Numerous games, such as Tomb Raider, Mortal Kombat, DOOM, and others, have been revived in recent years and have garnered excellent reviews. Reboots in gaming are a contentious subject, especially among die-hard enthusiasts.
Many die-hard fans despise it when developers reboot their beloved franchises, frequently altering the characters, plot elements, or universe in unexpected ways. Newer fans, on the other hand, will miss out on the title’s glory days.
The game industry, on the other hand, moves at a breakneck speed. New technology eventually generates new ideas, resulting in a tremendous increase in overall production quality.
Video game reboots, what are they?
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When game developers take crucial components from the original game and use them to restart work on the franchise, this is known as a video game reboot. Developers and designers frequently make big adjustments to the gameplay, characters, and story when utilizing new technologies.
A video game reboot isn’t the same as a sequel because it tends to replace various key game aspects, generally in order to appeal to a wider audience.
The basic universe and assets, however, are identical to those in the original game. Simply put, reboots alter the original tale to some extent while also providing new gameplay aspects.
Why should video games be rebooted?
Make use of new technology to resurrect an old classic
Developers are bursting at the seams with new ideas for how to improve old games. Developers can now use cutting-edge technologies to reimagine well-known characters and places.
Tomb Raider: Anniversary, Tomb Raider: Legend, and the original Tomb Raider from 1996 are all fantastic games. However, after spending some time with them, you’ll notice that the movement is blocky and the mechanics are outdated. Lara Croft, the protagonist, does not appear to be a particularly interesting character.
All of that changed with the reboot, which was managed by Crystal Dynamics. Lara’s character evolution is lot more believable in the reboot, and she’s far more grounded as a character throughout her journey. This is why the reboot was critically lauded and spawned two sequels with strong box office returns.
An old classic reimagined in a more modern way
In each of its previous editions, God of War, a critically praised PlayStation exclusive, had sex mini-games. Even though they were well-received, toxic masculinity was a huge issue with the originals.
Its 2018 update, which won Game of the Year, improved on the original by removing unnecessary female depictions.
Rather than totally wiping the game’s history, the developers choose for a meaningful debate, with Kratos frequently talking to his son and expressing regret for his actions. It’s a great example of how developers can update vintage games with new themes.
New insights on an age-old formula
Reboots also allow developers to experiment with new concepts while staying true to the series’ fundamental formula. One of the better examples of devs trying something new without straying too far from what made the original game so fantastic is the Deus Ex reboot.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution provided new skills as well as tighter controls and sharper graphics. It included more characters, larger sandbox areas, and more memorable characters, all of which were made feasible by advanced technology not available at the time of the original’s release.
Why shouldn’t video games be rebooted?
Ideas that aren’t fully executed
Reboots of video games are difficult to pull off since developers must adhere to the original’s standards while also keeping current standards in mind. That isn’t always doable, especially when developers are working on a half-baked concept.
Forgetting why the original was so good
Developers must consider carefully which games to relaunch and which to leave on the shelves. Consider the following example: the Medal of Honor. When it first came out in 2010, many people thought it was a reboot, but the market for first-person shooters was already crowded.
The first three games are widely regarded as some of the best first-person shooters ever developed, with a story written by Steven Spielberg.
In 2010, the creators revived the brand in order to take some of Call of Duty’s market share, but they ended up replicating too much and losing most of the franchise’s original charm and appeal.
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