A Spiritual successor , sometimes called a Spiritual sequel or a Companion piece , is a sequel to a work of fiction which does not have the same storyline made in the first . Spiritual successors still have the same elements , themes , and styles as the first . A spiritual successor , sometimes called a spiritual sequel or a companion piece , is a successor to a work of fiction which does not directly build upon the storyline established by a previous work as do most traditional prequels or sequels , but nevertheless features many of the same elements , themes , and styles as its source material .