11 June 2023 , 06:00
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Get caught up to speed on some of the most memorable titles of the past with this handy list of our best video game remakes.
Everything old is new again! At least that appears to be the case if you look at the long list of video game remakes released on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo and PC over the past couple years. Video game remakes of varying kinds have always existed, of course, because with the advent of new console generations and players’ constant thirst for nostalgia, offering people the ability to play a new version of a classic game with revitalised graphics and gameplay remains big business.
That’s why we thought it worthwhile celebrating some of the best video game remakes available to play on modern platforms right now. The examples that went especially far in treating their original source material with respect, to create experience that feels just as fresh and exciting as it did when it first released. Surely that’s the hallmark of any great video game remake! In no particular order, here are five of the best of them (alongside the platforms they’re available on).
1. System Shock (2023)
Platforms: PC
The System Shock remake significantly improves the graphics by bringing assets into the 3D space. (Nightdive Studios)
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It may have taken a long time getting here, but this year’s System Shock remake recently released on PC to prove that it was well worth the wait, staying true to its immersive sim roots while giving the visuals a new coat of paint and having it play much like any other modern release. Despite the new 3D graphics and soundtrack being brought up to date wonderfully, new developer Nightdive Studios maintains the retrofuturistic aesthetic of the original LookingGlass version to make the Citadel an even more engaging space station to explore.
Some of System Shock’s rougher edges have been sanded down in this remake to make the experience more approachable. Puzzles, for instance, are expanded and present themselves to you in a way that is thoughtful and makes them less of a chore to fumble around with. Then there’s the slight tweaks to weapons, which this time around handle well enough to make you think System Shock is a true FPS if you didn’t know better. Needless to say, your mission to take down the villainous AI Shodan is prettier than ever in the System Shock remake, but it’s more approachable for it.
2. Resident Evil 2 (2019)
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X and PC
The RE Engine allows Resident Evil 2's gory detail to reach all new heights. (Capcom)The 1998 version of Resident Evil 2 was already scarier, darker and more ambitious for how it expanded the zombie escapades outside of the original game’s Spencer Mansion and onto the Raccoon City streets. This wider scope is perfectly encapsulated in the remake of Resident Evil 2, where Leon and Claire must traverse police stations, underground labs and get increasingly intimate with them – all from a third-person, over-the-shoulder view reminiscent of Resident Evil 4.
Whereas the PlayStation One iteration was understandably limited by the tech at the time, the Resident Evil 2 remake looks absolutely gorgeous but is made much scarier due to the revamp of Mr. X. A relentless pursuer that cannot be killed and won’t stop following you around, this always creates an underlying sense of dread as you try (and usually fail) to pick away at puzzles and combat the undead with ease. Resident Evil 2 remake is a more modern take, yet it stays true to the original.
3. Shadow of the Colossus (2018)
Platforms: PS4
The environments in Shadow of the Colossus are vast but the design is minimalist. (Team Ico)While a single-player action-adventure consisting purely of boss battles seems like a hard thing to make work, Team Ico achieved exactly that as far back as 2005 with Shadow of the Colossus. Barely a word is spoken in this wildly evocative and solemn journey concerning one lowly hero’s attempt to revive his lost love. However, it’s precisely because of such ambience that Shadow of the Colossus is regularly cited as one of the best games of all time. No wonder it was remade exclusively for PS4 in 2018.
Bluepoint Games was the studio given the tough task of giving one of the greatest games of all time an appropriate video game remake. Fortunately, it succeeded. The version of Shadow of the Colossus on PS4 largely maintains the original’s approach, making each boss battle against the colossi all the more thrilling by removing some of that PS2 smog and slightly reworking the controls. Both are enough to make this the definitive version, especially since its more accessible than ever.
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4. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 (2020)
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, Nintendo Switch and PC
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 was the last game by Vicarious Visions before they were folded into Activision Blizzard. (Activision)Skateboarding games arguably didn’t get better after the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series leapt from PS2. Luckily Activision and the developers at Vicarious Visions agreed, pulling out all the stops to offer the first two games in the series a ground-up video game remake. Choosing to compile Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 into one package was a smart move because it means there’s an abundance of maps, playable skaters and moves to pull off – and both games look better than ever!
Tricks featured in later games, such as Tony Hawk’s Underground, also make an appearance in the video game remake of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2. Combine this with the return of either game’s soundtrack, and it’s not hard to slip back into the groove of grinding, wall riding and flipping throughout the likes of Venice, Mall, and other iconic skateboarding maps. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 is not only a reminder that sporting games can be in-depth, but endlessly fun too.
5. Metroid Prime Remastered (2023)
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
Metroid Prime Remastered sees Samus Aran's mission on Tallon IV brought up to date to modern standards. (Nintendo)Don’t be fooled by the misleading subtitle offered by this unequivocal video game remake of the original Metroid Prime. Featuring all-new assets, remapped control options and even a new clue system that hopes to prevent players from getting lost, Metroid Prime Remastered released this year exclusively on Nintendo Switch to remind people of the original 2002 version’s brilliance and why they should be excited about the long-gestating fourth entry.
Metroid Prime Remastered takes all the secrets and in-depth exploration of the 2D games and brings them up to date within a 3D space. Samus Aran’s task is to work her way across planet Tallon 4’s various zones to regain her abilities, at which point she’ll be able to take on bigger bosses and survive within more hazardous environments. This feeling of constantly growing, improving and getting better is perfectly captured in this remake, demonstrating why Metroid Prime was one of the best games to ever do it.