Just like Casino Royale did for the James Bond series and Batman Begins did for The Dark Knight, reboots serve as a way of breathing new life into a franchise in the modern-day. With the ever-increasing power in gaming technology, this same concept can work very well in gaming too.
There are already games like Mario and The Legend of Zelda that do a great job of reinventing themselves with every entry. However, there are some games that have either been brought back for nostalgic purposes or with the intention of telling a new story with established characters or universes.
This can either be done by making a prequel for a new origins story or a total reimagining of a story that’s already been told. Here are ten of the best reboots of the last decade according to Metacritic.
10 Mortal Kombat (Metascore 81)
The Mortal Kombat reboot was released in 2011 for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, and the PC. It is the ninth entry in the series and was developed by NetherRealm Studios which comprised of members of the original Midway developers who were owned by WB Games.
It was released just six months after Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe and ran on the same engine but was a far more brutal game. All of the game’s hits and kicks feel like they have weight and impact and the finishers are equally as satisfying as they are gory to execute. The series continues to this day with the most recent title being Mortal Kombat 11.
9 Wolfenstein: The New Order (Metascore 81)
Wolfenstein: The New Order was released on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and the PC in 2014. It was developed by MachineGames which consisted of members of Starbreeze Studios the same team that worked on the excellent Chronicles of Riddick series.
The team brought their experience with the great level design and storytelling featured in Riddick combined with near-perfect stealth and shooting mechanics to the Wolfenstein: New Order. It was the exact kind of reboot the series needed and is one of the best and most polished single-player shooters this generation.
8 Hitman 2016 (Metascore 84)
After the mixed response that 2012’s Hitman: Absolution received for abandoning its open-ended level design and core mechanics, developers IO Interactive went back to the drawing board. The series made its a return with a reboot/prequel with 2016’s Hitman.
The new entry was well-received by fans and critics alike for its massive open-world design and seemingly endless options to take down targets. Each level offered various challenges, routes and optional tasks for players to get to grips with. There is just so much replay value to the game that each individual level can rival most single-player games in their entirety.
7 Tomb Raider (Metascore 85)
Tomb Raider was released in 2013 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and the PC. The remastered versions featuring improved visuals, performance and all the released DLC were released the following year on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
It was an excellent reboot that combined elements of the classic Tomb Raider series, Uncharted and survival horror. The reboot also brought in a far more realistic and relatable Lara Croft showing development as a character and becoming the Tomb Raider character with two more games in the series.
6 Assassin’s Creed: Origins (Metascore 85)
Assassin’s Creed: Origins was released in 2017 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and the PC. Developers Ubisoft took a two-year break, stepping away from the yearly release schedule that was usually associated with the series.
Origins not only introduced a brand new character and story arc it took the series even further back than the original game to Ancient Egypt. Furthermore, the open-world received a complete overhaul taking inspiration from The Witcher 3 and the combat was a huge improvement too, taking elements from the Dark Souls series.
5 Resident Evil 7 (Metascore 86)
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard was released on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation VR, Xbox One, and the PC in 2017. After the more action-based horror elements seen in Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6, the game went back to its horror but adopted a first-person viewpoint.
Atmospherically, the game played and looked like Outlast with more emphasis on exploration and Resident Evil style puzzles. Furthermore, the player wasn’t completely defenseless like the protagonist in Outlast but they were still very vulnerable only adding to the survival horror experience.
4 Doom (Metascore 87)
Doom was released in 2016 by id Software for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and the PC. It was later released a year later on the Nintendo Switch. It was a reboot that took the series to its fast-paced action shooter roots instead of the jump-scare horror-themed elements of Doom 3.
The frantic pace and quality campaign serve as the perfect antithesis to the tacked-on and on-rails single-player shooters like Call of Duty. Despite the frenetic pace of the game, there was still a heavy emphasis on exploration due to its excellent level design and collectibles.
3 Divinity: Original Sin (Metascore 87)
Divinity: Original Sin was released on the PC in 2014 and on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One the following year. It was partially funded by Kickstarter and took the series in a new direction opting for old-school CRPG mechanics with a top-down viewpoint.
The game played completely differently to its predecessors and offered far more freedom. Original Sin was also set hundreds of years before the first game Divine Divinity which allows players that are new to series can jump right in. Its sequel Divinity: Original Sin II expanded on the RPG and social elements of the first game and is considered one of the best games this generation.
2 XCOM: Enemy Unknown (Metascore 89)
XCOM: Enemy Unknown was released for the PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 in 2012 and was developed by Firaxis Games. It was considered by the developers to be as much a reimagining of the original X-COM as it is a reboot for the series.
Enemy Uknown retained all of the elements that made the original games so good while feeling very fresh during a time where every game was trying to be the next Halo or Gears of War. Firaxis also proved that complicated turn-based strategy and management could work perfectly on consoles.
1 Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Metascore 90)
Released in 2011 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, and the Nintendo Wii U two later Deus Ex: Human Revolution was both a prequel and reboot for the series cyberpunk action RPG series. It was developed by Eidos Montreal after the original developers of the first two games in the series Ion Storm folded in 2005.
Human Revolution offers players lots of choice in its approach to missions and conversations. One could be stealthy or opt for the direct guns blazing action FPS style. The game even allows for more challenge by giving players a more non-lethal approach to enemies in each mission. It was followed by a sequel Deus Ex: Mankind Divided on the PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in 2016.