10 Video Game Franchises That Drastically Reinvented Themselves

10. Fallout

Prior to 2003, Fallout 3 had gone into development numerous times, eventually finding itself cancelled, the original developers – Black Isles Studios – unable to complete the project due to financial difficulties. Thankfully, Bethesda Softworks acquired the rights to the franchise, and were able release the game after an entire decade of development limbo, the game itself praised considerably for its scope and design, as well as its story.

To date, the game has been awarded numerous Game of the Year awards, and is often cited as one of the finest games of the previous generation. With that being said, Fallout 3 was undoubtedly a departure for the series.

For one thing, the game was no longer turn-based, the perspective also shifting from top-down to a more conventional first-person viewpoint, creating a vastly dissimilar experience from Fallout and Fallout 2.

Did It Work?

While critics and various newcomers approved of these changes – the game often now credited with revitalising the franchise – many fans preferred the style of the originals, and were disappointed with the change in direction.

Regardless, Bethesda were able to successfully reinvent the franchise for a whole new generation of players, maintaining the series’ sense of humour and narrative style whilst reimagining its core gameplay mechanics.