Top 10 Best Recent Video Game Remasters

As Blizzard Entertainment began its villain arc in the 2020’s with flubs like “Warcraft III: Reforged” and “Diablo Immortal”, “Diablo II: Resurrected” was one of the few things it did rather well. For the first time ever, console players could finally experience this legendary action RPG that was once only ever playable on PC and Mac. And to sweeten the deal, we could experience the game with some of the best controls on console for a game such as this in addition to swapping between the remastered visuals and the old ones. In all honesty, this is truly the best way to play “Diablo II” out of the few versions we got.

“Sonic Generations” was already a massive game with its seemingly endless buffet of classic levels from both 2D and 3D “Sonic” games. But “Sonic X Shadow Generations” turns the 2011 game into an even beefier package. Now, you have an entire campaign dedicated to Shadow the Hedgehog, and you’ll get to relive plenty of moments from “Sonic Adventure 2”, 2005’s “Shadow the Hedgehog”, “Sonic Heroes”, and more. We even got a DLC level dedicated to the “Sonic 3” movie with Keanu Reeves reprising his role as Shadow! Whether you loved the original “Sonic Generations” or have been itching for more Shadow, “Sonic X Shadow Generations” will satisfy both cravings beyond your expectations.

Really, we would have settled for a simple port for this one. “Catherine” was one of the most captivating games Atlus ever put out with its unique puzzle-based gameplay and compelling story about romance, commitment, and the complicated concept that is love. What “Catherine: Full Body” does differently is wedge a third romance option into the story along with five brand new endings, more animated cutscenes to further flesh out characters, and the number of levels to challenge your intellect has doubled to more than five hundred! Of course, there are also some touch ups in visuals along with an expanded soundtrack. What more could you ask for from a remaster labeled as the “Full Body” edition?

Upon first seeing “Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition”, we were gobsmacked to learn that this was not a remake of the first game. The drastic change and improvements in its graphics and artstyle make the original game seem archaic in comparison. Even more impressive is how it makes the original game better with all the quality of life improvements we saw in “Xenoblade Chronicles 2” with a UI that is easier to read and crystal clear audio to help elevate the music and atmosphere. Nintendo even threw in a special epilogue that further dives into Melia’s story after you beat the main campaign. If you never experienced the original game on Wii, this is the best way to get yourself acquainted with the franchise.

When it comes to remasters, few games have been as accommodating as “Metroid Prime Remastered”. See, we can go on all day about how so much of the game looks as if it was built from scratch between the character models and texture work. What really wows us the most is the integration of three very distinct control schemes. Players can choose controls that perfectly emulate the original GameCube game, the motion-based controls of Wii port, and even a blend of both! No matter which control scheme you prefer, you’ll find that “Metroid Prime” truly stands the test of time thanks in part to this remaster.

If we could name any game as the main reason Sony acquired Bluepoint Games, it’s “The Nathan Drake Collection”. As some hardcore PlayStation enthusiasts are aware, PS3 games are tricky to bring to modern hardware because of certain design choices in the console itself. So, whatever magic Bluepoint worked to get these games on PS4 ought to be studied. All three of the original “Uncharted” games are forever preserved and in greater detail than ever before! With this collection, you can relive Nathan Drake’s adventures at a crisp sixty frames per second with supreme controls and not a technical hiccup to be found anywhere. Any PlayStation fan would be remiss to not experience this trilogy.

With Koei Tecmo having lost the source code to “Ninja Gaiden II” ages ago, it’s a miracle that this game was even released. “Ninja Gaiden II Black” falls under a similar category as “Metroid Prime Remastered” in that it looks like it was completely remade. Rest assured, this is a remaster of “Ninja Gaiden II” albeit using the “Sigma” version’s source code. However, unlike the Sigma version, this iteration is way more visceral and much closer to the original game with the exception of all the new character models, textures, and more. In all honesty, fifty bucks seems pretty steep, but considering the amount of work that went into it, it was a price worth paying. Now, if only the first 3D “Ninja Gaiden” could get the same treatment.

Admittedly, this collection was among the worst titles to come out in 2014 with its technical instability and poor online connectivity. But as the years went on, 343 Industries managed to turn the game into one of the best collections of remasters you could possibly play. Each game plays well, looks great, and runs better than ever before. Plus, the multiplayer was so much fun to play just as it was in 2001, 2004, 2007, and so on. No matter if you’re playing the 2001 hit that started it all or replaying “Reach” for the hundredth time, these remasters are a fantastic package to point new players towards and tell them, “This was ‘Halo’.”

The value alone should be enough reason to play “Mass Effect: Legendary Edition” if you never experienced the original trilogy. What you have here are three games with improved visuals and hundreds of hours of game time waiting for you, more if you do entire playthroughs as Paragon and Renegade each. What’s more impressive is how this collection vastly improves the first “Mass Effect” as tweaks were made to combat, controls, and load times. That said, if you ever see this go on sale, trust us when we say it is worth even the sixty-dollar price tag.

A remaster of one of the greatest video games ever made does not need to do much to become one of the greatest remasters ever made. When “Skyrim Special Edition” launched in 2016, it was a simpler remaster. It was “Skyrim” with better, more refined visuals and smoother technical performance. As the years have gone on, it’s only gotten better! We could point out the addition of mod support on consoles and the additions of features like fishing, but the big selling point for us was playing this on PS4 Pro and eventually, PS5. Playing “Skyrim” at a consistent sixty frames per second is almost like we’re experiencing the game for the first time again, and once you play this version, you’re never going back to the 2011 original.


Which video game remaster is your favorite? Did it make our list? Let us know down in the comments.