8 Video Game Franchises That Reinvented Themselves

Few franchises have reinvented themselves as radically or as successfully as Fallout, with the original 1997 game and its sequel being isometric, hardcore CRPGs with turn-based combat.

But everything changed with Fallout 3 in 2008, which presented itself as a first-person RPG with a heavy emphasis on non-linear exploration, real-time combat, cinematic storytelling, and a fully voiced cast of characters.

Ingeniously, the game's hugely popular V.A.T.S. combat system - which allowed players to pause the action and target a particular enemy body part - extended an olive branch to players who perhaps weren't too keen to abandon Fallout's turn-based origins.

Though the drastic style shift indeed wasn't universally embraced by the series' original fans, Fallout 3 did successfully re-establish the franchise and cement it as one of gaming's most iconic AAA IP - an accolade it still holds today.

Furthermore, Fallout 3's success bolstered Bethesda as one of the industry's leading developers of first-person action-RPGs, between both the Fallout and Elder Scrolls franchises.