Opinion: Should Game Reboots Stop?

Opinion: Should Game Reboots Stop?

Originally Published and Copyrighted by Blast Away the Game Review on 1/10/2014

Written by Dustin Murphy

 Gaming has always had games that cease to amaze and shine throughout the years as they pass. However, what happens to those that could have kept going, but didn't? In recent years we've seen famed franchises get their reboot, a spin off, eighth or ninth game (not including all the spin offs that had possibilities) or ones that just simply died due to reboots. With Square-Enix having decided recently to once more re-release the famed reboot of Tomb Raider, it was surprising not to see a big tide of fans say they would or would not get it, and simply because it's full price. Lets not forget the glamorous and love-to-hate Dante from the new DMC Devil May Cry, which was quite enjoyable compared to the originals. When such high money drawing names, should reboots end, and if so where?

 Within recent years we've seen games like Silent Hill, Hitman, Resident Evil, and even Tomb Raider take a leap into sales, some good and some bad. For the first three? Not so good as the series seem to be growing stale, losing steam, and overall lacking innovation that made the other games just what they were - classics. With the return of Resident Evil in Resident Evil 6, the wear and tear of the series began to show for the worst, which is not saying a lot for a series that originated back in the days of PlayStation One. After the events of the series, it seemed Resident Evil trying to take on multiple stories has finally lost direction, has begun to tail spin, and unfortunately break down from the course it originated with. Capcom has also stated that they aren't seeing a reboot as a possibility with the next generation of consoles (which are of course available now). With a reboot we can only hope that the series goes to take a spin for the better with keeping to a story that actually makes sense, doesn't span multiple story paths, nor gets itself lost. Unfortunately, this has shown a few times, Hitman being one of them with Hitman Absolution. Unfortunately the game took a great spin in the right direction, but with rumors having been coursing out over time of a cancellation, we can only hope the reassurances of a cancellation not having happened runs true. 

 With reboots being more of a common thing, should we grow comfortable with it, should the gaming industry listen to the fans, or should we just let games die a peaceful death instead of running them into the ground?

 With the question above being one that is so loosely worded, it can be assumed that there are a few possibilities. One of them I would like to think should be the path of listening to us, the community, the gamer's, the people that drive business, and of course not running a series into the ground. Luckily we've seen a few reboots that deserved a head nod in their direction, but in contrast, we've also seen a few that should be locked in a vault, never released, nor mentioned again. What series are those you may mention? Well I could be broad, mean, and absolutely horrific, but I'm not so lets leave that to your imagination as we all have our own lists of disapproval. However! Lets state that reboots are not always bad, take Parasite Eve's third entry, The Third Birthday, which was a stellar remake. The Third Birthday featured amazing mechanics that played upon the original story, mechanics, appearances, background, and theory. For the first time ever, we were also able to have a full voice acted Aya Brea, which did not disappoint. With Square-Enix though can we really expect any less? It's only a wonder if we will see this "reboot" of sorts continue on and breath life into a series that is classic, carries a heavy fan base, and has a lot of potential to feed off the ending of Parasite Eve: The Third Birthday.

 Is there any other series that could use a reboot? Well there are a few, but some of them are best let where they rare, and for good reason. Series such as Onimusha, Genji, and even Dino Crisis have found themselves in a grave where it is best left to rest. That being due to a story conflict, lack of profit, or just a series that had no true room left to maneuver from the spot it was left in.

  We know you readers have a bit of gaming history in you and have a series you would love to see remade, rebooted, or even remastered, and guess what? We want to know what those games are in the comments section below. Want to speak your opinion? We take positive and negative feedback and also will respond to private messages if sent if you wish not to speak publicly.