History Main / TrilogyCreep

* While there was never really a stated number of games planned in the ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys'' series, ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys3'' seemed like it was being built up as the end of the series, what with the game being set [[TimeSkip thirty years after the first one]], featuring only a single surviving animatronic ([[RealAfterAll maybe]]), and ending with [[GreaterScopeVillain the Purple Guy]] [[LaserGuidedKarma finally being killed off by the spirits of the very children he murdered and then forced to haunt a robot like them]], [[spoiler:the kids' spirits moving on to the afterlife, and the pizzeria burning down at the end, seemingly putting an end to the Fazbear nightmare]]. Then [[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys4 a fourth game]] was confirmed, and was definitively billed as "The Final Chapter"; the game itself supported this, ending by [[AmbiguousSituation what seemed to be]] [[spoiler:The Bite of '87]]. After this, no further games seemed incoming (aside from [[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddysWorld the largely non-canon spin-off]]), and Scott was absolutely adamant that the series was over and there would be no further sequels... until [[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddysSisterLocation a fifth game was announced]], with Scott explaining on UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} that "[[TrollingCreator I never said I couldn't change my mind.]]" He trolled even further by disguising [[VideoGame/FreddyFazbearsPizzeriaSimulator the sixth game]] as another spin-off, but also made ''that'' look like the GrandFinale [[spoiler:by having the main villain and a number of animatronics burned alive]]. But then ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddysVRHelpWanted'' and ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddysSecurityBreach'' came out... And that's not counting all the novels.

* {{Parodied}} by WebVideo/TheNostalgiaChick: her three-part review of ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'' ended with her talking about how a lot of the material got pushed into the Extended Edition...and then ends by announcing that the reviews will have an "Extended Cut," i.e., a fourth episode.
** Creator/LindsayEllis does it again with her two-part review of ''Film/TheHobbit'' suddenly getting a third part, parodying how the films were expanded from a planned duology to [[PacingProblems an overly-long]] trilogy.

* After ''VideoGame/AnotherCenturysEpisode 3: The Final'' came out, many people were hoping for a new ''A.C.E.'' game would be released sometime. Lo and behold, ''Another Century's Episode: R'' for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation3. Note, however, that it is more or less a new continuity as opposed to an actual story continuation. Incidentally, [[WordOfGod Director Terada more or less said]], "I don't know why we called ''A.C.E.3: The Final'' (due to them apparently having every intention of making a new game). So, let's just say that ''A.C.E.3'' was "The Final UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 ''A.C.E.'' game."

* ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank''...hoo boy. To start, when the series jumped to the UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 developer Creator/InsomniacGames began developing a storyline dubbed "''Ratchet & Clank [[TheNewAdventures Future]]''" that would expand on the backstory of the duo as well as their lineages as a whole, eventually taking the form of 2007's ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankFutureToolsOfDestruction Future: Tools of Destruction]]'' and 2009's ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankFutureACrackInTime Future: A Crack in Time]]'' (the latter of which was also intended as the GrandFinale for the series as a whole). Once it became year that ''A Crack in Time'' needed an additional year of development Insomniac released ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClankFutureQuestForBooty'', a short MissionPackSequel to ''Tools'' that served to both tide fans over as well as set up ''A Crack in Time''. This also lead to studio start referring to these games as the "Future Trilogy." [[ExecutiveMeddling Once PlayStation decided]] to keep the franchise going a [[ComicBook/RatchetAndClankComic 6 issue comic miniseries]] released which acted as an epilogue that bridged the ending of ''A Crack in Time'' into the then-upcoming entry ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankAll4One All 4 One]]'' (which was not a part of the Future storyline). However after the less-than-stellar reception of that title and its follow-up ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankFullFrontalAssault Full Frontal Assault]]'', Insomniac decided to go back to the Future games' storyline with 2013's ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClankIntoTheNexus'', which was explicitly advertised as an epilogue despite not carrying the "Future" label. Then after [[SequelGap 8 years]] that game would receive a direct follow-up with 2021's ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClankRiftApart'', which once again continued the storyline and further expanded on the backstory introduced in the [=PS3=] titles. This means that the Future trilogy (which may we remind you started as ''two'' games) is comprised of 6 entries, and even then it's currently unknown if ''Rift Apart'' is the true conclusion as its ending leaves open the possibility of another direct continuation. Insomniac themselves seemed to be aware of this trope and attempted to [[DownplayedTrope downplay]] it, as once ''Into the Nexus'' rolled around they stopped calling it the Future '''trilogy''' and instead began referring to it as the Future '''saga'''.
* In 2009, ''VideoGame/AtelierRoronaTheAlchemistOfArland'' was released. The next year, its sequel, ''VideoGame/AtelierTotoriTheAdventurerOfArland'', came out, followed by ''VideoGame/AtelierMeruruTheApprenticeOfArland'' to finish the trilogy: the next ''VideoGame/AtelierSeries'' game to be released was ''VideoGame/AtelierAyeshaTheAlchemistOfDusk'', which is set in a new continuity. Once the Dusk and Mysterious trilogies had concluded, a fourth game set in the Arland continuity was announced: ''VideoGame/AtelierLuluaTheScionOfArland''.
** And again in 2022 with the release of the 4th game in the Mysterious trilogy (After two games in the Ryza/Secret series): ''VideoGame/AtelierSophie2TheAlchemistOfTheMysteriousDream''.
* The [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel Erebonia Arc]] of Falcom's ''VideoGame/TrailsSeries'' of games serves as a variation of this trope. It was supposed to only have two installments, but the first one ended up getting split into two games, allegedly due to hardware limitations. Afterwards, fans were hoping that the 3rd game would wrap things up, only for Falcom to suddenly announce a fourth installment due to the third game not being big enough to cover everything the staff wanted. And just when fans were breathing a sigh of relief, think that it was finally over...Falcom announced that the next game, ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsIntoReverie Trals into Reverie]]'', would be an epilogue-esque game meant to tie up loose ends from both the Erebonia and Crossbell arcs. It wouldn't be until the next game that the much-anticipated ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsThroughDaybreak Calvard Arc]]'' would finally begin.

* J.K. Rowling's ''Film/FantasticBeastsAndWhereToFindThem'' was initially announced as the first in a trilogy, then bumped to five films right before it released. Rowling says the trilogy announcement was a placeholder while she was still working on the series’s outline and before she’d nailed down the firm number.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/scary_movie_four_movies_2281066_1100_1629.jpg]]

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[[caption-width-right:725:[[Film/EpicMovie2007 And]] [[Film/DateMovie it]] [[Film/MeetTheSpartans didn't]] [[Film/DisasterMovie stop]] [[Film/VampiresSuck there]].]]

[[quoteright:725:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/scary_movie_four_movies_2281066_1100_1629.jpg]]]]]]

[[quoteright:725:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/scary_movie_poster_with_shaq.jpg]]

[[quoteright:350:[[Film.ScaryMovie https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/scary_movie_four_movies_2281066_1100_1629.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[Film/EpicMovie2007 And]] [[Film/DateMovie it]] [[Film/MeetTheSpartans didn't]] [[Film/DisasterMovie stop]] [[Film/VampiresSuck there]].]]

* Once the ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank'' series jumped to the UsefulNotes/PlayStation3, Insomniac Games began developing an ongoing storyline that explored the history of the duo across the next three entries as the [[NewSeasonNewName Future]] trilogy -- 2007's ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClankFutureToolsOfDestruction'', 2008's ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClankFutureQuestForBooty'', and 2009's ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClankFutureACrackInTime'', with the last game intending to be the GrandFinale for the series. [[ExecutiveMeddling Once Sony decided]] to keep the franchise going a [[ComicBook/RatchetAndClankComic comic miniseries]] was released acting as an epilogue that bridged the ending of ''A Crack in Time'' into the then-upcoming entry ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankAll4One All 4 One]]'' (which was not a part of the Future storyline). However after the less-than-stellar reception of that title and its follow-up ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankFullFrontalAssault Full Frontal Assault]]'', Insomniac decided to go back to the Future games' storyline with 2013's ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClankIntoTheNexus'', which was explicitly advertised as an epilogue. Then after [[SequelGap 8 years]] that game would receive a direct follow-up with 2021's ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClankRiftApart'', which once again continued the storyline and further expanded on the backstory introduced in the [=PS3=] titles. This means that the Future trilogy is comprised of 6 entries, and even then it's currently up in the air if ''Rift Apart'' was the true conclusion as its ending leaves open the possibility of another direct continuation. Insomniac themselves seemed to be aware of this trope and attempted to [[DownplayedTrope downplay]] it, as once ''Into the Nexus'' rolled around they stopped calling it the Future '''trilogy''' and instead began referring to it as the Future '''saga'''.

* In 2009, ''VideoGame/AtelierRoronaTheAlchemistOfArland'' was released. The next year, its sequel, ''VideoGame/AtelierTotoriTheAdventurerOfArland'', came out, followed by ''VideoGame/AtelierMeruruTheApprenticeOfArland'' to finish the trilogy: the next ''VideoGame/{{Atelier}}'' game to be released was ''VideoGame/AtelierAyeshaTheAlchemistOfDusk'', which is set in a new continuity. Once the Dusk and Mysterious trilogies had concluded, a fourth game set in the Arland continuity was announced: ''VideoGame/AtelierLuluaTheScionOfArland''.

* The [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel Erebonia Arc]] of Falcom's ''VideoGame/TrailsSeries'' of games serves as a variation of this trope. It was supposed to only have two installments, but the first one ended up getting split into two games, allegedly due to hardware limitations. Afterwards, fans were hoping that the 3rd game would wrap things up, only for Falcom to suddenly announce a fourth installment due to the third game not being big enough to cover everything the staff wanted. And just when fans were breathing a sigh of relief, think that it was finally over...Falcom announced that the next game, ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsIntoReverie Trals into Reverie]]'', would be an epilogue-esque game meant to tie up loose ends from both the Erebonia and Crossbell arcs. It wouldn't be until the next game that the much-anticipated ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesKuroNoKiseki Calvard Arc]]'' would finally begin.

* Once the ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank'' series jumped to the UsefulNotes/PlayStation3, Insomniac Games began developing an ongoing storyline that explored the history of the duo across the next three entries as the [[NewSeasonNewName Future]] trilogy -- 2007's ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClankFutureToolsOfDestruction'', 2008's ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClankFutureQuestForBooty'', and 2009's ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClankFutureACrackInTime'', with the last game intending to be the GrandFinale for the series. Once Sony decided to keep the franchise going a [[ComicBook/RatchetAndClankComic comic miniseries]] was released acting as an epilogue that bridged the ending of ''A Crack in Time'' into the then-upcoming entry ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankAll4One All 4 One]]'' (which was not a part of the Future storyline). However after the less-than-stellar reception of ''All 4 One'' and its follow-up ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankFullFrontalAssault Full Frontal Assault]]'' Insomniac made 2013's ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClankIntoTheNexus'', which was explicitly advertised as an epilogue to the Future games as it went back to the plot elements from them and expanded further on the storyline. Then after [[SequelGap 8 years]] that game would receive a direct follow-up with 2021's ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClankRiftApart'', which once again continued the storyline and further expanded on the backstory introduced in the [=PS3=] titles. And even then it's currently up in the air if this is the true conclusion to the storyline, as the game's ending leavies open the possibility of a subsequent installment continuing it. Insomniac themselves seemed to be aware of this trope and attempted to [[DownplayedTrope downplay]] it, as once ''Into the Nexus'' rolled around they stopped calling it the Future trilogy and instead began referring to it as the Future '''saga'''.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[Film/EpicMovie2007 And]] [[Film/DateMovie it]] [[Film/MeetTheSpartans didn't]] [[Film/DisasterMovie stop]] [[Film/VampiresSuck there.]]]]

[[caption-width-right:350:[[Film/EpicMovie And]] [[Film/DateMovie it]] [[Film/MeetTheSpartans didn't]] [[Film/DisasterMovie stop]] [[Film/VampiresSuck there.]]]]

->''"The fifth book in the increasingly inaccurately-named [[Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy Hitchhiker's Trilogy.]]"''

* ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' is an interesting case, as Creator/{{Bungie}} originally planned for it to only be '''two''' games; [[ExecutiveMeddling Microsoft wanted a third game]] and development time for ''Halo 2'' ran short, so they stretched it out over ''VideoGame/Halo2'' and ''VideoGame/Halo3''. Then there's the interquel ''VideoGame/Halo3ODST'' (planned, but expanded) and the prequel ''VideoGame/HaloReach'' (never planned), which roughly fit into the same "trilogy". In 2012, ''VideoGame/Halo4'' was released, stated to be the beginning of a second trilogy, called "The Reclaimer Saga", with Creator/ThreeFourThreeIndustries as the developers. The final game in the Reclaimer Saga would be ''VideoGame/Halo5'', before the trilogy was abandoned with the release of ''VideoGame/HaloInfinite'', which incorporated more elements from Bungie's titles.