Thoughts on Sequels (part one)

Life is full of sequels.  From movies to books to video games.  If something is successful, there will probably be another one.  The problem is, is that other one as good as or better than the first one?

Long ago, when the earth was green and life was simple, sequels didn't really rule.  Sometimes a good movie pairing just meant that there would be another movie starring the same people.  If a sitcom were good, and some guest stars shone brightly, these guest stars would get their own series.  (Things aren't so different today in this regard...though this doesn't seem to work for sitcoms anymore.)

This does seem to be the rule with video games.  Some games have three or four sequels, all of them eagerly anticipated.  Some sports games come out yearly, with what appear to be mostly cosmetic changes.  Is our life supposed to feel like a rerun.

I played Socom Fireteam Bravo on my PSP.  I liked it, so I bought Fireteam Bravo 2.  I liked the second one, but I liked the first one more.  The sequel had better graphics and seemed to be smoother, but I still liked the first one more.  If I could find number 3 at a reasonable price, I would probably buy it.  I doubt I would like it more, but I would buy it, and like it....just not as much as the first one.  Maybe it is because I learned on the first one, and as a result, spent much more time on it than I did on the sequel.

This afternoon I bought God of War: Ghost of Sparta.  Having completed Chains of Olympus, am I going to like this sequel less? 

I invite any reader out there to comment below about a video game sequel that was better than the original.  Don't be shy.