trainer customization, Pokémon-Amie, the orchestral-sounding soundtrack, the more diverse cast, the vastly-improved competitive breeding/training mechanics, and even Mega Evolution and how it gives a number of old favorites a new lease on life and shakes up the metagame. Additionally, the aforementioned Generation I pandering attracts many fans who enjoyed Gen I and its Pokémon, especially its iconic starters and legendaries, whether or not they identify as "Genwunners". All of these opinions came into particularly sharp relief in [[FlameWar online debates]] during the prerelease of ''VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon'' about what direction future games should take.
** This happened with ''VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon'', though the divide is pretty straightforward: It being more plot-heavy than any previous Pokémon game to date, either players enjoy the story and like the new characters, or they see the story as unskippable padding and just want to get to the end of the game as soon as possible to be ready for competitive play.
** ''VideoGame/PokemonUltraSunAndUltraMoon'' seems to have become this with critics, with the games either being considered better than Sun and Moon due to the positive tweaks they made to the gameplay or slightly weaker due to the games being [[ItsTheSameNowItSucks a bit too similar]]. The story is also subject to this as a few story events that occur in the base ''Sun and Moon'' games either play out differently, are replaced by new scenes, or do not occur at all.
** ''VideoGame/PokemonLetsGoPikachuAndEevee'' is one to ''VideoGame/PokemonFireRedAndLeafGreen'', as both are Kanto remakes that include and exclude a variety of different mechanics and story builds. Visuals aside, those who prefer ''Let's Go!'' praise its vastly improved and modern mechanics made long after FR/LG came out[[note]] The Physical-Special-Split, which allows Pokémon to use moves better aligned with their stats by not dividing their effectiveness by type; [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness HM moves]] being replaced with Secret Techniques, no longer [[ScrappyMechanic requiring the player to keep a Pokémon with certain (often otherwise worthless) moves on board for the sake of progression]]; Mega Evolution and the Fairy type, neither of which existed when ''[=FireRed=] and [=LeafGreen=]'' were released, were still included despite other cuts; overworld encounters allow players to focus more on which Pokémon they want to get instead of having to cycle through various 'mons they don't care for, this also makes progressing through [[ThatOneLevel otherwise tedious areas]] a lot less pace-breaking and annoying.[[/note]], enjoy the multitude of references to other games and even the manga[[note]]Archer referencing his exploits in ''[=HeartGold=] and [=SoulSilver=]'', a younger Mina waiting at the Vermillion boat for her trip back to Alola, and of course the first appearance of Green/Leaf in any form of media since the Gen 3 remakes[[/note]], and see the more simplified and streamlined experience as the better series starting point, particularly for players who primarily or only play ''VideoGame/PokemonGO''. Those who prefer FR/LG cite its more standard if not dated gameplay and it containing all Pokémon from the first three generations upon completion, giving it more than double what ''Let's Go!'' offers, as well as the Sevii Islands arc. They often criticize the ''Let's Go!'' games for sticking to just the Generation 1 roster and the Meltan line, not having the Sevii Islands, replacing traditional wild encounters with the ''GO'' catching mechanics, and being an incredibly simple and easy experience. Putting brand new main characters in place of Red and Blue did little to allay fans' displeasure.
** ''VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield'' have caused split reactions within the fandom, becoming arguably the most divisive mainline game in the series. The games have received praise for improving access to competitive battling, a smoother gameplay pace which includes faster transitions between the overworld and battles, their lineup of new Pokémon including Galarian forms, introducing several much-needed mechanics such as mints or having online competitions taking place in-game rather than via the Global Link, well-implemented camping and cooking mechanics, many quality-of-life improvements (such as removal of random encounters and a dedicated large area for catching Pokémon), plus new characters and Pokémon that some fans (and even some detractors) enjoyed. The games have also received flack for their short length and increased linearity compared to previous installments, the poorly handled online modes, the controversial removal of the National Dex, which left more than half of all 890 then-current Pokémon on the chopping block, its graphics of debatable quality, the Dynamax phenomenon replacing more popular Mega Evolution and Z-moves, which detractors consider more gimmicky, a smaller postgame than past titles, the continued lack of Battle Frontier in favor of another Battle Tower clone, and the bare bones plot that spends most of the game shunting the player to the side while other characters like Sonia and Leon investigate the more interesting things and then shoehorning in a generic save-the-world plot in the game's 11th hour. The divisiveness of these games seems to somewhat coincide with a "[[CasualCompetitiveConflict casual vs. hardcore]]" and OldGuardVersusNewBlood mentality, with most of the game's most ardent critics being the more hardcore and/or "old guard" fans of the series and most of the game's most ardent defenders being newer and/or more casual fans who generally don't examine the ''Pokémon'' games to the same level of meticulousness.
** ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeonGatesToInfinity''. Some people like it for conveniences such as Companion Mode, new items, and the 3D environments for the Pokémon in the dungeons. However, it has been largely panned for some of the gameplay elements that were added, its weaker story, and only having 144 Pokémon, most of them from the fifth generation. To add on to that, the text speed in cutscenes moves very slow and it can't be sped up by pressing A, which is another thing for players to dislike about it.
** ''VideoGame/PokemonSuperMysteryDungeon'' is praised for increasing the Mystery Dungeon aspect of the series, making more Pokémon available than those in ''Gates of Infinity'' and having a better plot than its predecessor. Others note much of the plot is recycled from past games, the game is too hard and it spends too much time in the starting village and not enough on the main action.
* ''VideoGame/Prototype2'' featured a new protagonist, new writing staff, and a greatly refined gameplay system. Quite a few fans were upset at the new protagonist, especially given that the previous one was now the BigBad. After the game came out, fans were split over those who felt the new protagonist was a genuine improvement, and those who didn't (many also felt that [[NotAsYouKnowThem the villain's motives, given in side materials and never even explained in-game, were out of character]]). While there is more consensus that the gameplay was improved, whether that made up for the perceived story faults is subject to debate.
* ''VideoGame/PrinceOfPersiaWarriorWithin'' is the most polarizing installment in the "Sands Of Time" trilogy. While the combat mechanics was improved and more time based powers were added, the game got rid off the Arabian nights atmosphere of [[VideoGame/PrinceOfPersiaTheSandsOfTime its predecessor]] in favor of an extremely DarkerAndEdgier one. The huge contrast between the characterization of the prince in the first game and in the second one in which he might predated [[VideoGame/GodOfWar Kratos]] was a big turn off for some. The third game ''VideoGame/PrinceOfPersiaTheTwoThrones'' fixed this by making it somewhat a compromise to the tone of the two games. Then again that later game was a SurprisinglyImprovedSequel for those who hated ''Warrior Within'' or weaker for its fans.
* While both ''VideoGame/RadiantSilvergun'' and its SpiritualSuccessor ''VideoGame/{{Ikaruga}}'' are highly-acclaimed, [[BrokenBase some fans tend to argue over which game is better]]. ''RSG'' is praised for its complexity while ''Ikaruga'' is lauded for having [[{{Minimalism}} the opposite]].
* ''VideoGame/{{Rayman}}'':
** ''VideoGame/Rayman3HoodlumHavoc'' had half the fanbase think it was the last good ''Rayman'' game before ''Origins'' hit, while others think this was the game that made the series go downhill for several years, and preferred the more serious tone and large, exploration-based levels of ''VideoGame/Rayman2TheGreatEscape''.
** Reception towards the Rabbids, which grew out of the Rayman series, has been extremely mixed, ranging from open hostility to passive acceptance. The controversy comes from the cancelled ''Rayman 4'', which would've featured the Rabbids as the main enemies of a 3D Rayman platformer similar to ''2'' and ''3''; the game was ultimately canned and resurfaced as a party game on consoles, while the technically-inferior GBA and DS salvaged the remnants of the cancelled platformer as mediocre 2D sidescrollers. The Rabbids completely displaced Rayman for the next 8 years, and no major Rayman games came out until ''Origins''.
** ''VideoGame/RaymanOrigins'' and its sequel ''[[VideoGame/RaymanLegends Legends]]''. Some viewed them as fantastic games that were long overdue the return to the series' 2D platforming roots, others enjoyed them but not as much as the older titles, and still others felt they were disappointments that pale in comparison to the 3D installments. The games also take a DenserAndWackier approach to its characters and [[ExcusePlot narratives]], with some people liking the approach, while others feeling it's too silly for their tastes; that latter group including those who view it unfavorably to its more serious predecessors. ''Legends'' also gets contention when compared to ''Origins''; some people feel the sequel is an grand improvement in terms of level design, ArtEvolution, and its additional Murphy and musical levels; meanwhile, others see it as a MissionPackSequel that fails to bring much new to the table.
* ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'':
** Many fans cannot stand the [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil4 fourth]] and [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil5 fifth game]] because they're not like the original four (and contain ''horrific'' {{Eldritch Abomination}}s). However, some of those who have never played a ''Resident Evil'' game before enjoy both of them due to tight controls and an emphasis on action and shooting. Others who have played both think the newer controls are a welcome change to get away from tank controls which were becoming antiquated.
** In spite of its attempts to cater to both crowds (and then some) via multiple scenarios, ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil6'' has suffered from such a pratfall. Cue one half of the broken base claiming that Creator/{{Capcom}} has sold out and completely abandoned {{survival horror}} for the sake of competing with other titles (such as ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'') and staying fresh, while the other claims it's a well-done next step of the formula introduced in ''[=RE4=]'' that simultaneously incorporates the best elements from the classic titles. The fact that ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvilRevelations Revelations]]'' and ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil7Biohazard'', much closer in tone and style to the pre-''[=RE4=]'' titles, both garnered significantly better critical reception is not helping ''[=RE6=]'''s case.
** Much like how ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil5'' and ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil6'' attempted to repeat the formula of ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'' but were met with increasing backlash, the same story repeated itself with the [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil3Remake 2020 remake]] of ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil3Nemesis''. As with its 2019 precursor, the complaints center mostly around changes in the storyline and characterization, as well as related gameplay--most prominently the interactions with primary antagonist Nemesis. Whilst still very beloved, it is far less adored than its 2019 counterpart.
* ''[[VideoGame/RollerCoasterTycoon Roller Coaster Tycoon 3]]''. While many people enjoy Atari's reboot of the franchise, some "purist" fans believe that Atari ruined it. Most of the complaints are due to the ObviousBeta nature of the game, caused by a switch to new developers.
* ''VideoGame/RType Final'' is easily the most divisive game in the series, even more so than ''[[OddballIntheSeries R-Type Leo]]'' and the following ''Tactics'' game that [[GenreShift changed the genre entirely]]. Supporters like the game's expansion to the series lore, large amount of content for a shmup (most notably its roster of 101 playable ships) and its dark, moody tone that provides a [[GrandFinale fitting closure]] to the series storyline, but there is a considerable contingent of fans who criticize ''Final'', finding it an [[ItsEasySoItSucks unexciting]] shooter with [[PacingProblems boring, uneventful levels]] and dislike the game's roster gimmick, citing the amount of grinding required to unlock new crafts and its [[MovesetClone redundant]] and [[TierInducedScrappy unbalanced]] nature.
* ''VideoGame/SaintsRowTheThird'' is this to ''VideoGame/SaintsRow2'', which is widely considered to be a great game by fans of the series. The third game went a lot DenserAndWackier than its predecessor, and whether that's a good or a bad thing is a substantial topic for debate amongst fans. There are also some other things missing from the second game (less clothing customization in return for what you do have looking better, etc).
* ''Senxin VideoGame/{{Aleste}}'' is seen by many as a SurprisinglyImprovedSequel to the Compile-era ''Aleste'' games as a whole due to being a much beefier game with BulletHell, [[SuperMode hyper modes]], multiple playable characters, and an in-depth scoring system (something that previous ''Aleste'' games notably lack, typically amounting to "just kill stuff and collect items"), while others [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks don't like it precisely for that reason]], feeling that it strays from what gives the ''Aleste'' series its own identity and is basically just another Creator/{{CAVE}}-like shmup in a market that has so many of them already.
* All of the mainline ''VideoGame/SeriousSam'' games after the first two encounters have been divisive for one reason or another:
** ''VideoGame/SeriousSamII'' got a cold reception from the fanbase at release due to its intensely DenserAndWackier direction, [[ItsEasySoItSucks easier difficulty]] and somewhat pared-down enemy count. Its relative failure would cause Croteam to dismiss it as [[CanonDiscontinuity non-canon]] and backpedal ''hard'' from the "cartoon" era of ''Serious Sam'' for the following games. However, in recent years, the game has amassed a growing fandom who love it precisely ''because'' it's such a weird and wacky game, with praise going to its lengthy campaign filled with many unique worlds, characters and enemies. Some (including, notably, popular "boomer shooter" reviewer WebVideo/Civvie11) also praise it for toning down the frustrating qualities of the previous games.
** ''VideoGame/SeriousSam3BFE'': Some think it's a great sequel that gets the series back on track after the cartoonish excesses of the previous game and features some of the most intense and exciting combat in the genre thanks to a generous case of SequelEscalation while others think it's one of the weaker installment with criticisms going toward the SlowPacedBeginning, the abundance of DemonicSpiders (which the ''Fusion'' release goes some way toward rectifying) and the [[CutAndPasteEnvironments uninteresting]] modern Egypt setting. The additions of modern shooters conventions like sprinting, reloading and aiming down sights is also contentious.
** ''VideoGame/SeriousSam4'' is either a rough gem that successfully fixes all of the gameplay problems of ''BFE'' for the deepest and most balanced core game yet, or [[ObviousBeta an unfinished mess]] that looks little better than ''BFE'' despite releasing nine years after and suffers from overhyping features (specifically the open map and "Legion System") that [[UnderusedGameMechanic end up undercooked in the actual game]]. The extra focus on story is also divisive: some feel it add some unexpected emotional depth to the series while others find it annoying and unfunny.
* ''VideoGame/{{Shantae}}'': The series ran into this trope with ''VideoGame/ShantaeHalfGenieHero'', after every previous installment was generally considered to unquestionably improve upon the last. Defenders praise its higher budget, the new art style, the soundtrack, and the various additional modes such as "Friends to the End". Meanwhile, detractors bemoan the switch to a level-based progression system, the significantly more linear stages in a series that had been a pure {{Metroidvania}} up to that point, and feel that the decision to make the game a SoftReboot wasn't for the better.
* ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIVApocalypse'', depending on whether you ask someone who [[EnjoyTheStorySkipTheGame prefers story elements]] or [[PlayTheGameSkipTheStory focuses on game mechanics]], is either:
** An improvement over ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIV'' for refining its mechanics: Smirk is no longer hideously overpowered, death no longer costs a fee to come back from let alone just kicking you back to your previous save [[spoiler:except in the second-to-final dungeon]], battle partners are chooseable, have useful abilities, and are not as [[ArtificialStupidity stupid]] as in ''SMTIV'', and there's no 1/256 encounters (Want to fight the [[BonusBoss Fiends]]? Just come to this late-game dungeon!). Or...
** A downgrade for its messily-handled lore: The Law and Chaos alignments are effectively "straw" alignments in a series where debating over which side is better is a major point, and in fact their respective endings are "bad" early endings. In the Bonds route, [[spoiler:Danu forcefully fixes the problem of her son Dagda trying to kill the protagonist by [[KillAndReplace killing her son and replacing him with a new one]] in a manner too close to AbusiveParent for comfort in a route about trying to achieve a peaceful resolution to the cosmic series-traditional ForeverWar.]]
* ''Franchise/SilentHill'':
** The Team Silent games tend to be liked universally among series fans. Every game since has been controversial to some extent, but ''VideoGame/SilentHillShatteredMemories'' has definitely proven to be the most [[BrokenBase polarizing entry]]. Half the fanbase dares to consider it to be one of the best ''Silent Hill'' games, and loved how the highly-nuanced story comes together, the other half despises it for abandoning many classic gameplay functions and re-using old characters for no reason. Many saw ''Shattered Memories'' (at least in terms of storyline) a return to form for the series' psychological roots. ''Homecoming'' received heavier negativity for starting the ReplacementScrappy line of developers. ''Downpour'' meanwhile, got hammered before it even released due to the replacement of series composer Akira Yamaoka (who had actually previously offered to score any future ''SH'' titles) and gameplay mechanics (sidequests, subways, weapon degradation) that many argue have no place in ''Silent Hill''. Then when ''Downpour'' came out, the controversy still hadn't died down. Meanwhile, the next game, ''Book of Memories'', is getting this even worse due to it being a beat 'em up.
** The Team Silent games aren’t immune to this either with ''VideoGame/SilentHill4'' being the most polarizing game they developed. It has its detractors who hate it for what they see is an "InNameOnly" sequel that lacked the themes and symbolism of the past 3 games and strayed ''too'' far from the original formula with more combat, marking it as the "beginning of the end" for the series. On the other hand, it also has a good sized fan following who love it for its surreal atmosphere and a uniquely dark and twisted story all while expanding on the mythos of [[VideoGame/SilentHill2 a serial killer previously mentioned in the 2nd game]].
** Even ''VideoGame/SilentHill3'' has been viewed as this [[DownplayedTrope to a lesser extent]], especially when compared to its predecessor ''VideoGame/SilentHill2''. Though many agree that it is a good entry overall, debate continues on whether it was a great idea to make a direct sequel to the first game with the Order returning and the cult being fleshed out, or a misstep for not continuing with the personal demons direction the 2nd game established.
* In ''VideoGame/TheSims2'' fan circles, ''VideoGame/TheSims3'' is jokingly referred to as "TheDarkSide." While the game has its fair share of fans, many ''Sims 2'' players write it off completely. Reasons vary from being too attached to their ''Sims 2'' projects to not liking the way ''Sims 3'' sims look. ''VideoGame/TheSims4'' got even worse treatment, especially since the original release lacked basics like toddlers or pools, and went even further in the direction of "RPG-ish" "quest-based" gameplay which were part of the reason many ''Sims 2'' fans scorned the third installment.
* ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'':
** ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogCD'' is somewhat obscure compared to the lauded Genesis/Mega Drive trilogy, but reaction has been surprisingly split. Fans of the game praise its lush, surreal graphics, high-quality soundtrack (a point of contention itself, as it varies between the EU/JP and US releases), introduction of series longstays Metal Sonic and Amy Rose, and the time-warp mechanic (adding variety and incentives to the game). Other players denounce the labyrinthine, offbeat level design (often featuring gimmicks and loosely-scripted sequences that send Sonic to a crashing halt), frustrating special stages (ambitious Mode 7 style fields with less-impressive depth perception), and time-warp mechanic (which is difficult to activate due to the choppy level design). It doesn't help that fans are equally split on whether ''Sonic CD'' or ''Sonic 2'' is the true sequel to ''Sonic 1'', as they were developed concurrently--''Sonic 2'' in the US, ''Sonic CD'' in Japan.
** ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2''. The most general consensus is that this is still a good ''Sonic ''game, but one of the last ones of the era. Some liked the streamlined level-by-level progression as well as the longer, more linear levels, and the gameplay variety. Others preferred the overworld hub linking to each level and the shorter but more open levels of [[VideoGame/SonicAdventure the first game]], and the other playable characters being optional.
** ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog4'': ''Episodes I and II''. While it's generally agreed that ''Sonic 4'' as a whole is a step back from its direct Mega Drive/Genesis predecessors, the contention comes from its individual episodes. Some people say ''Episode II'' is better than the first episode due to its [[ArtEvolution graphical overhaul]], more natural gameplay physics, [[TheBusCameBack the return of Tails]] to the gameplay with new co-op moves, and increased originality in levels, enemies, and bosses, compared to the first episode's [[{{Retraux}} massive recycling of past gameplay content]]. Other argue ''Episode II'' is worse than the first episode due to Tails [[ScrappyMechanic being required to progress through the levels]], the [[GameBreaker overpowered nature of the co-op moves]], tedious boss battles, and the general feeling that it failed to address many of the complaints pushed concerning ''Episode I''. While fans usually point towards ''Episode II'' as the lesser of two evils, critics seemed to think otherwise, as ''Episode II'' received a more mixed reaction compared to the mostly positive reception to ''Episode I''. The fact that ''Episode II'' came after the acclaimed ''VideoGame/SonicGenerations'' didn't help its case.
** In the ''VideoGame/SonicAdvanceTrilogy'', the third game gets this, with criticisms such as the level design not meshing well with the game's mechanics and the hubs being labyrinthe and unnecessary. The second game also gets this to a lesser extent for its greatly linear level design, [[AutoScrollingLevel auto-scrolling]] boss battles, and generally emphasizing a higher focus on speed more than the previous titles.
** Once Dimps was relegated to producing handheld tie-ins to console games (''Colors'' on DS, ''Generations'' and ''Lost World'' on 3DS), opinion on their games became extremely mixed. Many fans deride the handheld versions as watered-down, content-bare cash-ins on the superior console games made by Sonic Team; others, including several outspoken critics, consider the handheld versions to be better than the console versions. Infamously, Jim Sterling gave ''VideoGame/SonicColors'' a 4.5 on Wii and an 8.5 on DS; to this day, Sega just won't let the matter die. Kotaku's review of ''VideoGame/SonicLostWorld'' was just as biased: it reviewed both the Wii U and 3DS games in one article, calling the 3DS version "the good one" and the Wii U version "the bad one" in the very first sentence.
** ''VideoGame/SonicLostWorld'', coming right off the heels of the [[SurprisinglyImprovedSequel critically acclaimed]] ''VideoGame/SonicColors'' and ''VideoGame/SonicGenerations''. ''Lost World'' is Sega experimenting with yet another new style of gameplay, one which takes strong cues from later ''Mario'' games by slowing Sonic down, emphasizing precision platforming over fast setpieces, and introducing copious amounts of level-specific gimmicks. Fans are split whether despite the flawed execution, it was a step in the right direction as some felt the fast-paced, boosting gameplay of the aforementioned titles had run its course and needed to be scrapped, or that Sega are once again playing around with new styles instead of being consistent with one that worked. Notably, ''Lost World'' received more mixed reviews among the critics. However, like most Sonic games, ''Lost World'' became VindicatedByHistory years later. Thanks to notable improvements made to the game since, combined with it's sequel ''VideoGame/SonicForces'', receiving even ''more'' mixed reception despite a return to the Boost gameplay of ''Colors'' and ''Generations''.
** The 3DS version of ''Lost World'' is a pretty weird example; some players lambast it as one of the worst 3D Sonic games, filled with intrusive Wisp usage, lifeless gameplay, and absolutely tragic level design, while others praise it as one of the best 3D Sonics yet- due to its Wisp usage, tighter controls, and level design.
* ''VideoGame/SoulSeries'':
** For many fans, ''VideoGame/SoulcaliburV'' is this due to the poorly handled '''seventeen year''' TimeSkip between it and the previous game -- this opportunity to start afresh with a slew of brand new characters and exciting older versions of established extras was instead squandered on either a) bringing the old regulars back with [[HandWave various flimsy Soul Edge magic-related excuses]] to explain why a lot of them haven't changed or [[TheAgeless even aged at all]] in almost two decades, or b) worse, completely dropping them with little to no word on their fate or current whereabouts and replacing them with a younger SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute. And most of the cast wind up totally OutOfFocus in the game's story anyway due to the rushed schedule the game was developed under.
** While ''VideoGame/SoulcaliburVI'' is, for the most part, regarded as a welcome return to form, owning to the cast being (mostly) the same as the original ''Soulcalibur'', increased game speed, a larger movepool that was present in the older games, and more fluid animations, there are those those that still have issues with the game, blaming the lack of single player content outside the two story modes, connectivity issues, the divisive Reversal Edge mechanic, and perceived bland stages (especially in comparison to, ironically enough, the previous entry).
* ''VideoGame/Splatoon2'' is generally considered to be on par with, if not better than, the original, gameplay-wise. It's the ''story'' where this trope really hits; some feel this game's Hero Mode is a fun single-player experience that explores what happened during the TimeSkip in-between games and builds on the characters of Callie and Marie in an emotionally satisfying way, while others view the twist of [[spoiler:Callie being BrainwashedAndCrazy]] as a predictable cop-out, feel like the new characters are underutilized (''especially'' Marina, as an Octoling whose species is never brought up outside of a few jokes during stage introductions), were expecting much more out of the story due to prerelease hype such as the Squid Sisters Stories, and/or claim that the story is overly devoted to [[PanderingToTheBase pandering to Marie fans]] due to her victory in the Callie vs. Marie Splatfest, to the point where Callie is pushed so badly OutOfFocus she completely disappears from the game after the credits roll. Whether it's viewed as a worthy successor, a disappointment, or both tends to vary based on whether is playing it for the gameplay or for the world-building.
* The general fandom opinion towards ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsX'' is this from ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsV''. The addition of [[NintendoHard Expert Mode]] is generally a plus, for it answered the complaint of recent SRW titles are too easy, but the plot is considered too messy and lazy (as the writer tend to use "teleportations" to explain/solve everything).
* Each respective entry in the ''VideoGame/StarFox'' series since ''64'' have dealt with this reaction.
** ''VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures'', which is the OddballInTheSeries due to changing the gameplay from ShootEmUp to ActionAdventure, didn't please the fans of ''64''. Going by its own merits though, the game is still quite divisive, being a ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' clone that naturally leads to a good amount of fans and detractors. Critically-speaking, the game actually did rather well, but it still gets demonized as the entry that marked the series' decline.
** ''VideoGame/StarFoxAssault'' is well-liked by some series fans, who like the balance of Arwing and ground missions, the [[DarkerAndEdgier more serious tone]] of the story, the [[AwesomeMusic/StarFox amazing score]] and visual design, and a completely new villain and storyline. That said, others chide its short length, linearity, a relative lack of on-rails Arwing stages, the on-foot controls and being in general an easy game to beat. There are some that also don't like the more serious direction ''Assault'' took, equally happy to point out {{Narm}} moments and the lack of [[MemeticMutation meme-worthy]] lines.
** ''VideoGame/StarFoxCommand'' returned the core game play to pure flying action as opposed to ''Assault'' which had way too much on-foot action, but most people didn't like it for a variety of reasons. While the lack of classic rail-stages is a valid complaint, fans also objected to everything else, including the innovative touch-screen controls (or the lack of a classic alternative). The story was also quite derided, probably because many of the MultipleEndings were rather baffling in nature, although there are people who found the idea a neat evolution of the series' usual branching paths.
** ''VideoGame/StarFoxZero'' has it likely the worst out of any game in the series. Either it's a beautiful-looking and [[AwesomeMusic/StarFox sounding]] reimagining of ''64'' that pushes the UsefulNotes/WiiU's relatively aged hardware to its limits, with just enough original mechanics and vehicles to keep things fresh and an innovative, if often awkward, control scheme that shows the full potential of the [=GamePad=] in a way that few other Wii U games did, or a sloppy, disappointing regurgitation of the franchise's glory days with shoehorned new elements, where the most dangerous enemy is not Andross's army but the (to say the least) unorthodox controls that demand the player pay full attention to both the TV screen and the [=GamePad=] at the same time. There is almost no middle ground on the issue.
* ''VideoGame/StarTropics II'': Is it an EvenBetterSequel or a sequel that lacks the punch its predecessor had? Both games have their fans (and sometimes they like both games). However, some fans of the first don't like how in the sequel, it can be easy for Mike to get killed by monsters due to no MercyInvincibility. Another common complaint was the addition of time travel to the plot, most of which had nothing to do with the tropics. This angered some of the fans of the first game. It's still by no means a bad game or a bad sequel.
* ''Franchise/StreetFighter'':
** The ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIII'' series is a big hot point among many fans, particularly "old-schoolers" who are more familiar with the ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII'' and ''[[VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha Alpha]]'' games, who claim that parries (the ability to counter an attack without being stuck in block stun) kill the flow of the game, while its fans say that parries are what make the game great. The original version of ''Street Fighter III'' also received a lot of flak for [[PutOnABus jettisoning away]] the majority of the series' roster up to that point, the updates ''2nd Impact'' and ''3rd Strike'' tried to address this by adding back some of the original characters.
** ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIV'' tries to find a middle ground; while parries are absent, the Focus mechanic allows something relatively similar in that you can absorb one hit (or, in special cases, two) and exploit the advantage; the game [[TheBusCameBack also restored many characters from the original roster]] that were absent in the previous title. The original arcade release focused on the 12 original World Warrior and boss characters (plus Akuma) with 4 new characters. The original home release, and then ''[[CapcomSequelStagnation Super]]'' [[CapcomSequelStagnation and]] ''[[CapcomSequelStagnation AE]]'' [[CapcomSequelStagnation editions]] added more characters from ''III'' and ''Alpha''. However, this brings ''new'' complaints, in that the hodgepodge of old gameplay elements and characters are accused of being shallow shells of their former incarnations, with little of what made them fun or interesting.
* ''VideoGame/SuikodenIII'' is praised by some for expanding the story by having five different viewpoint characters, one of whom is ''[[BigBad the villain]]'', but denounced by others for greatly altering the gameplay, in particular greatly reducing the scale of army battles and making them little different from regular party battles. Also controversial was that whereas the first two games were very closely linked and most of the returning characters in ''II'' had important roles, in ''VideoGame/SuikodenIII'' there were far fewer returning characters and most of them had minor roles. And one was a beloved character who made a FaceHeelTurn; fans are split on whether this was a brilliant twist or done purely for shock value.
* ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'':
** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBrosTheLostLevels'': You either like it because it offers a fresh new [[SequelDifficultySpike challenge]] and the addition of some new kinds of obstacles such as upside-down pipes and wind, or dislike it because [[ItsTheSameNowItSucks it's just a]] MissionPackSequel that's [[ItsHardSoItSucks too difficult]]. This extends to the meta sense- Nintendo of America was unsure whether fans in America would approve of the game, so they reskinned the Japan-only ''[[VideoGame/DokiDokiPanic Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic]]'' with Mario characters and released that as ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2'', in turn another contested sequel because of its origins and the various differences in style and gameplay from the other games. Americans eventually got ''Lost Levels'' with ''Super Mario All-Stars'', while Japan got the American ''Super Mario Bros. 2'' as ''Super Mario USA'', but still to this day neither is exempt from this status.
** If you ask any classic Mario fan which Mario game is the best, chances are they'll choose either ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3'' or its sequel ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld''. Fans of ''3'' cite the more plentiful power ups, slightly smoother controls, higher number of levels (90 versus 73), the addition of Airship levels (absent in the other game) and a more satisfying narrative. ''World'' fans prefer its smoother level of difficulty, longer levels, availability of secret exits, addition of Ghost House levels (obviously not present in the other game) and the introduction of Yoshi. Trying to figure out whether ''World'' is better than ''3'' will get you a variety of answers.
** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioSunshine'', with its very different direction from ''VideoGame/SuperMario64'', is certainly one of the most divisive titles in the series. Mario travels to a foreign resort island with only a few of the series' staple characters and enemies (Bloopers, Bob-Ombs, Pokeys and Boos)[[note]]variants of Cheep Cheep and Piranha Plant are present, including a King Mook of the latter in the form of Petey Piranha[[/note]] and levels revolve around cleaning up dynamically-generated goop and exploration-based platforming with the help of a water cannon. Public opinion was rather mixed at the time of release. As time went on, in the wake of [[ItsTheSameNowItSucks criticism on games]] like the ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros'' series and ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DLand'', ''Sunshine'' has been mostly [[VindicatedByHistory vindicated]], and many fans long for its daring creativity.
** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2''. Was it better than the first, or didn't live up to the excellence of the first? Its status as the first truly direct sequel in the 3D lineup also caused some minor division in the fanbase.
** Opinions are divided on which of the ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros'' games is the best, and whether or not that best entry can compare favorably to the old-school installments released during the 1985-95 era. The only thing everyone can agree on is that ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros2'' is the weakest game in the series.
** ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor''. The fanbase always fights over whether this one was superior to the original, or inferior.
** The ditching of the standard RPG fighting mechanics made ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'' even more divisive.
** ''[[VideoGame/PaperMarioColorSplash Color Splash]]'' itself continued the trend once it finally came out. On one side are those complaining about how it's taking too many pages out of ''Sticker Star's'' book (the card based battle system, few new characters, still too many Toads, etc.) and solving none of its problems; the other side believes that while it still has nothing on the first two games, it's definitely a good game in its own right that actually does address a lot of ''Sticker Star'''s problems, (having an improved battle system, better developed characters (including Bowser who was silent in ''Sticker Star''), removing the GuideDangIt and far more clever writing) and is ''much'' better than ''Sticker Star''.
** Some believe ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiDreamTeam'' is overloaded with tutorials, the story is bland and the antagonist is a GenericDoomsdayVillain. Others think the game is a worthy successor to ''Bowser's Inside Story'' with tight gameplay, an interesting story and a detailed new location, often pointing to many of the flaws as [[FranchiseOriginalSin showing up in earlier games]]. This is to say nothing of the twist [[spoiler: Bowser is the true BigBad, not the original villain]], which is either a clever twist or a sign the [=RPGs=] are [[spoiler: getting too reliant on having Bowser as the main villain.]]
** ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiPaperJam'' is lambasted in some circles for retaining some of the flaws of the much hated ''Sticker Star'' (an overabundance of Toad [=NPCs=], generic enemies and locations and having Bowser as the villain) plus not using ''Paper Mario'' elements not found in ''Sticker Star'' and using the same gameplay as past games with few changes. Others like the game for adding to the characterisation of previously flat characters, removing the emphasis of forced tutorials and streamlining the gameplay.
* ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'':
** ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'' greatly suffers from this in the communities of the previous games.
*** The {{nerf}}ing of ''many'' characters, the poor character balance, the extremely floaty physics, the slower-paced combat, the removal of many advanced techniques, and the tripping mechanic made many think of this game as a step backward from both ''Melee'' and ''Smash 64''. However, many casual players don't care about those changes (or even see some as improvements themselves), and enjoy the expanded roster, and the expanded modes.
*** The Adventure mode, Subspace Emissary, is contested enough to be considered almost separately. It's either the kind of thing players really, really wanted when they first played the adventure from ''Melee'', making it a favorite mode, or it's overlong, overblown, and just plain subpar. Ironically enough, it was only when the next game dropped Adventure mode completely that the fanbase started uniting behind Subspace Emissary.
** ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSAndWiiU'': While both versions had the same roster, item list, and mechanics, they each got different stages, game modes, and extras, with the 3DS version focusing on handheld gaming history while the Wii U version highlighted consoles instead. The general consensus is that the 3DS version ended up with better content, since its stages were less frustrating, its Classic mode was better implemented, Smash Run blew Smash Tour out of the water, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and its menus were laid out better]]; however, the Wii U version won out in terms of playability, with superior graphics and control options.
* ''VideoGame/SupremeCommander2'' removed the epic scale maps and unit options in return for intimate battles and more detail, making it easy for casual gamers to fight short battles. Combined with changes to the resource system and a graphical downgrade this basically erased everything the fans of the first game liked.
* ''VideoGame/TalesSeries'':
** ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphoniaDawnOfTheNewWorld'': While not the first direct sequel to a ''VideoGame/TalesSeries'' game, is probably the most well-known, given that it continues the events of [[VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia the game that made the series popular and well-known to Western audiences.]] Some people enjoyed new characters Emil and Marta, the {{deconstruction}} of what happens after the goals of the previous game were achieved, and seeing their old favorite characters come back to kick ass. Some ''other'' people hate it for Emil and Marta, the reuse of the first game's locations, the {{Mon}}s system, and [[SpotlightStealingSquad their old favorite characters not getting enough screen time]]. There is no middle ground. DOTNW also gets a lot of hate for the fact that the old characters stop gaining levels at certain point, much earlier then Emil and Marta, forcing you to always rely on Emil and Marta and the monsters you recruit.
** ''VideoGame/TalesOfXillia2'': Following the 15th Anniversary title ''Xillia'', the sequel was loved and hated by fans on various aspects. ''Xillia'' had been [[ChristmasRushed rushed]] to meet the Anniversary, which resulted in the plot being rushed at the end and the game missing things, which included playing as [[FinalBoss Gaius and Muzét]], a [[HotSpringsEpisode Hot Springs Scene]] and similar. All of this was put into the sequel and some fans love to see it, others find that throwing out a sequel to add things which ''should'' have been in the first game was a poor excuse to throw the complaining fans a bone. ''Xillia 2'' also had a darker story, including having no perfectly happy Ending, with the best being a Bittersweet one; once again fans were torn between loving the darker atmosphere compared to the previous Tales games, others thought it [[TooBleakStoppedCaring too dark]]. While the ''Xillia'' cast still remained as your party and often had screentime, the fact that - aside from Jude and Milla - none of them played too big of a role in the plot was once again a split-point for fans. Happy to see their favorite characters, unhappy that majority of them were mostly there to fill up your party and do little else.
%%** With ''VideoGame/TalesOfBerseria'' seen as a much improved prequel to ''VideoGame/TalesOfZestiria'', many fans want to declare ''Zestiria'' as flat out [[FanonDiscontinuity Discontinuity]], while others feel that while ''Zestiria'' was not good ''Berseria'' makes up for the game's flaws and makes ''Zestiria'' at the very least bearable.
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%%% The above needs to be rewritten to explain why it's disliked, and account for people who liked it. No, "some consider it canon discontinuity and some consider it not good but redeemed by its prequel" doesn't cover all bases.
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* While ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' is extremely popular, many of the fans of the original ''VideoGame/TeamFortressClassic'' were ''not'' happy with the changes Valve decided to make to the formula for the sequel and have not accepted it as a successor to TFC in favor of the mod known as ''Fortress Forever'', which is more faithful to the original ''Team Fortress'' mod for ''VideoGame/HalfLife''. However, there are also fans of the original ''Team Fortress'' who prefer what Valve did in [=TF2=] instead and take it as the natural progression from TFC (helped slightly by nods from Valve themselves to TFC itself occurring in [=TF2=]'s murky past). The ''Fortress Forever'' vs. [=TF2=] debate was also very contentious because ''Fortress Forever'' came out the week before [=TF2=] did, and it felt very much like deliberate counter programming; not only did the mod have quite a few issues when it launched, but some of the decisions made to further distance itself from [=TF2=] post-launch happened at the expense of gameplay balance. Ironically enough, by the time ''Fortress Forever'' had become a much more polished experience, it had (begrudgingly?) adopted some of the improvements [=TF2=] made to the core experience (keep in mind this was all before [=TF2=] had basically turned into the totally different beast it is today).
* ''VideoGame/TetrisTheGrandMaster 3''. Some ''TGM'' fans view it as an improvement on ''[=TGM2=]'', raising the challenge through faster speeds and at the same time making the game more intuitive to play through a 3-piece preview, hold piece, and a fix for the problem involving trying to rotate an I piece into a hole one cell wide. Others see these features as [[ItsEasySoItSucks dumbing down TGM]] and the increase in speed as FakeDifficulty.
* ''VideoGame/ThunderForce V'' is divise compared to the beloved Genesis games and the [[{{Sequelitis}} poorly-received]] ''Thunder Force VI''. Those who like it cites its excellent presentation (particularly the soundtrack), exciting boss battles and a surprisingly dramatic and elaborate (by shmup standard) storyline; those who don't lament the flat level design lacking in physical obstacles and unique level gimmicks, and the decision to design the entire game and its scoring system around the [[GameBreaker overpowered]] Free Range weapon, giving players no reason to use anything else in their arsenal.
* ''Tomb Raider'' began running into rocks starting with ''VideoGame/TombRaiderAngelOfDarkness'', alternatively considered either the most ambitious, atmospheric game in the original series, or an unfinished glitchy mess of awful controls. ''VideoGame/TombRaiderLegend'' was a reboot of the series by a different developer, with as much changes as that implies. Let's just leave it to the BrokenBase whether this is the point where it [[GrowingTheBeard grew the beard]] or [[JumpingTheShark jumped the shark]]. It happened ''again'' when the series was rebooted in 2013 and took on horror-survival and 3rd-person shooter elements, although if the 2013 did one thing, it brought ''Tomb Raider'' back into the mainstream, full-time.
* It's agreed that the ''VideoGame/TonyHawksProSkater'' franchise [[SeasonalRot fell off a cliff]] at some point, but ''when'' exactly that happened is frequently debated, with a valid case being made for every game after ''Pro Skater 2'':
** For the hardcore set of fans who view ''Pro Skater 3'' as the beginning of the series' decline, they cite the introduction of Reverts, which made landing jumps and maintaining combos much safer, and subsequently the game is a lot easier than its predecessors.
** ''Pro Skater 4'' drops the 2-minute time limit and experiments with being more open-ended, which depending on who you ask is either a fresh take on the formula or something that loses the strategy elements of the previous games with finding the best line through a level.
** The two ''VideoGame/TonyHawksUnderground'' games remain popular, but have their detractors for abandoning the pure skateboarding focus of the franchise, as well as for its ''Series/{{Jackass}}'' inspired humor. There are plenty of fans however who enjoy that irreverent streak, and still think the skateboarding and open world gameplay remains fun.
** ''American Wasteland'' is probably the game most commonly cited as the JumpingTheShark moment, but it does have fans who consider it a good continuation of the ''Underground'' games and appreciate it for toning down the divisive humor of them.
** Finally, there is a set of fans who maintain that the series was enjoyable through to ''Project 8'' and ''Proving Grounds'', the last games developed by Neversoft. While the "Nail the Trick" gimmick remains unpopular, these two games still represent the last entries in the series that stayed true to the formula before the {{Waggle}}-infested ''RIDE'' games.
* Depending [[Administrivia/EditWar on what mood]] Wiki/TheOtherWiki is in on a given week, ''[[VideoGame/VandalHearts Vandal Hearts II]]'' is either "vastly superior" or "vastly inferior" to the original ''VideoGame/VandalHearts''. If you bought the second game after playing through the first expecting more of the same (at least semi-)realistic looking characters, nasty-looking animated monsters, and floating backgrounds, as well as gore, character classes, intriguing narration and CGI cut scenes, you're definitely going to be disappointed to find that all the characters in the second game are now animeish, with tiny bodies, over-sized heads and no mouths, the first monsters you encounter are now just cartoonish snakes, no cut scenes, and character classes are now based on equipment along with enemies that can dodge attacks.
* ''VideoGame/WarioLand'':
** ''VideoGame/WarioLand3'' has become one, primarily due to the Metroidvania style of its gameplay unlike the more linear style of ''VideoGame/WarioLandII'', the amount of backtracking and several [[ScrappyMechanic Scrappy Mechanics]], particularly the Golf minigame. Some think the execution, pacing and progression are a downgrade from II, while others still consider it an overall improvement over II and the best game in the series.
** Though still considered a good game, ''VideoGame/WarioLand4'' is more divisive than the titles before it. This is mainly because it makes Wario able to be killed again, there are fewer transformations he can go into, it makes every level a time-trial mission to escape before it explodes, it becomes mandatory to find every single treasure to beat the game, the level designs go back to the more linear ones of the first two games, and it is much shorter in length than the previous titles.
** Every game since ''Wario Land 4'' is even more contested. Which one is the 'true' sequel to the previous games? Well, you’ll get a lot of different answers to that question, as each has different gameplay mechanics and game design. Do you prefer the 3D beat-em-up/platformer hybrid approach of ''VideoGame/WarioWorld'', the stylus-oriented gameplay of ''VideoGame/WarioMasterOfDisguise'', or the more return-to-form 2D platforming of ''VideoGame/WarioLandShakeIt''? As for whether any of them are even good games... that’s pretty debated as well. ''Wario Land: Shake It!'' gets flak for being too much like ''Wario Land 4'' except with less new ideas in it, ''Wario World'' has a very mixed critical reception in general, and ''Wario: Master of Disguise'' is seen by quite a few fans and critics as [[{{Sequelitis}} just plain bad]]. You can see this by the Metacritic scores of each game: 88 for ''Wario Land 4'', 71 for ''Wario World'', 60 for ''Wario: Master of Disguise'', and 78 for ''Wario Land: Shake It!''.
* ''VideoGame/TheWitcher2AssassinsOfKings''. Many consider it an EvenBetterSequel with top-tier production values, and an extensively player reactive, complex, mature, and adult storyline that elevates it above many games in its genre. Others however consider it something of a SophomoreSlump: with consolized design choices; a highly unbalanced combat system; and complain that it replaces much of what made the first game charming and unique with overly convoluted political intrigue that comes off more like a Series/GameOfThrones knockoff.
* ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza}}'':
** While ''VideoGame/Yakuza3'' received good to average reviews, it was widely deemed inferior to its predecessor ''VideoGame/Yakuza2''. Many fans who had played the previous two games weren't fond of the game's sudden emphasis on the new direction focusing on the orphanage or the children, felt the plot wasn't on par with the previous games[[note]]It was also the first game in the main series without the involvement of crime novelist Hase Seishū[[/note]], and found the FinalBoss of this game wasn't nearly as memorable as Ryuji Goda. On the other hand, there's a good portion of fans who consider it one of the better games of the series due to its sole emphasis on Kazuma Kiryu (which would be lost in the next 3 mainline games), loved the SliceOfLife moments involving the orphanage, felt the game had its own memorable characters and story, and found the game's FinalBoss not only to be a memorable and complex villain in his own right, but found the fight against him to be one of the best in the series.
** ''VideoGame/Yakuza4'' is either seen as an improvement to its predecessor or inferior to it. Some fans believed the series would begin to go stale if the series continued to focus solely on Kiryu, and found that introducing more protagonists was a needed breath of fresh air, and enjoyed what they had to offer to the story. On the other hand, the plot of the game was seen by many as a convoluted mess filled with ChronicBackstabbingDisorder and twists galore, and were torn on how the game's story played out between the four characters, who each have their fans and detractors.
** ''VideoGame/Yakuza5'' is seen by fans as either one of the best entries in the series or inferior to its predecessors by trying to be too grand for its own good while suffering from the same gameplay and story problems as ''4''. Many fans enjoyed every aspect of the game from beginning to end with the game's new engine, improved combat, AntiFrustrationFeatures and variety of gameplay, while others were torn on the characters' unique side story quests, Saejima's chapter, Haruka's gameplay, Shinada's combat and his story, and some features, moves and mini-games from the previous games not returning. Many agree that from a gameplay perspective it's the best in the series, but reactions to the story itself are all over the place, although some of those who claim the story is the worst in the series maintain that it's only the weakest in a lineup of strong stories, and is still leagues above those offered by its triple-A competitors.
** ''VideoGame/Yakuza6'' is the first game released on the Dragon Engine meaning that while it's the most immersive and impressive looking entry in the ''Yakuza'' series yet, and finally leapfrogs the visual quality of the games to contemporary levels, it's offset by a host of technical issues, a feeling of unrefinement, as well as a far lower amount of content relative to previous games, though some appreciate its more focused nature with ''5'' being as large as it is. Most of these issues would have been a lot more forgivable for a spinoff game, but the fact that it's meant to be the GrandFinale for the Kiryu saga means it's held to higher standards. Points of contention are the fact that Kiryu is the only playable protagonist once more, the characters intoduced in the entry, how a certain romantic relationship ([[spoiler:Haruka and Yuta]]) was handled, the way the game treated long-time recurring characters, the FinalBoss in terms of both story and gameplay, and finally, [[spoiler:Kiryu and Haruka not receiving a happy ending after everything they've been through, with the former faking his death so the latter is no longer marked as a target due to her ties with a legendary ex-yakuza]]. In spite of that, the game has also gotten a lot of positive reception for its SliceOfLife aspects and its themes of family and humanity.
** ''VideoGame/YakuzaLikeADragon'', almost solely due to its GenreShift from a real-time BeatEmUp to a turn-based {{JRPG}} after 14 years.
* ''VideoGame/YoshisIsland'':
** ''VideoGame/YoshisIslandDS'' was fairly well received critically bar the music, but fans of the original are divided over whether it's a good game or as good as the original. You can also say the same about ''Yoshi's Story'' (and with that one, there are some people who like the former tend to dislike the latter and vice versa).
** ''VideoGame/YoshisNewIsland'' caused controversy among fans because of the complete retcon of the first game's ending. There are also mixed opinions over the quality of the new music featured in it, or the fact it was developed by Arzest (who is comprised of the same staff who made ''Yoshi's Island DS'').
** ''VideoGame/YoshisCraftedWorld'', especially compared to ''VideoGame/YoshisWoollyWorld'', which is considered by series fans to rival the original SNES game in quality. The music is agreed to not be as good as previous ''Yoshi'' games and the souvenir hunting can make the game feel incredibly slow and repetitive for those who are trying to get OneHundredPercentCompletion. Those who can get past those two elements generally think it's an EvenBetterSequel, since the stages are larger, more exploratory and creative in terms of settings.
[[/folder]]

** Even ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'', while widely popular, has been controversial for making some of the most massive changes to the formula since the NES era. Some fans consider it a much needed reimagining of a series that was going stale, and a [[RevisitingTheRoots return to the roots]] of the first game. Others think that while it's overall a good direction for the series, too many staple elements of the series like dungeons and item collection were removed in favor of extreme open endedness and non-linearity. And some fans of the previous games feel it's so different that, regardless of whether it's a good game in itself, it isn't what they want in a Zelda game. These fans are concerned that with the massive critical and commercial success of Breath of the Wild, Nintendo will see no reason to make any more games in the classic style established by ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'' and ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime''.

** Even ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'', while widely popular, has been controversial for making some of the most massive changes to the formula since the NES era. Some fans consider it a much needed reimagining of a series that was going stale, and a [[RevisitingTheRoots return to the roots]] of the first game. Others think that while it's overall a good direction for the series, too many staple elements of the series like dungeons and item collection were removed in favor of extreme open endedness and non-linearity. And some fans of the previous games feel it's so different that, regardless of whether it's a good game in itself, it isn't what they want in a Zelda game. These fans are concerned that with the massive critical and commercial success of Breath of the Wild Nintendo will see no reason to make any more games in the classic style established by ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'' and ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime''.

** Probably the most polarising album is ''The Marshall Mathers LP 2'', which, depending on who you ask, is a personal, deep, and [[ContinuityNod continuity-referencing]] album displaying his stylistic versatility and [[TookALevelInKindness improved personality]], exploring wacky, retro and innovative pop and hip-hop sounds and demonstrating the greatest technical rapping of his career, or a pandering, shallow, overtechnical and inconsistent GoodIsBoring pop album by a relic [[AgeInappropriateDress dressing like a teenager in his forties]] who is out-of-step with modern hip-hop ''and'' modern pop and who keeps saying disgusting homophobic slurs even though his [[RatedGForGangsta shock value]] disappeared long ago.
** ''Relapse'' also has a debate over whether it's nonsensical and unfunny [[ExploitationFilm sensationalism]] where Eminem raps over unfashionable beats in racist accents about [[TooBleakStoppedCaring depressing murder fantasies]], or a CultClassic ConceptAlbum which uses a SlasherMovie allegory to [[AddictionSong explore the misery of his drug addiction]] and is a highlight of his discography (or even, for some {{Horrorcore}} fans, his only truly great album - Music/TylerTheCreator has suggested as much).

** Probably the most polarising album is ''The Marshall Mathers LP 2'', which, depending on who you ask, is a personal, deep, and [[ContinuityNod continuity-referencing]] album displaying his stylistic versatility and [[TookALevelInKindness improved personality]], exploring wacky, retro and innovative pop and hip-hop sounds and demonstrating the greatest technical rapping of his career, or a pandering, shallow, overtechnical and inconsistent GoodIsBoring pop album by a relic [[AgeInappropriateDress dressing like a teenager in his forties]] who is out-of-step with modern hip-hop to the point of total reality disconnection and whose [[RatedGForGangsta shock value]] disappeared long ago.

** Probably the most significantly debated album is ''The Marshall Mathers LP 2'', which, depending on who you ask, is an emotional, well-written and [[ContinuityNod continuity-referencing]] sequel album nodding to his legacy while exploring wacky, retro and innovative pop and hip-hop sounds, or a desperate, commercial, overtechnical and inconsistent work by a relic [[AgeInappropriateDress dressing like a teenager in his forties]] who is totally out of step with modern hip-hop and whose [[RatedGForGangsta shock value]] disappeared long ago.

** The fans of Creator/EdwardNorton in ''Film/TheIncredibleHulk'' will complain about his replacement by Creator/MarkRuffalo beginning in ''Film/TheAvengers2012'', claiming that Norton was the better Banner and that the recasting of one of the six original Avengers was a poor move [[note]]Recasting had happened before - Creator/DonCheadle took over the role of [=Col. Rhodes/War Machine=] starting in ''Iron Man 2''[[/note]]. Given the relative unpopularity of the film with fans (most casual observers won't even realize it was a part of the [=MCU=] to begin with, despite multiple characters crossing between them), Ruffalo is generally seen as the superior Hulk.

* ''VideoGame/Drakengard2'' wasn't directed by Creator/TaroYoko, and it shows, such as with the replacement of [[SociopathicHero Caim]] with the much more generic Nowe and a lighter atmosphere overall. On the other hand, the gameplay is ''significantly'' improved, and those who found the [[VideoGame/{{Drakengard}} first game]] was [[TooBleakStoppedCaring too dark]] might '''prefer''' a less gloomy game.

* ''Senxin VideoGame/{{Aleste}}'' is seen by many as a SurprisinglyImprovedSequel to the Compile-era ''Aleste'' games as a whole by those who don't dig 80's and 90's pre-BulletHell console shmups and are more into modern shmups with lots of action and scoring gimmicks, while others [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks don't like it precisely for that reason]], feeling that it strays from what gives the ''Aleste'' series its own identity and is basically "just another Creator/{{CAVE}}-like shmup".

* ''Senxin VideoGame/{{Aleste}}'' is seen by many as a SurprisinglyImprovedSequel to ''GG Aleste 3'' and the Compile-era ''Aleste'' games as a whole by those who don't dig 80's and 90's pre-BulletHell console shmups and are more into modern shmups with lots of action and scoring gimmicks, while others [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks don't like it precisely for that reason]], feeling that it strays from what gives the ''Aleste'' series its own identity and is basically "just another Creator/{{CAVE}}-like shmup".

* All of Music/{{Eminem}}'s albums after ''Music/TheMarshallMathersLP'' are debated bitterly by critics, ranging from a mild but notable strain of criticism that ''Music/TheEminemShow'' went too far KinderAndCleaner or was his greatest and biggest work to date, to a battle between those who gush about how his technical abilities became better once he got off the drugs and those who had rather he'd died during his overdose.
** Probably the most significant album in this category is ''The Marshall Mathers LP 2'', which, depending on who you ask, is a more emotional, better written and carefully [[ContinuityNod continuity-referencing]] sequel nodding to his legacy while exploring wacky, retro and innovative pop and hip-hop sounds in an otherwise homogeneous year for hip-hop, or desperate, commercial, overtechnical work by a relic [[AgeInappropriateDress dressing like a teenager in his forties]] whose [[RatedGForGangsta shock value]] disappeared long ago.
** ''Relapse'' also has a significant debate over whether it's just nonsensical and unfunny tryhard shock bullshit about murdering celebrities in racist accents, or an innovative shock-rap ConceptAlbum with a thoughtful SlasherMovie allegory for drug addiction which is a career highlight (or even, for a lot of {{Horrorcore}} fans, his only truly great album).

** Probably the most significant album in this category is ''The Marshall Mathers LP 2'', which, depending on who you ask, is a more emotional, better written and carefully [[ContinuityNod continuity-referencing]] sequel nodding to his legacy while exploring wacky, retro and innovative pop and hip-hop sounds in an otherwise homogeneous year for hip-hop, or desperate, commercial, overtechnical work by a relic [[AgeInappropriateOutfit dressed like a teenager in his forties]] whose [[RatedGForGangsta shock value]] disappeared long ago.

* All of Music/{{Eminem}}'s albums after ''Music/TheMarshallMathersLP'' are debated bitterly by critics, ranging from a mild but notable strain of criticism that ''Music/TheEminemShow'' went too far KinderAndCleaner or was his greatest and biggest work to date, to a battle between those who gush about how his technical abilities became better once he got off the drugs and those who had rather he'd died during his overdose. Probably the most significant album in this category is ''The Marshall Mathers LP 2'', which, depending on who you ask, is a more emotional, better written and carefully written sequel nodding to his legacy while exploring wacky and retro pop sounds, or desperate, commercial, overtechnical work by a relic whose [[RatedGForGangsta shock value]] disappeared long ago.

* Fans of ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' are divided with the [[Literature/AFeastForCrows fourth]] and [[Literature/ADanceWithDragons fifth]] books which many considered it as a ToughActToFollow after the [[Literature/AStormOfSwords third]] book, particularly adding new POV characters who merely described the setting of the series and the ArcFatigue on Daenarys’ mission to reclaim the Iron Throne and the incoming ZombieApocalypse. Others seemed to be fine with the new characters and pointed out that the series doesn’t have a MythArc.

* Similarly, ''VideoGame/SaintsRowTheThird'' is a contested sequel to ''VideoGame/SaintsRow2'' which is widely considered to be a great game by fans of the series. The third game went a lot DenserAndWackier than its predecessor, and whether that's a good or a bad thing is a substantial topic for debate amongst fans. There are also some other things missing from the second game (less clothing customization in return for what you do have looking better, etc).
* All of the mainline ''VideoGame/SeriousSam'' games afer the first two encounters have been divisive for one reason or another:
** ''VideoGame/SeriousSamII'' got a cold reception from the fanbase at release due to its intensely DenserAndWackier direction, [[ItsEasySoItSucks easier difficulty]] and somewhat pared down enemy count. Its relative failure would cause Croteam to dismiss it as [[CanonDiscontinuity non-canon]] and backpedal ''hard'' from the "cartoon" era of ''Serious Sam'' for the following games. However, in recent years, the game has amassed a growing fandom who love it precisely ''because'' it's such a weird and wacky game, with praise going to its lenghty campaign filled with many unique worlds, characters and enemies. Some (including, notably, popular "boomer shooter" reviewer WebVideo/Civvie11) also praise it for toning down the frustrating qualities of the previous games.

*** ''WesternAnimation/AGoofyMovie''[='=]s DirectToVideo sequel ''WesternAnimation/AnExtremelyGoofyMovie''. Because [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome Roxanne was removed]], Max and Goofy got AesopAmnesia, and there was an ExtremeSportExcusePlot, many people [[{{Sequelitis}} didn't like the movie at all]]. However, because the animation was really good, [[PluckyComicRelief Bobby]] became a BreakoutCharacter, Goofy got a {{Love Interest|s}} and PJ, TheWoobie, [[EarnYourHappyEnding earned his happy ending]] (which even some people who had less context were happy to see because it showed a [[FatBestFriend sympathetic fat character]] getting a girlfriend based on his personality), other people [[EvenBetterSequel thought it was amazing]] even if they [[SurprisinglyImprovedSequel hated the first one]]. The audience's reaction spans "awesome but the first one sucked", "even better than the first one", "as good as the first one", "not as good as the first one but still awesome", "not as good as the first one in most ways but better in some", "okay", "not very good but with some redeeming qualities" and "completely horrible".

** ''Island Xtreme Stunts'', compared to the first ''VideoGame/LEGOIsland'' (it's considered a SurprisinglyImprovedSequel compared to ''[[{{Sequelitis}} LEGO Island 2]]''). On one hand, it is a welcome return to the free-roaming sandbox approach of the first game, now combined with the increased freedom in movement introduced in the second game, and gives us a much larger island to explore, plus a hefty dose of SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic provided by L.E.G.O. Radio. On the other hand, it has [[TheOtherDarrin unprofessional voice acting]], carries over its predecessor's poor platforming (which becomes apparent, once again, when you must ascend the Brickster's tower), and has numerous {{Game Breaking Bug}}s including one particularly infamous one which corrupts your save file. Some fans of the series also feel that the ExtremeSportExcusePlot felt out-of-place in the LEGO Island setting, while others don't mind it at all.

* ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaV3KillingHarmony'' ended up being praised for its improved gameplay mechanics and bonus content, but criticized for the [[EndingAversion last chapter's]] [[BrokenBase plot twist]] (and to a lesser extent, for [[spoiler:killing off the first female protagonist in the main series]] in the first chapter), as well as for [[ItsTheSameNowItSucks a general inability to break away from or subvert the traditions set by the first two games]].