Originals vs Clones: Who Did It Better?

Welcome to the Age of Gaming Déjà Vu

Every great idea in gaming eventually gets copied.
Sometimes it’s a lazy cash-grab; sometimes it’s a love letter.
But lately, “clones” have started fighting back — and in a few cases, they might even be better than the originals.

From Fallout’s wasteland legacy to Palworld’s gun-wielding chaos, the line between inspired and stolen has never been thinner.
And while giants like Nintendo and Sony rest on their thrones, new studios are breaking in — uninvited, unashamed, and armed with Unreal Engine 5.

Let’s dive into six duels where clones faced their creators — and sometimes won.

Round 1: Fallout vs The Outer Worlds — When the Same Studio Cloned Itself

Fallout practically invented the modern sci-fi RPG: first-person perspective, moral choices, and that cynical humor only post-apocalyptic America could produce.
When Obsidian made Fallout: New Vegas, fans crowned it the best in the series — sharp writing, dark jokes, unforgettable companions.

Years later, the same studio tried to strike gold again with The Outer Worlds — same DNA, same tone, new solar system.
It looked like Fallout in space… but it didn’t feel like it.
Smaller worlds, shorter quests, and a weirdly sterile atmosphere turned what could’ve been a classic into a pleasant distraction.

Players loved the dialogue but missed the freedom — no gritty deserts, no desperate wanderers, no sense of being truly lost.
Outer Worlds was witty, yes, but safe — like Obsidian made Fallout’s sarcastic younger cousin who never left the suburbs.

Verdict:

Fallout defined a genre.
Outer Worlds proved you can copy your own homework and still score lower.
Original 9/10 — Clone 7/10

Round 2: Skyrim vs Avowed — The Elder Scrolls With a Crisis of Identity

Skyrim is timeless.
It’s not just a game — it’s a cultural monument powered by ten thousand mods and twelve years of memes.
Every player has screamed “Fus-Ro-Dah!” at least once in their life.

Then came Avowed, Obsidian’s Unreal Engine 5 attempt to dethrone the Elder Scrolls.
On paper, it had everything: magic, factions, moral choices, first-person immersion.
But when it finally appeared… it looked like a PowerPoint demo rendered in 4K.

Performance issues, weird character designs, and the ever-present “modern agenda” talk buried what could’ve been a solid fantasy RPG.
Instead of the freedom and mystery of Skyrim, players got narrow corridors and dialogue that sounded like a corporate HR meeting.

Bethesda might milk Skyrim forever, but Avowed reminded everyone why it’s still the gold standard.

Verdict:

Skyrim is eternal; Avowed is already on sale.
Original — 10/10 Clone — 5/10

Round 3: Pokémon vs Palworld — Guns, Lawsuits, and the End of Childhood

For decades, Pokémon ruled the creature-collector genre.
Cute monsters, safe gameplay, zero evolution in mechanics — and Nintendo didn’t care, because everyone kept buying.

Then came Palworld, the unhinged cousin who kicked down the door with a shotgun and said:

“What if Pokémon had guns… and labor camps?”

It shouldn’t have worked — but it did.
Players adored the mix of survival, base-building, and open-world insanity.
Memes exploded. Streams broke records.
And somewhere in Kyoto, Nintendo’s lawyers started hyperventilating.

They tried to hint at legal action — claiming “familiar designs” — but the internet had already chosen its winner.
Palworld became a cultural event, not just a game.
Where Pokémon stayed safe, Palworld went full chaos — and gamers loved it.

Verdict:

Nintendo kept their monsters cute. Palworld made them legendary.
Original — 8/10 Clone — 9.5/10 (and heavily armed).

Round 4: Bloodborne vs Lies of P — The Gothic Duel We Actually Got

Both games drown you in decay, rain, and tragedy.
Bloodborne made horror poetic — a masterpiece locked forever on PlayStation.
Lies of P took that DNA and added polish, precision, and 120 FPS.

The combat is pure elegance — tighter parries, smoother animations, cleaner visuals.
The story reimagines Pinocchio as a grim moral fable, mixing puppets, plague, and perfection.
Every boss fight feels like ballet performed with blades.

And while Sony keeps Bloodborne chained to the PS4 at 30 FPS, Neowiz dropped their masterpiece everywhere — PC, Xbox, and even Game Pass.
From fans still waiting for a remaster, that’s just cruel irony.

Verdict:

Bloodborne birthed the plague. Lies of P gave it style and accessibility.
Original — 9/10 Clone — 9/10 (but available).

Check Lies of P on: Steam

Round 5: Horizon Zero Dawn vs Light of Motiram — When Beauty Met the Algorithm

Horizon Zero Dawn stunned everyone with visuals and robot dinosaurs — but not everyone loved Aloy’s new look in Forbidden West.
Between awkward facial redesigns, performance hiccups, and clumsy storytelling, players started modding the game just to make the protagonist human again.
Then came the awkward twist: “representation updates” that alienated much of the fanbase.

Enter Light of Motiram — an upcoming UE5 sci-fi world that looks like Horizon, but sharper, cleaner, and shockingly detailed.
Gamers went nuts over the reveal: living cities, fluid traversal, faces that actually emote.
The buzz got so loud that Sony reportedly sent lawyers knocking — claiming “suspicious similarities.”

Translation: they’re scared.

Verdict:

Horizon set the blueprint. Light of Motiram might rewrite it.
Original — 8/10 Clone — ?/10 (but already terrifying Sony).

Check Horizon Zero Dawn on: Steam

Bonus Round: Zelda BOTW vs Genshin Impact — Copy, Monetize, Conquer

When Zelda: Breath of the Wild reinvented open-world design, everyone bowed down.
Then miHoYo looked at it and said, “Cool. Let’s make it online, anime, and profitable.”

Genshin Impact took Zelda’s exploration formula, added gacha waifus, and built an empire.
It’s not even subtle — gliding, stamina, puzzles — but the execution? Flawless.
Millions log in daily, spending billions. Nintendo just watches, quietly weeping into their rupees.

Verdict:

Zelda inspired awe. Genshin inspired addiction.
Original — 10/10 Clone — 9/10 (and a cash machine).

Final Thoughts – Clones Aren’t the Enemy

In a world where innovation costs millions and failure kills studios, copying isn’t a sin — it’s survival.
Sometimes a clone fails miserably; sometimes it evolves the formula.
And maybe that’s how gaming keeps moving forward: through iteration, rebellion, and the occasional lawsuit.

Because if you can’t beat the original — just make it better.

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