5 Games That Need Remakes and 5 That Don't

I, like many, have grown fatigued of the HD remasters that have become so prevalent this generation. While I'm guilty of purchasing a few of these games (I just wanted an excuse to play The Last of Us and Skyrim again on current hardware), I think we can all agree that some of these remastered ports have been completely pointless. Who in their right mind asked for ports of Prototype, Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz, and Deadpool?

However, this generation of games did bring us something worthwhile in the form of classic games being completely remade from the ground up. While they're not all winners (Secret of Mana), some of the best games in recent years have been these remakes, such as Resident Evil 2, Crash N-Sane Trilogy, Shadow of the Colossus, etc.

In fact, as of this writing, both Resident Evil 3 and the much anticipated remake of Final Fantasy VII both dropped this week, so now seems like the apt time to discuss five games that I think need a remake and five that I hope never get one. The games I want remakes for are just a personal preference. For the games I hope never get remade, I scoured message boards looking for people suggesting games they want remade that I disagree with.

We're gonna go in alternating order starting with the number one game I want to see remade.

REMAKE IT: Resident Evil: Code Veronica

Capcom has always been a favorite developer of mine, though they had a few sketchy years a while back. However, they've come back with a bang and have produced excellent sequels for games like Monster Hunter, revitalized stagnant franchises with the superb Resident Evil VII, Devil May Cry 5, and Mega Man 11, and have crushed it with their remakes of Resident Evil 2 and 3.

I've been a huge fan of Resident Evil dating all the way back to the original game, but I can't say I've enjoyed every mainline entry in the series. Resident Evil 6 was a garbage fire and Resident Evil 0 felt unnecessary, but I did at least finish those games. The one game in the series that I've never been able to put up with for its entirety is Resident Evil: Code Veronica. It's the game I've started more times than any other and never finished, in fact, I hardly even make a dent before I give up.

It's nothing to do with the quality, it's as good or even better than previous entries that I loved. I think when the game came out I was over the "tank" controls and static camera angles (though they did make some improvements in that area). A few years later, Resident Evil 4 was released and changed third-person shooters forever. Trying to go back to the tank controls of pre-RE4 games is difficult after you've become accustomed to the new scheme.

Give me a remake of Code Veronica in the RE Engine like the ones we've gotten with RE2 and RE3, and I would definitely be on board. Perhaps I would finally finish the only game I've never beaten in one of my most beloved video game franchises.

DON'T REMAKE IT: Resident Evil 4

I'm kind of amazed how many people I saw saying they wanted a remake of Resident Evil 4. While it's obvious that Capcom is determined to re-release RE4 on every console from now until the end of time, I consider RE4 to be as close to perfection as an action game can get. Even though the graphical capabilities of the GameCube and PlayStation 2 aren't on par with what current consoles can put out, RE4 still looks great today.

That being said, I do think there are ways to improve this classic. I purchased the PS4 remaster and was surprised by the controls and camera. The last time I played Resident Evil 4 was probably 2007, and trust me, between its release date in 2005 and 2007 I played a lot of Resident Evil 4. Replaying it on PS4, I had forgotten that the player was not given complete camera control.

Keep in mind that since the release of RE4, we've gotten a half-dozen Resident Evil games with complete 360 degree camera control. Resident Evil 5 had it, and it was actually much easier for me to replay because of it. That may be controversial to some, but I don't hate that game. When played with a friend, RE5 is great, and you can shut up if you disagree.

So, while I don't want a remake from the ground up, I wouldn't mind a version that updates the controls and camera to play like the recent RE2 and RE3 remakes.

REMAKE IT: Twisted Metal

When the Crash N-Sane Trilogy was announced, the first thing I thought was "I hope they do the same thing with the Twisted Metal games." So far, no such luck. For anyone who had a PlayStation growing up, chances are high that Twisted Metal holds a special place in your heart, Twisted Metal 2 in particular.

I purchased Twisted Metal: Black on a recent PSN sale and lamented to myself about how the car combat genre isn't a thing anymore. I had just as much fun playing Twisted Metal: Black this time around as I did back when it was new.

I wouldn't imagine that if this were to happen that they would include every game in the series. I don't think Twisted Metal 3 lived up to fan's expectations and I'm not sure many people even remember that there was a Twisted Metal 4. If a collection of Twisted Metal games were limited to just three, I would be ecstatic if it were to consist of Twisted Metal, Twisted Metal 2, and Twisted Metal: Black, my three personal favorites.

DON'T REMAKE IT: Chrono Trigger

Admittedly, my feelings toward a Metal Gear Solid remake are colored by nostalgia. One might think that Chrono Trigger is the same, but it's not. The first time I played Chrono Trigger was with the Nintendo DS port, and I didn't beat it for the first time until 2018. Look up a list of best RPGs or best video games of all-time and Chrono Trigger is likely ranked near the top or at the top of those lists.

My argument against a Chrono Trigger remake could also be used for any RPG of the era. I don't think 16-bit graphics will ever go out of style. There's a reason the original Secret of Mana looks better than the remake. There's just something about the colorful and vibrant art of the Super Nintendo that makes those games timeless and infinitely replayable.

I also don't believe there's a way to improve Chrono Trigger's gameplay or music. It's perfect. It's absolutely perfect. You can do all the YouTube covers and orchestral versions of the songs you want, but those tracks will always sound best coming from a Super Nintendo. Even as someone who only recently discovered how great Chrono Trigger is, I have to wonder why so many people listed this as a game they wanted to see remade.

REMAKE IT: Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy

Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy is a hidden gem that you often see show up on lists of remakes/sequels that people want. I have to agree. My introduction to Psi-Ops was a demo that appeared on the retail disc of The Suffering, an underrated survival horror game, both developed by Midway.

Last year's Control garnered many comparisons to Psi-Ops, and understandably so. Both are third-person shooters that utilize psychic abilities to manipulate enemies and the world around you to your benefit. Where they differ is in story, Psi-Ops being a little more heavy on the government cover-up side of things while Control is more Twilight Zone and Twin Peaks, which makes sense because it's the same company that gave us Alan Wake.

I doubt that Psi-Ops is high on any developer's list of games they would want to remake, so the likelihood of this one happening is practically zero. But the good news is that Control exists, and that's a game that I can't recommend enough, so play that and consider it a modern Psi-Ops.

Although, Control doesn't have a sweet theme song and music video performed by early 2000s nu-metal band Cold, so that's one-up that Psi-Ops has over Control.

DON'T REMAKE IT: Metroid Fusion

I know there's an argument for this one based on how well Metroid: Samus Returns turned out, but the difference here is that the original Metroid II isn't a very good game and Metroid Fusion is fantastic. I'm in the minority here, but Metroid Fusion is my favorite in the series. Yes, I like it more than Super Metroid, and I love that game, too.

I imagine people want it to get the Samus Returns treatment, but as I said with Chrono Trigger, the 16-bit style that the Game Boy Advance is capable of makes its games look just as good to me as the Super Nintendo. I prefer the more vibrant color scheme that Fusion has compared to the dark and gritty one we see in Samus Returns, and Fusion plays just as well as Super Metroid, a game many consider one of the best ever.

REMAKE IT: The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

Unlike every other game I'm talking about in this blog, I have zero experience with Morrowind, and that's the reason I want to see it remade. My first and only foray into the Elder Scrolls was Skyrim, and like many, it took over my life for a period of time. But I always hear about how good Morrowind is, many times by Elder Scrolls veterans turning their noses up at those of us who have only played Skyrim.

The only thing holding me back from playing Morrowind is that, simply put, the game looks primitive by today's standards. I have a gaming PC more than capable of running Morrowind and I understand that there are mods to make the game look better, but if they remade it to look as good as or even better than the remaster of Skyrim, I'm certain it would be something I would lose hundreds of hours to.

DON'T REMAKE IT: Metal Gear Solid

This is one cheating because Metal Gear Solid did receive a GameCube remake in the form of Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, but I hate that remake and the less said about it, the better. Nevertheless, it's still a game that I saw a lot of people clamoring for. Specifically, people want to see it remade in the Fox Engine, the same engine that recent Hideo Kojima games utilized.

However, I must disagree with the idea of ever trying to reproduce this masterpiece. In 2018, I ranked my top ten games of all time, and I placed Metal Gear Solid at number three. It's a very important game to me. For a lot of the games in the PlayStation era--the early 3D games--they look bad today.
They look blocky and awkward. Few games from this time still look great today and have no need of an overhaul. Two games that immediately come to mind are Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and Metal Gear Solid. The abstractness of Metal Gear Solid's graphics is what makes it timeless in my eyes. The way characters don't move their mouths when talking and instead just move their heads somehow works because this detail remains consistent throughout the game. The colors you most often see in MGS are grays, blues, and dark greens This kind of muted color palette makes the game feel cold, which is perfect for Metal Gear Solid's Alaskan setting. It's supposed to feel drab and dreary, and it is pulled off masterfully.

The Twin Snakes shows you things you were never meant to see. I remember the nervous anticipation I felt prior to the first time I battled Gray Fox. Walking through a corridor of dead genome soldiers who had been sliced and diced by...something...it made me feel like I was in for the fight of my life and that I didn't have the skill to pull it off. With The Twin Snakes, you're shown in grizzly detail exactly what happened to those soldiers. If The Twin Snakes was your introduction to MGS, there's no anticipation, you know you're about to fight a cyber ninja. The fear of the unknown is a far more effective storytelling technique.

I know that a lot of people have been hotly anticipating the remake of Final Fantasy VII. My wife was nearly moved to tears when she first started it, as its her favorite game of all-time. I don't fault her for fangirling all over the house, but when it comes to me and Metal Gear Solid, I don't want them to taint what I will forever see as a masterpiece no matter how advanced video games get.

REMAKE IT: Dino Crisis

Another Capcom game, but this time from a long dormant series. When asking someone to describe Dino Crisis to you, you're almost assuredly going to hear it reduced to "Resident Evil with dinosaurs." And yes, that is exactly what Dino Crisis is, at least the original game. Dino Crisis 2 is more of an action/arcade style shooter, and Dino Crisis 3 is more of an abomination than a video game. OG Dino Crisis, though? Resident Evil with dinosaurs, through and through. And there isn't a darn thing wrong with that.

You know what's scarier than zombies? Dinosaurs. Can you imagine turning a corner in a dark hallway only to see a couple velociraptors baring down on you? Or what the epic encounters with the T-Rex could look and play like in the RE Engine? While I've never considered Dino Crisis to be on par with its Romero-inspired brethren, a remake could resurrect a fondly remembered game and give the series a second chance.

DON'T REMAKE IT: Deadly Premonition

Deadly Premonition was originally released on the Xbox 360 and had graphics that would embarrass the PlayStation 2. There's no need for me to describe Deadly Premonition to anyone that has ever watched Twin Peaks. Deadly Premonition is the equivalent of the "let me copy your homework" meme as it pertains to Twin Peaks.

The game is uncomfortably and hilariously awkward at times, has rudimentary survival mechanics, passable combat, and a level of self-aware campiness that convinced well-known video game personality Jim Sterling to give it a 10/10 review. If there were ever an example of a game that's "so bad it's perfect," it would be Deadly Premonition. It was $20 when it launched, and I bought it based on Sterling's review. I have never regretted that decision.

To be fair, I didn't actually see anyone on message boards asking for a remake of Deadly Premonition. This one is all me. Please, no one try to fix it. No one try to update it. Its flaws make it beautiful. Everyone should play Deadly Premonition. Stop playing the Final Fantasy VII remake and play Deadly Premonition instead.

Thank you so much for reading. Be on the lookout for my next writing.

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-TheDustinThomas