So you're reading a review of the latest game to come down the pike, and you find a line that states said game is just like another title. And it is. Sorta. It may have been "inspired" by a more successful franchise, or it may be that the more successful franchise so changed the face of its medium that all future works in that medium demand a response. One thing's for sure, though: The reviewer will act as though the similarity is all you need to know. It was Better by a Different Name. See also It's Been Done.