We thought of quite a few titles that were developed since 2020, but ultimately decided that remakes of older titles would be a great way to showcase the manner in which modern graphics enhance the games that they aim to recreate. Without further ado, let’s dive right into our picks for games that demonstrate just how much graphics in video games have evolved over the years.

1. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

Konami’s decision to give a modern makeover to Naked Snake’s original adventure was a decision we wholeheartedly supported after seeing the end result. While the original game did have its charms, its graphics did show their age after several replays over the years.

However, the remake did a great job of giving the experience a complete overhaul on the graphical front. Naked Snake and his fellow cast of memorable characters looked better than before with improved character models, while the world his adventure takes place in was blessed with a sheen of immersion that had us glued to our screens for every second of it.

This one was an excellent showcase of the point we’re trying to make, and a lovely way to enjoy a source of many fond memories over the years.

2. Resident Evil 2

This last-gen remake was an already solid take on the original adventure, its improvements pushing the title into a new era of relevance among gamers who may not have had the chance to try it out back in the day. But it was the current-gen updates that truly brought Leon and Claire’s efforts to escape Racoon City to life, with improved resolutions and ray-traced graphics that made every area in the game feel fresh yet familiar.

The nostalgia was well backed up by the graphical marvels that this one brought to us, making the entire experience hit harder as a result. This one certainly wasn’t afraid to punch up, and continues to be a beacon for modern-day graphics in gaming.

3. Silent Hill 2

The Bloober Team sure hit gold with this one. It was everything a remake of the original experience should have been, and the graphical overhaul it received made it surpass even the original experience.

The very air around James seemed to shimmer with malevolence as he made his way through the painstakingly crafted levels of the game, each of which is a lovely argument in favor of evolved graphics, lending a fresh layer of realism to a title that’s probably been played too many times to count among its loyal fans.

Silent Hill 2 is as good as they come on the graphical front, and is another great game made even better with a graphical overhaul.

4. Shadow of the Colossus

Allow us to level with you. We approached this 2018 PS4 remake with a fair bit of trepidation. It isn’t easy to forget the many hours of frustration that a game that’s designed to be as opaque as it can be gives you. Each of the mighty colossi we took on back in the day had us feeling despair and frustration, considering the fact that we were quite young when we tried it out.

But Bluepoint’s efforts to invigorate the experience with a graphical overhaul are nothing short of spectacular. We soon found ourselves in the thick of the action, our muscle memories prompting our intentions against the giants we were taking on. It wasn’t a coincidence that this one sold approximately 70% over its original release. Bluepoint probably used a lot of the lessons it learned with this one to make its take on Demon’s Souls be as awesome as it was.

5. Dead Space

Although EA wasn’t too happy with how this remake performed in 2023, that doesn’t take away from the fact that rebuilding the game from the ground up while letting the Frostbite Engine show off its chops was a smart choice. Dynamic lighting and blazing fast loading times ensured that Isaac’s fight against the Necrormorphs and his own psychosis were given a new layer of immersion and engagement.

With levels seamlessly loading into each other and each one popping out with incredible detail and a level of polish that the original game could not achieve due to the limitations of the systems it was meant to run on. But all of that’s in the past, as Dead Space is now a beacon for current-gen focused remakes that make use of the tech to make an experience that feels brand new.

6. Final Fantasy 7

Both the remake and intergrade really did a number on the original experience, making Midgar feel like a new world entirely. Cloud Strife’s adventure was made even better thanks to a more streamlined story and an improved combat system that benefited from buttery smooth framerates on current-gen consoles while also bringing all the bells and whistles of modern hardware to the table.

As a game that aims to recapture the magic of the original, this one did quite well to be more than just a fresh coat of paint, a feat made possible by the improvements that modern gaming hardware is able to enable.

7. Mafia: Definitive Edition

The Mafia franchise is already famous for its cinematic quality and presentation, but the first entry in the franchise was limited by what the PS2 could achieve at the time. But two generations of consoles later, Tommy Angelo’s rise to prominence within the ranks of the Salieri crime family is now an adventure that looks good and plays so well it’s hard to remember what the original game felt like.

Hangar 13’s effort to rebuild things from the ground up paid off, and the first Mafia title is now a great introduction to the franchise, given a new lease of life by graphical improvements that were facilitated by upgraded tech.

8. System Shock 1

We can’t help but wonder if the folks over at Nightdive Studios saw something we didn’t that prompted the idea to remake a 1994 classic that might have slipped under the radar of the modern gamer, considering the many years that had passed since its release.

However, your character’s attempts to stop the malevolent AI program SHODAN in its tracks were made all the better by a remake that feels oddly relevant today. That makes System Shock a game that was ahead of its time, made even better by its modernization and graphical overhaul. The seven years it took to develop this one were definitely worth it.

9. Yakuza Kiwami 2

This one certainly earned the Kiwami in its title. A Japanese word meaning “ultimate”, the last and current-gen versions of this game are a great display of how video game graphics have evolved.

There’s a reason this one won the awards it did, bringing a revival of the original experience that brought a lot of graphical improvement while also elevating the experience through them, Kazuma Kiryu’s adventure becoming all the more immersive alongside a very welcome additional chapter focused on Goro Majima.

10. Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy

Colorful, charming, and confident. Those are the sentiments that were foremost during our time with the original games. But the N. Sane Trilogy took things up a notch with a visual overhaul of a largely faithful recreation of all three games that made this one truly stand out amongst a sea of remakes.

Hi-res textures, dynamic lighting, improved draw distances, and reworked animations did a very good job at giving the OG trilogy a new lease of life. Besides, Coco Banidicot being a playable character was just the icing on the cake. We’d go so far as to say that the improvements on this one were “N.Sane” enough to make us sit up and take notice of the painstaking effort that went into it.

And that’s a wrap on games that had a graphical leap that showcased just how far the gaming world has come, and the manner in which the experiences it brings to us year after year have now been elevated, thanks to how realistic the worlds they take us to have become.

It will cost $14.99 to upgrade Yakuza 0 if you own it on PC, PS4 or Xbox One by December 8 at 8:29 AM PT / 11:59 AM ET. The date applies to Yakuza Kiwami, which only costs $1.99 to upgrade, but surprisingly, Yakuza Kiwami 2’s upgrade is free.

Of course, save data doesn’t carry over for any title, nor is the offer available for physical versions or those played on subscription services. While Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut offers new story scenes and the new “Red Light Raid” mode, Yakuza Kiwami adds text language support and songs like “Receive You [Reborn]” and “Bleed” that didn’t release outside of Japan. By comparison, Yakuza Kiwami 2 will only receive a text language update.

For more details on Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut, check out our review of the Switch 2 version. The next game in the series, Yakuza Kiwami 3 and Dark Ties, launches on February 11th, 2026, for Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

Both titles are currently available for PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and represent remakes of the first two Yakuza games in the series. Yakuza Kiwami follows gangster Kazuma Kiryu, the legendary “Dragon of Dojima,” who exits jail and immediately becomes embroiled in a mystery surrounding 10 billion yen that’s gone missing.

In Yakuza Kiwami 2, he goes up against Ryuji Goda, the “Dragon of Kansai,” as various gangs go to war. Alongside new content, each title features overhauled visuals and improvements. The upcoming language support update adds French, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, German, Latin American Spanish, Italian and Russian text.

Of course, those new to the series can look forward to Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut launching on the same platforms (and PC) on the same day. RGG Studio also confirmed that the next remake in the series, Yakuza Kiwami 3, would launch in February 2026 alongside a new spin-off, Dark Ties.

Interestingly, both of the Kiwami titles will not be getting the enhancements we saw in Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut. This means that, among other things, players will not be getting extra scenes or even English voice acting.

Yakuza Kiwami is a remake of the original Yakuza made using the same engine as Yakuza 0. Its story takes place in 2005, shortly after protagonist Kiryu has gotten out of prison after having spent ten years there for a crime he didn’t commit. Yakuza Kiwami 2, on the other hand, is a remake of Yakuza 2 made using the Dragon Engine that first made its debut with Yakuza 6: The Song of Life. It focuses on the fate of the Tojo Clan following the events of the original Yakuza, and a new threat coming in from Osaka’s Sotenbori district.

Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza Kiwami 2 are both making their way to the Switch 2 on November 13. There will also be a digital bundle that players can pick up that includes both titles.

Inside

Combining atmospheric story-telling with clever puzzles, a stark aesthetic, and impeccable pacing, Playdead’s Inside presented one of the best side-scrolling adventure titles of all time. It’s saying something when a title of this caliber launched more than eight years ago, and nothing else in the genre has come close to matching up.

GHOST OF TSUSHIMA

What if we got a Batman game set in feudal Japan? Ghost of Tsushima would literally be it. The entire point of Sucker Punch’s samurai epic is to give players a vast and versatile toolset to use in both stealth and combat, which you then use throughout the game to strike fear in into the hearts of your enemies. No matter how many times you clear out a camp with lethal precision, it just never loses its luster.

#16. SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS (2018)

Back in 2005, Sony delivered what is, to this day, considered one of the greatest games ever made in Shadow of the Colossus, and while its 2018 remake obviously didn’t have the same impact, it certainly did justice to its source material. Bluepoint Games smartly decided not to mess with a winning formula too much, and instead, with its remake, decided to merely accentuate the original’s biggest strengths and polish up some of its rough edges. For newcomers and veteran fans alike, 2018’s Shadow of the Colossus is an excellent way to experience this all-time classic.

#15. DEMON’S SOULS (2020)

Merely a couple of years after releasing the aforementioned Shadow of the Colossus, Bluepoint Games and Sony delivered yet another excellent remake in the form of PS5 launch title Demon’s Souls. Once again, the developer approach the FromSoftware classic with great respect, choosing to keep the vast majority of the core experience intact and instead glowing up its visuals and production values. The Soulslike genre has come a long way since its made its debut with Demon’s Souls in 2009, but for those who want to go back to the beginning, the 2020 remake is an unmissable experience.

#14. CRASH BANDICOOT N.SANE TRILOGY

Crash Bandicoot was essentially dead and buried until not too long ago, but thankfully, Activision decided to bring the franchise with a bang. Developed by Vicarious Visions, Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy perfectly encapsulated everything that the original PS1 trilogy was about, capturing all of its highs and lows and wrapping them up in gorgeous modern-day visuals to demonstrate just why this iconic platforming franchise took off the way it did.

#13. BLACK MESA

Starting as a fan-made unofficial remake of the original Half-Life, Crowbar Collective’s Black Mesa had an eventful journey behind the scenes, but when it finally launched as an official remake with Valve’s blessing in 2020, it proved to be well worth the wait. From its new content additions to the smart ways in which it evolved the original game’s mechanics to, of course, the gorgeous visual glow-up it brought to the table, Black Mesa proved to be a worthy reimagining of one of the all-time greats.

#12. MAFIA: DEFINITIVE EDITION

The Mafia franchise has certainly been through the wringer over the years, and recent years in particular have been tough on its fans. In 2020, however, we thankfully got a respite from the dourness thanks to Mafia: Definitive Edition, an incredible remake of the series’ very first outing. The original Mafia’s story and writing and its excellent period setting are still fondly remembered as some of its biggest strengths, and all of that was able to shine that much brighter in the remake. Some of the gameplay and design choices felt a little aged, yes, but for fans of the series in particular, it was a wonderful blast from the past.

#11. THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: LINK’S AWAKENING

Despite being a handheld-only game, The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening has always held a special place in the hearts of Zelda fans, so to say that its Switch remake proved to be more than up to the task of remaking it for a new generation is no small praise. The biggest change it made, of course, was to its visual style, and while the new aesthetic may initially have proved to be an almost jarring change, ultimately, it turned out to be the perfect foil for the weird, bizarre adventure that is Link’s Awakening. Meanwhile, from its setting to its story to its world and dungeon design, the remake proved in more ways than one that the game’s qualities truly are timeless.

#10. TONY HAWK’S PRO SKATER 1+2

Much like with Crash Bandicoot, Activision and Vicarious Visions brought yet another dead and beloved franchise back into the limelight with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2, and it would be safe to say that the results were even more resoundingly successful. Though one might argue that the original Tony Hawk games were a product of their time, going back to their incredibly tight and endlessly enjoyable gameplay, their oodles of content, their pumping licensed soundtrack, and all the visual upgrades that came with the remake only proved that the skateboarding masterpieces are just as great today as they were when they first launched.

#9. POKEMON FIRERED/LEAFGREEN

Game Freak loves remaking Pokemon games, and it’s done a fair few of them over the years, but it’s far to say that all but one (which we’ll get to in a bit) have failed to match the brilliance of their first remaking effort. Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen took players back to where it all started, bringing Kanto back to life on the Game Boy Advance with updated visuals and combat and progression mechanics, and the end result was absolutely glorious. It’s been nearly two decades since this duo of remakes first launched, but they still stand as one of the series’ greatest games to date.

#8. METROID: ZERO MISSION

Metroid: Zero Mission presents the definitive take on Samus Aran’s original adventure, remaking it so comprehensively, and so thoroughly modernizing it, that it functionally renders the original game entirely obsolete. You never have to even consider playing the original, because everything it did, Zero Mission did as well, but better, while doing even more on top. Keeping the same basic map, enemies, plot progression, and power ups, but with modern game design sensibilities and some better signposting for new players, and adding a triumphant epilogue at the end that truly showed us how the story of Samus Aran began, Zero Mission remains a high watermark not just for the Metroid franchise, but remakes in general.

#7. YAKUZA KIWAMI 2

Yakuza 2 is a fan favorite game for a lot of reasons, including characters such as Ryuji and Kaoru, hilariously over the top but epic setpieces such as a golden castle bursting from the underground into the streets of Osaka, or an actual brawl with a tiger, and the introduction of the fan-favorite Sotenbori map. It’s a beloved game and any remake needed to treat it with appropriate care. Kiwami 2 did a good job of that, to say the very least. While it was nowhere near as faithful to Yakuza 2 as the original Kiwami was to Yakuza 1, taking liberties with story, music, and even content, it nonetheless delivered an exceptional outing for the Yakuza franchise that ranks as one of the franchise’s highs.

#6. RESIDENT EVIL (2002)

The folks at Capcom are the masters of remakes, and that can all be traced back to 2002, when the Japanese company released a ground-up remake of the original Resident Evil for the GameCube. Even though the original RE1 was barely six years old at that point, the remake felt like a ridiculous jump forward, thanks in large part to astoundingly gorgeous visuals that somehow still manage to hold up to this day. RE1 remake also added significant portions of new content to the original game that enriched the experience in ways we couldn’t have imagined, from new areas to story additions to, of course, Lisa Trevor. The fact that the remake is still widely held up as one of the best survival horror remakes of all time should tell you all you need to know about how good it was.

#5. FINAL FANTASY 7 REMAKE

Remaking a game as legendary as Final Fantasy 7 is far from an enviable task, and it becomes even less enviable when you decide to change it from head to toe to the extent that it essentially turns into an entirely different game. With Final Fantasy 7 Remake, that’s exactly what Square Enix did though, and it was a risk that paid off. Covering only the first few hours of the original and turning them into a full-fledged first instalment of a trilogy, the 2020 remake boasted incredible visuals and spectacular combat, and somehow managed to make what was essentially a small section of the original game feel like a fleshed out experience in and of itself. Add to that the smart changes it made and the ways in which it played on fans’ expectations, and what we got was what may even be one of the best Final Fantasy games ever made.

#4. DEAD SPACE (2023)

There was a long period of time where it looked like there was no hope whatsoever that the Dead Space franchise would be able to come back to life, but thanks to Motive Studio’s recent remake of the 2008 original, that’s exactly what it’s done- and how. The Dead Space remake is, in a word, spectacular- a standard-bearer not only for how to remake a beloved classic, but also for survival horror games as a whole. The psychological horror, the nightmares that the decrepit Ishimura hides around every corner, the gripping story and the way it unfolds, the brutal and visceral combat and how incredibly enjoyable it remains from start to finish- everything that was true about Dead Space back when it came out is still true in its 2023 remake, but even more potent and even more effective.

#3. RESIDENT EVIL 4 (2023)

Of all the Resident Evil games Capcom has made so far, this one was probably the trickiest proposition, thanks, of course, to its immense legacy- but they proved to be more than up to the task. The RE4 remake is a masterclass in all the ways that the original was, and then some. With its pacing and its combat and the sheer, constant tension that pervades every second of the experience, it emulates the highest highs of its source material from start to finish, while it also finds a way to make just the right amount of clever, unexpected changes to keep even the most hardened of veterans on their toes, all while still remaining incredibly faithful to the game that it tries to recreate. Suffice to say, Resident Evil 4 is a masterpiece, twice over.

#2. POKEMON HEARTGOLD/SOULSILVER

Game Freak and Pokemon both peaked with Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver. The original games, Gold and Silver, were already considered the best instalments of the franchise and some of the best RPGs ever made, so to actually take those games and somehow make them even better was an astounding achievement. By and large, HeartGold and SoulSilver were very faithful to the original games, but smart visual and mechanical changes made them feel much more modern, allowing the timeless design of this densely packed experience to shine that much brighter. With a combination of next to no cuts, plentiful improvements, and the core excellent of the originals brought over as is, HeartGold and SoulSilver instantly cemented themselves as Pokemon’s best outing- a crown, many might say, they still hold to this day.

#1. RESIDENT EVIL 2 (2019)

For our money, 2019’s Resident Evil 2 remains the absolute king of remakes, which, given the lofty company it keeps in this list, is huge praise. The jump from the original RE2 to its remake is absolutely massive, but even going from fixed cameras and tank controls to over the shoulder and third person shooting, the remake still manages to perfectly capture the essence of the original. Hell, it even enhances it. The gorgeous visuals, the stellar level design exhibited throughout the entire game (and in RPD in particular), the excellent boss fights, the implementation of Mr. X- all of it combines to make for a survival horror experience for the ages. The changes that the RE2 remake makes are, admittedly, pretty radical ones, and while some might bemoan the loss of, say, the zapping system, ultimately, they all contribute significantly to giving the game its own identity, so that the remake is able to stand alongside the original rather than either replacing it or being overshadowed by it. For fans of RE2 in particular, that alone is a massive achievement that cannot be overlooked.

In addition to that, as was leaked earlier this week, Ubisoft’s open world tactical shooter Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands also joins the service’s catalog on the same day. Subscribers can also expect multiplayer horror title Dead by Daylight, adventure title Bugsnax, and post-apocalyptic first person shooter Metro Exodus. Trials of Mana, UNO, Monopoly Madness, and Monopoly Plus are also included in the lineup.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like Sony is adding any legacy titles to the PlayStation Plus Premium tier library this month. As for the Essential tier, it added a solid lineup of games earlier this month as well. Read more on that through here.

Later this year, Yakuza 3 Remastered, Yakuza 4 Remastered, Yakuza 5 Remastered and Yakuza 6: The Song of Life will be available. Interestingly, while the remasters of Yakuza 3 to 5 are listed for PlayStation Plus Premium, Sony indicated earlier in the article, “Later this year, for Extra and Premium members, Kiryu’s story concludes with Yakuza 3 Remastered, Yakuza 4 Remastered, Yakuza 5 Remastered and Yakuza 6: The Song of Life.”

It’s possible that the separating listings are an error and the entire series is indeed coming to Extra and Premium. Stay tuned for more clarification on the same but at least Yakuza 6: The Song of Life is confirmed for both. As for Yakuza: Like a Dragon, it’s free for PlayStation Plus subscribers on PS4 and PS5 from August 2nd to September 6th.

Yakuza 0, Yakuza Kiwami, and Yakuza Kiwami 2 were taken off Game Pass back in December, but starting today, all three games are available on Game Pass for cloud, console, and PC once again. That means all mainline Yakuza games are, once again, available on the subscription service.

Also available on Game Pass today is puzzle game Last Call BBS. As a new launch, it’s available on Game Pass day one, but only on PC.

July 7 will see the addition of Road 96, Matchpoint: Tennis Championships (also available day one), and DJMax Resect V, all three for PC, console, and cloud. July 14, meanwhile, will add Escape Academy (console and PC), and Overwhelm (only PC), as well as My Friend Peppa Pig, PAW Patrol The Movie: Adventure City Calls, and PowerWash Simulator (all three via PC, console, and cloud).