With the recent news of The Last of Us getting a remake, many gamers became annoyed at the allocation of Sony’s assets / time towards a game that we’ve been playing since 2013. Instead of bringing us a new Jak & Daxter game or getting a sequel to Days Gone, Sony decided that it’s best for the TLOU (The Last of Us) to get a remake less than 10 years after its release. For those that may not understand why gamers were upset, it’s important to note that this game was already remastered for the Playstation 4 and it also got a sequel that came out last year. There really isn’t a need to remake a game that looks & runs up to industry standards especially when one considers the next gen upgrade possibility on Playstation 5. Some are anticipating that this game will be packaged with a Playstation 5 port of The Last of Us 2 but we don’t fully know the extent to which Sony will go with this remake.

Either way this got me thinking about a list of other games that deserve a remake / remaster or at the very least a port on to next gen consoles before The Last of Us does. Gamers want the convenience of being able to relive all of their favorite classic games in one place / on one console. Xbox’s game pass does this very well while Playstation Now’s service can use some improvement. (For the sake of this article: “Remake” will be categorized as a complete overhaul of gameplay mechanics & story / cutscenes. While “remaster” will mean an upgrade to graphics and performance while the overall game generally stays the same. I also want to make it clear that remaking / remastering a game is not as easy on the developers as many assume it is).

Examples of REMAKE: Resident Evil 2 (2019), Resident Evil 3 (2020), Final Fantasy VII (2020),

Examples of REMASTER: Resident Evil (2002), Halo Master Chief Collection, Demon’s Souls (2020)

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Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks (REMASTER)

Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks is a cult classic amongst Mortal Kombat fans. This game served as a story focused 3D co-op game with RPG elements following the storyline of Mortal Kombat 2. You can play as either Kung Lao or Liu Kang (with Sub Zero & Scorpion as the two unlockable characters with their own unique moveset) in the campaign mode. As you progressed through the campaign you could unlock special moves, combos, fatalities, brutalities and even the new multalities which had you kill multiple enemies at one time. This game also came with its own multiplayer versus mode but its main selling point was the co-op mode.

If this game were to be brought back today, it wouldn’t need to be “remade” from the ground up. They should keep the combat exactly the way it is with the exception of maybe adding in some new abilities (especially for Sub Zero & Scorpion as they have a lot less in comparison to Liu Kang & Kung Lao) as well as consider the possibility of making the other characters on the roster (Reptile, Kitana, Cage, etc) playable for the co op campaign. As far as the graphics & performance go, the game can be either upscaled or redone with the new MK engine but either one works as long as the gameplay itself stays the same.

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Splinter Cell Collection (REMASTER)

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell series are very popular amongst gamers. Sam Fisher’s popularity rivals that of Solid Snake from the Metal Gear series. Splinter Cell is still missing amongst gamers’ library and this can be seen by how loud the cry is from those that wish for the series’ return. Despite the game frequently trending on twitter during and in between video game conventions, publishers still don’t look at single player games (let alone stealth) as a worthy investment for their company. Most of Ubisoft’s single player games (Assassins Creed, Watch Dogs, Far Cry, etc) have started to have very similar mechanics such as skill tress, side quests, vantage points and vast open worlds; all of which don’t apply to the Splinter Cell formula.

Publishers often compare the “lower” (yet successful) sales of single player games in comparison to the revenue they get from a long running multiplayer games that works as a service for gamers. Ubisoft has Rainbow Six Siege making a good amount of their revenue and they don’t see a need in making a “one time purchase” single player game. Still it would be a service to the fans if they brought back this series with a collection that includes the original three games. If they throw in a bonus game (such as splinter cell double agent or splinter cell conviction) for fans who have been waiting for a new sequel since blacklist then there’s a chance that this would be received well.

The gameplay for this needs to stay the same while the graphics get a nice upgrade or overhaul. Add in the Spy V Mercenary multiplayer mode with updated quality of life changes to make it a compelling addition to the online gaming scene and we got a complete package. Asymmetrical competitive multiplayer isn’t a common thing today and this had the right idea when it came out many years ago, with Ubisoft knee deep in Rainbow Six Siege’s mechanics, who’s to say that they can’t apply that knowledge to this?

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Ratchet & Clank / Jak & Daxter / Sly Cooper (REMASTER)

These three iconic figures are all going in the same spot for a new remaster as the gameplay of all needs to remain intact to capture the nostalgia. Platformers are a “dated” genre but they’re not unplayable so if these were brought back the gameplay needs to stay the same, otherwise it would ruin what made it special. These games had a long run during their prime in the Playstation 2 era. They brought out a healthy competition amongst each other while all garnering their own individual fan bases as well as sharing mutual love amongst gamers.

As of late, Ratchet & Clank has been putting out the most games as well as staying the most consistent with an upcoming sequel for Playstation 5 while we haven’t seen Sly Cooper since Playstation 3 and Jak’s last original release was on PSP.

Bringing either of these games’ early entries back for the Playstation 4/5 with updated rendering and textures would be very welcome amongst gamers. Looking at the jump that Demon’s Souls took from PS3 to PS5 really shows us what’s possible with the new hardware. They don’t have to overhaul the gameplay at all but keeping it in the vein of Demon’s Souls or Resident Evil 1 remake where the gameplay / camera remains relatively the same while the textures are upgraded.

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GOW 2 (REMASTER)

GOW 2 was the one of the best entries in the long running series that sees Kratos massacre mythological figures. This game begins his quest on the gods of Olympus. This game can benefit from a graphical upgrade that shows off the incredible boss fights, the unique weapons and vast locations explored in this entry in a stunning 60fps. Imagine duking it out with Icarus while falling in the pit in HD graphics or in 4K resolution. Imagine seeing Gaia for the first time in updated textures. Or even replaying the intro battle scene with the colossus of Rhodes! This game has many iconic moments that set the bar for set pieces in single player adventure games when it was released.

The combat of GOW was already “remade”/reimagined in the latest entry in 2018 so for this the combat can remain the same but an upscaled port or graphical overhaul would be welcome. However due to how long ago this came out I think fans would be curious to see how the new mechanics in the latest GOW would fare in the set pieces of this game. Another option is that if they kept the combat the same but added the option to shift the camera perspective to an “over the shoulder view” with the click of a button, there’s a chance that many fans would gravitate towards having that feature.

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Fallout: New Vegas (REMAKE)

Fallout New Vegas is often regarded as one of the series strongest entries due to its morally grey decisions, greater influence of your actions and the vast amount of endings you can get. Each town will have a different perception of you based on your actions as well as having the option to form alliances with different factions. The color scheme might be one note but the world itself was very vast; with incredible depth.

This is one of the few games on this list that can benefit from a gameplay overhaul as this more than anything will need the most quality of life changes. As much as we love Bethesda’s titles, their engine results in some very clunky gameplay moments that fall way below the bar for what’s expected of our games in today’s climate. Fallout 4 was a step up but I think Bethesda can go further to make the combat much more “cleaner” for lack of a better adjective. The quests should stay the same, the characters should stay the same, the world should stay the same, they should include all of the DLC content but the combat doesn’t need to stay the same. If they want to capture the RPG aesthetic that made this game loved, then they should keep in the mind that we’re now in 2021 so there’s no telling how it will be received in the community. The clunky combat is what made it feel “nostalgic” or special but with upgraded textures it will feel out of place.

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Devil May Cry (REMAKE & REMASTER)

Devil May Cry was the start of a long running action adventure / hack & slash series. This game in particular is rather short but that’s because it warrants replaying the game over as well as getting unlockables. If they went the remaster route then they can overhaul the graphics in the new RE engine, this game can arguably be one of the most beautiful games of the year. This game has plenty of beautiful scenery as well as immersive locations and demonic enemies.

If they go the remake route, then this game can benefit from some quality of life changes in terms of making the combat deeper with more combos, more enemy variety as well as more missions to give gamers a bigger bang for the bucks. If this isn’t an option then they should seriously consider increasing the unlockable content from beating the game and encourage speed runs. I also like the idea of having a “original mode” and a “upgraded mode” where one mode keeps the combat the same, the other makes it play similar to DMC 5 but both are upgraded in graphics.

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DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS (REMAKE)

Drsgon Age: Origins is the one that started it all in Bioware’s fantasy role playing game franchise. This game involved deep RPG mechanics, party management, creative dialogue, different origins and a variety of different endings as well fates for many characters. As far as Bioware’s resume goes, this was one of their highlights and the care can be felt.

The one (and maybe only) thing that should change / be upgraded is the gameplay. Just like Fallout: New Vegas this game has outdated gameplay that doesn’t hold up to today’s standards. Even for when it came out, this game had a very clunky and dated combat system. Very similar to the original Mass Effect, the gameplay wasn’t the most attractive to look at and we see how Bioware overhauled the gameplay for the upcoming remake so we know it’s possible.

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WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS? ANY OTHERS?

What did I miss? There are plenty of games out there so I’m sure I didn’t get to your favorite game (Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic. Beyond Good & Evil. Power Stone). Let me know what you think should be remade or remastered. Comment and share!

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