If you look at the history of modern entertainment like films or television, video games haven’t been around for long, and yet they’ve innovated in such a short span of time. As a result, it means that games from even a decade ago are sometimes gettingremade from the ground up. All to improve the graphics, fidelity, performance and sometimes to completely rehaul the story.
With remasters and remakes becoming more common, the market can appear diluted with the numerous games that are being made again. Like other things, there are some that don’t get the true appreciation they deserve. These are some underrated remakes that you should check out.
Genre(s)
Action-adventure
From the grisly streets of the fictional city known as Lost Heaven comesMafia: The Definitive Edition. The open-world sandbox game puts you in the shoes of cab driver turned made man, Tommy Angelo, in the heart of Prohibition-era America. The game was originally released all the way back in 2002 and later ported over to consoles in 2004.
The leap from the 2004 original to 2020 remake is a breathtaking look at how far technology has come. Stunning graphics, modernized gameplay, and a completely rehauled story give the game so much more depth. The more realistic graphics and mo-cap animations also help capture the characters in a new way that helps the more well-developed story. It’s perhaps one of the most drastically different remakes we’ve seen that really improves upon its original.
Nintendo 3DS
Adventure
The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Timeis one of the most famous games of all time. Touted as one of the best video games ever, the nostalgic adventure game was impressive back in its day, featuring all sorts of dungeons, monsters, and more never before seen in a series that had so far never stepped close to the realm of 3D.
Such a reputation likely added pressure to the developers as they came up with a remake that not only had to somehow improve upon a game millions consider near perfect but also utilize the technology of a new console, the Nintendo 3DS. But that’s exactly what Nintendo did with their remake of this game. An innovative love letter to the fans, The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time 3D successfully reintroduced people to one of Nintendo’s best while adapting controls and visuals for an entirely new type of system, which is an impressive feat.
From one iconic game to the next.Tomb Raiderwas an absolute bombshell when it hit the shelvesin 1996. Not only did it introduce the iconic heroine Lara Croft, but it featured atmospheric levels, traps, and tombs, all with some exciting gameplay.
But Crystal Dynamics did an astounding job breathing life into the original with Tomb Raider: Anniversary, which retells the story of Lara Croft’s introductory adventure. The story has much more depth, the voice acting is much improved, and most of all, the levels are faithfully redone almost 1:1 at times. This highlights how beautiful the graphics are and provides that same atmosphere fans loved with the first game.
First-person shooter
Video game development is hard. It’s hard to create anything, films, books, anything that requires you to at least put some of your heart and soul into it, creatively and often financially. So it’s little surprise that when Looking Glass Studios embarked on remaking one of themost famous PC gamesof all time, they would have some issues.
However, after having to reboot development three times, it seemed almost hopeless. That is until they delivered one of the most atmospheric and faithful remakes we’ve ever seen.System Shockis a clear passion project that aims to bring a great game to modern standards. It still sticks to the old design that made the original so challenging while being able to work better on modern computers, letting older fans enjoy the game again with better controls and optimization.
Some remakes aren’t just for the old fans; They help reintroduce the game to a modern audience, as is the case withShadow Warrior. The original game in 1997 received some good to middling reviews, although it sold pretty decently. But after that, it seemed to fade into obscurity until a 2013 remake that would reboot the game.
The first-person shooter featured excellent fast-paced fun as you follow the tale of Lo Wang, an assassin turned demon-slaying superhero who must use a powerful sword to save Earth from being conquered. The story adds some nice motivation and stakes to the scenes without getting in the way, while the spacious levels and visceral combat provides heart-pounding fun that vastly improves over the original.
When it comes to remakes, one often has to ask, why does this game deserve to be remade? Is the company that is developing it just looking to chase some sort of nostalgia for profit? Oftentimes, the best remakes are the ones that are more than that; they are not just a much-needed modernization of a classic but something that is made with the love and care that fans of the original share.
Black Mesais that game. A completely fan-made project that took 15 years of development, this remake of Half-Life is one that is a true testament to everything video game development should be about. A clear labor of love, from the improved lighting to the high polish in the game, showcases an astonishing amount of effort and care for a game the development team clearly admired and wanted to share.
Black Mesa achieves the best feat any remake or remaster can hope to achieve. It feels less like a cheap paint job and more like a meticulous restoration of a piece of art to be hung up in the gallery once again.
