The upcoming reboot of Saints Row, set to release on August 23, 2022, has received backlash, despite looking like a fine open-world crime game. Perhaps fans are judging too harshly too fast since this is hardly the first game series to be rebooted. But reboots are always a touchy subject, especially with beloved gaming franchises.
But there has been plenty of game series that have been rebooted with good results. While the best here won't take in canonical sequels that revitalized a franchise, like Mortal Kombat, there are enough good actual reboots here to keep any gamer occupied.
Devil May Cry
From the very moment that it was announced that Devil May Cry would be getting a reboot, fans unfairly judged DMC: Devil May Cry before even playing it. It may not be a flawless masterpiece, but as far reboots go, DMC could have been much worse.
It did what a proper reboot should do: take things in a bold new direction while maintaining the feel of the original franchise. The gameplay was still great hacking-and-slashing demons and all kinds of strange monsters with a fresh new take on Dante that was treated too harshly. However, the initial backlash was so strong that it would result in the previous canon returning in the form of Devil May Cry V.
Star Fox
Despite there still being quite a few Star Fox games out there, Star Fox remains one of Nintendo's most slept on franchises. Its biggest boom of success was on the Nintendo 64 with the aptly titled Star Fox 64. It was essentially a bigger and better retelling of the original Star Fox for the SNES, from the alternate paths to the improved Arwing combat that was more dynamic and fast-paced to even the banter of the Star Fox team.
It's because of Star Fox 64 that fans have gotten to see the team get a sequel, spin-offs, and guest appearances in other franchises such as Super Smash Bros. and Starlink: Battle For Atlas.
Metroid
It was a bold move to take a franchise as beloved as Metroid and make it a completely new genre. However, it ended up paying off because Metroid Prime and its sequels for the GameCube and Wii became its own beloved version of the Metroid universe.
Metroid Prime still kept the open-ended level structure but changed from a side-scroller to a first-person shooter. Though the classic Metroid franchise would continue, there are still many that look back fondly on the Prime series, from its addictive gameplay to the many new costumes for Samus Aran.
Star Wars: Battlefront
It shows the impact that the original Battlefront games made when they are the only games to get rebooted for the new canon. The first Star Wars: Battlefront by EA and DICE was met with a lukewarm reception, at best, but its sequel would go on to have a legacy of its own despite its rocky launch.
Over several years, EA and DICE not only worked to fix the many issues fans had with Star Wars: Battlefront II, but also continued to add a plethora of free content. As a result, it went from a disappointment to being one of the best shooters in the franchise. Even five years after its initial launch, there are still dedicated players within the servers of Star Wars: Battlefront II.
Crash Bandicoot
Technically, this is a cheat since Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is a sequel to the original trilogy of games. However, it does erase every other game after the original Crash Bandicoot 3, thus rebooting the series to a certain point and for the better.
While there was the occasional gem to find, many fans weren't overly fond of the games that followed Crash 3. As a result, Crash Bandicoot 4 made many improvements, such as going back to the original style of gameplay, while still adding new elements and characters and delivering a hilarious story for kids and adults alike that is equally as difficult as it is fun.
Wolfenstein
Wolfenstein has actually been rebooted multiple times. There was the sequel/reboot: Return To Wolfenstein, the 2009 Wolfenstein, then in 2014 came Wolfenstein: The New Order. It was with the 2014 game that the franchise was brought back with a simple but effective twist on the story: what if the Nazi regime won World War II and took over the world?
The result is an alternate version of the 1960s as a dystopia, with B.J. Blaskowicz fighting in a resistance faction to stop the Nazis. It delivered on being the most action-packed entry of the franchise at the time, revitalizing things for the better, which led to its own series of sequels.
Deus Ex
Though the original Deus Ex was a successful shooter that was ahead of its time, the sequel was far from a masterpiece. So, down the line, Square Enix and Eidos brought back the franchise and took what made the first game so well-received and gave it an upgrade.
Now the story of Adam Jensen in Deus Ex: Human Revolution uncovering corporate and government conspiracies whilst fighting cybernetic terrorists has become its own franchise. It mixed action, stealth, neo-noir, cyberpunk, and more into one. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided continued to expand on the formula, making for a new resurgence in cyberpunk-themed games.
Tomb Raider
Another reboot from Square Enix and Eidos, Tomb Raider was much needed, as the original series had spiraled into ridiculousness and less than desirable receptions. The reboot brought Lara Croft to her literal roots as an action-packed adventure game but with a realistic spin.
This resulted in what is known as the Survivor trilogy. The trilogy is often considered some of the best games of the Tomb Raider series, as it brought open-world traversal, crafting, and survival elements. It also kept things in a more grounded and light, even giving Lara herself a more realistic redesign and personality.
XCOM
When it comes to the niche genre of turn-based tactics video games, XCOM is considered one of the best. This is why fans were surprised in 2011 when XCOM: Enemy Unknown rebooted the franchise yet kept the classic overhead tactics gameplay that made the series iconic in the first place.
It certainly updated the presentation, with more cinematic views for squad actions and giving XCOM an even more epic scale in terms of story and world. This was only double-downed with the sequel, XCOM 2, and its expansions. Firaxis Games made a name for themselves with XCOM, which earned them to take the turn-based formula and implement it in Marvel's Midnight Suns.
Doom
From the same people behind the Wolfenstein reboot, 2016's Doom took the style of the original Doom and brought it to modern gaming standards. It kept to being a fast-paced first-person shooter that was fun but kept players on their toes with many difficult foes that only get harder, even on lower difficulty settings.
Doom was a massive success for Id Software, MachineGames, and Bethesda. So, Doom Eternal was made and it took the first game, made it even harder, made it bigger, and for most fans, even better. It presented more guns, more upgrades, more demons, and even more lore than ever presented in a Doom game prior, with Doomslayer being even more fun to control.