Video game remakes and remasters are a mixed bag, and the controversy is well-deserved. Occasionally developers hit the nail right on the head, while other times they end up hitting their hands. As such, many remakes have flubbed right out of the gate by being worse than the originals.
Others, however, managed to do it right and transform a classic title into a much-lauded new take that paid respect to the original, while offering something excellent in return. Which remakes scored a bullseye? And which games ended up striking some poor fellow standing off to the side?
10 Nailed: Resident Evil 2
Capcom hit a bullseye when it decided to do a full-fledged remake of the classic Resident Evil 2. It was a sharp contrast to the HD remake of the original Resident Evil which originally came out for the GameCube in 2002. This time, Capcom decided to build their remake upon their coveted RE Engine which allowed them to create a smooth and highly detailed horror atmosphere.
The gameplay was completely reworked from the ground up to adhere to contemporary control schemes, and the switch to full-fledged 3D was a welcome one. No more fixed camera angles, blocky characters, and awkward tension; Resident Evil 2 became an interactive cinematic masterpiece.
9 Fumbled: Resident Evil 3
Ironically, the same formula that garnered Resident Evil 2 such praise would become a huge drawback for its follow-up sequel. As a stand-alone game, Resident Evil 3 isn’t bad, but when measured against its source material predecessor, the results are shocking.
Despite having a good presentation and a decent amount of easter eggs, the remake cuts out a significant portion of the original RE3’s content and switches the story up way too much. The result is a game that alienated fans who grew up with the original game while failing to impress new gamers with its rather short playthrough time. It’s not a terrible title, but when measured against its original form, it felt like a rushed cash cow.
8 Nailed: Black Mesa
As is often the case with fan-made remakes, Black Mesa started out with the best of intentions before ballooning into a years-long development marathon. Fans became testy as the project’s future was thrown in doubt when the Xen chapters failed to materialize on time.
Thankfully, the team pulled through and finished the game. The original Half-Life was reborn with a fresh coat of paint, running on a new engine. It was faithful to the original without losing anything, and it brought all the winning elements to the forefront with a much better overall presentation.
7 Fumbled: Crysis Remastered
Crysis fans jumped for joy when they saw that their favorite original was going to get an HD remaster. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to haul it over the finish line. While the graphical bump and Ray Tracing are nice additions, the overall execution meant that gamers couldn’t enjoy it.
For some inexplicable reason, the game shipped with single-CPU support, just like back in the day. This was a horrendous misfire that rendered most machines useless, regardless of their power quotient. Even rigs equipped with an RTX 3090 became bottlenecked, yielding awful ray-tracing performance. This, coupled with the fact that outdated controls and gameplay elements were not updated makes Crysis Remastered a dull roar.
6 Nailed: Final Fantasy 7 Remake
Square could have taken the easy route and simply given Final Fantasy 7 a new coat of paint and called it a day. It decided to go in another direction by overhauling almost every aspect of the game. The result is a much different experience than the one fans remember, but the spirit of the game is still there.
It’s not perfect, but the first installment of FF7 Remake shows what a fresh new vision can bring to an established game. Square took a risk, and it paid off big time. The result is something truly magical, with plenty of story left to be told.
5 Fumbled: Secret Of Mana Remake
Secret of Mana is one of the most beloved SNES action RPGs ever made, and fans had been clamoring for a remake for quite some time. Square took a stab at it, but the results were largely a mixed bag. Though many of the complaints were unfounded (it is possible to actually listen to the original SNES soundtrack), the remake was something of a letdown.
The move from sprite-based graphics to 3D models wasn’t the worst decision, but the overall execution is what hampered the package. Difficulty curves and gameplay weaknesses were never ironed out, probably for the sake of purity. It’s a hard sell for audiences who never grew up with the original.
4 Nailed: Metroid: Zero Mission
The original Metroid was limited in what it could do on the paltry little NES, but subsequent sequels really fleshed out the franchise by leaps and bounds. In order to play catchup, the original was remade for the Game Boy Advance and retitled Metroid: Zero Mission.
Not only did it amp the graphics and audio up, but it also introduced story elements, much more exciting boss battles, and contemporary gameplay functions to make it feel fresh. It’s hard to play the NES version when one can simply take Zero Mission out for a romp, instead. It’s a killer must-have.
3 Fumbled: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles In Time – Re-Shelled
Nobody asked for a remake of this arcade title, but the world got one anyway. Truth be told, it would have been far better if more emphasis was put on a ground-up HD remake of the original TMNT 4-player game that lit up arcades and consoles (though unfortunately was missing on the SNES Mini) throughout the 1990s. To date, it’s still one of the coolest coin-op titles ever made.
Turtles In Time is arguably the weaker of the two, but it was still a worthy follow-up. Unfortunately, Re-Shelled does nothing to address the glaring faults of the original, such as the repetitive combat and short playtime. And those reworked graphics aren’t impressing anyone either.
2 Nailed: Mafia: Definitive Edition
This fantastic remake had many-a-Mafia fan saying “Bada boom, bada bing” when it dropped back in September. The original was a story-driven affair that paid homage to the great mafioso flicks of yore, including (obviously) the platinum-tinted Godfather franchise.
The Definitive Edition doesn’t just slap a fresh coat of paint on the existing original. It elevates the entire game with a new voice cast, better driving mechanics, and atmosphere by the truckloads. For those who’ve never played the original, this is the best place to start. Here’s to hoping more open-world games get the same treatment.
1 Fumbled: Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes
It might seem outrageous to view this remake as a fumble, but closer inspection reveals enormous disparities between it and the original PlayStation classic. Yes, the graphics did receive quite a bump, as did the cinematic elements, but those aren’t enough to offset what’s been lost.
The remake necessitated a complete re-recording of the script, and a lot was lost in the process. Characters mysteriously lost their accents, the dialogue became far more rigid and uncharismatic, and the game’s cinematics are downright silly and over the top. It didn’t feel like the tough and gritty future-noir stealth epic so many gamers grew up with. The Twin Snakes fell far short.
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