Non-Linear Sequel: Difference between revisions

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Some video games, especially RPGs, do not have a strict sense of a linear [[Sequel]]. The game may -- ''may'' -- take place in the same continuity, but not necessarily in the same time period. Occasionally the only thing similar is the system of play or shared tropes and references.

This is because video games, uniquely among media, have another dimension by which installments in a series can be interrelated, other than characters, [[The Verse|setting]], plot, or tone; that dimension being gameplay mechanics. Of course, this also means you might get an installment that [[Dolled Up Installment|isn't really one at all]]. Plus, it has the benefit of helping to avoid [[Continuity Lock Out]]--with non-linear sequels, it doesn't really matter if you start with, say, An RPG Adventure 1 or An RPG Adventure 10.

This is because video games, uniquely among media, have another dimension by which installments in a series can be interrelated, other than characters, [[The Verse|setting]], plot, or tone; that dimension being gameplay mechanics. Of course, this also means you might get an installment that [[Dolled-Up Installment|isn't really one at all]]. Plus, it has the benefit of helping to avoid [[Continuity Lock Out]]--with non-linear sequels, it doesn't really matter if you start with, say, An RPG Adventure 1 or An RPG Adventure 10.

This also avoids the logical conclusion of why the hero isn't [[Bag of Spilling|at Level 255+ when he starts the next game]].

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Compare and contrast to a [[Thematic Series]], which is a series that follows themes as opposed to specific characters or settings.

== Action-Adventure Games ==

* ''[[The Legend of Zelda (Franchise)|The Legend of Zelda]]'' is a bit of a mess, as [[Fanon]] persists in trying to find some coherent continuity between the games. [[Word of God]] stated the [[Time Travel]] shenanigans in ''[[The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time (Video Game)|The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time]]'' actually ''split'' the timeline, giving twice the elbow room for [[Fan Wank]]-ery. Though thanks to Shigeru Miyamoto's occasional nonsensical statements, nobody's sure if [[Word of God]] knows what it's talking about at any given time anyways.

** The situation becomes even more complicated, as [[Word of God]] has a tendency to contradict itself on this matter. ''[[The Legend of Zelda a Link To T He Past (Video Game)|The Legend of Zelda a Link To T He Past]]'' is before the original two games, then it's after; ''[[Ocarina of Time]]'' has gone in and out of being considered the [[Backstory]] to ''Link To The Past''. About the only constant has been that ''Ocarina'' is the major series starting point, giving a definitive origin to Ganon, the series [[Big Bad]]. Though even that position is being usurped by ''[[The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword (Video Game)|The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword]]'', which is giving a definitive origin for the [[Sword of Plot Advancement|Master Sword]] (which was already in play during ''Ocarina'').

** The situation becomes even more complicated, as [[Word of God]] has a tendency to contradict itself on this matter. ''[[The Legend of Zelda a Link To T He Past (Video Game)|The Legend of Zelda a Link To T He Past]]'' is before the original two games, then it's after; ''[[Ocarina of Time]]'' has gone in and out of being considered the [[Backstory]] to ''Link To The Past''. About the only constant has been that ''Ocarina'' is the major series starting point, giving a definitive origin to Ganon, the series [[Big Bad]]. Though even that position is being usurped by ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Video Game)|The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword]]'', which is giving a definitive origin for the [[Sword of Plot Advancement|Master Sword]] (which was already in play during ''Ocarina'').

** The series timeline has been recently revealed in the book "Hyrule Historia", turns out the timeline was split in 3 branches in OOT.

* The ''[[Legacy of Kain]]'' series plays around with the [[Timey Wimey Ball]] and as a result only the first two, ''Blood Omen'' and ''Soul Reaver'', are in normal order. ''Soul Reaver 2'' picked up where ''Soul Reaver'' left off with the main characters travelling back in time to a couple decades before ''Blood Omen'', then they travel forward to several centuries after ''Blood Omen'', then back to centuries before ''Blood Omen''. The fourth game, ''Blood Omen 2'', takes place between ''Blood Omen'' and ''Soul Reaver'' in an altered timeline caused by the fifth game, ''Defiance''. Defiance picks up right where ''Soul Reaver 2'' left off and switches between the two heroes who are in different time periods, one is still in the time period centuries before ''Blood Omen'' and the other is exactly in the same timeframe as ''Blood Omen'', the events of that game occuring unseen at the same time as the events of ''Defiance''. If you followed all that, congratulations, you just mastered one of the most complex time travel plots ever known.

* The ''[[Legacy of Kain]]'' series plays around with the [[Timey-Wimey Ball]] and as a result only the first two, ''Blood Omen'' and ''Soul Reaver'', are in normal order. ''Soul Reaver 2'' picked up where ''Soul Reaver'' left off with the main characters travelling back in time to a couple decades before ''Blood Omen'', then they travel forward to several centuries after ''Blood Omen'', then back to centuries before ''Blood Omen''. The fourth game, ''Blood Omen 2'', takes place between ''Blood Omen'' and ''Soul Reaver'' in an altered timeline caused by the fifth game, ''Defiance''. Defiance picks up right where ''Soul Reaver 2'' left off and switches between the two heroes who are in different time periods, one is still in the time period centuries before ''Blood Omen'' and the other is exactly in the same timeframe as ''Blood Omen'', the events of that game occuring unseen at the same time as the events of ''Defiance''. If you followed all that, congratulations, you just mastered one of the most complex time travel plots ever known.

* ''[[Shadow of the Colossus]]'' and ''[[ICO (Video Game)|ICO]]'' take place within the same universe, with ''Shadow of the Colossus'' occurring earlier in the timeline.

** Or at least, [[Word of God]] says that that's his personal interpretation, and [[Death of the Author|everyone is free to come up with a different one if they want]].

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** ''Sonic CD'' was developed at the same time as ''Sonic 2''. A piece of bonus artwork (Tails with a caption saying "See you next game"), suggests to some of the fandom that this means Sonic CD is before Sonic 2

** The [[Reset Button]] ending of ''Sonic '06'' officially removed it from the canon. However, the game says that Blaze the Cat is from the same future as Silver the Hedgehog. ''Sonic Rush'' and its sequel directly contradict this saying that Blaze is from [[Another Dimension]].

*** Also thanks to the [[Timey Wimey Ball]] nonsense, Silver's future is perpetually doomed by something entirely different, and Eggman Nega is somehow from both the Future and another Dimension.

*** Also thanks to the [[Timey-Wimey Ball]] nonsense, Silver's future is perpetually doomed by something entirely different, and Eggman Nega is somehow from both the Future and another Dimension.

** ''[[Sonic Chronicles]]'' then takes place two years after the last game of the series. However its ending {{spoiler|has Robotnik take over the world.}} This doesn't sit well with the next game in the series, ''[[Sonic Unleashed]]''.

*** Unless that's the reason Sonic is trashing an Eggman armada at the start of Unleashed.

** In ''[[Sonic Battle]]'', Shadow has his memory back, or at least remembers the events of ''Sonic Adventure 2''. ''[[Sonic Heroes (Video Game)|Sonic Heroes]]'' contradicts this, with Shadow having contracted amnesia thanks to his fall at the end of ''SA2'' ([[Laser Guided Amnesia|and maybe some other factors]]) and he still doesn't have memory of ''SA2'''s events by the end of ''[[Shadow the Hedgehog]]'', making ''Battle'''s place in continuity very iffy.

** In ''[[Sonic Battle]]'', Shadow has his memory back, or at least remembers the events of ''Sonic Adventure 2''. ''[[Sonic Heroes (Video Game)|Sonic Heroes]]'' contradicts this, with Shadow having contracted amnesia thanks to his fall at the end of ''SA2'' ([[Laser-Guided Amnesia|and maybe some other factors]]) and he still doesn't have memory of ''SA2'''s events by the end of ''[[Shadow the Hedgehog]]'', making ''Battle'''s place in continuity very iffy.

*** Are you sure? IIRC, he was pretty well-informed by the end of ''[[Shadow the Hedgehog]]''.

*** ''Battle'' occurs after ''Shadow'' (as Shadow clearly remembers his past) but was released slightly before ''Heroes''. Where it falls into the overall timeline is unknown, but it is referenced heavily in ''Chronicles''.

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* ''[[Super Mario World 2 Yoshis Island]]'', although numbered, is a prequel to the main ''[[Super Mario Bros]]'' games.

** Though it could be argued that since it's simply called ''Super Mario: Yoshi's Island'' in Japan, it was never meant to be connected to Super Mario World.

* ''[[Wonder Boy III Monster Lair (Video Game)|Wonder Boy III Monster Lair]]'' and ''[[Wonder Boy III the Dragons Trap (Video Game)|Wonder Boy III the Dragons Trap]]''. The former is a [[Shoot Em Up]] platformer hybrid spinoff, while the latter is an Action RPG set immediately after ''[[Wonder Boy in Monster Land (Video Game)|Wonder Boy in Monster Land]]''; with the prologue taking place in the [[Very Definitely Final Dungeon]] of that game.

* ''[[Wonder Boy III Monster Lair (Video Game)|Wonder Boy III Monster Lair]]'' and ''[[Wonder Boy III the Dragons Trap (Video Game)|Wonder Boy III the Dragons Trap]]''. The former is a [[Shoot'Em Up]] platformer hybrid spinoff, while the latter is an Action RPG set immediately after ''[[Wonder Boy in Monster Land (Video Game)|Wonder Boy in Monster Land]]''; with the prologue taking place in the [[Very Definitely Final Dungeon]] of that game.

** ''[[Monster World IV (Video Game)|Monster World IV]]'' has mostly the same gameplay as the previous ''Wonder Boy'' / ''Monster World'' titles, but a completely unrelated story.

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* The ''[[Grandia]]'' series developed by Game Arts is similar to ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' in that the games share little except for the battle system.

* ''[[Fable II (Video Game)|Fable II]]'' is set 500 years after ''[[Fable I (Video Game)|Fable I]]'', with a different protagonist.

* Each ''[[MOTHER]]'' game is set in a different time period, with mostly new characters and locations. In fact, the only connection between the first two is the name of the [[Big Bad]], [[Spell My Name With an S|Giegue/Gyiyg/Giygas]], plus a few items and attack names. The connection between the second and third ''seems'' even more tenuous, going from [[Eagle Land|a good-natured parody of modern America]] to a mysterious frontier town in the "Nowhere Islands", {{spoiler|until the [[Big Bad]]--Giygas's returning [[The Dragon|henchman]]--explicitly references the events of #2.}}

* Each ''[[MOTHER]]'' game is set in a different time period, with mostly new characters and locations. In fact, the only connection between the first two is the name of the [[Big Bad]], [[Spell My Name With an "S"|Giegue/Gyiyg/Giygas]], plus a few items and attack names. The connection between the second and third ''seems'' even more tenuous, going from [[Eagle Land|a good-natured parody of modern America]] to a mysterious frontier town in the "Nowhere Islands", {{spoiler|until the [[Big Bad]]--Giygas's returning [[The Dragon|henchman]]--explicitly references the events of #2.}}

* The ''[[Wild Arms]]'' games were assumed to be non-linear at first, but [[Word of God]] says that they all take place on the same planet. This doesn't make much sense.

** If that's the case, the games take place at least multiple millennia apart with [[Fridge Logic]] mass-reconfiguration of the planet's continental crust fragments. But hey, if the planet's center is filled with supernatural blue mud, you can [[Hand Wave]] just about anything.

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* ''[[Dragon Quest (Video Game)|Dragon Quest]]'': Several titles are taken place in the same universe with similar past events. ''[[Dragon Quest III (Video Game)|Dragon Quest III]]'' is the prequel of the first two games, which are collectively known as the "Loto Trilogy" or "Erdrick Trilogy" (depending on your translation).

** The [[Dragon Quest IV (Video Game)|fourth]], [[Dragon Quest V (Video Game)|fifth]], and [[Dragon Quest VI (Video Game)|sixth]] games are also part of their own saga (the loosely-connected Zenithian trilogy), albeit in [[Anachronic Order]].

** To date, only ''[[Dragon Quest VII (Video Game)|Dragon Quest VII]]'' and ''[[Dragon Quest IX (Video Game)|Dragon Quest IX]]'' seem to be standalone titles, as ''[[Dragon Quest VIII (Video Game)|Dragon Quest VIII]]'' hints at a multiverse due to {{spoiler|the Godbird Empyrea actually being one and the same as [[Spell My Name With an S|Ramia/Lamia]] from ''III''.}} Torneko Taloon from ''IV'' also cameos as an opponent in Morrie's Monster Arena in ''VIII''. Just to complicate matters, ''IX'' features character cameos and cosplay gear from all eight previous games and the ''[[Dragon Quest Swords (Video Game)|Dragon Quest Swords]]'' spinoff, which may mean something or may just be [[Mythology Gag|Mythology Gags]]. Then there's the early ''[[Dragon Quest Monsters]]'' games - one's a prequel to ''VI'', another had a ''VII'' character wind up in the Erdrick Trilogy world long after the events of ''I - III''.

** To date, only ''[[Dragon Quest VII (Video Game)|Dragon Quest VII]]'' and ''[[Dragon Quest IX (Video Game)|Dragon Quest IX]]'' seem to be standalone titles, as ''[[Dragon Quest VIII (Video Game)|Dragon Quest VIII]]'' hints at a multiverse due to {{spoiler|the Godbird Empyrea actually being one and the same as [[Spell My Name With an "S"|Ramia/Lamia]] from ''III''.}} Torneko Taloon from ''IV'' also cameos as an opponent in Morrie's Monster Arena in ''VIII''. Just to complicate matters, ''IX'' features character cameos and cosplay gear from all eight previous games and the ''[[Dragon Quest Swords (Video Game)|Dragon Quest Swords]]'' spinoff, which may mean something or may just be [[Mythology Gag|Mythology Gags]]. Then there's the early ''[[Dragon Quest Monsters]]'' games - one's a prequel to ''VI'', another had a ''VII'' character wind up in the Erdrick Trilogy world long after the events of ''I - III''.

* The continuity between the ''[[World of Mana]]'' games is rather loose. At least one game, ''[[Legend of Mana]]'', has been declared non-canon by [[Word of God]], and the mobile phone game ''Friends of Mana'' takes place in a totally different world.

* ''[[Pokémon]]'' does this. Not counting ''Gold and Silver'', which were direct sequels to the first games, ''Red and Blue'', every iteration since has been part of a jumbled up timeline that can only be explained by in-game functions.