Ah, the reboot, a term that's become increasingly used over the last decade, first in cinema and now in video games, to describe the process by which a defunct intellectual property is brought back to life with a new tone or style, with the hope of garnering a new fan base. Reboots are distinguished from remakes in that they usually have a similar thematic concept to the original project, but transplant it onto a distinctly different style that's more suited to modern trends. Reboots can often be successful: just look at how well-received the recent Tomb Raider game was, a stark reinvention of the gameplay and character traits for a generation that loves grit and has grown to loathe outdated gender stereotypes. However, there are sadly more cases of reboots that have failed to capture or build on the original essence of the property than successes, as evidenced by this list of reboots which ultimately betrayed the appeal of the original game(s) in the first place. Whether they were a tonal departure, a clunky mess, or simply too far away from what came before, these games were, despite their modest ambitions, ultimately abject failures. Do you disagree? Or did we miss any classically bad reboots that totally missed the point? Let us know in the comments!
Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes).
General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.
