10 Video Game Franchises That Drastically Reinvented Themselves

Unlike previous entries in the franchise, Metroid Prime - released in 2002 for the GameCube - was a primarily first-person experience, and involved navigating a three dimensional environment unimpaired, solving puzzles and defeating enemies along the way.

In the game, Samus can acquire power-ups, allowing her to advance through previously restricted areas, slowly gaining access to more of her surroundings.

The first in a trilogy, the game changed a great many things, completely reinventing the classic franchise for a new generation. For one thing, the game effectively implemented first-person elements into the franchise, whilst introducing an entire new generation of players to the universe, and crafting a genuinely engaging story in the process.

It also managed to bridge an eight year gap in the series, translating the core concept from traditional 2D into a stunningly rendered 3D experience.

Did it work?

Metroid Prime was tremendously successful upon release, managing to overcome a number of impossibilities. The fifth instalment in an iconic franchise, the game successfully reinvented the core experience without detracting longtime fans.

In retrospect, the game is often credited with saving the franchise from fading into the annals of history, revitalising outdated aspects of the series whilst maintain the same sense of otherwordly exploration.