Rebooting Classics Should Be Easy, But Somehow it Isn’t

The launch of Homeworld 3 back in May this year was meant to be a triumphant return for the beloved space strategy series. But alas, it became yet again a hard reminder of how modern game developers often stumble when rebooting well-established classic franchises.

But why is it the norm? The franchise itself is already established, yet somehow, they still manage to mess it up. Well, it all boils down to money, folks. Plus, a significant disconnect between what should and what truly is.

A Disturbing Pattern

Homeworld 3’s disappointing launch is, of course, not an isolated incident. Recent years have seen a troubling trend of high-profile reboot failures like:

• Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – Definitive Edition (2021): Launched with numerous bugs, graphical issues and removed features. Worse, it didn’t even look that much different from the original, and yet performed very poorly on even moderately robust PCs.
• Warcraft III: Reforged (2020): Failed to deliver promised features, had inferior graphics compared to what was initially shown and controversially replaced the original game client. Nothing about it was realistically “remade.”
• Balan Wonderworld (2021): Not exactly a remake, but at least was heavily inspired as an “indirect remake” of 3D Sonic games. Suffered from confusing gameplay mechanics, poor level design, and a lack of cohesive vision, failing to revive the 3D platformer genre as intended.
• Postal 4: No Regrets (2022): Criticized for its outdated humour, technical issues, and lack of meaningful improvements over its predecessors. In fact, the basic QoL elements of its combat were largely hit-and-miss.

Like Homeworld 3, these games share a common thread: a fundamental misunderstanding of what made the originals special, coupled with a few other fatal decision-making flaws.

The Root of the Problem

Whenever reboots fail, they usually display the typical deadly cocktail of corporate pressure, creative misunderstanding, and technological hubris. Publishers view beloved franchises as safe bets—essentially guaranteed profit centers—and therefore generally forego proper development cycles added with unrealistic features and deadlines just to push them out as soon as possible. On the side of the developers, lack of vision and executive mandate restrictions snowball these issues. If not fully relying on shiny graphics alone, they would frequently miss the intangible qualities that made the originals special and loved in the first place.

Homeworld co-creator Rob Cunningham astutely noted in an old Ars Technica interview, “The biggest achievement of Homeworld was not a certain gameplay mechanic or the 3D camera, but its vibe.” This almost ethereal quality, the “soul” of a game, as we call it, is all too often sacrificed on the altar of (technological) modernisation and mass appeal.

In many cases, including Homeworld 3, the attempt to appeal to a broader audience leads to the simplification of core mechanics and narratives that lack the depth and relatability of their predecessors. As we mentioned, updating graphics and bloating scale become the default compensations, while losing sight of the unique elements that defined the original experiences.

A Path to Redemption

That being said, hope is never lost at each announcement. Though we have become cynical through the years, we still know that a successful reboot is still very much possible. Especially if we consider the following pointers that can be realistically addressed by more concerned developers:

• Prioritise understanding over modernisation. Deeply analyse what made the original game resonate with players before making changes.
• Involve original creators, if possible. Bring back the OG concept makers, or extensively consult with them to maintain creative continuity.
• Respect the core fanbase. Widening the fanbase is never a bad thing, but it shouldn’t come at the cost of alienating the dedicated fans.
• Allow for proper development time. Quality reboots require time for iteration and refinement, plus testing. To be fair, rushed deadlines have become one of the most commonly fixed reboot issues this way. But there is still a lot of room for improvement.
• Balance innovation and tradition. A bit more intangible than the rest, but basically what we mean is to introduce new elements that enhance rather than replace core gameplay mechanics.

For reboots like Homeworld 3, this might mean preserving the core elements that made the original special while carefully integrating modern enhancements. Remember, it is about understanding the game’s original appeal, something that often goes beyond its surface-level features. It generally encompasses the feelings and experiences it evokes in players.

Rays of Hope

With these pointers in mind, we do have a similarly robust line of successful remakes that went above and beyond what players were even meagrely expecting in the first place:

DOOM (2016): Successfully modernised the classic shooter by focusing on fast-paced, brutal combat. The introduction of glory kills and a renewed emphasis on movement kept the game true to its roots while feeling fresh. It’s basically the OG Doom, but is more fun and even more badass. id Software amped up these elements even further with the massively successful Doom Eternal.

Resident Evil 2 (2019): It completely rebuilt the survival horror classic with modern graphics and maintained the tense atmosphere and resource management of the original. However, it ditched the tank controls of the first Resident Evil remake (which it preserved) and opted for a modern, over-the-shoulder style. It’s the best of both worlds, to be honest. The quality did falter a tiny bit by the time the RE3 Remake came, but Capcom returned to form once again with the RE4 Remake.

Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth (2020/2024): Expanded the opening section of the original game into a full-length title, basically made the setting completely immersive. It also reimagined the turn-based combat into a hybrid real-time system that appealed to both new and old fans alike. The expansion to many separate titles can feel a bit jarring. But hey, didn’t the original also get split into three discs?

Another role example of keeping things in line with expectations comes from the iGaming industry. There have been plenty of reboots or depictions of mega popular games (Street Fighter, Tom Braider, Dead or Alive), and in some cases, even movies (Ghostbusters, Star Wars, Jurassic Park) that got their gamified version mostly turned into a slot machine. You don’t have to look far to confirm this yourself, as they can be found on more popular real money online casino platforms – just double-check if the corresponding game provider is present.

All these games showed deep respect for the source material, combined with the courage to innovate thoughtfully and go way above in terms of recreating the original’s awe and wonder factors. They demonstrate that it’s possible to honour a classic while pushing it in new directions. A balance that many reboots, including Homeworld 3, have struggled to achieve.

The Hard Truth: Remakes Require Dedication and Passion

The industry’s general approach to reboots is fundamentally flawed. Too often, beloved games are treated as mere intellectual property to be exploited, rather than works of art to be reimagined. This approach fails to recognise that fans often cherish these games not just for what they were, but for the potential they represented. This is ironically lost when the publishers only focus on the money these titles previously made.

We admit that the challenge of rebooting a classic game is immense. It is a balance of nostalgia and innovation, respect for the past and a vision for the future. A core group of developers might genuinely understand what makes the game resonate. However, if you cannot innovate enough, then it won’t feel fresh enough either.

Only by approaching reboots with genuine passion, respect and creativity can developers hope to recreate the magic that made these games classics in the first place.