8 Best Game Reboots Ever Made

These games not only served to reboot the series, but they also saved it.

Since video games have been around since the late 1970s, many series have come and gone. However, some series just need to be dusted off and made more relevant to today’s audience. These games are usually called reboots, which means they start over with the series. Sometimes they are called “soft reboots,” which keep most of the history but add a new story to help new players get into the series.

While some reboots have failed, many have brought great series back to life, and some have even made games that are better than the original. But you might be curious: which reboots are the best? Who made the games that not only brought back their series but were also great games on their own?

Tomb Raider (2013)

Lara Croft poses in a cavern in Tomb Raider 2013 main art

Since Tomb Raider: Underworld, which came out five years before and wasn’t very well received by fans, there hadn’t been a new Tomb Raider game since 2013. Also, there were bugs in the game, and it looked like the last part of a trio that began with Tomb Raider: Legend. Fans were left asking where Lara would go next.

There was a reboot of the series with Tomb Raider, which was supposed to be a prequel and was Lara Croft’s first journey. She and her friends get lost at sea and end up on an island run by a lost Japanese queen and her group of followers. The game did well with both critics and customers, and many people still think it’s one of the best in the series’ past.

Wolfenstein: The New Order

BJ Blazkowicz posing in front of a German invaded London

It is one of the most famous shooters of all time and is best known as the old game where you attack Hitler’s house. But Wolfenstein: The New Order seemed to take the best parts of current games and put them in a new Wolfenstein game. For example, it had great gameplay, a focus on story, and intense action.

It’s great that Wolfenstein: The New Order brings back BJ Blazkowicz and tells a new, interesting story. It’s also a great game all around, with new ideas that fit right in with the series. A lot of people say that this reboot brought the show back to the present day.

God Of War (2018)

kratos holding faye's ashes in god of war

When a reboot of God of War was announced, a lot of people were worried about how Kratos would be portrayed in the new game. When he killed the Norse gods, was it just another act of vengeance for him? Or did they plan to try to give him a salvation story, which would be hard to pull off?

As it turned out, it was the second one. But along with a redemption story came an interesting world based on Norse mythology, a touching story, and some of the best fighting the series has ever seen. Because it’s a love letter to the series, God of War is a great example of a soft reboot for a well-known series.

Resident Evil 7

Young girl standing in front of Baker household Resident Evil 7

Fans had mixed feelings about Resident Evil 6 because it had a strange story and gameplay. You played as two different characters while a new virus destroyed China. But imagine how shocked and surprised people were when a game that seemed to be based on Kojima’s P.T. demo was revealed to be Resident Evil 7.

Drive Mad was a soft reboot that went back to the horror roots of the series. It was first-person and took place in a new, eerie world. A lot of people loved Resident Evil 7, and it and a bunch of other great remakes are thought to have saved the series when it was failing.

DOOM (2016)

A demon in DOOM 2016 about to grab at the player

People will always remember Doom as one of the great games, but it will also soon be remembered for having a great version. Fans of the series loved the reboot called Doom, which stuck to the style of the original games and had great music and fast-paced action.

Even though it didn’t have to add a whole new plot or change a lot of its gameplay, the game had fun adding more modern shooting elements and making the demon enemies look amazing, which made it a great return to form for the series.

Tomb Raider: Legend

Lara Croft hanging on the side of a cliff in promo screenshot of Tomb Raider Legend

It’s true—the Tomb Raider series has had two reboots. Even we can’t believe it. If you didn’t like Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness, Eidos Interactive was fired, and Crystal Dynamics was hired to make the next Tomb Raider game. A lot was at stake, but Tomb Raider: Legend surprised everyone. It kept the sassy Lara Croft from the original game and told a story that went into more detail about how she came to be.

The first book in a new series, it took place in amazing places, from the tombs under England to the streets of Tokyo. People still think of Tomb Raider: Legend as the best game in the series, and its success made sure that there would be more games in the series.

Hitman (2016)

Agent 47 sat down as he screws a suppressor onto a pistol

There has always been something mysterious about the Hitman game. It has a cult following but is still trying to break out into the general market. The game had been well accepted for years, but a soft reboot called Hitman started a new series. Not only did the stealth action game have better graphics, but it also had better stealth tactics and gameplay.

It had a better story, especially with Agent 47 and Diana’s interesting friendship. The story helped set the scenes for the tasks and made them much more remembered.

Grand Theft Auto 3

Claude in Grand Theft Auto 3

Grand Theft Auto 3 was a soft reboot that came out in 2001 and made the Grand Theft Auto series much better. It may have been the most successful reboot of all time. Fans liked the first two games, but Rockstar Games became well-known with the third main game in the series, which had an open world, a dramatic city, and better gameplay in a new 3D environment.

The game was controversial, original, and ultimately financially successful. It helped make Rockstar Games the well-known company it is today and paved the way for Grand Theft Auto to become one of the most popular stories of all time.

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