Shadow of the Colossus has hit the PS4 with rejuvenated life making accessible to audiences who missed it during its PS2 days. The secret formula for this remake was simple, they updated the game to current gen graphics and tweaked the controls and kept everything else the way it was 13 years ago. And the result is a game that mesmerizes you again just like it did back in the day, without showing any signs of aging.
This had me thinking about the other gems from the heydays of gaming (you know when you got a complete game on a disc and did not have to spend again?). These are the games that blew me away and have inspired many games of today. So without further ado, here are the top 5 games that would be perfect candidates for such a remake.
One of the first games that I played on the PS2, the first Prince of Persia was also the most vibrant and prettiest of them all, aesthetically speaking.(I still can’t digest the dark and gothic, sequels that followed it.) With smooth controls and impressive graphics for its time, the game was definitely a looker. Add to it an intriguing story with a likeable protagonist and we had a winner. This game was a perfect representative of gaming during its time. Visiting this game back in its old form today still has its charm. However, if this game were to be updated from the ground up with today’s graphics, this would be one of the prettiest games out there. (Just look at the Menu screen of this game and you will understand what I am on about). This game has the pedigree to sell well, if remade with the same car given to SOTC, and may get Ubisoft to bring the Prince back from the dead. You never know.
Set in Antarctica, this game is all about immersive atmospheric horror. A follow up to a movie of the same name, this game puts you in control of a squad leader who must investigate a spaceship found in the region. This sounds clichéd, yes, but the game executes tension and despair to the player in spades. Not only must you look out for the ‘Thing’ in the game, but also keep your squad intact and keep them from panicking and keep their trust in you (yes it’s a game mechanic). Throw in excellent sound design and voice acting, and you have the “Dead Space 2” of 2002. This is one game which does not need the mechanics hampered, what so ever (except maybe for the shooting), and only needs a graphical overhaul to today’s standards so it’s excellent atmosphere is brought to life. And we will be in for one very “chilling” experience.
Ninjas, Demons, Feudal Japan, Time travel, Jean Reno. Put them all together and wrap it up in a 3rd person action adventure and you get the Onimusha Trilogy. Dating back to the early days of the PS2, this series was an essential and remains a classic to this day. From the gameplay to the visuals, these games set the template that many games follow even today. Any boy/man who holds his PS2 close to his heart will know what these games meant in the early 2000s. And they are the perfect candidate for a remake in an age when games like Nioh have triumphed. Just make Onimusha 3 with the same opening cutscene with current gen graphics, only this time, running in real-time and have that transition into gameplay seamlessly. Dream fulfilled.
When there were literally 1000s of games to choose from on the PS2, and many of them ripping off elements from each other, in came Darkwatch. A glorious mash-up of steampunk western horror FPS set in the 19th century, If that doesn’t sound awesome, I don’t know what will. You play as an outlaw, who is on a race against time to stop himself from turning into a vampire while battling demons from another realm. The game pits you against Vampire lord Lazarus, on top of a speeding train, then moving on to a horseback while fighting demons on Zombie horses (step aside Game of Thrones) using his trusty redeemer shotgun. All this within the first 20 minutes of the game. However, Darkwatch, simply put was the Titanfall 2 of 2005. Released amongst juggernauts like Shadow of the Colossus and God of War, this gem of a title did not hit the highs that it so deserved. Which is why a remake which captures its eerie environments and characters perfectly, with a tight shooting mechanic, will give us a game that is unlike any in the market right now. And it will be, to put it mildly, completely Bonkers.
Hideo Kojima may not make any MGS games anymore. And Death Stranding looks like it will be a launch title for the PS5 (There, I called it. You heard it from me first). But the legacy of MGS which was at its high point in MGS4 Guns of the Patriot still lives on. However, the no.1 choice for the remake will have to be the equally excellent MGS3 Snake Eater. This was a game that was way ahead of its time. From the tight gunplay and stealth mechanics to the lush vegetation in the Jungle, this game was the full package, polished to a mirror sheen. So one can only imagine, what we can get if all of the games codes are kept intact and given a graphical overhaul that is built from the ground up. You wouldn’t need Guns of the patriot, or Phantom Pain. The best MGS is right here. And it is a remake. Who would’ve thought?
So those were my picks for the top 5 games that deserve the SOTC treatment. I am sure that you will be in agreement with at least one of the titles on this list. So it is safe to say that I share the sentiments of millions of gamers across the world. Any developer listening?
