The world of remasters and remakes can be a murky one. At the beginning of the 8th generation of consoles (Xbox One and PS4), there were loads of games that were rereleased with very few changes compared to their original outing.
Not all were considered remasters, but when they came out this was certainly implied. Sleeping Dogs (so good it’s still worth it), Marvel Ultimate Alliance, Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection and Prototype: Biohazard Bundle to name just a few. All of the above are good to great games, but more could have been done to tempt players back to the game.
But in the last few years, some although not all, have started to buck the trend and deliver great experiences for returning fans and newcomers to a series.
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4, Resident Evil 2 and Mass Effect Legendary Edition have all been hits with fans and critics. Although few things can compare to a AAA new game series, the remake of old titles is here to stay. Here are a few that should / or maybe could come next.
Red Dead Redemption
Rockstar has shown that they can produce games that are on another level from most. At least in terms of storytelling and the worlds that they give players to play in. Unfortunately, not all players are fans of what they produce.
As much as I admire Red Dead 2, it didn’t grab me as much as the original. The sequel is far slower than the original game and can feel too big and easy to get lost in.
Although a remake has been long rumoured, thanks in part to most of the original map being included in the sequel. Rockstar doesn’t seem to be the company that is interested in revisiting its former glories. GTA 5 and LA Noire were both released across multiple generations, but they weren’t classed as remasters or remakes.
That might change and if it does, Read Red should be one of the first titles that they look to modernise. Also… make sure it’s on PC this time, please?
Splinter Cell
Even saying the name Splinter Cell makes me sad, for a game that was so highly regarded at the time, it’s depressing that it’s been eight years since the last game in the series came out.
The first three games were life-changing for me, and one of the few games that ever made me enjoy stealth. Although the later games in the series might not have been up to quite the same standard, Conviction and Black List are still worth a try.
Chaos Theory is considered the fan favourite of the games so far. Any reboot should be trying to match the slightly more violent tone and setting it featured.
In 2018 there was a huge Walmart leak on upcoming games that suggested that the series might soon be coming back, but this has (so far?) failed to happen. Here are the games leaked:
- Just Cause 4.
- Splinter Cell.
- Dragon Quest 2 (PS4/XBO).
- LEGO DC Villans.
- Borderlands 3.
- Rage 2.
- Gears of War 5.
- Forza Horizons 5.
- Assassin’s Creed.
Of all of the above games, Splinter Cell is the only one that hasn’t come to fruition. Please, Ubisoft, give us more Splinter Cell and more Michael Ironside too, but not as part of a team-up in any other series that you think would be good.
Timesplitters (any of them)
To be honest, this one is another game that could bring tears from my eyes.
Free Radical, crafted great games and due to a lot of carried over features and feel, the Timesplitters games could almost be considered sequels to Goldeneye 64 and Perfect Dark.
Those two games lacked the humour and tongue in cheek writing that was prevalent across the Timesplitters series. Although Timesplitters is on its way back (Deep Silver confirmed this in May 2021). It could still be a bit of a wait.
A version of Timesplitters 2 is deeply hidden inside Homefront The Revolution. (Not a great game but worth it just for this) Take the route of releasing this as a stand-alone title to keep gamers happy. This should keep fans of the series happy, at least until we can jump back into the crazy multiplayer offerings with tiny monkeys chasing us around maps.
If they can’t do this, then get any of the previous games back on the market and get players ready for the new release.
Doom
Doom 2016 is more of a reimagining than a remake or remaster, it managed to bring the world to both old and new players, and made the name Doom mean something once again.
But here, this should work as almost a straight remake. Take the original game and use the graphics and physics on offer in both Doom 2016 and Eternal. The original Doom from 1993 still plays extremely well.
A revisit to the world that originally took us to hell could be a blast to play through in 2022 or later. They could use the same layout as the maps in the original game but update the textures and gameplay to be more like the current titles.
It could be offered as DLC with one of the modern games or as a cheaper standalone title. Taking the idea further, Doom 1,2 and 3 could be bundled up together. Doom 3 is an extremely underrated game, and this would be a great way for players to get a chance to experience the horror it offered. More Doom is always a good idea.
Max Payne
Max Payne is 20 years old this year. Yet it’s still one of the best games Remedy have produced. Although Rockstar also had a hand in the game, the first two games have more in common with Quantum Break or Control than GTA.
Now would be a great time for the game to come back, be that by Remedy or Rockstar. Rockstar took the lead on the 3rd game in the series and it’s also a gem of a game (in my opinion, it is a better game than GTA5).
As one of the original games to use slow-motion bullet time, and its dark and eerie New York city, It could be amazing to see with better character models and modernised controls. The story of the game was depressing following Max, a cop turned vigilante who is hunting down the drug dealers behind his family’s murder.
It would also be interesting to see what would be done with the comic book style cinematics, as even now these look great.
Remedy has been hinting at an expanded universe that could include the characters from their last few games. Why not take us all the back to Max Payne and give us another excuse to see Sam Lakes motionless gurn once again.