Top 5 Games That SHOULD Get a Remake

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When it comes to gaming, a game’s standing over time can usually increase or decrease based on the nostalgia factor and just how genuinely well it holds up. Absolute bangers like Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars immediately comes to mind, as does Donkey Kong Country and its sequels, due to just how well these titles play today.  

Developers have been reintroducing titles by utilizing remakes and remasters to cater to an aging fanbase, while also bringing the quality up to standards that can be seen in today’s gaming. Immediate titles come to mind such as the Chrono Cross remaster that included content only seen on a Nintendo Satellaview, and the Live a Live remake that finally brings the Japan only title to the western market for the first time, where it was well received.  

While remakes/remasters are almost a dime a dozen nowadays, including the ‘director’s cut’ or ‘definitive edition’ releases, the following list is what I believe to be the top 5 titles deserving of a remake. The Last of Us Part 1 is indeed not on this list as it is widely available, already received a remaster and is already being remade—if the reports on it becoming more accessible are true, then a warranted retooling of a masterpiece for the current gen is a GOOD thing—but the titles mentioned are of my opinion and are no means fact, and they’re in no particular order of importance.  

Silent Hill Series 

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This is potentially cheating considering it’s four games instead of one, but I couldn’t help it. The heartbreaking release of the PT trailer starring Norman Reedus—which was intensely fumbled in failure—showed that this storied franchise still has enough left in the tank for an honourable lift from when the originals were remade to now. The Silent Hill HD Remaster was also incomplete due to the original source code of the beloved title getting lost to the ages, so I’d figure this is as good of a place as any to start. 

Silent Hill brought many horror fans into the genre with its gameplay, attention to detail, puzzle solving, intense storyline, and ultimately was a breathing town albeit filled to bursting with monsters that want to kill you. There were also fun Easter eggs that players can find, one of which allowed the player to Sailor Scout the protagonist, Heather Mason, into an anime Magical girl in Silent Hill 3. Silent Hill can use a new coat of paint, without bugs, to bring this franchise forward.  

Jade Empire 

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A Bioware A-RPG lost to the throes of time, Jade Empire introduced a new setting with a compelling story to the original Xbox console. While wielding possibly the largest controller in ‘the duke,’ players could venture through the fictional Jade Empire as a powerful spirit monk to gain followers on a quest to potentially overthrow an authoritarian regime in Emperor Sun Hai.  

With compelling references to Chinese Mythology and spiritual occurrences, the title does well in story pacing and pulling back the curtain on plot devices. With smooth A-RPG gameplay that focuses on light, heavy, and techniques in real time, the delve through the thicket of lore the player is subject to becomes a conclusion that you would need to see play out. With plot twists, morality-based storyline decisions and multiple endings that can see the Jade Empire end up in different scenarios as the story concludes.   

Arc The Lad 

Top 5 Games That SHOULD Get a Remake 

An argument can be made to remake all three titles in the series, but beggars can’t be choosers. Although this series of games received a solid entry for the PS2 with Arc The Lad: Twilight of the Spirits, it’s readily available on the PS4 for download, and it aged reasonably well. I still recall fighting the original Ark Ghoul and becoming a wet bag of a child due to being unable to finish the fight, to realizing it was a fight you HAVE TO LOSE to progress. 

The series hit so many different notes in the RPG genre, the soundtrack was excellent; there was a movable grid for combat, a continent sprawling compelling narrative that begs the player to continue with intrigue, and ultimately likeable characters that allow the storyline to flourish with cooperation. However, the title does look rough now, and the enemy sprites feel muddled. Arc The Lad could benefit with a fresh coat of paint to add vibrancy to the vast Palencian adventure, while also allowing this generation of consoles to play the classic. Imagine Arc the Lad with voice acting? 

The Witcher 

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On the heels of the GOTY Witcher 3 The Wild Hunt, CDProjekt Red did a great job of including elements of both the book series and game series with lore and characters, breathing life into the works by Andrej Sapkowski. While Witcher II: Assassins of Kings was received warmly, the original title didn’t fare so well. 

The original title was well received upon release, but after attempting to return to it after the masterpiece that was The Wild Hunt, it is stricken with age. The storyline is still lights out and reveals why Geralt was initially in King Foltest’s service before his murder at the hands of Letho. With dynamite music and incredible voice acting, the clunkiness of gameplay and general facial expressions leave much to be desired. Bringing players back into the Witcher universe with the first entry is a great way to introduce players to the origins of the game’s story. 

Legacy of Kain Series 

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I know this is technically cheating again, but the adventures through the land of Nosgoth as Kain or Raziel were loaded with gore, lore, and enough for vampire fans to sink their fans into for countless hours. The latest entry to the series on the PS2, Legacy of Kain: Defiance concluded the saga of vampire lord Kain rejecting his fate with a flourish. The gameplay also included a novel mechanic where the protagonist couldn’t go for too long without feeding, otherwise health would continuously deplete, this added urgency to the puzzle solving aspects of the titles. 

The series has been commended for its excellent writing and voice cast, with renowned Writer and Director Amy Hennig at the helm the series was destined for greatness. Yet, fans haven’t seen Nosgoth since 2003—almost two decades—and while Defiance is currently available on Steam, the other titles in the series could seriously use help, as they didn’t exactly age gracefully. A whole HD package of the series would help project a new generation of gamers onto a legacy seriously worth visiting. 

There you have it, the top 5 titles I believe are worth a remake or remaster to bring accessibility forward and improve gameplay. Notably, Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together was on this list, but a remaster was just announced and has been disqualified. Honourable mentions could include the Mother Series, but Earthbound was recently thrown onto the Switch Online service. Legend of Dragoon for PS1 also came to mind, as well as Parasite Eve, which could receive remakes and remasters as well without fault. A great generation of games dragged forward to this generation of consoles, indeed.