The Best Video Game Remakes and Remasters You Need to Play
Video game remakes and remasters have become a critical part of how we experience classics. A well-executed remake can take a beloved world and rebuild it with modern visuals, tighter controls, and refined design without losing the original’s heartbeat. A thoughtful remaster, meanwhile, breathes new life into vintage titles by boosting resolution, framerate, and accessibility. The best examples strike a balance—preserving what made the game special while embracing contemporary expectations so both longtime fans and new players can fall in love all over again.
Remake versus Remaster: what’s the difference?
Remakes re-create the game from the ground up. They rebuild environments, rebuild combat systems, and often reimagine story beats to fit current hardware and audiences. Think of the drama of a modern engine, reworked camera angles, and redesigned puzzles that honor the original while offering a fresh take. Remasters, by contrast, polish the original’s assets—boosted textures, higher resolution textures, improved lighting, and smoother frame rates—without a wholesale rewrite of mechanics. When you’re choosing between them, consider whether you want nostalgia with a new sheen (remake) or a crisp version of yesterday’s gameplay (remaster).
Top picks that defined the era of modern remakes and remasters
- Resident Evil 2 (2019) — Capcom’s remake is often cited as a masterclass in modernizing a survival-horror classic. It keeps the nerve-wating pace and tension, but with camera work, inventory systems, and visuals designed for today’s hardware. The result is an experience that honors the original while inviting a new generation to crawl through its corridors with confidence.
- Demon’s Souls (PS5, 2020) — This is the archetype of a remake that respects the core identity of a game while rebuilding every aspect for contemporary players. Environments glow with detail, boss encounters feel precisely calibrated, and the brutal challenge remains intact but more approachable thanks to modern combat feedback and information cues.
- Final Fantasy VII Remake (2020) — A bold reimagining that expands the story and retools combat, visuals, and exploration. Rather than a one-for-one port, it transforms Midgar into a living, breathing space with action-oriented battles and new character moments that deepen the world for fans and newcomers alike.
- The Last of Us Part I (2022/2023) — A faithful, hotly debated remake that updates visuals, AI, and pacing while preserving the emotional core of the original journey. It’s a reminder that a remake isn’t just about better graphics—it’s about retelling a story with contemporary tools to evoke the same, if not stronger, emotional impact.
- Shadow of the Colossus (2018) — A nearly perfect rebuild that preserves the somber, minimalist mood while delivering a technical leap in visuals and performance. It’s the kind of remake that makes you feel like you’re playing the game anew, yet you still recognize the soul of the original design.
- Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy (2017) — A love-letter to a platforming-era classic, this remaster collection sharpens textures and updates controls while staying faithful to the original’s level design. It’s a bridge between generations, letting players jump back into Cortex’s world without sacrificing the original’s spirit.
“A great remake honors the game’s DNA while rethinking systems and presentation for today’s players. It’s not about nostalgia alone; it’s about delivering something you’d happily recommend to a new audience.”
What makes these titles stand out isn’t just technical polish. It’s how developers preserved the sense of discovery—the way you felt when you first unlocked a new area or defeated a daunting boss—while smoothing out the friction that casual players might encounter in older releases. The best remakes and remasters don’t erase the past; they invite it to meet the present in a way that feels inevitable and exciting.
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Design lessons from the best reworks
- Preserve the core loop: the essence that made the original compelling should remain, even if its surface is fully refreshed.
- Redesign systems thoughtfully: combat, puzzles, and progression should feel modern without alienating players who loved the original’s quirks.
- Balance accessibility with challenge: offer optional difficulties, helpful UI tweaks, and clearer guidance for newcomers while keeping the original’s sense of risk for veterans.
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