Gaming is all about feeding off inspiration. Some games wear their influences on their sleeves, while others outright copy a formula that works.
But every now and then, a so-called "copycat" game takes the most potent features from its inspiration and refines them to the point of surpassing the original.
Here are seven games that made copying look good:
Palworld (Pokémon)
If someone had told me a game about catching creatures and making them work in factories would shake up the industry, I'd have laughed.
But Palworld did just that. Few games in recent memory have generated as much debate as Palworld.
The game quickly became a success, surpassing sales records with millions of copies sold in its debut week. As soon as it launched, it was dubbed "Pokémon with guns." This mostly comes down to the designs looking way too much like Pokémon, which has sparked a lot of debates.
But in the grand scheme of things, Palworld is proof that the monster-collecting genre can evolve beyond what Pokémon has done for decades.
Unlike Pokémon, which has had trouble modernizing, Palworld offers a fresh open-world survival experience that combines monster collecting with resource management, crafting, and combat.
For all the discourse, Palworld delivered an experience that players didn't know they wanted.
It took a formula that was begging for a change and made it something new, thrilling, and undeniably fun.
Resident Evil (Alone in the Dark)
Survival horror, as we know, wouldn't exist without Resident Evil, but it owes a lot to Alone in the Dark.
The eerie fixed camera angles, puzzle-solving, and mansion setting all made their debut in Infogrames' 1992 horror adventure.
But while AITD deserves its place in history, it's fair to say that Resident Evil refined the genre in ways that made it more accessible and engaging. Tighter controls, a more focused narrative, and a sense of pacing that kept players on edge made it the defining horror game of its time.
For starters, Alone in the Dark may have come first, but it had its own share of clunky mechanics that didn't age well. While it introduced many of the tropes that Resident Evil would later refine, its combat felt experimental at best.
That's not to say Resident Evil got combat right either—far from it. Early Resident Evil games had notoriously clunky melee mechanics. The knife felt borderline useless, and if you ran out of ammo, you were left awkwardly slashing at zombies, hoping they'd go down before they grabbed you. In that regard, AITD had the edge.
But even without intense melee, the gunplay made up for it. The ability to aim at zombies' heads for a clean kill, strategically manage limited ammo, and face off against an increasing variety of monsters made the experience feel far more intense.
AITD stuck to puzzle-based bosses and scripted showdowns, but Resident Evil kept players on edge with new threats around every corner.
It's not a case of one game being clearly superior to the other, but rather, Resident Evil took the best parts of AITD, improved them, and expanded on them.
Lies of P (Bloodborne)
At first look, Lies of P looks like it was ripped straight from Bloodborne's DNA with its Victorian-era style, fast combat, eerie atmosphere, and a world filled with grotesque mechanical horrors.
But instead of feeling like a soulless knockoff, Lies of P polishes the formula in ways that make it a worthy competitor. Lies of P runs at a smooth 60FPS, something Bloodborne players have been begging for.
The combat definitely takes a page from FromSoftware. Still, it's got its own flair with a perfect parry system that feels super rewarding and weapon customization that makes the experience more fun.
The storytelling is yet another feature that distinguishes Lies of P. Bloodborne's lore, which can be pretty cryptic, but Lies of P gives a more structured and solid story, though it doesn't lose that air of mystery.
It doesn't just replicate FromSoftware's narrative style. It reshapes it for a different crowd. Even so, Lies of P isn't flawless. Some boss fights feel clunky, and the level design lacks the intricate shortcuts and layering Bloodborne excelled at.
But for a game that's so clearly a copycat, it's impressive how much it gets right.
BattleBit Remastered (Battlefield)
As a longtime Battlefield fan, I didn't expect BattleBit Remastered to be anything more than a quirky indie take on the franchise.
But somehow, this low-poly FPS managed to deliver what Battlefield 2042 couldn't: a truly large-scale, squad-based shooter with solid mechanics, meaningful teamwork, and an experience that actually feels like a classic Battlefield.
On paper, BattleBit sounds ridiculous—a Roblox-looking game made by just three developers trying to replicate the chaos of a Battlefield title. But it works.
The gunplay is tight, destruction is actually impactful, and the gameplay loop encourages coordination instead of forcing players into the specialist system 2042 introduced. Features like proximity chat, proper squad mechanics, and a server browser make it feel more like a love letter to old-school Battlefield than anything EA has put out in years.
That's not to suggest BattleBit doesn't have its issues. The sound design is rough; the visuals are an acquired taste and certain mechanics like armor and spawn placement could use refinement. But for a game priced at just $15, it delivered the Battlefield experience better than EA's $70 blockbuster.
Is it better than Battlefield at its peak? No.
But it sure as hell was better than 2042 at launch, and that alone is a wild achievement.
Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun (Commandos & Desperados)
Shadow Tactics may reference Commandos and Desperados, but it offers its own unique spin on stealth tactics.
In contrast to Desperados 3, it offers tighter, more focused levels with smaller squads, so everything feels a little more personal. Desperados 3 ups the ante with expanded maps and more characters, though it can feel overwhelming at times.
The character skills in Shadow Tactics are also much more distinct. Hayato's shuriken needs to be recovered after use, Aiko's disguise is risky but effective, and Yuki's traps introduce a puzzle-like dimension.
Desperados 3 features some memorable characters, with Isabelle's mind control standing out as a particularly creative ability. However, others, such as Hector, seem more like reworks of characters from Shadow Tactics.
The Wild West setting is where Desperados 3 truly shines, bringing a new vibe compared to the often-seen ninja theme. It also improves mechanics with faster enemy patrols and better disguise handling.
With its slower, more careful gameplay, Shadow Tactics is the better choice for those who value precision over complexity.
Pizza Tower (Wario Land)
If Wario Land ever had a long-lost, hyperactive cousin, it'd be Pizza Tower.
The game clearly takes inspiration from Wario Land 4. But where Wario struts through levels with greedy confidence, Peppino Spaghettiis a panicked wreck, flailing his way through enemies like his life depends on it—which, honestly, it does.
On the surface, the similarities are obvious. Peppino shares Wario's signature shoulder bash (well, he technically grabs enemies and chucks them, but the impact is the same). The level structure, especially the fast-paced escape sequences, is lifted straight from Wario Land 4.
But the ranking system encourages players to string together combos and keep the action flowing, rewarding aggressive, high-speed gameplay in a way that Wario Land never really did.
For Wario Land fans, Pizza Tower is a bittersweet experience. It's exciting to see a game that so clearly carries on the spirit of Wario Land 4, but it's also a reminder that Nintendo has all but abandoned the genre.
If Nintendo won't bring back Wario Land, at least indie devs will step up to the plate.
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk (Jet Set Radio)
When a game is inspired by a cult classic, it's easy to assume it will either fall short or just be a nostalgic tribute.
But Bomb Rush Cyberfunk isn't just another Jet Set Radio clone. It refines and evolves the formula for a more modern take on the series. BRC takes what worked in Jet Set Radio and Jet Set Radio Future, including graffiti, fast-paced gameplay, and that iconic look, and makes it flow better.
The flow of movement allows players to effortlessly chain tricks and maintain their pace. Unlike the sometimes rigid and unresponsive feel of JSR, BRC finds the ideal balance between control and style. Bomb Rush Cyberfunk is exactly how you want a spiritual successor to feel.
It may not fully replace the original, but it plays so well that even die-hard JSR fans have to admit that BRC is better than it has any right to be.
These games show that copying isn't always a bad call. And as they say, it's not about who did it first—it's about who did it best.