Another day, another rerelease
The past few years have been rife with some awesome remakes or remasters of some of the best classic games out there, including but not limited to titles like Bioshock, Final Fantasy VII, Dead Space, The Last of Us Part I, and the upcoming Resident Evil 4 remake. While this trend is only heating up with seemingly more and more remakes/remasters released and announced every year, I’m starting to think about what other classic games I’d like to see get a fresh coat of paint, so to speak.
This is a bit of a tricky one for me because I didn’t game as much when I was younger — unless Disney Interactive Studios is willing to revive the 2007 PS2 banger that was High School Musical: Sing It! That’s not to say there aren’t some classic games that are nostalgic for me, even if I didn’t play them myself. I spent endless hours as a kid watching my dad and brother play titles like Jak and Daxter, Ratchet and Clank, and Left 4 Dead.
Bringing back some childhood favorites
Both Jak and Daxter and Ratchet and Clank have a similar kind of thing going on, and not just in their naming conventions. Both franchises have really solid level design, and aside from fixing some camera jankiness and tightening up the controls, a graphical update would do the most legwork, especially for some of the earlier titles in both of the series.
I’m also a staunch believer in the fact that we don’t have enough cute gaming mascots these days. The Nintendo classics like Mario and Kirby have been around forever, and the likes of PlayStation and Xbox are for the most part only represented by hardened-looking fighters like Halo’s Master Chief, God of War‘s Kratos, and Horizon‘s Aloy. I love those characters as much as the next guy, but seeing the fuzzy, friendly faces of Ratchet and Daxter step into the limelight yet again would be another benefit of seeing those titles get a refresh.
As for Left 4 Dead, I know I’m dreaming with that one since Valve is so focused on Steam, but a girl can dream, right? As scared as I was, Left 4 Dead was a game that I actually tried to play when I was younger, which I guess accounts for my obsession with the zombie genre and first-person shooters in my adult life. I don’t remember a ton about this game considering I didn’t end up playing a ton of it because I was so bad, but without returning to it at all since I was like twelve, I can imagine that the gameplay system could use some updates. And of course, improved graphics are always nice to see.
For every fan, there’s a skeptic
Of course, some players aren’t as thrilled about the onslaught of remakes/remasters as others. In an industry — and media landscape in general — where brand-new IPs are few and far between, I can’t blame anyone for wishing studios would spend all the time and money they put into a remake working on something entirely fresh. As excited as I am to see another take on a game like Resident Evil 4, I also happen to side with the skeptics, too. After all, The Last of Us is my favorite game of all time, but I’m solidly on the side that says it did not need to be entirely rebuilt in a new engine.
So with all these updates coming out, and even more that are still rumored, I want to know: what classic game do you want to see get a remake/remaster next? Which of the remakes that have come out so far over the past few years is your favorite? Is there a particular level or gameplay moment you’d be extra excited to see get a refresh? Let’s discuss in the comments!
