20 Amazing PS1 Demakes Of Modern Games

20 Amazing PS1 Demakes of Modern Games

Aaron Brown

Welcome to MojoPlays and we love a nice bit of nostalgia so we’re looking at 20 of the best PS1-style demakes of modern games that we wish were real.

Uncharted

By: 98DEMAKE

The early Uncharted games already felt like a throwback to the original PS1 Tomb Raider games, so much so it originally held the nickname “Dude Raider”. But it has since grown into its own globe-trotting adventure series that has far surpassed the original Tomb Raider’s tomb raiding. However, for those looking for even more of that old school feeling in the series, 98DEMAKE has demade the original game to be closer in line with the series it was inspired by. Everything from the pixelated and muddy graphics to the very obvious throwback to the old days of tank controls, everything about this demake nails the aesthetic of the original Tomb Raider games only with Nathan Drake chasing those golden coins and unfortunately succumbing to the jungle’s many pitfalls.

Minecraft

By: 98DEMAKE

Minecraft is unquestionably one of the biggest gaming properties in the world and feels as though it's been around as long as gaming itself despite the blocky building sim only releasing back in 2011. However, once again 98DEMAKE reimagines the iconic builder for the PS1 and honestly, it’s hard not to believe this game could have come out back in the late 90s. The pixel blocky art style is still very distinctly Minecraftian and could quite easily pass for an indie game inspired by the crafting sim. Steve still gathers crafting materials, although he must carry each piece one at a time and the level of destruction during the material collecting process is understandably limited but watching the little isometric version of Steve building his homestead still look just as fun as its modern day counterpart and we’d love to see this style of gameplay implemented either by Minecraft proper or another dedicated fan.

Resident Evil Village

By: Rustic Games BR

The best demakes will often not only rewind time on the game they’re emulating but will also reimagine the game to fit more in line with the time, and that’s exactly what Rustic Games BR has done with their demake of Resident Evil Village. Instead of simply adopting RE8 into a tank controlled RE1 style reimagining, Rustic has instead maintained the original games first person perspective and used the often-overlooked PS1 Resident Evil entry Survivor as its inspiration and the results are a perfect throwback to the series’ first entry into the FPS genre. While players can freely explore Lady D’s castle, the game switches to a light gun style crosshairs during combat that perfectly fits the style of the genre’s infancy back on the PS1. Everything from the graphics, the art style, and the mechanics are pitch-perfect and make us wonder if we were too harsh on RE: Survivor back in the day.

Elden Ring

By: Rustic Games BR

EldenRing is already a throwback to the age of video games that didn’t hold the players hand and gave them the freedom to discover its mechanics on their own but there’s something undeniably charming about seeing the modern day classic demade in the PS1 era style. The original game’s gothic style translates wonderfully to the 32-bit graphics and the fixed camera angles perfectly nail the aesthetic of the PS1. Players still have access to much of their gear as in the original game, although we’d be lying if we weren’t curious what the Dragonball did, and given the large arena can still duck, dodge, and weave their way around Godfrey’s many attacks narrowly avoiding the dreaded “You Died” screen. Rustic Games BR once again perfectly nails the tone, feel, and mechanics of the PS1 generation and creates a version of Elden Ring we easily could have seen on store shelves.

Resident Evil 3 Remake

By: Rustic Games BR

It’s not often we can say we have a demake of a remake demade in the style of the original, but here we are. While the remake of Resident Evil 3 didn’t quite meet the high bar set by the remake of RE2, or even the original for that matter, the remake was still decent enough. For Rustic Game BR’s demake, the creator chose to focus on the opening moments of the remake, giving players the chance to explore Jill’s apartment, something that was only briefly shown off in the opening of the original. Everything from the classic opening door loading screen to the menus are perfectly recreated here and Rustic even introduces a new version of Jill’s nightmare that opened the remake. Unfortunately, we don’t get to cross paths with the Nemesis this time around but honestly just seeing the absolute state of Jill’s apartment might be scary enough.

The Evil Within

By: Rustic Games BR

The Evil Within was already a throwback to Resident Evil creator Shinj Mikami’s classic horror works on the PS1, so seeing his modern take on the genre demade for the PS1 brings the the creator’s work full circle. Attempting to escape The Keeper in his lair is just as terrifying in the retro style as the modern day and the touches that Rustic Games BR added such as Sebastian running out of breath after sprinting only 3 steps is classic PS1 era nonsense. The PS1 graphics also bring The Evil Within demake closer to the original RE games and their classic boss fights with players running around enclosed arenas with an unrelenting boss close behind. Plus, the 32-bit blood effects add just that little something extra to make the entire experience feel truly nostalgic.

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag

By: Rustic Games BR

The current AC games could learn a lot from Rustic Games BR’s remake of arguably one of the Assassin’s Creed series’ best entries Black Flag. Primarily, the demake’s focus on stealth and learning enemy patterns. In some ways, this demake is actually closer to a pirate version of Metal Gear Solid than the AC series. The exceptional music score plays a large part in that feeling and the specific zoom when looking around corners when focusing on enemy patrols is distinctly Metal Gear and we love it. The naval ship battles between the adorably small Jackdaw and the other roaming ships complete with flashing red indicators from a direct hit is enough to give any 90s PS1 owners and fans of the game Soviet Strike all the member berries. Honestly Ubisoft, just give us a retro AC game versus another remaster or remake and we’ll be satisfied.

Rocket League

By: 98DEMAKE

We definitely love us some Rocket League and considering the game already feels like a retro throwback to the experimental extreme sports games of the 90s and 2000s, 98DEMAKE’s Rocket League feels like a natural fit. The isometric angle of the arena actually makes it easier to keep track of the action and slamming into a rival driver and destroying them is just as satisfying in pixel graphics. The enemy AI or really your teammates for that matter don’t offer much of a challenge or support, but blasting the giant ball into the goal is still rewarded with the multiple camera angle viewpoints just like in the original. A fantastic throwback to a simpler time.

Hogwarts Legacy

By: Jackarte

While most entries on our list only offer snippets of their demakes, Jackarte takes things a step further and has not only recreated Hogwarts Legacy’s trailer in the PS1 style but has also rebuilt nearly the entirety of Hogwarts to explore in glorious PS1 style. IS THAT PS1 HAGRID?! How we’ve missed you old friend. Jackarte has also done an incredible job at not only recreating the world of Hogwarts Legacy but also the many spells the player has access to. Given the amount of detail and love clearly put into recreating the recent smash hit, we wouldn’t be surprised if Jackarte one day released a playable version of the game similar to Bloodborne PSX.

Batman Arkham Asylum

By: Shashank Rajagopalan

Batman fans definitely suffered during the PS1 era with almost no games being worthy of the Dark Knight’s legacy. However, Shashank Rajagopalan imagines a time when Rocksteady created their masterpiece Batman experience Arkham Asylum a decade earlier. Admittedly the graphics are a bit more than the PS1 was truly capable of, but the halls of Arkham still feel as foreboding as in the base game and somehow demade Joker is even more unsettling than his HD counterpart. We’re especially fans of how the Arkham series’ iconic combat system is reimagined into a more PS1 manageable 2D brawler and the awkward stealth takedowns are an especially nice touch. Everything right down to the way the camera zooms through the environment giving players a glimpse of the danger ahead while showing their way out is perfectly PS1.

God of War 2018

By: 64 Bits

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.

Dead By Daylight

By: Nycolas Santos

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.

Horizon Zero Dawn

By: ZeoNyph & Roman Grzanowski

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.

Death Stranding

By: Bearly Regal

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.

Resident Evil 7

By: Rustic Games BR

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.

Cyberpunk

By: Bearly Regal

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.

Dead Space

By: Rustic Games BR

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.

Resident Evil 4

By: Biohazard Espana

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.

The Last of Us

By: Rustic Games BR

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.

Bloodborne PSX

By: b0tster

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.

What’s your favorite demake? Let us know in the comments below!