There was once a time when remakes were looked down upon by the gaming community. Many fans and critics saw them as low-effort cash-grabs and had little interest in their favorite childhood games getting the remake treatment. Today however, new remakes tend to rank among thegaming industry’s most highly anticipated titlesand almost every gamer has their own wish list of games that they’d love to see get a fresh coat of paint.
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The vastly improved perception of remakes can be attributed to quality games likeResident Evil 2(2019) andFinal Fantasy VII(2020), which have proved that remakes aren’t only great nostalgic trips but can also be genuine Game of the Year contenders. Considering that thePlayStation 2isthe highest selling home console of all time, it should come as little surprise that many of the console’s games have received the remake treatment.
10SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated
SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydratedis aremake ofSpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottomandcan be played on Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia, Android, and iOS.
The game was a surprising source of heated debates when it was released in June 2020, as many fans and critics had vastly different opinions about the game. Most fans loved it, exemplified by its 9.0 user score on Metacritic, which, believe it or not, is just 0.1 point away fromThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time’s user score.
9Odin Sphere Leifthrasir
Odin Sphere Leifthrasirisaremake ofOdin Sphereandcan be played on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation Vita.
Like the original,Odin Sphere Leifthrasiris a side-scrolling action RPG that features a beat-em-up combat style reminiscent of classic arcade games.Odin Spherewas originally intended to be a sequel to the 1997 Japanese-exclusive Sega Saturn gamePrincess Crownbut ended up being a spiritual successor instead.
8Siren: Blood Curse
Siren: Blood Curseisa remake ofSirenandcan be played on PlayStation 3.
Siren: Blood Curseis considered a reimagining of the originalSiren, as it makes significant changes to the game’s story, design, and gameplay mechanics. The survival horror game was released in 2008 and, like the original, can be considered an influential entry in the genre for itsemphasis on stealth. Stealth mechanics are commonly seen in horror games today as a way of increasing tension, with games likeAlien: IsolationandOutlastbeing key examples.
7Black Mesa
Black Mesais a third-partyremake ofHalf-Lifeandcan be played on Windows and Linux.
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Black Mesawas created by a team known as Crowbar Collective, originally as a free mod forHalf-Life.However, the game would soon get a huge stamp of approval fromHalf-Life’s development team Valve, who gave Crowbar Collective the green light to release the game commercially. The third-party remake was well-received by fans and critics, exemplified by its 84 critic score and 8.9 user score on Metacritic.
6Destroy All Humans! (2020)
Destroy All Humans!is aremake of a 2005 game of the same nameand can be played onMicrosoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia, and Nintendo Switch.
The originalDestroy All Humans!is one of many PlayStation 2 games that had a loyal fanbase begging for a remake. Unlike other highly requested PS2 remakes likeGTA: San AndreasandThe Simpsons: Hit & Run,Destroy All Humans!fans finally got their wish in 2020. TheDestroy All Humans!remake doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel, keeping its core gameplay very similar to the original.
5Ratchet & Clank (2016)
Ratchet & Clankisa remake of a 2002 game of the same nameand can be played onPlayStation 4.
Like the aforementionedSiren: Blood Curse,Ratchet & Clank(2016) is branded as a reimagining of the originalRatchet & Clank, as it makes numerous changes to the game’s story and level design. As well as being a remake of the original game,Ratchet & Clank(2016) is also based on a film of the same name, which hit theatres the same month that the game was released.
4Yakuza Kiwami
Yakuza Kiwamiisa remake of 2005’sYakuzaand can be played onPlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, and Xbox One.
The long-runningYakuzaseries is finally starting to get the mainstream attention that it deserves, largely thanks to the series' inclusion in Microsoft’s value-for-money Game Pass service, which has introduced tons of new people to the weird and wonderful world of theYakuzafranchise.
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Yakuza Kiwami, like the rest of the series, is essentially what would happen ifGoodfellasandThe Simpsonswere put in a blender. The game’s emotional and hard-hitting main story is centered around the dangerous life of aYakuzabut issupplemented by some of the mosthilarious side questsin all of gaming.
3Yakuza Kiwami 2
Yakuza Kiwami 2isa remake ofYakuza 2andcan be played on PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, and Xbox One.
Yakuza2was also given the remake treatment and can be played on the same consoles asYakuza Kiwami,aside from PlayStation 3. The game continues the story ofYakuza Kiwamiwhile also throwing in a new set of ridiculous side quests andsimply yet addictive mini-games.Yakuza Kiwami 2is one of the mostcritically acclaimed entries in theYakuzaseriesand received an impressive 88 Metascore on Xbox One.
2Project Zero 2: Wii Edition
Project Zero 2: Wii Editionisa remake ofFatal Frame II: Crimson Butterflyandcan be played on Nintendo Wii.
The Nintendo Wii wasn’t the most natural home for horror games, given the console’s marketing that was geared towards casual gamers. Still, the console enjoyed its fair share of memorable, terrifying adventures, fromResident Evil 4toSilent Hill: Shattered Memories.Project Zero 2: Wii Editionwas another one of the console’s horror highlights and was even described by Nintendo Gamer as “the best horror game on Wii, by some margin.”
1Shadow Of The Colossus (2018)
Shadow of the Colossusisa remake of a 2005 game of the same nameandcan be played on PlayStation 4.
When the originalShadow of the Colossuswas first released, the game was quickly used as an example of video games being an art form, something that many skeptics were still on the fence about or refusing to agree with.
By 2018, gaming’s place as a genuine art form had been solidified, so it only seemed right thatShadow of the Colossuswould join the ever-growing trend of remakes.Shadowof the Colossus(2018)gives the classic game a wonderful new look while also fixing some of the original’s fiddly control issues.
