Over the past decade, video game remakes and remasters have become a staple in the gaming industry. In theory, the concept is fantastic. A game that was beloved when it was released, can now be appreciated again by long-time fans and new gamers. Everything from Resident Evil 2, Crash Bandicoot, and Demon’s Souls to Shadow of the Colossus, Spyro, and Final Fantasy VII have all garnered the honour of either being remade or remastered.
Then again, there will always be classic games that do not quite make it to the treatment. The idea of remakes and remasters turned on a light bulb. If any game or series could be remastered, which ones are worthy. Here are 10 games or series that I would love to make a return to modern consoles.
DISCLAIMER:
This list is purely my opinion. There are countless classics I could have included on this list. This list is made from an entirely nostalgic point of view and reflects the games that I loved as a young gamer and remain besotted with. If you can think of any other games that deserve to make a return, please comment down below this article.
SLY COOPER:
I was late to the party with this one. Sly Cooper is a series I was always aware of as a child, but never had the opportunity to play at the time on the PS2. In recent years, I have purchased all four games in the series and had the utter pleasure of playing through each of them. Suffice it to say, the series is entertaining, cleverly written, and perfectly characterised across each iteration.
Fans have been shouting for a sequel, remake, or remaster for the Sly Cooper series for ages. Sucker Punch, the original developers of the series, have since moved on to other IPs, and the success of Ghost of Tsushima shows that the group has no intention of slowing down. Sadly, Sly will most likely be left behind, left alone to rob the rich and greedy with no audience or applause.
The idea of having a sequel to Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time (controversial to say, but Thieves in Time is by far my favourite Sly Cooper game) or a remake of the original PS2 trilogy would give the fanbase much-needed fresh air. I guarantee you that any fan would love to run into Sly, Bentley, Murray, or Carmelita Fox again and see what their next scheme is.
PROFESSOR LAYTON:
The Professor Layton games are extremely personal because they share some of my favourite gaming memories. When I first got my DS for Christmas (slightly disappointed that I got a red one when I wanted a black one, I was not a reasonable child), one of the games I was gifted was Professor Layton and the Curious Village. I had never heard of the series before but seven-year-old me was eager to try it. My mum, brother, and I played through the game together and it took my breath away. It was complex and layered, featuring an intriguing and thought-compelling story and absolutely brain-scrambling puzzles. I have been a loyal fan of the series ever since. To this day, any time I think of Professor Layton and the Lost Future’s narrative, I get emotional. It was the first game that ever made me cry. Lost Future should be lauded as one of the best games ever for the DS.
Hershel Layton will return to the gaming market next year on the Nintendo Switch with Professor Layton and the New World of Steam. The game is a direct sequel to Lost Future, making a Layton remaster of the original trilogy for the Switch a guaranteed money maker for Nintendo. I had been hoping for Layton to return for the longest time. Curious Village, Pandora’s Box, and Lost Future have been remastered for iOS, but that is not enough. The original trilogy should be brought to the Switch, where it belongs.
METAL GEAR SOLID:
Before Konami announced the remake of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater last year, I hoped Konami would remake the first game in the series. Nothing against MGS 3, it is a fantastic game and arguably the best in the series, but Metal Gear Solid for the PS1 was revolutionary and created an entirely new genre when it was released in 1998. The original game has been remade before in the form of Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes for the GameCube. However, despite the graphical upgrade and gameplay improvements, the voice-acting did not match the original and I feel it was disappointing.
Created by the only ‘auteur’ game director in the industry, Hideo Kojima, Metal Gear Solid has certainly shown its age. The game is still enjoyable to play, but the 3D models and combat are considered clunky by today’s standards. The series evolved with every new iteration when it comes to gameplay. The last game in the series, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, was released in 2015 and still has some of the best gameplay and combat I have ever experienced. Metal Gear Solid’s narrative still holds up well today, given the current political climate, and it can not help but make me wonder what an MGS Remake would consist of. An already brilliant story, but with similar combat to Phantom Pain.
As you may know, Kojima was controversially fired from Konami around the time of Phantom Pain’s release, so the idea of a Metal Gear Solid remake without its original creator is a tricky one. However, if the upcoming Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater proves worthy of the series’s reputation, perhaps the original game will return.
JAMES BOND 007: EVERYTHING OR NOTHING:
I understand this may not be regarded as a game that deserves a remaster. Any conversation about James Bond video games will always begin and end with GoldenEye. However, I am here to make a case for Everything or Nothing. It may not be as groundbreaking as GoldenEye was on the N64, but the game features an original plot line, absolutely stellar voice-acting from an all-star cast, and varied levels with different gameplay styles.
Pierce Brosnan stars as James Bond and plans to stop KGB agent Nikolai Diavolo (Willem Dafoe) from unleashing microscopic nano-bots, which would result in the collapse of cities and infrastructure. The plot is as over-the-top as any Bond film and massively entertaining. You play from a third-person perspective and shoot enemies, drive across levels, and engage in boss battles to stop Diavolo from fulfilling his plan.
I played this game recently with my brother and it has aged very well. The controls still feel smooth and the gunplay and an Ocarina of Time style lock-on system. However, the final levels of the game are frustrating due to the intense difficulty curve, even when playing in the easiest mode.
Given that James Bond video games are not as prevalent as they once were, Everything or Nothing getting a remake or remaster would put the MI6 agent back in the gaming zeitgeist. IO Interactive is currently working on a James Bond video game, so there is still a market for Bond in gaming.
RESIDENT EVIL:
Before I continue, I am fully aware that Resident Evil for the PS1 has already been remade. The Resident Evil Remake was released in 2002 for the GameCube. The GameCube remake is stunning, keeping the foundations of the original while also adding and making quality-of-life improvements. So why then would I like Resident Evil to receive another remake?
The answer is due to Resident Evil 2: Remake, the game that made me a Resident Evil fan. RE2 is one of the best remakes I have ever played. It stays loyal to the original but adds and modernises the gameplay with a third-person perspective straight out of Resident Evil 4. I would love to see what the first game in the series looks like in the style of the RE2: Remake. If Capcom decided to remake the game, keeping everything they added from the GameCube release and changing the perspective to match the newer remakes, the game could potentially be one of the greatest remakes ever made, even more so than the GameCube release.
AMNESIA: THE DARK DESCENT:
Keeping with the horror genre, Amnesia: The Dark Descent is my favourite horror game ever made. It got me invested in horror games and I have never played another game that made me feel anxious and scared like Dark Descent. The game is notably influential for future horror games like Outlast, Layers of Fear, and Alien: Isolation, and the gameplay has not aged in the slightest.
That being said, the Amnesia series is somewhat of a one-hit-wonder. Dark Descent is a masterpiece, A Machine for Pigs was okay but everything that makes Dark Descent terrifying is removed. You have no sanity level, no oil lantern, no tinderboxes, and no moments where you fear for your character. This made A Machine for Pigs feel more like a walking simulator than a horror game. Rebirth brought back the horror elements of Dark Descent, but they were lackluster compared to the original. I have not yet played The Bunker, but I have heard positive things.
The reason Dark Descent should be given a remake is because the series is still relevant in the horror genre, and the graphics of Dark Descent have gotten slightly blocky with age. They are certainly not ugly, they are beautifully designed by the team, and the game’s atmosphere is one of the best I have ever experienced. However, with the graphical potential of current consoles, Amnesia: The Dark Descent could become even better and more terrifying than it already is.
RATCHET & CLANK:
This one is purely subjective. Ratchet & Clank is still thriving and Rift Apart is my second favourite game in the series (my favourite is A Crack in Time). However, I have had a personal grievance with the series ever since the release of Ratchet and Clank for PS4.
In the original PS2 trilogy, Ratchet was a cocky character who was not likeable straight away, especially in the original game. His interactions with Clank were not sympathetic. Clank was the sensible one, and Ratchet was the judgemental one. However, this made for great comedy and the sense of humour is what Insomniac Games have strived with since Spyro the Dragon.
Ratchet & Clank on PS4, in my opinion, ruined Ratchet as a character. He became the epitome of every morning kid’s cartoon. His attitude was always to be the hero and say “Right guys, let’s go.” It’s very dull and Ratchet will probably remain this way for the rest of the series. Clank is still entertaining in the newer games, but his interactions with Ratchet are not what they used to be.
It would be fantastic to revisit the original PS2 trilogy. The original game has dated in its control scheme, but Going Commando is brilliant, and Up Your Arsenal is still often regarded as the best in the series. It would be amazing if Insomniac decided to revisit the trilogy, but I am not certain it will ever happen. Insomniac is currently working on Wolverine and future Marvel games.
BANJO-KAZOOIE:
Oh Banjo, how you do not get anywhere near the attention you deserve. The series has been dormant since 2008’s Nuts & Bolts, but I would love for the series to make a comeback, either with a remake or a sequel.
Banjo-Kazooie came out for the N64 in 1998. Developed by Rare, the series has earned a reputation for being a nostalgic, yet entertaining, collectathon platformer. The original game had a dry sense of humour, which Rare would then turn to overdrive with Conker’s Bad Fur Day, varied worlds, and impressive visuals for the time.
Fans have been shouting from the heavens for another Banjo-Kazooie game since the mixed reception of Nuts & Bolts. I am in the same crowd. I would love for the pair to make a comeback. A remake of the original game or Banjo-Tooie, even a sequel would warm the hearts of every Rare fan.
TEKKEN 5:
Tekken 5 is the fighting game to end all fighting games in my opinion. Tekken is my favourite fighting game franchise and I believe Tekken 5 is the best game in the series. I have a lot of nostalgia for Tekken 2 and Tekken 3, but 5 features the best gameplay experience the series excels at.
Tekken 5 struck the perfect balance between single-player progression and multiplayer. Each character’s story was engaging and well told, the cutscenes are stunning and the graphics are some of the best ever released for a PS2 game. The sheer amount of customisation and content packed into this game is enough to leave you busy for dozens and dozens of hours and every battle feels like a choreographed dance routine when you nail the controls and combos.
In recent years, newer Tekken games have not reached the same level as Tekken 5. I felt Tekken 7 was disappointing because of its decreased focus on the story and more on multiplayer modes. I have yet to play Tekken 8, but I played the demo and really enjoyed it. Because Tekken is still marketable in the gaming community, I do hope that Tekken 5 gets a remake sometime in the future. It has the best gameplay variety and best writing in the series and the graphical overhaul of modern consoles would make a remake sensational.
GOD OF WAR:
Recently, rumours came around that remakes of God of War and God of War 2 are in development. I am very excited about this news, but I am equally skeptical. God of War is one of Sony’s most treasured franchises, and I think remaking the original games is a bold move because of the contrast they have with the more recent entries like God of War: Ragnarök.
God of War on PS4 is a great game, but the gameplay did not play as well as I figured it could have. The combat of the original games was pristine, with intense hack-and-slash action and combos with varied enemies from Greek mythology. The PS4 game featured nowhere near as many Norse monsters as it could have, and you fight the same troll boss about seven times during the story (the only difference is the colour palette). Ragnarök had much more variety in its enemies, but the pace was so slow that I lost a lot of investment in the game.
Because of my problems with the newer God of War games, I worry that a remake of the PS2 games would result in them losing their style. The older games focused heavily on platforming, and the story was fast-paced and relatively simple, and Kratos’s character arc was fascinating. The newer games lose the combat element, and the single-shot camera is impressive and great for immersion, but I feel it would not match the style of the originals. I am happy to be proven wrong about God of War and God of War 2 making a return, but I am nervous, to say the least.
