10 Video Games That Deserve A Second Chance
Bloodrayne owned.
Transcript
00:00It's no secret that companies within the video game industry have taken a step back
00:04to evaluate what made their games so popular.
00:07From characters having an addictive personality, to the plotlines of the game being something
00:11fresh to fans, to something so simple as the graphics or game mechanics being revolutionary
00:16at the time of release, something about previous releases of current franchises have fans wishing
00:21for more.
00:22With constant remakes of great games being released in new engines — we're looking
00:26at URESI 2 — people tend to speculate what remakes of games could possibly be around
00:31the corner for current-gen release, but are almost always disappointed when their favorite
00:35games are overlooked for something more appealing to the masses of new-age gamers.
00:39That's got us thinking about all the great games we used to play before the days of achievements
00:44and trophies, and which ones we'd love to see get some love once again.
00:48I'm Jess from WhatCulture, and here are 10 video games that deserve a second chance.
00:5310.
00:54Death by Degrees 2005
00:57Despite this Tekken spinoff gaining mixed reviews from critics, the overall plot of
01:01Death by Degrees was widely praised for both its depth and ability to mix well with the
01:06Tekken lore.
01:07A huge problem fans had with this game was the difficult camera angles paired with the
01:11complex fighting mechanics.
01:13Granted, at the time, Namco didn't have much experience with using Tekken as an intricate
01:17game, rather than just an arcade-y fighter.
01:20With the release of Tekken 5 and 6, they included extra modes that granted similar
01:25gameplay as Death by Degrees, but with less complicated mechanics and a more smooth way
01:30of controlling everything on screen.
01:32With technology advancing and new engines being made, it shouldn't be out of the question
01:36that Namco attempt another Death by Degrees-esque game.
01:39If it's a remake, it may generate more buzz within the community.
01:42However, a sequel or a different spinoff revolving around another character may be the best step
01:47forward.
01:489.
01:49Pandemonium 1996-1998
01:52For at least a decade, platform games dominated the screens of many people.
01:57We still see platformers, but they're less frequent when it comes to mainstream games,
02:01except of course for the Mario franchise.
02:03For this reason, after the second installment of the Pandemonium games, the franchise suddenly
02:08disappeared without word, much to the disappointment of some fans.
02:12This game was often overlooked, despite its innovative gameplay mechanics and aesthetically
02:16pleasing graphics, at the time.
02:19It was a fun, challenging game that allowed you to pick between two characters, both having
02:23unique qualities.
02:25Games like Pandemonium deserve a modernized remake, changing the platformer into something
02:29more open-world.
02:30Although, having another platforming mode or side missions and quests would be a nice
02:35touch to commemorate the original material.
02:378.
02:38X-Men Legends 2004-2005
02:40Who doesn't love a good Marvel game?
02:43With the recent Spider-Man, Avengers, and Guardians of the Galaxy games, it's a wonder
02:47why no one has revamped the X-Men Legends games.
02:50They had a vast range of characters to choose from, with the ability to unlock even more,
02:55as well as an intriguing storyline for both installments.
02:58With the current-gen consoles and PC, it seems like such a missed opportunity not to bring
03:03this one into the new ages, when online gameplay especially is common amongst the gaming community.
03:09Whether or not it would continue to use the original three-quarter isometric tilt camera,
03:13or use a third-person over-the-shoulder camera could be up to the player with an in-game
03:17options menu.
03:19As much as a smash-em-up with Marvel characters keeps fans at bay, these series of games in
03:24a new engine, with the possibility of DLC in the future, is a chance that any gaming
03:28company would be a fool not to take.
03:317.
03:32EA's Harry Potter Franchise 2001-2011
03:36Even though light has been shone on EA and the microtransactions within their games,
03:40there's no denying the company once made excellent tie-in games.
03:44A huge example is their Harry Potter franchise.
03:47The overall story is loved by generations of people, and with that, EA's games came
03:51into play.
03:52Their early games were extremely well-received, and considered incredibly fun right up to
03:57the Goblet of Fire installment.
03:59Now co-op has become more prominent, and new engines have the capability to hold up proper
04:03and accurate remakes of these games.
04:05Many fans would love to see their childhood revive for a new age, and a big part of that
04:10would be EA's Harry Potter games.
04:12They have the knowledge and understanding of how some of their games failed in comparison
04:15to others, and have the skills to fix that the second time around.
04:19With the Hogwarts Legacy game arriving soon, this probably won't happen, but maybe someday
04:24we'll get that All-Stars collection of classics.
04:276.
04:28BloodRayne 2002-2011
04:31Alright, hear us out on this one.
04:33Even though the rights were bought for BloodRayne in 2020, and the original games were re-released
04:38in 2020 and 2021, it took way too long for anyone to grab hold of the opportunity that
04:43was, to some, the original Underworld.
04:46Because the franchise was untouched for seven years before the release of BloodRayne Betrayal,
04:51and the game varied so differently from the original and its sequel, it wasn't that
04:55well-received by fans, and the fourth installment in the series was cancelled.
04:59When the rights were finally passed over, and the franchise was given a boost of life,
05:03it wasn't enough to keep BloodRayne alive for very long.
05:06As much as a proper remake sounds extremely appealing, a new, darker sequel made for modern
05:11times has the potential to kickstart the franchise back to life, and grants the opportunity of
05:17redesigning such an iconic female lead.
05:205.
05:21Dead Rising 2006-2017
05:24The first three main games in Dead Rising were popular amongst critics and fans alike,
05:29with Capcom letting the side down by the fourth installment.
05:33Originally, a fifth entry was planned, taking place between Dead Rising 2 and 3, revolving
05:38around Chuck Green, the protagonist from Dead Rising 2.
05:41Unfortunately, this was cancelled due to the Capcom Vancouver team shutting down, and any
05:46hope of a future Dead Rising installment going with it.
05:49Bringing the Dead Rising franchise to the new ages would be a success, in theory, as
05:54people tend to enjoy zombie games that don't take themselves too seriously.
05:58In essence, it's the Zomcom of Capcom's zombie franchises, and considering the success
06:04of Resident Evil's remakes, with Resi 4 just around the corner, it'd be a shame
06:08not to grab the bull by the horns and bring back one of the most beloved franchises from
06:12that particular game company.
06:14Of course, fans would probably prefer Dino Crisis, as it's in much more dire need of
06:18a revisit and update, and with the success of the recent Jurassic World films, it's
06:23a surprise that Capcom hasn't cashed in on the dino-mania either.
06:264.
06:28Silent Hill 1999-2014
06:31How could we make a list of games that need to be revisited without including Silent Hill?
06:35Beloved amongst horror fans for 23 years, it's why disappointment hit so hard when
06:40Silent Hills was cancelled in 2014.
06:43The game had high expectations, with the involvement of filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro and actor
06:48Norman Reedus, but it was never quite clear if it was a reboot of the franchise or a sequel.
06:53With the two main prior releases before Silent Hills, Silent Hill Homecoming and Silent Hill
06:58Downpour, fans didn't generally favor those games as they strayed too far away from the
07:03original trilogy.
07:05Silent Hill 4 The Room was also received poorly, but it's gained a cult following years later,
07:09so that was ultimately rectified by the fans themselves.
07:12Frequent teasers over the years have speculated that the Silent Hill franchise isn't as
07:17dead as it seems, with rumors of a soft reboot, remakes, and other teasers being made.
07:22It isn't fair to the fans to keep them hanging on this long, but on the other hand, we need
07:26Silent Hill back.
07:283.
07:29Resident Evil Code Veronica X – 2001 With the releases of the Resident Evil 2 and
07:343 remake, Code Veronica would have been the obvious next choice, continuing the chronology
07:39of the games released.
07:41Instead, Capcom jumped straight past it to initially announce their release of the Resident
07:45Evil 4 remake.
07:46Of course, this is great news for fans of the franchise, but it also left a lot of them
07:50wondering why they didn't announce Code Veronica instead, as it's been over 20 years since
07:55its release.
07:56Undoubtedly, Resi 4 trailblazed a new generation of horror games, which is why it's so easy
08:02to overlook its predecessor, even though it was generally well-received.
08:05Resident Evil Code Veronica did have a really interesting story, seeing one of the protagonists
08:10from Resident Evil 2, Claire Redfield, finally reuniting with her older brother Chris, as
08:15well as bringing an old, iconic villain back from the dead.
08:18Of course, the game had its faults with fans, Steve Burnside being the most irritating character
08:24until Ashley in Resi 4, but ultimately was critically acclaimed, with mass amounts of
08:29praise directed its way.
08:30Not to remake this iconic story into the new engine would be a complete disappointment
08:35and fault on Capcom's part.
08:37Ultimately, this isn't the only Resi game that should be revisited with new, smoother
08:41mechanics and updated gameplay, but it should be the most prioritized.
08:452.
08:46Tomb Raider Angel of Darkness 2003
08:49The Tomb Raider games are considered one of the pioneering factors of female leads in
08:53video games, and have seen success with almost every release peaking with the 2013 reboot.
08:59Unfortunately, the sixth installment in the original Tomb Raider franchise received negative
09:04reviews due to the more technical side of the game, such as mechanics, bugs, and camera
09:09movement.
09:10The story of this game is much darker than the previous installments, and most of the
09:13future ones, which was praised heavily.
09:16With Square Enix purchasing the rights to Tomb Raider, it's no surprise that their
09:20reboot was met with great success, however, it always seemed strange that they never capitalized
09:24on the darker side of the Tomb Raider franchise until they made Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
09:29Originally, Angel of Darkness was going to be the starting point of a new trilogy, but
09:33was inevitably cancelled due to the negativity directed toward the game, which was a complete
09:38disappointment for fans.
09:40With times changing and darker subjects being brought into light more frequently in gaming,
09:44the original concept of the cancelled trilogy should be given a second chance.
09:48A remake of Tomb Raider Angel of Darkness would allow the creators to update and patch
09:53bugs, making the game better than originally released.
09:561.
09:57The Simpsons Hit and Run 2003
09:59With the way this list was going, it's expected that another horror would top the list, but
10:03that's not going to be the case.
10:05The Simpsons Hit and Run is the most popular Simpsons video game to date, despite the fact
10:10that it was the 22nd installment in the Simpsons video game franchise.
10:14Obviously, for many, it was seen as a rip-off of the GTA series, but somehow it seemed more
10:19child-friendly and quirky, which didn't gain a negative backlash like the other seemingly
10:24ripped-off games do.
10:25It has its meta-moments, which generations now and then can both appreciate, and with
10:30The Simpsons still running strong, despite the lack of favorable recent episodes, this
10:34would be a perfect time to re-envision, re-create, and reintroduce the world to an updated,
10:39smoother, and bigger version of The Simpsons Hit and Run.
10:43That's the end of our list, but do let me know down in the comment section if you can
10:47think of any other video games that you reckon deserve a second chance.
10:51As always, I've been Jess from WhatCulture, thank you so much for hanging out with me.
10:54If you're liking, come say hi to me on my Twitter account, where I'm at JessMcDonald,
10:58but make sure you stay tuned to us here for plenty more great gaming lists.