10 Clone Video Games That Are Better Than The Original

Every great thing has a cheap copy. This saying is especially true of video games, as there are hundreds of knockoffs of popular titles out there, and every year their numbers only seem to grow.

Because of their clone status and sheer quantity, it’s easy to think clone games are nothing more than inferior recreations of your favorite franchise. However, although it’s true in most cases, sometimes the unbelievable can happen - the clone might outdo the original.

Yes, it might be hard to believe, but some of the clone games out there have actually managed to surpass their inspirations. Some manage to improve upon the original’s ideas, while others simply use them in more creative and interesting ways. Whatever the case may be, these clones are so good that it feels almost criminal to call them knockoffs anymore.

To quote another probably overused phrase, imitation is the highest form of flattery. Looking at these clones, you could almost agree with this saying if it weren’t for the fact that they completely stole the spotlight from the things they based themselves on.

Once you play them, you’ll completely understand why.

Paladins is as clone-y as clone games can get. The game was released by Hi-Rez Studio during the peak of Overwatch's popularity in 2016, sharing the same team-based FPS gameplay, similar art style, and even straight copies of classes and characters.

However, although Paladins was a blatant ripoff back then, nowadays it is the superior version of the game it was copying.

Why? These days, Overwatch possesses only a fraction of the greatness it once had, while Paladins only keeps improving. The many controversies Blizzard has faced in recent years, the company's questionable business practices, and its utter disregard for the fans' concerns have turned Overwatch (or rather, Overwatch 2) into a live-service mess with lots of empty or broken promises and a palpable lack of innovation.

Meanwhile, Paladins enjoys a steady playerbase that keeps coming back for frequent updates and new game modes that add refreshing changes to Paladins' content. Not to mention, the game is completely free to play, unlike Overwatch and its graveyard of half-empty servers.

Too harsh? Well, it's hard not to harp on Overwatch when it got outmatched by its own knockoff.