In replaying Chrono Cross, I kept thinking about it and Chrono Trigger. Chrono Trigger captured a certain type of magic that's made it a timeless classic. Chrono Cross followed it and while it could be considered the better game, it left a lot of people feeling cold. I didn't like it, initially because I was expecting Chrono Trigger part deux and got something that felt out of left field. Replaying it now, I love it for that. I love that it's the complete opposite of everything Chrono Trigger was and is brilliant for that.
So when it comes to sequels, follow-ups, etc. of games, movies, books, albums, etc. that you really love, how does change play into your opinion? Like if the follow-up to a beloved album does things completely differently than its predecessor, do you laud it for creativity or burn it for straying too far from what made the predecessor great? But then if the follow-up is very similar to the predecessor, do you laud it for saying true to its roots or lament it for stagnating? And if you revisit a sequel that you once reviled later in life and now find it brilliant, do you think to yourself, "Man, I wish I had seen the brilliance of it back in the day?"
So, yeah, let's talk about our perceptions of sequels/follow-ups to beloved classics.