8 Video Game Franchises That Reinvented Themselves

The original Tomb Raider created a core gameplay template that still persists to this very day, with instantly iconic protagonist Lara Croft travelling the world, exploring ancient tombs, and making off with precious artefacts.

Yet by the 2010s, Tomb Raider's popularity had undeniably declined, with Sony's Uncharted franchise offering up a fresher, more cinematic take on a similar globetrotting action-adventure concept.

And so, developer Crystal Dynamics decided to reimagine Tomb Raider with a new trilogy of games which took more than a few blatant cues from the Uncharted series.

2013's reboot is an altogether grittier experience that's less outlandish while focusing on an inexperienced Lara cutting her teeth as a young explorer. 

Gameplay throughout the Survivor Trilogy was clearly modelled after Uncharted's own cinematic blockbuster style and tone, in turn allowing the series to leave its quaint original formula behind and win itself a whole new generation of fans - yet without alienating the die-hards.