More and more often we witness a great videogame returns in a remake sauce. This is because, with the advent of the new videogame generations, many companies decide to give a new shine to some games that have literally made the history of this medium in previous generations. There are now several sagas that have had some remakes of different types. In addition to overhauling all the visual and graphic aspects, many of these remakes also work on the gameplay, making it more modern and smoothing out some angular situations that undermined some of the original projects in the past.
In this buying guide we are going to advise you on what are some of the the best remakes released in recent years. Before starting, however, we want to remind you that on our pages you will also find other guides that can be right for you, such as: the guide to the best JRPGs, the best Final Fantasy chapters and one dedicated to the best metroidvanias.
The best remakes
- Demon's Souls
- The Last of Us Part I
- Pokémon Shining Diamond and Shining Pearl
- Final Fantasy VII Remake
- Resident Evil 2 Remake
- The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
- Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII Reunion
- Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
- Shadow of the Colossus
Demon's Souls
Let's start with one of the most acclaimed remakes of the last few years, that of the great classic Demon's Souls. This revival of the From Software title was one of the launch games of PS5 developed by the talented guys at Bluepoint Games, always authors of high quality remasters and remakes. This remake for PS5 keeps the essence of Hidetaka Miyazaki's masterpiece unchanged, rebuilding the aesthetic sector from the foundations without distorting the original vision. Even the gameplay has not been distorted, but filed just enough to allow you to enjoy a great title suitable for all those who want to discover the true origins of titles today called souls-like. See on Amazon
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The Last of Us Parte I
Let's now move on to a very recent makeover that cannot be missing from your PlayStation 5 game collection. We are obviously talking about The Last of Us Parte I, the Naughty Dog title that allows us to replay (or play for the first time in case you missed this title) one of the most loved exclusive PlayStation productions ever. The title offers the same gameplay experience of the original game, but what changes is everything that revolves around the characters. The graphics engine that drives this remake is that of The Last of Us Part II, with character models and the game world that have never been so alive and full of incredible details. In short, whether you know this title by heart or not, we are facing one of the most interesting remakes on the market. See on Amazon
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Pokémon Shining Diamond and Shining Pearl
Among the most recent remakes we also find Pokémon Shining Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl. Both titles re-propose the fourth generation Pokémon titles with a completely revised graphic style and decidedly more in step with the times. The structure of the two games remains almost unchanged, but even players who have already loved the two classic titles will find a number of new features and changes scattered throughout the game. If, on the other hand, you have never had the opportunity to enjoy the beloved and mysterious fourth generation Pokémon, both of these very interesting remakes for Nintendo Switch are perfect for enjoying this recovery and thus obtaining hours and hours of entertainment. See on Amazon
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Final Fantasy VII Remake
to Final Fantasy VII was perhaps one of the most anticipated remakes ever. Announced several years ago as a sort of tech demo on PlayStation 3, the project only became a reality a few years ago, when the first part of this new fantastic epic reached PlayStation 4. We still don't know how and when the next parts of will be shown. this remake, but you can enjoy a first chapter that retraces, even with macroscopic changes, the entire first section of the story set in Midgar. Finding those characters, the settings and the various sectors of the metropolis is still as fascinating as it was in the 90s on the first PlayStation and with this remake you will be able to relive a story that has remained in the hearts of many fans. See on Amazon
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Resident Evil 2 Remake
Resident Evil 2 it is certainly one of the most appreciated chapters of the Capcom series. This is why the recent remake was greeted with great enthusiasm by historical fans, but not only. This remake of the second Resident Evil is one of the best video games of the last generation that incorporates and evolves all the major strengths of the original, obviously modernized. Resident Evil 2 Remake takes us back to an even scarier Raccon City and allows us to relive the experiences of Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Reield from perspectives as classic as they have been reworked in some situations that will only make you jump out of your seat in amazement . One of the best remakes and a must have in your collection. See on Amazon
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If you particularly love the saga, you will be very pleased to know that the third and fourth episodes of Resident Evil have also received or will soon receive a remake. While waiting for the one of the fourth, Resident Evil 3 Remake is already available and ready to make you take more than a few small scare.
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The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
The Legend of Zelda saga has an innumerable game library of games. Between the main titles dedicated to home consoles and titles designed for portable Nintendo consoles, we are talking about a quite full-bodied saga which, in its history, has been able to change and experiment with practically every new chapter. With the remake of The Legend of Zelda Link’s Awakening, Nintendo Switch owners were able to rediscover (or discover for the first time) one of the most fascinating portable Zelda titles ever. Accompanying Link to the mysterious and dreamlike island of Koholint is more enjoyable than ever, thanks to colorful graphics and chibi characters with funny features. The classic dungeons a la The Legend of Zelda are inevitable, many and full of secrets and bosses to knock down with the classic three hits, in perfect Nintendo style. See on Amazon
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Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII Reunion
” If you are among those players who could not play it at the time and you are particularly eager to know the details of the “expanded plot” of Final Fantasy VII, the right time has finally come to do so”: with these words we have invited you to our review to recover Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII Reunion, which is an intriguing episode of the famous saga that has passed a little quietly at the time. In short, if you haven't played it yet, it's definitely now the best way to do it. See on Amazon
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Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
The first three Crash Bandicoots have been a real phenomenon at the time of the first PlayStation, and they could in no way remain relegated to that gaming generation. For this with the N-Sane Trilogy great applause goes to Activision and the guys at Vicarious Vision, who have been able to bring back one of the most loved platform sagas in the 90s and early 2000s. It is a mainly graphic and aesthetic remake, since each level and all the gameplay has been left as in the three original chapters. A particular choice, but which was particularly appreciated by the purists of the original games. Three games, one budget price, and tons of fun: what more could you want? See on Amazon
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Shadow of the Colossus
We close with the remake of Shadow of the Colossus, developed by the guys from Bluepoint Games, who later gave us the remake of Demon's Souls mentioned at the beginning of the buying guide. A bit like with the N-Sane Trilogy, also in this case the gamplay of the game remains more or less unchanged, even if this makeover files more some angularities of the original gameplay of the PS2 title. The graphics have been almost completely revised, with Bluepoint who has decided, however, not to betray the original aesthetics of Ueda, leaving intact that timeless charm that still today makes Shadow of the Colossus shine with a unique and unrepeatable magic. See on Amazon
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Remake to live and relive the past in the modern era
Since remakes have started to take hold in the gaming market, more and more companies and development studios have begun to focus heavily on this kind of production. There are remakes and remakes, and today it's always difficult to get everyone to agree on what should be the titles that need a modern makeover. In this guide, however, you can clearly see how in recent years great classics have been taken from all videogame eras, so as to offer a choice to all the tastes of enthusiasts.
What is a video game remake?
The very first aspect to clarify is certainly that relating to the nature of remake games. What exactly is a video game remake? Are remakes and remastered the same thing? The answer is obviously no, even if the boundary between these two definitions is often quite blurred.
A game remake, as well as a film, is a reworking of an already existing work by modifying it in various aspects. Graphics, gameplay but also plot: a remake can in fact differ heavily from the original game, while sharing the starting point. A remastered game, on the other hand, it does not heavily touch the native experience, simply modernizing it on the technical side or, sometimes, at most with some gameplay tricks.
It sometimes happens that some titles dance heavily on the border between remake and remastered, making them a rather complex classification. An example is certainly Demon's Souls for PS5, which shares the narrative, game world and gameplay with the original for PS3, but which at the same time is equipped with a graphic system practically redone from scratch.
How we chose the games in this guide
As already mentioned a little while ago, there are now plenty of remakes and not all of them are managed and created in the same way. In the guide that you have opened we have decided to insert the most significant and important remakes, but not only. Our focus is to give interested parties an overview of the best successful and most complete productions on the market today, so as to allow players not only to enjoy a great game from the past, but to do so with a whole series of modernizations that make that experience even more fluid and special.
Precisely for this reason, in our guide you will find many games of different genres. This is because we want to give as much variety as possible and offer something for both action game lovers, RPGs, platformers and so on.
The importance of remakes
The purpose of the remakes is also to preserve and make the great classics of the past accessible to the new generations. One of the most acclaimed remakes of the last videogame generation is without a doubt Crash Bandicoot N'Sane Trilogy. Not one, but three games contained in a package that totally overhauls the graphics and game models to give us a new vision that is very careful in remaining faithful to the original artistic style.
Two other classics that are always part of the first generation PlayStation are Resident Evil 2 and 3. The remake of the second beloved chapter of the survival horror saga is still defined today as a real almost perfect remake. Everything has been redone and repurposed by Capcom with a new look, a new look, and a new gameplay. In addition to this, it is a remake that has also added several new features compared to the original game, so as to give even veterans the feeling of playing something new.
The remake operation has also touched not so old games. Just think of a couple of fairly recent productions to ask the question: do we really need a remake of this game? The first The Last of Us has caused a lot of discussion on this juncture, but now that it has finally arrived on the market, many enthusiasts have not thought twice before reliving this great story. The title is actually still quite recent, but being able to play the first chapter (and its DLC Left Behind) powered by the graphics engine of The Last of Us Part II is something wonderful.
Another remake that has hit the mark is certainly that of Demon's Souls, which arrived exclusively on PlayStation 5 with the launch of the console. The title From Software has become a real cult of the PS3 generation, and a remake like the one produced by Bluepoint Games has allowed all those who had seen the game in its release period to get to know the title.
Remakes, however, also have a deeper purpose: they allow you to enjoy and discover great sagas or episodes that, for one reason or another, have not been explored before by fans. A clear example of all this is definitely Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII Reunion, which this year tried to bring to light a secondary episode of the famous saga less known than the others.
Finally, a couple of Nintendo remakes should be mentioned. Well yes, even the great N of Kyoto has thrown itself into this market, and we cannot fail to mention two masterpieces that have found space in recent years on Switch. Let's talk about The Legend of Zelda Link’s Awakening, title originally released on Game Boy is totally revised on Switch, and of the beloved titles Pokémon Diamond and Pearl released only a year ago.
Price
A small paragraph dedicated to what the price is, that is to say to what is one of the most important variables within any sale, could certainly not be missing in our buying guide. We have searched our list of the best remake games on the market to put works characterized by an excellent value for money, thus allowing you to get your hands on great products without breaking the bank too much.
This obviously does not mean that you will only find titles from several years ago, on the contrary. Among the best remake video games, many are in fact decidedly recent and we certainly could not fail to include them in our list.
