Summary
RPGs are one of the oldest and most reliable video game genres, offering engaging fantasy universes you can explore while fighting monsters, leveling up, and acquiring better loot. Since RPGs have been around since the dawn of video games as a form of art and entertainment, many older titles are hard to play nowadays. That’s what makes remakes invaluable.
Some remakes update a game’s visual, while others rebalance gameplay mechanics or add additional content. They all bring new life to a beloved title, making them relevant for newer generations. With that in mind, here are the ten best RPG remakes.
10Secret Of Mana
Secret of Mana is arguably the best entry in the Mana series of action RPGs, which launched in the SNES era. While the SNES version of Secret of Mana is quite charming, the game’s remake introduced 3D graphics and extensive voice acting, updating the adventure to more contemporary standards.
Some fans dislike the 3D approach of the remake, which takes away some of the charm of the original title. The remake also doesn’t add many quality-of-life changes to gameplay, which is an obvious missed opportunity. Still, the core combat system and narrative marvel of Secret of Mana are now widely available, which is a victory in itself.
9Super Mario RPG
Super Mario RPG: The Legend of the Seven Starsis among the best RPGs launched on the SNES. The game is responsible for expanding the Super Mario franchise’s narrative into new and exciting directions while experimenting with ways to make turn-based combat more interactive and fun for everyone.
With the remake of Super Mario RPG, Nintendo ensured younger generations could enjoy one of the best JRPGs ever created. The remake sticks a little too close to the original and basically only upgrades the game’s visuals. Still, making Super Mario RPG more accessible is a great reason to praise this remake.
Ourreview of the Super Mario RPG remakeexplains how this almost three-decades-old game still shows one of the best versions of the Mushroom Kingdom.
8Star Ocean: First Departure
Star Oceanis yet another successful JRPG series that Square Enix debuted on the Super Nintendo. Like other titles from the studio, Star Ocean features a fantasy world filled to the brink with secrets to explore. In addition, the game has an inventive affection system that rewards you with background lore of the main characters you make an effort to befriend.
The remake of Star Ocean, First Departure, includes an extensive overhaul of the game’s visuals, adds new characters, includes voice dialogue, and adds an overhaul map that facilitates exploration. While not all story changes resonated with the fanbase, Star Ocean: First Departure is still responsible for allowing thousands of new players to dive into the series.
The First Departure version of Star Ocean also got a remaster with improved graphics. The game launched on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 under the name Star Ocean: First Departure R.
7Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain Of Memories
Kingdom Heartsis one of the most complex RPG series of all time, with a convoluted story that forces you topay attention to every piece of loreto put together what the heck is happening. That’s why Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain Of Memories is such a vital remake, as it brought an obscure GBA spinoff to the PlayStation 2, the console of the main games.
Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain Of Memories did more than allow fans to experience an interlude between the first two mainline games in the series. The remake completely revamped the combat mechanics while adding new story content that helped make things more straightforward. Not everyone enjoyed Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain Of Memories’s card-based combat, but this chapter is still essential to understanding what the series is about.
6Live A Live
Live a Liveis an anthology JRPG that tells eight interconnected stories that happen in several periods, from Prehistory to the far future. A cult classic, Live a Live gathered a legion of fans thanks to its clever use and subversion of JRPG conventions to give you control of eight distinct characters that all play in a unique way.
The remake of Live a Live added enhanced HD-2D visuals to the game and featured impeccable voice acting, which you’re able to turn off if you prefer to experience the game as it was offered in the SNES. Plus, the remake fixed many of the original game translation issues, ensuring everyone can enjoy Live a Live as its designers first intended.
Ourreview of Live a Liveunderlines how the game surprises you at every turn, making it a welcome addition to your JRPG collection.
5Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition
The firstBaldur’s Gatetook the fairly complex Dungeons & Dragons system and turned it into an engaging video game that feels just like the tabletop RPG. Using the fan-favorite Forgotten Realms universe, Baldur’s Gate allows you to explore dungeons and fight monsters while deciding how to interact with dozens of unique NPCs.
While Baldur’s Gate was rightfully praised for its profound lore and considering your choices, the title became virtually unplayable in newer systems until the release of the Enhanced Edition. This remake not only rebuilt the original game so it would be available but corrected many bugs and added a ton of original content, including two additional campaigns.
4Persona 3 FES
Persona 3has a couple of remakes and remasters, including a complete overhaul in the form ofPersona 3 Reload. This remake adds a welcoming fresh coat of paint to the original game and revamps the gameplay so that new fans coming fromPersona 5can feel at home exploring the game. The only thing preventing Persona 3 Reload from being the game’s definitive version is the additional content from Persona 3 FES.
Persona 3 FES added new ways to interact with the quirky NPCs you find in your journey, added a new difficulty option, and has a whole new combat challenge to test your skills at the endgame. In short, Persona 3 FES is the most complete remake, even if it lacks the visual charm of the Reload version.
3Final Fantasy 7 Remake
Final Fantasy 7 Remakecompletely reimagines a fan-favorite entry in Square Enix’s legendary RPG series. The remake drops the turn-based combat to keep you in control of the action, with gorgeous visuals that are on par with recent RPG releases. In addition, Final Fantasy 7 Remake expands on the original story and gives its main characters more time to evolve.
The only area where Final Fantasy 7 Remake falls short as a remake is its episodic nature. Final Fantasy 7 Remake only has part of the whole story of the original game, despite being around 40-50 hours long.
2Demon’s Souls
WhileDark Soulstaught the whole world they should prepare to die when playing FromSoftware games, the first title in the studios' successful line of action RPGs wasDemon’s Souls. Initially launched on the PlayStation 3, Demon’s Soul has the same checkpoint mechanics, punishing environment, and complex Dark Souls series’ combat system, with a unique fantasy setting filled with secrets to uncover.
The remake of Demon’s Souls completely rebuilt the game from the ground up, polishing the gameplay while keeping every unique aspect of the original adventure intact. The stunning visuals also showcase the processing power of the PlayStation 5.
The Demon’s Souls remake is so good thatour reviewdefines it as the best PlayStation launch game ever.
1Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition
Mixing medieval fantasy with sci-fi elements,Xenoblade Chroniclescame to the Wii to launch a new series of beloved action RPGs. Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition improves on almost every aspect of the original game and delivers the definitive edition of a masterpiece.
The remake of Xenoblade Chronicles updates the game’s graphics, improves performance, adds many quality-of-life tweaks, and even gives longtime fans of the series brand-new content, including a new epilogue. Regardless of whether you’ve played the game on the Wii, Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition offers you all the incentive you need to explore or re-explore its vast open world and get absorbed by the series' engaging storytelling.
Ourreview for Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Editiondetails all the remarkable changes the remake presents compared to the original.
