Sometimes it’s hard to let go of a game you love. Just look at Skyrim fans, still modding to the bitter end against Father Time himself. But sometimes, as consoles evolve and developers move on, you just have to. Thankfully, some games are so beloved, the fans so clamorous, and the developers just wise enough, that we get a remastering of an old-school game. This isn’t just awesome because we get better graphics, performance, and often a few other nifty features alongside the familiar face, but because the wider audience, otherwise hesitant to try out an “old game” gets a chance to acquaint themselves with a real classic.
Down below we’ve compiled a list of our favorite remastered games, sure to deliver a 1-2 combo of nostalgia and sheer awe.
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Crysis Remastered
- Release: 18 September 2020
- Developers: Crytek
- Platform: Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
- Price: $29.99
The OG of power-armored first-person shooters, the new Crysis Remastered had something of a rocky road leading to its release on 18 September. When news first broke that one of the most beloved FPS’ of all time would be seeing a remaster, the legions of Crysis fans of loyal Crysis fans were itching to suit up and drop in as Nomad once again.
But when footage of the game and cinematics were leaked leading up to the launch, many were disappointed by what seemed like a lackluster improvement compared to the kind of remaster that Crysis, a game praised for its incredible (and incredibly demanding) graphics, would merit in 2020.
Thankfully, the game’s release was postponed to give the developers more time to add the 8K textures, reworked lighting system, and full-blown ray tracing that should’ve been mandatory for a Crysis remaster.
Demon’s Souls
- Release: 12 November 2020
- Developers: Bluepoint Games
- Platform: PS5
- Price: $69.99
In a bid to make the best, most sadistic use of the PS5’s new system architecture and the powerful capabilities that come with it, Bluepoint Games, masters of the remaster, will be coming out with beautiful re-rendering of the original Souls-like, leap-frogging an entire console generation.
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The game will keep the original game completely intact — save for minor quality-of-life adjustments — but will include ray tracing support, higher-poly models, and improved lighting to make the terrifying, soul-crushing, uniquely rewarding experience all the better. Anybody who missed the Demon’s Souls bus the first time around has good reason to pick up the PS5.
XIII
- Release: 10 November 2020
- Developers: PlayMagic
- Platform: Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Amazon Luna
- Price: TBA
The second remake of 2003’s original, comic book-inspired and comic book-styled XIII, the upcoming release aims to capture the same unique flair that attracted the first game’s cult following. In XIII, players step into the shoes of an unnamed man as he awakens on a Brooklyn beach with no memory beyond that of being pursued and shot by unknown assailants at sea.
XIII, named so for the tattoo of the roman numeral on his shoulder, quickly comes head to head with a litany of hitmen as a conspiracy to overthrow the United States government begins to unravel. The game’s comic-book-esque cel-shading and art style come complete with onomatopoeia speech bubbles for noises that have real gameplay relevance during the array of straight-up FPS gun battles and stealth missions.
System Shock Redux
- Release: 2020
- Developers: Nightdive Studios
- Platform: Windows, macOS, Linus, PS4, Xbox One
- Price: TBA
Considered a common ancestor of Deus Ex and Bioshock, 1994’s System Shock was a high production value sci-fi FPS thriller that pushed the limits of narrative storytelling and stellar game design. The game follows a recently caught hacker as he is sent to a remote space station to hack into the malicious A.I lording over the vessel in order to obtain secret information in exchange for clemency.
The game pushed the limits of graphics with fully three-dimensional environments back in an era when most other games were still only cautiously goose-stepping out of the pixelated age. The remake merges the creepy, cyberpunk tone of the original with the innovative game mechanics that earned System Shock the critical acclaim and fanfare it did over 25 years ago.
Gothic
- Release: TBA
- Developers: THQ Nordic
- Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox One
- Price: TBA
The original Gothic was an early, significant step towards the full-blown open-world ARPG experience that fuels modern tastes for The Witcher, The Elder Scrolls, Assassin’s Creed or Red Dead Redemption. Players play as a miner condemned to a life slaving away in the royal mines for special ore to feed the kingdom’s insatiable demand for powerful weapons needed to fend off an onslaught of orcs.
Cruel and sadistic, the magicians responsible for conjuring the shield that keeps everyone locked in lose control of their creation, causing it to expand beyond the bounds of the mining colony and giving the slaves an opportunity to revolt.
The game incorporated deep skill systems, extensive NPC interaction, and character-building that will seem familiar to many new gamers but was a major step forward back in the day. The remake preserves the original plot and setting but gives it a graphical rework that brings it into the new age with solid visuals and excellent design.
Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning (2012-2020)
- Release: September 2020
- Developers: KAIKO, Big Huge Games
- Platform: Windows, PS4, Xbox One
- Price: $40
The original Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning sort of flew under the radar when it first came out, with most eyes still glued to Skyrim as the belle of the open-world RPG ball. And despite critical praise, the game didn’t result in the sales that its mega-expensive development warranted and it literally bankrupted 38 Games’ as their first project. Which was a shame, because those who played it (we did!) thought the quasi mashup of Fable and Skyrim was awesome. Thankfully, a fully remastered version, dubbed the “Re-Reckoning” is coming out later this year!
Download Kingdoms of Amalur Re-Reckoning: Steam
Download Kingdoms of Amalur Reckoning: Steam
Final Fantasy VII Remake (1997-2020)
- Released: April 2020
- Developer: Square Enix
- Platform: PS4
- Price: $59.99
Final Fantasy VII was a monumental leap forward for the turn-based jRPG franchise that introduced us to the OG buster-sword wielding badass, Cloud, for the very first time. Since then, not only has the character but the franchise gone on to do some wonderful things, with many more Final Fantasy titles being released to great success. But we never really forgot VII, and neither did Square Enix, apparently, who decided to remake the whole game from the ground up, featuring completely overhauled graphics and a real-time combat system that really lets that buster sword fly.
Download Final Fantasy VII Remake: PS4
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Warcraft III: Reforged (2002-2020)
- Released: January 2020
- Developer: Blizzard
- Platform: Windows, macOS
- Price: $29.99
Warcraft III and its expansion, Frozen Throne, shook the very foundations of the RTS genre and ballooned the Warcraft IP into the titanic juggernaut it is today. The cutting edge cinematics, engrossing story, ridiculously deep competitive gameplay and the still mind-blowing World Edit was the first inkling of a new realm of gaming possibilities beyond anything that had preceded it. The new remastering features completely remade sprites and textures that simultaneously upgrade the game but do so without making it unrecognizable to those who played it before. Indeed, Arthas, Illidan, and Thrall all get makeovers as they fight to contain the spread of chaos in Warcraft III: Reforged.
Download Warcraft III: Reforged: PlayWarcraft3
Resident Evil 2 (1998-2019)
- Released: January 2019
- Developer: CAPCOM
- Platform: Windows, PS4, Xbox One
- Price: $39.99
Resident Evil 2 pushed the envelope in hideously creative ways to terrorize an audience, gleefully scarring many of us forever, and anyone lucky enough to play it the first time around was stoked to see the remastering. Perhaps it’s just Stockholm syndrome, but we were super excited to play the completely remastered sequel to the original that came out last year, and apparently so was everyone else. The game sports a literal 10/10 across 46,000+ reviews on Steam. Anyone who missed the terrifying demonic zombie boat the first time around can hop aboard the S.S Nightmarish Gaming Experience right now and see the game that no doubt continues to pay for a sizable portion of therapist salaries today.
Download Resident Evil 2: Steam | PS4 | Xbox One
Shadow of the Colossus PS4 (2005-2018)
Released: February 2018 | Developer: Bluepoint Games | Platform: PS4 | Price: $19.99
Shadow of the Colossus was an incredible, awe-inspiring addition to the PS2 arsenal when it first came out 15 years ago, and the newest addition continues the tradition. Where the first game wowed us with its sense of scale and innovative gameplay, the remastered edition ups the ante with, seriously, some of the best graphics and cinematic lighting money can buy. All of which culminate to only further enhance the emotionally impactful story and thrill of the hunt.
Download Shadow of the Colossus: PS4
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2007-2019)
Released: October 2019 | Developer: Infinity Ward | Platform: Windows, PS4, Xbox One | Price: $59.99
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is the remake of the original, genre-expanding FPS that removes the number 4 from the title and reworks it from the ground up — including the storyline central to the campaign. The title sports massively enhanced graphics and reshaped content, alongside a renewed emphasis on the gritty realism that stood as the bedrock of the original game. This time, however, the setting is a fictional Eastern-European country, Urzikstan, and has the same characters from the original fighting alongside native rebels against an invading Russian military force.
Download Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: CallOfDuty
Burnout Paradise Remastered (2008-2018)
- Released: March 2018
- Developer: Stellar Entertainment, Criterion
- Platform: Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
- Price: $19.99
Burnout Paradise was the first of its kind: an open-world racing game that let you drive just for the hell of it — and with friends too. The remastered version includes all eight DLC packs for the original game and renders the peerless vehicular destruction and high-octane arcade-style insanity that made the first game so addictive.
Burnout Paradise Remastered still supports the pivotal couch co-op mode alongside 8-person multiplayer and plays at 60 fps in glittering 4K — making sure that every particle of molten steel and smoldering rubber can be seen in exquisite detail, worthy of the PS4 or Xbox One’s capabilities.
Download Burnout Paradise Remastered: Steam | EA Games
Dark Souls: Remastered
- Released: May 2018
- Developer: FromSoftware
- Platform: Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
- Price: $39.99
Dark Souls: Remastered is exactly what a remastering should be: enhanced graphics with little to changes to the original game’s design, preserving what made it so impactful in the first place. Indeed, the remastered version leaves the original game’s level design completely untouched but ups the graphics from 720p at 30 fps to 4K at 60 FPS, and has the added bonus of all DLCs unlocked and a dedicated multiplayer server.
Yeah, FromSoftware doesn’t mess around, and certainly not with one of their most beloved games ever. If you never got the chance to smash your keyboard in rage when you died again or scream in gleeful ecstasy when you finally made it, Dark Souls: Remastered is your one-stop-shop for everything that made the franchise great.
Download Dark Souls Remastered: Steam | PS4 | Xbox One | Switch
We’re sure you had an A-HA! moment or two with at least one of the titles on the list. Each of these proves that old is gold — or in this case, super-gold. Or maybe that’s platinum. Either way, with the enhanced performance and all-inclusive content with each of the remastered titles, and a whole lot of at-home time, there’s never been a better moment to take a trip down memory lane.
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You actually had the unmitigated gall to call Warcraft III: Reforged one of the best remasters? Are you absolutely out of your mind? Do you even game? Warcraft III: Reforged was absolute and complete trash. No one in the industry would agree with this being one of the best. OMFG.
you have the audacity to say the xiii remake was best remastered, fuck off you journalist pest
you have the audacity to say the xiii remake was best remastered, fuck off you journalist pest