Resident Evil 4 set the standard for video game reboots in 2005 with its massive gameplay shift. The storyline continued, but the genre went from survival horror to action. While some fans were uneasy with this, it is difficult to argue that it helped the franchise live this long and celebrate its 25th anniversary.
Not every series can be so lucky with reboots, however. Five of the games below hit the nail on the head in a similar manner, while others missed the mark. The latter titles are not necessarily bad, either; they just did not revolutionize the genre or series.
10 Great Reboot: God Of War
After God of War: Ascension, it was clear the franchise needed some change. To help bring Kratos back to the top, Cory Barlog, director of God of War 2, directed the 2018 masterpiece God of War. It takes place in the same continuity, but changes the scenery from Ancient Greece to Norse mythology. The fixed cameras were replaced with a more intimate over the shoulder camera, which managed to make the combat even more visceral than before.
9 Not Even Close: DmC: Devil May Cry
Sometimes a company reads its audience all wrong. After Devil May Cry 4, the last thing fans wanted from the series was a full reboot of Devil May Cry. However, Capcom went and tapped Team Ninja on the shoulder for a complete revamp of Dante. To its credit, the developer made a compelling action game, but the simple idea of a new storyline turned off a lot of fans. Fortunately, a true sequel, Devil May Cry 5, finally came out in 2019.
8 Great Reboot: Doom (2016)
Doom 3 was not necessarily a bad game, but it took away a lot of the frenetic action for which the original two classics were known. After some time making a sequel, Id decided to wipe all their work away and start with a clean slate, completely rebooting the franchise.
The result was 2016's Doom, a game which perfectly captures the original title's haphazard demon-slaying action. By embracing this old-school style, it manages to stay innovative and fresh, ignoring some common FPS tropes.
7 Not Even Close: Bionic Commando (2009)
Honestly, Bionic Commando from 2009 is a great game. The action-adventure gameplay is compelling, and there is a surprisingly intriguing plot behind the levels. Mike Patton from Faith No More voices Nathan Rad Spencer. Some felt the new game was wholly unnecessary and preferred the remake Bionic Commando Re-armed. Many also laughed at the surprise twist near the end. The game ends with a cliffhanger which will most likely never be resolved.
6 Great Reboot: XCOM: Enemy Unknown
Turn-based strategy games are not for everyone. They are often brutally difficult and force the player to manage and keep track of multiple systems. Despite this, XCOM: Enemy Unknown managed to be a critical and commercial hit. What was once a series for more hardcore gamers is now more open to anybody who plays video games. It is still extremely challenging, but Enemy Unknown does not feel quite so insurmountable.
5 Not Even Close: Medal Of Honor (2010)
Medal of Honor is one of the finest first-person shooters one can play on the original PlayStation. The PlayStation 2 received Medal Of Honor: Frontline and several other decent titles taking place during World War II. For the following generation, EA decided to update the series for modern times to compete with Call of Duty. While it had a surprisingly engaging multiplayer component, the single-player left much to be desired and felt too much like its competitors. The sequel, Warfighter, was an outright failure, stopping any future installments. Respawn Entertainment recently brought the series back to World War II with the VR only Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond.
4 Great Reboot: Mortal Kombat (2011)
After publisher Midway closed its doors, the Mortal Kombat IP and its development team went to Warner Bros.. Ed Boon and his team, now called Netherrealm Studios rebooted the Mortal Kombat franchise with a time travel hook, crafting a game whose story takes players through the first three games, bringing back all the original characters. This was the launching off point for the series' renaissance, which is still going strong almost a decade later.
3 Not Even Close: Thief (2014)
Thief was an incredibly unique first-person game for its time. Instead of focusing on action, the game tasked players with hiding in the shadows during missions and avoiding detection. Reviews for the 2014 reboot were mixed, with many criticizing the level design and lack of gameplay variety. A sequel was not out of the question, but no word on a new entry has ever materialized. It seems other games like Dishonored have carried on Thief's legacy without needing to bring back the series.
2 As Good: Wolfenstein: The New Order
Wolfenstein: The New Order shook the legendary FPS franchise up by taking the action away from the World War II setting and into an alternate history 1960s where the worst outcome of the war turned out to be true.
In a story setup that could easily be pulpy and forgettable, The New Order and its sequel, The New Colossus, manage to throw significant emotional weight behind the action. While the cooperative spin-off, Youngblood, loses some charm with a more open design, here's hoping a third game manages to stick the landing, creating one of the most revered first-person shooter trilogies.
1 Not Even Close: Alone In The Dark (2008)
Alone in the Dark pioneered the survival horror genre before Resident Evil hit the scene. Unfortunately, it did not have the same staying power, mostly falling into obscurity after the 20th century hit. The reboot from 2008, set in modern times, tried its best, but complaints about the camera and technical issues prevented it from becoming a hit. A PS3 release later on fixed some of the issues, but it was too little too late. Still, it at least was better rated than the Uwe Boll film adaptation.