The 10 BEST Video Game Remakes and Remasters of 2023
“Resident Evil 4” (2023)
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“Resident Evil 4” had everything going against it. Many regard the original RE4 as a masterpiece that is not to be touched under any circumstance. So, one can understand why some were on edge when hearing about Capcom remaking it. Contrary to the skepticism, the project was in good hands the entire time. With modern controls, a rewritten story, and more coherent writing, “Resident Evil 4” once again became one of the best games Capcom has put out. If you haven’t already, you need to stop this video and go buy a copy. Please!
“Super Mario RPG” (2023)
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With “Super Mario RPG” being decades old, many of us were willing to accept anything for the game to return, even if it meant a simple port for Switch Online. But a remake!? Not only that, but a remake with CGI cutscenes, a remade soundtrack, and post-game content? You know there were some hardcore fans bawling their eyes out the second it was announced. “Super Mario RPG” truly is a fantastic remake that respects the original game in every way possible while enhancing it in visuals, presentation, and use of modern technology.
“We Love Katamari + Royal Reverie” (2023)
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Bandai Namco has, slowly but surely, been bringing the “Katamari” games forward to modern platforms. This year, the second game in the franchise, “We Love Katamari”, got its time in the spotlight. Sporting a brand new artstyle fitting of the franchise’s spirit and energy, “We Love Katamari + Royal Reverie” came with major improvements in controls as well as technical performance. Now, you could keep rollin’, rollin’, rollin’ at sixty frames per second, and as a bonus, five more levels were included that told a fun and somewhat heartbreaking story about the King in his more youthful years. Here’s hoping the success from this title leads to more remakes in the future. (Or even a brand new game?)
“System Shock” (2023)
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The original “System Shock” is tough to play, especially if you played the sequel first. Controls and UI are super rough to endure, so this remake was desperately needed. And Nightdive Studios did a solid job with it! Even with the lighting and texture work, its atmosphere and environments still feel like they were ripped straight from the 1994 original. Some additional work could have gone in refining the mechanics to help onboard new players, but overall, it does breathe new life into familiar territory just in presentation, which is more than we could ask for as veteran players.
“GrimGrimoire OnceMore” (2023)
Vanillaware has made a name for itself between “Dragon’s Crown”, “Odin Sphere”, and “13 Sentinels”. But many have forgotten this strategy game developed for the PS2. In all honesty, “GrimGrimoire OnceMore” plays exactly like the original in terms of controls and mechanics, However, it does balance out the difficulty more in addition to rendering the gorgeous art at a higher resolution. On top of that, skill trees helped expand new powers for your Familiars while fast-forward functionality helped speed up slower moments in gameplay (just in case you were kicking butt too hard).
“Quake II Remastered” (2023)
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The biggest announcement to come from QuakeCon 2023 was the surprise launch of “Quake II Remastered”. Sure, it looks and plays just as well as it did way back in 1997. Nightdive Studios could have stopped there. But they didn’t! In addition to the base game, “Quake II Remastered” came with every expansion that came out afterwards and even a brand new expansion developed by “Wolfenstein” studio MachineGames! As for multiplayer, cross-play was simplified through the use of a password system, and the netcode was incredibly accurate…even if spawn frags were a bit of a problem at launch.
“Advance Wars 1+2 Re-Boot Camp” (2023)
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“Advance Wars” spent the last couple decades in a deep slumber, and it seemed like Nintendo had no interest in the IP anymore. However, this remake shows there is renewed interest here. WayForward are the minds behind this remake, and not only did they incorporate their unique artstyle into the first two games, they packed a wealth of content into it. Two full campaigns, an art gallery, local and online multiplayer, unlockable CO’s, music, and more! It's truly one of the best games we saw on Switch this year, and we’re hoping it leads to a remake of “Dual Strike” and “Days of Ruin” or even “Battalion Wars”!
“GoldenEye 007” (2023)
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If you want to experience the original game, you can do so through Switch Online. Xbox players, on the other hand, got the more refined, remastered iteration. Unfortunately, it is not the Xbox 360 version we could have had decades ago. Nevertheless, this was still excellent in every capacity! It plays like many modern FPS games and handles like it hasn’t aged a day. The multiplayer is still fun, and even though you can see the polygons, it still looks great (when remembering its age). Sure, it sucks that there was no integration of true online play, but for what we did get, it was still excellent. By the way, if you already got “Rare Replay”, you got this for free!
“Dead Space” (2023)
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Oh, don’t worry, we aren’t letting “Dead Space” get lost in the weeds of 2023’s best horror titles! Considering Motive Studio’s staff mainly had experience in a couple of “Star Wars” games (2017’s “Battlefront II” and 2020’s “Squadrons”), this could have gone bad. And yet it didn’t. “Dead Space” not only recreates the original game, it elevates it with tweaks to combat, the addition of new mechanics, and improving controls. On top of that, the audio design is absolutely chilling as every creak and bang will force you to stop in your tracks. You are never safe even when looking through a menu. This is true survival horror at its damn finest!
“Metroid Prime Remastered” (2023)
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In case you need a sci-fi shooter that isn’t as grisly and haunting but still hits that sense of thrill, “Metroid Prime Remastered” was the best remaster to pick up this year. From the textures to character models to lighting, just about every aspect of this game got a major boost thanks to the advancement in technology. It still plays like the 2002 original but takes advantage of new technology to help fully realize it. Plus, it accommodates players from both the GameCube original and the Wii re-release by providing alternate control schemes. If you have not grabbed this for your Switch, we demand answers - what have you been doing? What’s the best remake or remaster you played this year? Did it make our list? Let us know down in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to MojoPlays for more great videos everyday!
