As the years go by, video game players' needs and desires change and evolve, and so developers adapt to the circumstances,even if that means transforming long-established franchises.
After decades of a known protagonist, mechanics, or general direction, many gaming series have innovated to appeal to a broader audience or to re-inspire old fans, which has been possible through the so-calledreboots.
Of course,these resets can go absolutely wrong, but they can also revitalize an entire saga, as demonstrated by the protagonists of our list of 10 game franchises withhugely successful reboots.
10Devil May Cry
Dante’s Underrated Phase
DmC: Devil May Cry
Despite the original hate that the game received,DmC: Devil May Crynot only resurrected the franchise’s online presence, but it was alsoa great hack-and-slash that influenced the rest of the series.
Although it had its flaws, the reboot offered impressive work in terms of gameplay, level design, and art style, while also being the first entry in the IP to really attempt to give character development to Dante.
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It is no coincidence that DmC isone of the highest-ranked Devil May Cry games on Metacritic, as it had a powerful reception that was only tarnished because of hardcore fans who didn’t like Dante’s new self. Fortunately,time put it in its well-deserved place as a good title.
Agent 47’s Re-imagining
Hitman (2016)
When IO Interactive renovated Agent 47’s assassination-based format, not even the most passionate stealth fans could have expected the revolution thatHitman(2016) brought to the franchise.
Re-imagining one of gaming’s icons wasn’t easy, but the developer achieved a magnificent result by delivering the ultimate playground to become the world’s greatest assassin.
With a less streamlined style andseemingly infinite gameplay options, Hitman shifted to a global scale and presentedsome of the most creativeand unique stealth gameplaythe genre has ever seen.
Bethesda’s Way
While Interplay Entertainment and Black Isle Studios developed the firstFalloutentries, their financial struggles leftFallout 3in Bethesda’s hands, which opted to use their well-knownThe Elder Scrollsapproach.
Being an isolated story with little connection with its predecessors,Fallout 3 modified almost everything. From an isometric view to an FPS and turn-based combat to real-time shooting. Suddenly, this was less of a thoughtful CRPG and more like an action-packed AAA shooter of the era, albeit with quite a few RPG systems retained.
For die-hard fans of classic role-playing games, it was a game that did little to honor the success of past iterations. However, it made the series popular worldwideand established it as a modern classic loved for its immersion, storytelling, andmusic.
7Wolfenstein
A New Order, literally
Since its origins, theWolfensteinfranchise has been a major pillar of the gaming industry, andWolfenstein: The New Orderwas the one to remind the younger generation how true that statement is.
Regardless of being MachineGames' first project, the support from Bethesda allowed the developer to create a superb game that turned out to beone of the most remarkable of the entire series.
The return of B.J. Blazkowicz as a deadly machine fitted perfectly with the more open design of each mission, reminiscing of Arkane’s Dishonored (also published by Bethesda).
It also laid the groundwork for all subsequent installments, making this reboot an undeniable success.
6Castlevania
A Much-Needed Revamp
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
Castlevaniahas been an ever-present, releasing new and remastered titles year after year during the current century, but it wasn’t untilCastlevania: Lords of Shadowin 2010 that the franchise finally moved with the times.
Switching its well-known 2D metroidvania style to a more linear hack-and-slash format, it rebooted the story to provide something new, and serves as the complete package in terms of narrative, gameplay, aesthetics, and soundtrack.
With the help of Kojima Productions, MercurySteam was able to crafta beautiful action game that brought Castlevania to prominence once again, which, let’s be honest, is only right for this industry stalwart.
It may have dropped the ball with its sequel, but the first one remains a fantastic experience.
Reboot And Prequel
Deus Ex: Human Revolutionwas a soft reboot that sought to modernize gameplay and create a more accessible immersive sim experience while still retaining the sublime attention to detail of the titles that came before.
With a new character and a new story, but the same gameplay pillars that turnedDeus Exinto the stuff of legend,this immersive sim managed to find this accessible middle ground with aplomb.
I’ll grant you, it’s a game with an absolutely laughable ending, but thanks to the compelling narrative, the interesting setting, and the ‘play your own way’ framework, this one serves as an excellent reboot, and we wait patiently for yet another chapter in the Adam Jensen story.
4God of War
New Myths, Same Legend
God of War
After crafting one of the most memorable trilogies in the video game industry, including some of the best portable games ever created, Santa Monica Studio surprised the world whenit announced God of War(2018).
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With a new strand of mythology to play around with, a semi-open world design, and redefined core mechanics,Kratos' Norse journey was as new to him as to us, and the developers made sure to explore this new angle to the fullest.
After winning several GOTY awards, creating a new exoskeleton for the franchise, and giving us an unexpected chapter of one of the most relevant protagonists of all time,the God of War reboot proved its worth, and then some.
3Resident Evil
Less B-Movie, More Horror
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
Following the lead of many other long-lived franchises,Resident Evilrealized its formula urgently required innovation, and thus createdResident Evil 7: Biohazard.
Capcom cherry-picked the best parts of older iterations within the franchise but opted to give this new title a more condensed, relatable, and immersive outlook. The result? The creation of one of thebest horror gamesin recent memory and a return to form for the franchise after some rough years.
It’s rare that a reboot can come along and surpass the brilliance of all that came before, but we would argue that RE7 does that, serving as the strongest Resident Evil game in the series, making it a must-play.
2Tomb Raider
The Survivor’s Origins
Tomb Raider
Given the franchise’s declining popularity and the competition fromUncharted, Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics rebooted Lara Croft’s legacy withTomb Raider(2013) and took the series to new heights.
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It found a new audience while also bringing back long-time Lara fans to the series by drastically changing the gameplay to give a more visceral feeling through survival elements. Coupled with a dark story and mature cinematics and themes,the reboot was a tremendous success.
Tomb Raider even introduced a multiplayer mode, and despite not being as good as the main game, it showcased the developers' intention ofmoving Lara into a new era.And we have no doubt that there are more chapters of Lara’s story to come.
Rip And Tear
As one of thebest modern FPS gamesever,DOOMis a perfect example of how to make an outstanding reboot while being faithful to the series' roots.
As such, it offers a challenging modern-day shooter experience that’s just as gory, high-octane and brutally satisfying as those that came before.
The gunplay, the bosses, the enemies, the movement, the level design, the storytelling, the scenery, the graphics, the effects…No oversights,just perfection.
Considering that it led to the arguably superiorDOOM Eternal, another FPS masterpiece,it’s a more than successful rebootthat will live forever in our heads rent-free.
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