Top 10 Games that Need a Reboot [Best Recommendations]

Introduction

Some series never end as they get reboot after reboot after reboot. A lot of the time this is because that game has a massive fanbase and met a lot of success. However, there are some games that met a lot of success commercially and critically that never got another shot. It is understandable for developers to finish a series and not plan a sequel because the story was complete, but that does not explain why the series couldn’t get a touch up or a reimagining when technology has come such a long way. Without further ado, here are the top 10 games in need of a reboot.


10. Chrono Trigger

  • System: Super Nintendo, DS, PlayStation
  • Publisher: SquareSoft
  • Developer: SquareSoft
  • Release Dates: Aug. 22, 1995

Chrono Trigger throws us into a world that is fated to fade away. As a young man who simply wanted to attend a fair, Chrono finds himself thrown into an unstoppable chain of events that have him traversing time. Will he and his fellow adventurers be able to discover the links between time that will help them stop the world’s end?

It is hard to say whether or not Chrono Trigger is in need of a reboot, which is why the game is so high up on the list. The game is industry royalty and people have certain expectations. If the reboot does not hit the mark, then there will be hell to pay. That aside the story is one of the best in the industry, so they shouldn’t touch that at all. Whoever takes the project on should simply focus on how to envision the world and decide how the combat should be changed? Should it be like FFXV? Or perhaps it needs a more strategic approach?


9. Tomb Raider

  • System: PlayStation
  • Publisher: Eidos Interactive
  • Developer: Core Design
  • Release Dates: Nov. 15, 1996

The Tomb Raider series is one of the most iconic in the video game industry. You get to play as the incredibly skilled adventurer Lara Croft and take on a plethora of enemies. It has had several reboots over the years, with Crystal Dynamics taking control of its current releases.

Now, Crystal Dynamics is doing an amazing job with the series. However, it is time that the high-octane approach that Eidos Interactive took be re-introduced. The Eidos development period had its ups and downs, but its initial release is what made Tomb Raider a classic. T-Rex anyone? Admittedly, the Eidos period of Tomb Raider got a tune up with Tomb Raider Anniversary, but that was in 2007. Technology and graphics have come a long way since then.


8. Spyro the Dragon

  • System: PlayStation
  • Publisher: SCEA
  • Developer: Insomniac Games
  • Release Dates: Sep. 9, 1998

Spyro the Dragon had us platforming across beautiful environments in order to save our dragonkin from crystal prisons. It was an exciting and beautiful game with an amazing score. The success of the first game made Spyro iconic for the PlayStation, and that is exactly why it is time to give it a reboot.

So many classics are getting rebooted or remastered today that it would be a shame not to give Spyro the Dragon some of that love. The worlds we got to run and jump through were lovely and Spyro was an entertaining protagonist. It is true that the series got a reboot in the mid-2000s with the Legend of Spyro trilogy, but those graphics themselves have become antiquated.


7. Banjo-Kazooie

  • System: Nintendo 64
  • Publisher: Nintendo
  • Developer: Rare
  • Release Dates: Jun. 29, 1998

Banjo-Kazooie was simply one of the best platformers of the 90s. It followed Banjo, a brown bear, and his companion Kazooie, a red-crested Breegull, as they tried to save Banjo’s sister, Tooty, from the witch Gruntilda’s grasp. If the duo doesn’t make it in time, then Gruntilda will take all of Tooty’s beauty.

Banjo-Kazooie was the type of game that appealed to all ages. It was enjoyable for kids, teenagers, and even adults. The graphics and the complexity of the levels were just outstanding for the time period, which is exactly why the game received a couple of awards. Now, the game was remastered in 2008, but the industry has come a long way since 2008, and a new polish is definitely needed for the game. Crash Bandicoot’s HD version is proof of that. More importantly, would be a game that added new levels and features, such as Sonic Mania, which mixed older levels with a few new ones too.


6. TimeSplitters

  • System: PlayStation 2
  • Publisher: Eidos Interactive
  • Developer: Free Radical Design
  • Release Dates: Oct. 23, 2000

TimeSplitters takes us from 1935 all the way to 2035. The game goes through nine different locations and has 18 different perspectives that you can play through. It’s a pretty large concept and one that was executed well one the PS2. People who played it compared it well to games like Golden Eye and Perfect Dark.

As one of the best first-person shooters for the PS2, it is frustrating that the game has not gotten the reboot it needs. Admittedly, the game did get a reboot, which met a lot of success with the fans of the series. This was an impressive feat considering that the reboot was made by fans online. Nonetheless, this reboot came out in 2005, and it is time that an actual company came in and shared some love to this fantastic series. With current first-person shooter capabilities, this game can become a hectic and fun adventure unlike any other.



5. MediEvil

  • System: PlayStation
  • Publisher: SCEA
  • Developer: SCE Studio Cambridge
  • Release Dates: Oct. 1, 1998

In MediEvil, a hundred years prior to the gameplay, the evil sorcerer Zarok tried to conquer the kingdom of Gallowmere. The attempt failed, and he went into hiding. Rather than simply speak the truth, the king said that Sir Dan had killed Zarok, despite the fact that Sir Dan died from the very first arrow shot. Skip forward 100 years and Zarok is trying to conquer Gallowmere once more. Thus, he starts raising his army of undead, and well, Sir Dan happens to be one of those undead and he wants to earn the title that was given to him.

MediEvil is in need of a reboot, because the game had such a great concept. The Halloween theme was immensely enjoyable and it would be amazing to see how a company would envision that world now. The graphics were pretty limited at the time so whoever took over could let their imagination run wild.


4. Dark Cloud

  • System: PlayStation 2
  • Publisher: SCEA
  • Developer: Level 5
  • Release Dates: Dec. 14, 2000

Dark Cloud takes us on an wild adventure as we try to restore the world and defeat the Dark Genie. The game came out in 2000 and it was one of the most entertaining adventure-action RPGs of its time. The character and enemy graphics were solid, the story was strong, and the world was large. It had a lot going for it, which is why it got a sequel in 2002.

Now it is almost 2018 and the time is perfect for a reboot of this game. Dark Cloud was great, but it lacked a sense of environment. The areas of combat were contained in a pretty bleak cavern area. These issues were not solved with the remastered version that was released in 2015. Considering that Level-5 played a big role in Ni no Kuni, the company is clearly ready to reboot the areas of combat. Level-5 could build entirely new levels, because it has a semi-blank slate to work with, and it could create a game that is truly unique.


3. Parasite Eve System:

  • System: PlayStation
  • Publisher: Square EA
  • Developer: SquareSoft
  • Release Dates: Sep. 9, 1998

Parasite Eve had us play as NYPD rookie Aya Brea as she chased down the supernatural force of Eve, who is capable of making people explode. For some reason Aya is immune to Eve’s abiliies. As a survival horror game, Parasite Eve was a trailblazer in the genre, and it was the first SquareSoft title to receive a ‘Mature’ rating.

Parasite Eve was simply a fantastic game with a lot of intensity and feeling. It is the type of game that does not need an entire reboot but simply a re-imagining. Keep the story and keep the combat style. However, rather than being forced into specific locations of New York, we could travel throughout the entire city and deal with a greater amount of enemies.


2. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reave

  • System: PlayStation
  • Publisher: Eidos Interactive
  • Developer: Crystal Dynamics
  • Release Dates: Aug. 16, 1999

The Legacy of Kain series throws us into the land of Nosgoth, where the balance of peace is kept in check through a band of sorcerers who control nine pillars. However, this group has been corrupted and Kain finds himself responsible for restoring the balance. Why? Well, he was killed and revived as a vampire and defeating the corrupted sorcerers seems to be the only way to take control of his fate.

This game is in need of a reboot, because it was one of the best series on the original PlayStation. When it initially came out, it was looked upon as one of the best action-adventure games to be released. To have those gothic environments and gameplay brought to life with current technology would be amazing. Also, the developer was Crystal Dynamics, who are the ones responsible for the Tomb Raider reboot. So just imagine how well they could bring this gothic/vampiric adventure to our homes.


1. Perfect Dark

  • System: Nintendo 64
  • Publisher: Nintendo
  • Developer: Rare
  • Release Dates: May 22, 2000

Perfect Dark brought us into new territory as we followed agent Joanna Dark on her mission to prevent world catastrophe. You see, an interstellar war was in full swing, and behind the two warring species were two competing corporations. Joanna Dark belongs to one corporation and her assignments end up unraveling the conspiracies of the competing corporation.

Perfect Dark was the spiritual successor to Rare’s Golden Eye, and it met both critical and commercial success. The gameplay was addictive with a new set of weapons that not only looked cool, but had interesting capabilities. There was the homing missile that you could directly control and there was a laptop gun that you could detach and throw into a corner to act as a sentry. While James Bond has gotten several reboots over the years, Perfect Dark has only gotten one. This is a shame, because the world of Perfect Dark is ripe for exploration and new features.


Final Thoughts:

Though all of these games deserve and need a reboot, it might take a long while before any company makes a go at it. It’s risky business making a reboot, and companies don’t want to take on a project that has too many expectations attached to it. Nonetheless, we should all keep our fingers crossed to see these games get some new love.

Chrono-Trigger-game-Wallpaper-500x500 Top 10 Games that Need a Reboot [Best Recommendations]

Writer

Author: Yoko Dev

Hello, my anime peers. I’m from the states, but have taken an indefinite leave to travel while freelancing. Outside of a deep admiration for anime that started long ago, I love to read, write, and play video games. The main issue of traveling so far has been not having a console.

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