10 PS1 Demakes of Modern Games
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VOICE OVER: Aaron Brown
WRITTEN BY: Aaron Brown
These PS1 demakes make us wish their modern games had released back then! For this list, we're celebrating fan-made demakes that look at newer games as if they had released on Sony's first console, whether they're [;ayable or not. Our countdown includes Resident Evil 4 by Biohazard Espana, Death Stranding by Bearly Regal, Dead Space by Rustic Games BR, and more!
Script written by Aaron Brown
Welcome to MojoPlays! Today we’re taking a trip back in time to imagine what it would be like if some of our favorite modern games were made back during the PS1 era. For this list, we’ll be looking at modern games that fans have de-made for the PS1 console. These games don’t need to be playable to be considered, just recreated with love for the bygone days of the original PlayStation. What modern game would you like to see de-made with the aesthetically pleasing PS1 graphics? Let us know down in the comments.
The God of War series is known for its brutal, in your face (often literally) combat and over the top set pieces, but given the PS1’s limited hardware, this type of blockbuster action would’ve been much more difficult to bring to gamers’ CRTVs. YouTuber 64 Bits reimagines 2018’s God of War in a style more akin to the newest entries’ RPG sensibilities. Although brief, the sprites Kratos and Atreus pop off the screen as they explore the Lake of Nine before engaging in turn-based combat. Even though Kratos might not be able to bring his brute strength to the Draugr and Ogre directly, his attacks remain powerful nonetheless. The father/son duo even have a team up limit break style attack to bring an end to the conflict. Atreus dropping his arrow during the victory pose is an especially nice touch.
The original PlayStation had no shortage of great horror titles but nearly all of those games focused on a single player experience. While logistically recreating the asymmetrical multiplayer game on the actual PlayStation would be a logistical nightmare, not to mention plenty of fights due to screen cheating, it’s still an interesting idea and one that Nycolas Santos decided to test for himself. Though his efforts are clearly more impressive than anything the PS1 was actually capable of, the overall feel of what Dead by Daylight on Sony’s first console could have been remains intact. Although the killer is inactive in his demo, the atmosphere and overall sense of dread as the killer is stalking the player as they try to complete their tasks and escape without being caught is palpable.
A case of more than one creator having the same idea for a property they love, both ZeoNyph and Roman Grzanowski brought their own versions of Horizon Zero Dawn on the PS1 to life and the results are equally as unique as they are impressive. Whereas ZeoNyph focuses on the early exploration of Horizon Zero Dawn and Aloy’s first encounter with a machine, Roman aims big and recreates one of the game’s most iconic battles against the Thunderjaw. While Aloy’s first encounter with a Watcher doesn’t go her way, she’s clearly much more capable against the Thunderjaw, dodging its attacks and managing to take it down with a couple well placed shots. While we appreciate what both creators accomplished, we can’t help but long for those stunning vistas of the PS4 version.
Hideo Kojima became a household name for gamers back on the original PlayStation with the release of Metal Gear Solid, so it seems only fitting his most recent effort got the chance to stroll through Kojima’s early days with Sony. Norman Reedus’ Sam Porter Bridges explores the desolate landscape in search of materials to continue his journey through the ruined America and honestly this is one of the titles that seems to go hand in hand with the empty landscapes the original PlayStation would have been capable of rendering at the time. This version would obviously be missing the social aspect of a “Stranding Game” but for those just looking to deliver some packages with a pixelated Norman Reedus, this is undoubtedly the version for you. There’s also something about the low resolution BDs that is even more unsettling than their modern counterparts.
The original Resident Evil games are still beloved to this day and for good reason. The fixed camera angles add to the overall sense of dread and the games did a fantastic job of making you constantly feel underpowered. While the newest entries like 7 and Village have been widely well received and praised, there are those who long for the good old days of the nostalgic RE titles. Demaking one of the more recent releases, Rustic Games BR successfully transitions RE7’s original first person perspective into the classic tank control RE style and unsurprisingly, Jack Baker is just as terrifying in 32 bit as he is in 4K. And in keeping with the mystery of Ethan Winters, his face is appropriately obscured by the low poly count.
The tools created by Media Molecule for Dreams are so impressive, gamers have been utilizing them to recreate all manner of classic and beloved video games and that’s exactly what Bearly Regal has done recreating Cyberpunk 2077 for the PS1. Starting out in V’s apartment, everything just feels appropriately retro futuristic with the bright yet dull color palette and clearly cutout room dressings. While much of the early exploration feels closer to what was more capable on a PC at the time than on the PS1, once V heads outside, Bearly Regal makes the brilliant stylistic choice to switch to the old GTA games’ top-down perspective and everything once again feels more akin to the PS1 era. Besides Regal obeying all the traffic laws anyways.
Considering the Dead Space series wore much of its Resident Evil inspiration on its sleeve, it’s only appropriate that the horror series would be a perfect fit for the RE treatment right down to the static camera angles and tank controls. Cutting off the Necromorphs’ limbs isn’t as viable an option with the limited aim of the classic RE controls, meaning running for your life is a more viable option than ever before. The Ishimura somehow feels even more unsettling when you can’t see what’s hiding around the next corner, and the low res Necromorphs skittering around in the walls are sure to bring back nightmares for anyone who grew up with the original Silent Hill and RE titles back on the original PlayStation.
Slightly less “modern” than the other entries on our list, the Resident Evil 4 Demake by Biohazard Espana deserves special recognition just for the attention to detail put into recreating one of the most beloved entries in the long-running franchise. Returning to the classic static cameras and tank controls, anyone unfamiliar with the demake project couldn’t be blamed for believing this was a forgotten Resident Evil title from the PS1. Reusing many of the sound effects from the earlier titles gives the demake an appropriately retro feel that will also tickle that nostalgic itch for long-time series fans. Biohazard Espana continues to work on the project and we’ll continue to watch his progress with great interest.
At its heart, The Last of Us is a stealth game, so reframing the title in the vein of Metal Gear Solid makes a ton of sense. Leading Joel and Ellie through the museum with the Soliton Radar guiding them around the FEDRA soldiers and their vision cones is absolutely pitch perfect and aligns wonderfully with the aesthetic of the original game. Ellie quickly rushing around while Joel cautiously sneaks throughout the environment is an especially nice touch that calls back the original game’s wonky companion AI. In all honesty we would replay The Last of Us remade Metal Gear Solid-style in a heartbeat should this fan project ever be developed to completion.
Currently the only playable demake on our list, b0tster manages to maintain the original title’s foreboding atmosphere even while sacrificing graphical fidelity. While certain exceptions had to be made due to trying to maintain the PS1 framework, most of what made the original such an icon is represented here. The tough but fair gameplay, the Lovecraftian horrorscape and its monstrosities, even the Hunter’s Dream is lovingly recreated in the PS1 aesthetic. Everything from the menu system to the control scheme and even the game’s description on the website is based on the original PlayStation’s marketing and back of the box blurbs. Those looking to relive the good old days of most of our childhoods parked in front of a blinking CRTV all weekend owe it to themselves to check this one out even if you’re not a fan of the genre and just looking for a little nostalgia without digging through the closet.
Welcome to MojoPlays! Today we’re taking a trip back in time to imagine what it would be like if some of our favorite modern games were made back during the PS1 era. For this list, we’ll be looking at modern games that fans have de-made for the PS1 console. These games don’t need to be playable to be considered, just recreated with love for the bygone days of the original PlayStation. What modern game would you like to see de-made with the aesthetically pleasing PS1 graphics? Let us know down in the comments.
God of War 2018
By: 64 BitsThe God of War series is known for its brutal, in your face (often literally) combat and over the top set pieces, but given the PS1’s limited hardware, this type of blockbuster action would’ve been much more difficult to bring to gamers’ CRTVs. YouTuber 64 Bits reimagines 2018’s God of War in a style more akin to the newest entries’ RPG sensibilities. Although brief, the sprites Kratos and Atreus pop off the screen as they explore the Lake of Nine before engaging in turn-based combat. Even though Kratos might not be able to bring his brute strength to the Draugr and Ogre directly, his attacks remain powerful nonetheless. The father/son duo even have a team up limit break style attack to bring an end to the conflict. Atreus dropping his arrow during the victory pose is an especially nice touch.
Dead By Daylight
By: Nycolas SantosThe original PlayStation had no shortage of great horror titles but nearly all of those games focused on a single player experience. While logistically recreating the asymmetrical multiplayer game on the actual PlayStation would be a logistical nightmare, not to mention plenty of fights due to screen cheating, it’s still an interesting idea and one that Nycolas Santos decided to test for himself. Though his efforts are clearly more impressive than anything the PS1 was actually capable of, the overall feel of what Dead by Daylight on Sony’s first console could have been remains intact. Although the killer is inactive in his demo, the atmosphere and overall sense of dread as the killer is stalking the player as they try to complete their tasks and escape without being caught is palpable.
Horizon Zero Dawn
By: ZeoNyph & Roman GrzanowskiA case of more than one creator having the same idea for a property they love, both ZeoNyph and Roman Grzanowski brought their own versions of Horizon Zero Dawn on the PS1 to life and the results are equally as unique as they are impressive. Whereas ZeoNyph focuses on the early exploration of Horizon Zero Dawn and Aloy’s first encounter with a machine, Roman aims big and recreates one of the game’s most iconic battles against the Thunderjaw. While Aloy’s first encounter with a Watcher doesn’t go her way, she’s clearly much more capable against the Thunderjaw, dodging its attacks and managing to take it down with a couple well placed shots. While we appreciate what both creators accomplished, we can’t help but long for those stunning vistas of the PS4 version.
Death Stranding
By: Bearly RegalHideo Kojima became a household name for gamers back on the original PlayStation with the release of Metal Gear Solid, so it seems only fitting his most recent effort got the chance to stroll through Kojima’s early days with Sony. Norman Reedus’ Sam Porter Bridges explores the desolate landscape in search of materials to continue his journey through the ruined America and honestly this is one of the titles that seems to go hand in hand with the empty landscapes the original PlayStation would have been capable of rendering at the time. This version would obviously be missing the social aspect of a “Stranding Game” but for those just looking to deliver some packages with a pixelated Norman Reedus, this is undoubtedly the version for you. There’s also something about the low resolution BDs that is even more unsettling than their modern counterparts.
Resident Evil 7
By: Rustic Games BRThe original Resident Evil games are still beloved to this day and for good reason. The fixed camera angles add to the overall sense of dread and the games did a fantastic job of making you constantly feel underpowered. While the newest entries like 7 and Village have been widely well received and praised, there are those who long for the good old days of the nostalgic RE titles. Demaking one of the more recent releases, Rustic Games BR successfully transitions RE7’s original first person perspective into the classic tank control RE style and unsurprisingly, Jack Baker is just as terrifying in 32 bit as he is in 4K. And in keeping with the mystery of Ethan Winters, his face is appropriately obscured by the low poly count.
Cyberpunk
By: Bearly RegalThe tools created by Media Molecule for Dreams are so impressive, gamers have been utilizing them to recreate all manner of classic and beloved video games and that’s exactly what Bearly Regal has done recreating Cyberpunk 2077 for the PS1. Starting out in V’s apartment, everything just feels appropriately retro futuristic with the bright yet dull color palette and clearly cutout room dressings. While much of the early exploration feels closer to what was more capable on a PC at the time than on the PS1, once V heads outside, Bearly Regal makes the brilliant stylistic choice to switch to the old GTA games’ top-down perspective and everything once again feels more akin to the PS1 era. Besides Regal obeying all the traffic laws anyways.
Dead Space
By: Rustic Games BRConsidering the Dead Space series wore much of its Resident Evil inspiration on its sleeve, it’s only appropriate that the horror series would be a perfect fit for the RE treatment right down to the static camera angles and tank controls. Cutting off the Necromorphs’ limbs isn’t as viable an option with the limited aim of the classic RE controls, meaning running for your life is a more viable option than ever before. The Ishimura somehow feels even more unsettling when you can’t see what’s hiding around the next corner, and the low res Necromorphs skittering around in the walls are sure to bring back nightmares for anyone who grew up with the original Silent Hill and RE titles back on the original PlayStation.
Resident Evil 4
By: Biohazard EspanaSlightly less “modern” than the other entries on our list, the Resident Evil 4 Demake by Biohazard Espana deserves special recognition just for the attention to detail put into recreating one of the most beloved entries in the long-running franchise. Returning to the classic static cameras and tank controls, anyone unfamiliar with the demake project couldn’t be blamed for believing this was a forgotten Resident Evil title from the PS1. Reusing many of the sound effects from the earlier titles gives the demake an appropriately retro feel that will also tickle that nostalgic itch for long-time series fans. Biohazard Espana continues to work on the project and we’ll continue to watch his progress with great interest.
The Last of Us
By: Rustic Games BRAt its heart, The Last of Us is a stealth game, so reframing the title in the vein of Metal Gear Solid makes a ton of sense. Leading Joel and Ellie through the museum with the Soliton Radar guiding them around the FEDRA soldiers and their vision cones is absolutely pitch perfect and aligns wonderfully with the aesthetic of the original game. Ellie quickly rushing around while Joel cautiously sneaks throughout the environment is an especially nice touch that calls back the original game’s wonky companion AI. In all honesty we would replay The Last of Us remade Metal Gear Solid-style in a heartbeat should this fan project ever be developed to completion.
Bloodborne PSX
By: b0tsterCurrently the only playable demake on our list, b0tster manages to maintain the original title’s foreboding atmosphere even while sacrificing graphical fidelity. While certain exceptions had to be made due to trying to maintain the PS1 framework, most of what made the original such an icon is represented here. The tough but fair gameplay, the Lovecraftian horrorscape and its monstrosities, even the Hunter’s Dream is lovingly recreated in the PS1 aesthetic. Everything from the menu system to the control scheme and even the game’s description on the website is based on the original PlayStation’s marketing and back of the box blurbs. Those looking to relive the good old days of most of our childhoods parked in front of a blinking CRTV all weekend owe it to themselves to check this one out even if you’re not a fan of the genre and just looking for a little nostalgia without digging through the closet.
