As this gaming generation wears on, game publishers are trying to give long-standing franchises a boost. In many cases, rather than simply releasing HD versions of existing franchises, they are deciding to “reboot” them instead – retconning the series from scratch and adding new elements while attempting to retain the core characteristics that made the franchises successful in the first place. This is done to breathe new life (and profitability) into an existing IP and mine sales from the “casual hardcore” crowd.
Some of these reboots have turned out better than others. The new Bionic Commando, for example, was unpolished and riddled with problems, grossly underperforming compared to Capcom’s expectations. Namco Bandai’s Splatterhouse reboot had difficulties during its development and ended up in the bargain bin only a few weeks after its release.
Other reboots have fared much better, such as Konami/Kojima Productions/MercurySteam’s Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. While the game seemed to owe more to God of War than Castlevania, the production values were impeccable and the game generated significant buzz among the hardcore gaming community. Its extremely controversial cliffhanger ending is still adding fuel to that fire, even several weeks after Lords of Shadow‘s initial ship date.
There are several reboots scheduled to launch this year. Some of these show a lot of promise, while others are generating large amounts of controversy among long-time franchise fans:
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1.) Mortal Kombat
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While not technically a full “reboot”, Mortal Kombat sheds its numerals and subtitles, opting for return-to-form 2.5D gameplay and representing a significant change of direction for the series. After the generally well-received but perplexing Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe and a nail-biting bankruptcy of franchise owner Midway Games, the original development team is returning the franchise to its roots under the banner of NetherRealm/WB Games. No longer shackled by the creative chains of the DC Comics license, this new title in the franchise is filled to the brim with classic gameplay – along with a few new elements (such as a tag mode and a set of robust online features that have not been seen in any previous fighting games). And, oh yes, there will be blood. Loads of blood.
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2.) Tomb Raider
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Of any title on this list, none may need a reboot more than Tomb Raider. Once revered for its clever puzzles, unique gameplay, and graphical style during the early days of 32-bit gaming (along with its busty protagonist, Lara Croft), the series has continued to attempt to reinvent itself over the last two console generations. Rather than attempting to revise the formula once again, Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics are wiping the slate clean – and the result is looking more like a survival horror adventure than a traditional Tomb Raider title. In addition to the gameplay, they are rebooting the character of Lara as well – redesigning her as a believable personality, and focusing much less on physical *ahem* assets.
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3.) DmC
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The most controversial title in this list is also, sadly, the one we know least about. Announced at E3 this year and being developed by Heavenly Sword and Enslaved developer Ninja Theory, the game appears to be an origin story for Dante. His new black-haired “emo” look and bits of storyline information gleamed from the announcement trailer have some fans of the series concerned. Few would argue that the series needed a new direction, however, following the decent but disappointingly by-the-numbers Devil May Cry 4. Perhaps this new developer and new direction will breathe some new life into Capcom’s acclaimed demon hunter.
With these games and others, it’s tough to argue that the industry is trending towards reinventing its existing IP. There are many other game franchises out there that could possibly benefit from a radical makeover. What long-standing game franchise do you think deserve a “reboot”?
