Yet it still managed to be fresh and, in my opinion, make the next big leap in what rpgs are capable of. Sequels aren't really the problem, and I don't mind them really—in a vacuum. The bigger problem is what 'sequels' are in corporate speak; making minimal effort and doing the same things over and over again, trying to profit off of name recognition alone. They don't see a franchise and think "Great, a chance to dive into this world and see all it has to offer and what makes it tick," they see it as a chance to make maximum $$$ while not feeling like they need to do much.

Once again, corpos ruin everything.