15. Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty!

Oddworld has always been something of a niche series, and thankfully the remake of 1997’s Abe’s Odyssey hasn’t lost that unique charm. New ‘n’ Tasty successfully takes the janky early 3D game and brushes it up to 2014 polish with modern HD graphics. The clearest demonstration of this polish is the much-improved level flow thanks to the elimination of screen partisions in favor of seamless platforming. Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty is the best way to play the 1997 classic today, and it helped pave the way for a wider Oddworld audience.

 14. The Last of Us Part 1

The Last of Us Part 1 took one of the greatest games of all time and made it even better. The graphical improvements showcase the power of PS5 hardware with remarkably dense foliage and improved animations across the board. AI got a substantial overhaul as well, as companions help you fight off the improved enemy AI. And as if the enhanced AI didn’t bolster the challenge enough, The Last of Us Part 1 features a speedrun mode that tracks your time per chapter. The Last of Us Part 1 may not be the most needed remake in the world, but it sure stands as one of the most impressive.

13. Shadow of the Colossus

2018’s Shadow of the Colossus is another example of a 1-to-1 faithful remake that doesn’t distance itself far from the original. As expected, Bluepoint Games updated the graphics to modern standards. The result is a truly transformed vision of the classic PS2 game where the slightest change in lighting can give a totally unique ambiance from the original. Best of all, the controls are vastly improved with a bevy of convenience features the original lacked.

12. Star Fox 64 3DS

Who doesn’t love Star Fox 64? It’s such an easy game to pick up and play, and the 3DS remake makes it even easier with its portability. Star Fox 64 looks amazing on the 3DS, with some of the most attractive 3D visuals on the system. By and large, Star Fox 64 3DS is a faithful remake of the arcade shooter original with a host of cool enhancements. The orchestrated soundtrack is easy to love, and the new Score Attack mode is a fun way to replay all those classic levels with added challenge and rewards.

11. System Shock

1994’s seminal System Shock redefined what a shooter can be and helped create the immersive sim genre. Fast-forward to 2023 and the remake is just as fascinating and immersive as it was back in the day. 2023’s System Shock is by far the best way to experience the game. The gunplay is worlds apart from the janky original with tight and snappy controls and a convenient interface. The sub-par music is fully redone here with an ambient soundtrack that accompanies the HD graphics wonderfully. System Shock gets the royal treatment in this faithful remake, even keeping the backtracking in the original. There’s never been a better time to experience System Shock, especially with the console release dropping in a couple of months and the sequel coming soon.

10. Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes

Metal Gear Solid had some rough gameplay segments on the PS1. Pseudo-tank controls compounded some of the game’s backtracking issues and made it a slog at times. Well, the remake smooths those control issues over with the wonderful Gamecube control stick scheme and gameplay lifted from Metal Gear Solid 2. Twin Snakes also adds updated cutscenes, which serve to fill in transitions and add more comedy relief to the game. Best of all was the improved graphics to the jagged polygonal PS1 original. Metal Gear Solid has some of gaming’s most hardcore fans, so this remake didn’t satisfy all of them, but it certainly did go over well for most and helped pave the way forward for future entries in the series.

9. Yakuza Kiwami

Yakuza Kiwami is a faithful remake of the very first Yakuza, many systems and general story connectivity from Yakuza 0. Goro Majima is a recurring character in a quest chain that delighted and bewildered us in equal measure. And the inclusion of Yakuza 0’s pocket racer and many minigame don’t hurt the remake either. All in all, Yakuza Kiwami stands as the most quintessential remake in the series, making for a quirky but fantastic sequel to fan-favorite Yakuza 0.

8. Kingdom Hearts RE: Chain of Memories

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories has long been the ugly duck of the popular series. The original Chain of Memories released on the Game Boy Advance, which just further distanced players from accepting it. But when the remake came out, it was suddenly accepted as a must-play (or watch) entry. Without hyperbole, RE: Chain of Memories supplies the best narrative of all the Kingdom Hearts games. The compelling mystery surrounding Castle Oblivion and the sinister Organization 13 get their HD treatment in this remake with full voice acting. If you want the true KH story experience, you owe it to yourself to play RE: Chain of Memories … or just watch the brilliant cutscenes.

7. Dead Space (2023)

The 2023 remake of the original Dead Space is without a doubt one of the most intense gaming experiences out there. The inclusion of enhanced DualSense rumble facilitates the ultra-detailed visuals to a scary degree. Most of you already know just how phenomenal the original Dead Space is, so imagine that but turned up several notches. I particularly appreciate the added nuance they added to Isaac Clarke and other characters’ personalities. There’s just the right amount of small additional details to fill in story gaps of the original without taking away its lean pacing and tension. Dead Space‘s remake is one of the best showcases of how modern hardware can enhance a masterpiece, and just how intense and visceral gaming in general can be.

6. Ratchet And Clank (2016)

Three years may not seem like a long time, but up until 2013, Insomniac was releasing a new Ratchet and Clank like clockwork every year. The three years of silence was broken with the first PS4 Ratchet and Clank title, and it was a remake of the very first entry to boot. 2016’s Ratchet and Clank remains the smoothest action-platformer game I’ve ever played. Sure, Rift Apart for PS5 featured next-gen tech with the new dimensional rift gun, but you just can’t beat the simplicity and excellent pacing of the remade original game. The planet of Rilgar is a highlight in the series I’ll never forget, not least of all due to the fun hoverboard minigame and pixelizer gun. Ratchet and Clank 2016 is my favorite game in the series due to its tight pacing and excellent recreation of the original’s unmatched level design.

5. Spyro Reignited Trilogy

It’s not cheating to have three games for one entry since that’s how Spyro Reignited is packaged, and what a sweet deal it is. The Spyro Reignited trilogy faithfully recreates the first three games in the Spyro series with fluid controls and completely redone graphics and physics. Each of the dragons is fully voiced and the music is completely redone while remaining faithful. Toys from Bob nailed the visual aesthetic with Spyro Reignited, giving the old PS1 series Pixar-level attention to detail. This is as faithful as remakes get, so don’t expect new or changed content here. That adherence to the original source is what makes this remake so special and deserving of a high spot on this list. Out of all the entries here, Spyro Reignited may just be the one hardest to find criticism for due to its straightforward 1-for-1 approach.

4. Black Mesa

Black Mesa is a remake of the original Half-Life, built within Half-Life 2’s engine. The well-optimized controls of the original weren’t bad to begin with, but they’re made even better with the polished Half-Life 2 tech. It’s more than just a graphical and controls overhaul though, many areas have been redesigned to feature a more balanced enemy and weapon layout. One of the biggest flaws of the original was the final area, Xen, which got completely redesigned into a very fun and well-paced level with Black Mesa. If you’re a Half-Life fan, or just a shooter fan in general, Black Mesa is a must-play for its adherence to the source material and dedication to fixing its flaws.

3. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

RPG fans rejoice, the decade-old promise of a fully fleshed and remade Final Fantasy 7 has been fulfilled. The developer has somehow managed to squeeze a blown-up HD version of the middle portion of Final Fantasy 7 into a single game. Iconic locales such as Costa Del Sol and the infamous Gold Saucer amusement park are blown up to a glorious HD scale without losing any of their original charm. It’s a faithful remake that expands on the story elements of the original in ways the PS1 couldn’t quite communicate. The acting, soundtrack, and deep battle system continue to blow me away 150 hours later.

2. Super Mario 64 DS

Super Mario 64 is one of those classics all gamers speak fondly about, yet hesitate to return to. Whether due to the rough N64 controls or the terrible camera system, the original has aged rather poorly. That’s where the Nintendo DS remake comes in. Controls are vastly improved and the camera is downright perfect for its 3D environs. Super Mario 64 DS was the first time me and many other fans experienced the awe of added content to a beloved classic. The remake added 30 new stars, totaling 150 for the full game. Super Mario 64 DS is the definitive way to play this classic; I just wish it was available on a modern platform so more could experience it.

1. Resident Evil 2 (2019)

Pretty much every modern remake owes something to 2019’s Resident Evil 2. The RE2 remake established a new benchmark of what it means to take an original game and polish it to modern specifications while expanding and adding to it. Characters such as William Birkin and Chief Irons receive substantial development compared to the original, and the narrative cohesively ties into the wider Resident Evil setting following the events of RE2. Obviously, the tank controls of the original had to go in favor of precise over-the-shoulder shooting. In addition to the rich expansions on the original content, the remake adds a 4^th Survival mode and dozens of unlockable secrets ranging from new playable characters to an unbreakable knife for future playthroughs. Resident Evil 2 shines as an example of how to remake a classic game, earning it the top spot for the second year in a row.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Have you ever played a very old game, then played a remake or remaster and said, “It looks almost identical to the original.” Just to actually go back to that original version and notice, “Damn, they really did clean this game up. It’s the same but so much better.” That’s exactly what to expect from Resident Evil 2. The show floor demo takes place in the iconic police station, the same one you should remember too. But if you look closely, it’s much different, more refined, and more real. Closed doors and stair cases on either side, eerie, unsettling lighting giving off a soft glow so you can barely see what’s in front of you, and cluttered desks, devoid of people, scattered around as though this place used to have employees working here… but then mysteriously vanished. Something went wrong. Very wrong.

"But if you look closely, it’s much different, more refined, more real. Closed doors and stair cases on either side, eerie, unsettling lighting giving off a soft glow so you can barely see what’s in front of you, and cluttered desks, devoid of people, scattered around as though this place used to have people working here… but then mysteriously vanished."

Leon Kennedy is back once again, and this time he sounds a lot different than before and also looks a lot different. Gone are those crummy sounding voice-overs where everyone sounds like they’ve come from a low-budget film. Replacing them are high quality voice-overs where you can feel the determination and fear in Leon’s voice. It’s not just the voice-overs that are high quality either. The creaking of the doors, the tapping of footsteps on the cold stone floor, and that low ambient musical tone that indicates something just isn’t right.

The set-camera angle, the thing I disliked the most of all of the first few original games in the series, is gone. Instead you get a camera more along the lines of Resident Evil 4. That’s right, they’ve maintained Resident Evil 2 as the third-person horror game it originally was, instead of transforming it into a first-person horror game after the success of Resident Evil 7. Like most of the Resident Evil games, there’re mysteries around every corner: a missing medallion here, a series of hieroglyphs that must be spun around to unlock something there, several statues that you know have a key or an important item hidden around them. This is the original Resident Evil 2, but with more mystery behind it, puzzles have been rearranged and switched up to always keep that mystery — especially for returning players — alive.

There were several times where I found a medallion, or unscrambled a code I found in a book, only to have more puzzles behind those. Three is the magic number, at least in the demo I played. Many of the locked doors, or secrets are always hidden behind a set of three-anythings. Rather it be the spinning hieroglyphs  mentioned earlier, or three medallions that unlock three doors, I think Capcom have always had an obsession with the number three. So when you find one of something stay calm, control your breathing, you’ll likely need two more of the same thing. But this demo is early on in the game, so, maybe that special number changes later on. As I mentioned before, the strategy on how to get from one place to the other through puzzles has been changed up to keep even old fans on their toes.

"The knife broke! A zombie jumped onto me and came right into the camera, almost making me think it was coming through the screen. With no knife, no ammo, they got me again. It’s too late. I died."

Of course, I eventually came to the inevitable zombie fight, and I really hoped those bullets and green herbs I found along the way through the locked doors payed off. I was wrong. It’s interesting to hear the music change when zombies jumped out at me. The intense atmosphere of fighting the zombies in most situations throughout the demo was heart-pounding. Tight corridors and small rooms made up a lot of the police station locations, leaving little room to react to oncoming enemies. Sure, they’re not fast and they creep around like a wounded animal, but when the room is not very spacious, zombies can close in very quickly. I was able to down the first few zombies that had gotten in my way and made it to safety with my assault rifle and pistol.

But after a few moments of reprieve, another onslaught of zombies were after me. I crawled under a passage, through a door, under and around, shot a few in the head, and…oh, no! I am out of bullets. Luckily, along the way I found a knife and began to slash away at them once again. The good old classic Resident Evil knife. Helps in a pinch, and it did! I took two zombies out with it… but then something happened that was surprising. The knife broke! A zombie jumped onto me and came right into the camera, almost making me think it was coming through the screen. The camera closes in when a zombie gets on you. With no knife, no ammo, they got me again. It’s too late. I died.

The intensity of each room, its atmosphere along with challenging zombies is a testament to how well crafted Resident Evil 2 truly is. It feels fresh, reinvented, and a totally new experience, even if what you see is a little familiar