The best remakes in video game history
In the history of video games, there is no shortage of all-time great games that have built memories along with the industry and gaming community itself. Sometimes, though, games begin to show their age and require a bit of a refresh or a remaster. Other times, the games are so popular that they are worthy of a full-fledged remake, built by a team that may have grown up on the original. This creates something new and fun, yet worthy of the classics they were inspired by. Video game remakes, love them or hate them, are here to stay. They're a proven success when handled right, and with a growing backlog of existing classics that are getting long in the tooth and could do with being brought to modern times for a new generation, they will continue for the foreseeable future. There's already been quite a few beautifully done remakes, some more faithful to the source than others. Here's our picks for the ones that have done the best at making something new with something beloved. Table of contents The best video game remakes ever made Resident Evil 2 Demon's Souls Resident Evil 4 Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth Dead Space Shadow of the Colossus Metroid: Zero Mission Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver Halo: The Master Chief Collection The best video game remakes ever made Image via Square Enix For our criteria, we are trying to stick with remakes, games that have been rebuilt from the ground up. This means that upscaled remasters, such as Metal Gear Solid HD Collection or Mass Effect Legendary Edition, are not up for discussion. Resident Evil 2 Image via Capcom Capcom set the standard in 2019 with its expert handling of an all-time classic, refining the experience, cutting out the fat, and adding in some new stuff here and there, all wrapped up in a stellar gameplay experience and complete package. Demon's Souls Image via PlayStation It's hard to believe that this stunner was a PS5 launch title. Years later, it still holds up as one of the most gorgeous and technically impressive games in recent memory, solidifying Bluepoint Games as one of the top studios around. Resident Evil 4 Image via Capcom Yeah, Capcom really are the masters at this. Aside from Resident Evil 3, which was a step back as far as remakes go, mainly due to how truncated it felt by comparison, the company just knows how to handle all-time favorite games. RE4 Remake is one of the better games in recent memory, and it refined the classic GameCube and PS2 era game with attention and care. Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! Image via Nintendo I really enjoyed the Let's Go games, but their value is in how they brought the franchise to the mainstream even further with a streamlined experience perfect for kids and mainstream players who may have been introduced to the franchise with the juggernaut that was Pokémon GO. Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth Image via Square Enix While Final Fantasy VII Remake felt like a proof of concept, Rebirth delivered on it by coming through with an exceptional game. While remakes like Resident Evil stay true to the original game by and large, Square Enix has flipped the game on its head by telling a different story while using the original game as a more loose framework. And it's done in a beautiful open world worth exploring for dozens of hours. Dead Space Image via EA Another exceptional remake, Dead Space brought the survival horror classic to modern times with stunning visuals and a mostly faithful retelling of the original. One could argue that this is exactly what remakes should be like. Shadow of the Colossus Image via PlayStation The Shadow of the Colossus remake in 2018 was also a bit ahead of the curve, but was the perfect title for Bluepoint Studios to whet their beaks with before moving on to bigger, more beautiful remakes once the technology evolved. Metroid: Zero Mission https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycEceMUwRfc One of the oldest titles on this list, Metroid: Zero Mission was a remake before remakes were cool. The 2004 Game Boy Advance title reimagined the very first Metroid game with the framework laid by Metroid Fusion, which is, in my humble opinion, the best game in the franchise. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 Image via Activision How do you take an all-time fan favorite sports-adjacent game and bring it to modern times? THPS 1+2 is how. And soon, THPS 3+4 could find its way on the list, too. It feels impossible to recreate the vibes of the original games, but this one comes damn close. Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver Image via Nintendo The Nintendo DS was a great platform to expand on the Pokémon IP, and these remakes of the Gen 2 Gameboy Color classics are fondly remembered as some of the best in the series when it comes to nostalgia. HG and SS added a second screen and a whole lot of character to the OG games. Halo: The Master Chief
In the history of video games, there is no shortage of all-time great games that have built memories along with the industry and gaming community itself.
Sometimes, though, games begin to show their age and require a bit of a refresh or a remaster. Other times, the games are so popular that they are worthy of a full-fledged remake, built by a team that may have grown up on the original. This creates something new and fun, yet worthy of the classics they were inspired by.
Video game remakes, love them or hate them, are here to stay. They're a proven success when handled right, and with a growing backlog of existing classics that are getting long in the tooth and could do with being brought to modern times for a new generation, they will continue for the foreseeable future.
There's already been quite a few beautifully done remakes, some more faithful to the source than others. Here's our picks for the ones that have done the best at making something new with something beloved.
Table of contents
The best video game remakes ever made
For our criteria, we are trying to stick with remakes, games that have been rebuilt from the ground up. This means that upscaled remasters, such as Metal Gear Solid HD Collection or Mass Effect Legendary Edition, are not up for discussion.
Resident Evil 2
Capcom set the standard in 2019 with its expert handling of an all-time classic, refining the experience, cutting out the fat, and adding in some new stuff here and there, all wrapped up in a stellar gameplay experience and complete package.
Demon's Souls
It's hard to believe that this stunner was a PS5 launch title. Years later, it still holds up as one of the most gorgeous and technically impressive games in recent memory, solidifying Bluepoint Games as one of the top studios around.
Resident Evil 4
Yeah, Capcom really are the masters at this. Aside from Resident Evil 3, which was a step back as far as remakes go, mainly due to how truncated it felt by comparison, the company just knows how to handle all-time favorite games. RE4 Remake is one of the better games in recent memory, and it refined the classic GameCube and PS2 era game with attention and care.
Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!
I really enjoyed the Let's Go games, but their value is in how they brought the franchise to the mainstream even further with a streamlined experience perfect for kids and mainstream players who may have been introduced to the franchise with the juggernaut that was Pokémon GO.
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth
While Final Fantasy VII Remake felt like a proof of concept, Rebirth delivered on it by coming through with an exceptional game. While remakes like Resident Evil stay true to the original game by and large, Square Enix has flipped the game on its head by telling a different story while using the original game as a more loose framework. And it's done in a beautiful open world worth exploring for dozens of hours.
Dead Space
Another exceptional remake, Dead Space brought the survival horror classic to modern times with stunning visuals and a mostly faithful retelling of the original. One could argue that this is exactly what remakes should be like.
Shadow of the Colossus
The Shadow of the Colossus remake in 2018 was also a bit ahead of the curve, but was the perfect title for Bluepoint Studios to whet their beaks with before moving on to bigger, more beautiful remakes once the technology evolved.
Metroid: Zero Mission
One of the oldest titles on this list, Metroid: Zero Mission was a remake before remakes were cool. The 2004 Game Boy Advance title reimagined the very first Metroid game with the framework laid by Metroid Fusion, which is, in my humble opinion, the best game in the franchise.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2
How do you take an all-time fan favorite sports-adjacent game and bring it to modern times? THPS 1+2 is how. And soon, THPS 3+4 could find its way on the list, too. It feels impossible to recreate the vibes of the original games, but this one comes damn close.
Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver
The Nintendo DS was a great platform to expand on the Pokémon IP, and these remakes of the Gen 2 Gameboy Color classics are fondly remembered as some of the best in the series when it comes to nostalgia. HG and SS added a second screen and a whole lot of character to the OG games.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection
The Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary and Halo 2: Anniversary remakes are just two of six Halo games in one collection, creating one of the biggest "bang for your buck" bundles in all of gaming history.
Did we miss anything on our list? What other classic games should be remade? Let us know in the comments below.
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