Video game reboots that need to happen

Call of Duty 2 is the game people most want to see rebooted

Throughout recent decades, we've seen countless reboots, spinoffs and sequels in the entertainment industry, from TV shows to movies to books. Video games haven't been immune either, with remastered versions of old games coming to new platforms and getting long-requested sequels. But not every franchise has felt the love and not every gamer has loved the reboots.

For every superfan who happily gobbles up any release related to their favorite franchise, there's a disgruntled one disappointed in the latest version. We surveyed over 1,000 gamers to find out what video games are due for a reboot and which should never have gotten one.

Key takeaways

• Call of Duty 2 is the game with the most demand for a reboot, according to gamers across all platforms.
• Alone in the Dark (2008) is the worst video game reboot of all time.
• 63% of gamers believe video game reboots are shallow cash grabs.
• 59% of video gamers believe the gaming industry currently lacks creativity.

The difference between reboots, remakes and remasters explained

First things first: What's the difference between these terms? A reboot has the same thematic elements of the original game but with new stories and/or characters. Less is changed in a remake, which maintains the original stories, characters and settings while updating technical and performance aspects and making subtle content additions like enemies and items. Remasters focus solely on technical updates like sound and graphics to keep up with new devices and screen resolutions.

Most requested video game reboots and remasters

We wanted to find the most-requested reboots and remasters in the video game sphere. Let's see which ones topped the lists of gamers across different platforms.

No. 1 most-requested reboot: Call of Duty 2 (PC, Xbox 360)

The most-requested reboot of all was for Call of Duty 2, with users of all game platforms agreeing it desperately needs a new release. Considering Microsoft has released three iterations of the Xbox since the game's original release for the Xbox 360, it's about time. But the demand didn't stop there.

Nos. 2 and 3: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Call of Duty: World at War (PC, Xbox 360, PS3, Wii)

Two more Call of Duty games topped our list of reboot requests — Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was named by 27% of gamers and Call of Duty: World at War was listed by 22%. And the desire for reboots from this franchise was shared by gamers of every stripe, with users of every platform listing at least two Call of Duty games in their three most-requested reboots. PlayStation users even requested a different Call of Duty for each of their top three choices! Unfortunately, reboots of the franchise's oldest games aren't likely to happen.

No. 4: Bully (PS2)

Other popular games on our list included Bully, the 2006 Rockstar action-adventure video game following the life of a high school delinquent as he rises through the popularity ranks of a prep school. While the game has been lightly remastered and rereleased on other platforms, there hasn't been a sequel — yet.

No. 5: Earthbound (SNES)

EarthBound also made it into the top five most requested reboots and was the only Nintendo game to do so. Known internationally as "Mother 2," this game is the second in the Mother series and was initially released in 1994. While the game has been rereleased on newer platforms since and the main character Ness has long appeared in the Super Smash Bros. series, the game has never received a true remaster or follow-up. The series ended with the game's sequel, which was only released in Japan.

How gamers feel about video game reboots

Gamers might be crossing their fingers for reboots of their favorite games, but how do they feel about the idea of them in general?

Majority of gamers support video game reboots

We found that most gamers support reboots (54%), while 27% oppose them and 19% are neutral on the matter. That's no surprise, considering revenue from reboots nearly doubled between 2018 and 2020. PlayStation gamers were the most likely to support video game reboots, with 58% of them saying so, while PC gamers were the least likely (52%).

Gamers supported reboots primarily to experience classic games with new ideas (75%). Many also said they support reboots because they enjoy the experience of a classic game updated with better technology (69%), while others pointed to the nostalgia factor (61%). A few noted that they're more likely to enjoy a new game if it's based on one they've enjoyed in the past (22%), so they feel more comfortable spending money on a reboot than a new game.

On the other hand, 69% of gamers who oppose reboots said it's at least partially because developers changed the story of the original game they know and love. Changes to the original gameplay and characters were the other top reasons gamers argued against reboots. Some opponents (20%) couldn't get behind reboots simply because they don't always keep the original essence of the game.

Games that got major upgrades

Many great video games have received updates throughout the years, but not all have received the best reviews from fans. Next, we asked gamers for their favorite and least favorite video game reboots.

Best video game reboots of all time

Topping our list of best video game reboots is Assassin's Creed III Remastered, the 2019 version of the 2012 Ubisoft game. Although it's often cited as one of the weaker games in the series, it got a full facelift in the remastered version with enhanced graphics and updated mechanics. Second on the list is Assassin's Creed Origins, the 10th installment considered a "new beginning" for the franchise. Since its release, the game has received great reviews on both Steam and IGN.

The worst video game reboots

On the other end of the spectrum, the worst reboot of all time, according to gamers, was Alone in the Dark. This 2008 game was the fifth in the series of the same name and received low ratings and reviews at the time of release.

Next on the "worst" list is the 2017 iteration of Crash Bandicoot. Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is a remastering of the game's original 1990s trilogy released for modern gaming platforms. Unlike our respondents' sentiments, the game got mostly positive reviews online, but some critics disliked the game's need for exact precision in mechanics.

Top video game reboots voted better than the original

Assassin's Creed III Remastered and Assassin's Creed Origins were also the top game reboots considered better than the original, cementing the series' place in the reboot hierarchy. Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy (2021) took the third-place spot, despite being ranked 11th on the favorite reboots list. But what might our surveyed gamers' reasoning be for these choices?

Gamers say improved gameplay and graphics are what make a reboot worthwhile

When considering what makes a good reboot, they put better gameplay and graphics at the forefront. Because video game graphics and mechanics have improved so much in the last two decades, it makes sense that gamers would want to see their favorite classic games with today's modernity. Keeping the game's original essence was less important to gamers who play reboots, with only 24% of them citing this as a top reboot quality.

Just don't mess with what made a game great in the first place.

But this concept of a game's "essence" came up again in this part of our study, with 57% of gamers naming the loss of a video game's original essence as a reboot's biggest faux pas. According to our respondents, other causes of reboots going awry were the game getting too complicated, deviating too much from the original, or suffering from lazy execution.

Gaming worlds of today and tomorrow

Our current gaming landscape is an interesting mix of reboots, new installments in classic series and exciting, original indie games. We wanted to know what gamers think about the industry as a whole and how they see reboots fitting into the ecosystem now and in the future.

Most gamers believe video game reboots are shallow cash grabs showing a lack of creativity in the gaming industry.

Overall, 63% of gamers thought reboots were shallow cash grabs — regardless of whether or not they'd buy them. PlayStation users were the most likely to feel this way, while Xbox users were the least likely. The sentiment was most popular among Gen Z (70%) and least popular among their older counterparts, Gen X (57%).

Not only do some gamers view reboots as shallow, but they also think the game industry currently lacks creativity (59%). Nintendo users were the most likely to agree, while Xbox users were the least likely. Slightly more than half of all gamers said that new ideas don't get enough funding to succeed because it's easier to rely on proven concepts and familiar franchises (56%).

So, gamers think the industry lacks creativity. What else might they have to say about it? More than half of gamers said current games are entertaining (56%) and challenging (51%). Some also described them as nostalgic (20%). But less than half said they think today's games are better than those of the past (42%). On another sour note, 23% described current games as boring. At least the majority of sentiments were positive!

It's reasonable that some gamers are disappointed these days. More than half of them have purchased an unwanted reboot out of curiosity and 30% of them said it was as bad as they expected. With how pricey the top new video games are these days, no one wants to shell out for a lackluster experience — even one they half expected.

To reboot, or not to reboot?

It seems that most gamers don't want to see reboots overtake the industry. If gamers support the concept of reboots but are concerned reboots are shallow cash grabs, how else will they see their favorite games remade — especially Call of Duty 2 and Modern Warfare?

Video game developers might do well to greenlight more new and refreshing game ideas instead of recycling the old. For example, we found that unique games like EarthBound and Bully had some of the most reboot requests, indicating gamers are drawn to creative and unexpected concepts. Still, updating past Games of the Year, like Call of Duty 2, with state-of-the-art graphics is sure to please its many fans.

Methodology

For this campaign, we surveyed 1,008 video gamers. Among them, 15% were Gen Z, 55% were millennials, 21% were Gen X and 9% were baby boomers. All video game platforms were represented by 25% of respondents.

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