The recent Summer Game Fest has highlighted a peculiar trend: a notable number of upcoming games are sequels or reimagined versions of titles that originally released in 2007. This observation comes amidst a year that also marks the 17th anniversary of the International Heliophysical Year, a fact noted by observers amused by the gaming industry's apparent nostalgia for that specific year.
Among these callbacks is Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve, a successor to Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation. The Ace Combat series has seen a steady progression, with Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown releasing 12 years after its 2007 predecessor, and now Ace Combat 8 is set to continue the aerial combat saga.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is also on the horizon, though the naming convention might cause confusion. This new entry is not a remake of the 2007 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, but rather a sequel to the 2019 reboot titled Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. The distinction lies in the placement of the numeral '4' within the title.
Crystal Dynamics is revisiting Lara Croft's origins with Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis. While the original Tomb Raider debuted in 1996, 2007 saw the release of Tomb Raider Anniversary, which retold Lara's initial adventure. The upcoming Legacy of Atlantis is described as a reimagining of that same foundational story.
Meanwhile, the Halo franchise is preparing for Halo: Campaign Evolved. This title is presented as a follow-up to Halo 3, despite being a remake of Halo: Combat Evolved, a game that predates Halo 3. The notes humorously suggest the game will be playable on the PlayStation 5 Pro.
In the realm of mythological action, God of War Laufey is positioned as a sequel to Loki. The 2007 game Loki, developed by Cyanide, explored a blend of Aztec, Egyptian, Greek, and Norse mythologies. While God of War II from 2007 is canon within Laufey's narrative, the connection to the 2007 Loki game is noted for its thematic similarities.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin is slated to continue the canon established by the 2007 TMNT animated film and its subsequent video game adaptation. That film itself was a sequel to the 1990s live-action movies.
Silent Hill: Townfall is set to serve as a prequel to Silent Hill: Origins. Origins, released on PSP in 2007, is itself a prequel to the original Silent Hill. Townfall's 1996 setting places it even earlier in the timeline.
Fans of vehicular stunts can look forward to Stuntman: Hollywood, a new entry in the series following Stuntman: Ignition from 2007. This new installment is noted for featuring the car from Back to the Future.
Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave is announced as a sequel to Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn. Radiant Dawn launched in 2007 during a period when the Fire Emblem series was less mainstream than it is today, before its surge in popularity.
Spyro: A Realm Beyond continues the story of Spyro, following The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night from 2007. The latter was the second part of a reboot trilogy that featured prominent actors like Elijah Wood and Gary Oldman.
Crazy Taxi: World Tour aims to resolve narrative threads left hanging in Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars, the last significant new entry in the series which was released exclusively for PSP and combined elements of the first two games.
Finally, Star Trek: Shadow Frontier is noted as a sequel to Star Trek: Conquest, a 2007 title that took place within the Star Trek: The Next Generation timeline, the era where Shadow Frontier's protagonist, Ro Laren, was introduced.
One title, Xenoblade Genesis, is questioned regarding its lineage. While Genesis Rising: The Universal Crusade, a 2007 real-time strategy game set in space, shares a name, Xenoblade Genesis is identified as a new RPG, with its connection to the 2007 title being speculative at best.