5 video games whose remakes no one asked for (and 5 which desperately need one)

Video games, like all things in life, are subject to the passage of time. The games have become too outdated to play after a certain amount of years since their release. It used to be that games like that fell out and were left in the past. But times have changed, and bringing a piece of media back from the dead is quite a common art form.

Remakes gives older video games a shot at a new life, letting them be enjoyed by a newer audience and fans of the older original products. As such, some games get to live on through second life. And yet sometimes, remakes are not met with the reception they expect if the re-envisioned product is not up to the mark.

Thus, it falls to the developers to create a remake that balances elements of the original game while also adding new elements that do not detract from the larger experience.

Unnecessary video game remakes

1) GoldenEye 007 (2010)

The original GoldenEye 007 was a first-person shooter video game developed by Rare and released in 1997 for the Nintendo 64. It was a genre-defining game, which saw players take control of James Bond, from the movie of the same name, played by award-winning actor Pierce Brosnan.

The game was a viral entry in its time and naturally got a remake in 2010 by developer Eurocom. This game changed the script tremendously by having James Bond changed to the Daniel Craig version, which was currently portraying the movie character. Aside from Craig, the rest of the cast was also remade with random actors, bearing no resemblance to the movie characters.

The story from the original movie and N64 video game was completely redone, with the levels also being made from scratch. This led to a lot of the fun playfulness of the original version being removed to make the game more streamlined. While it was a fine shooter for the Wii, it had little resemblance to the original game.

2) Warcraft III: Reforged

One of the more horrifying entries here, Blizzard’s remake of the original Warcraft III, now stands as a historical monument about turning on its fans. When the news was first announced, it was well-received, with promises of new content, CGI-rendered cutscenes for dialogues, and better graphics.

However, none of these promises were met when the remade video game launched. With a simple texture overhaul to HD, the game was the same old game, with none of the new content. Blizzard even took off the launcher for the original Warcraft III game, so players could only play online via the remake.

Another bad move by Blizzard during this launch was also to make all player-generated content proprietary property. As an example of how pushing out a bad version of an older game that is still enjoyable is not met with positive feedback, this release should serve as a cautionary tackle for developers seeking to remake video games.

3) Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD

Tony Hawk’s is a series of sports video games for skateboard enthusiasts, made by skateboard enthusiast Tony Hawk. In a series that started in 1999, the series got a remake titled Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD, which saw a pitiful seven levels pulled from the first two games.

While the number of stages is a factor in criticism, the game also serves as a way to alienate its original fanbase. The game featured a new engine, which changed how most skateboarding coolness worked from previous games.

Fans took a much different route from their predecessor, making the game cumbersome and a chore to play. The game also lacked an offline multiplayer mode, which fans of the series had come to expect in all games by this point.

4) Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes

Metal Gear Solid was a much-loved game, originally released for the PlayStation and PC in 1998. The game continues with the story from the previous two video games, Metal Gear & Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. It sees the protagonist Solid Snake infiltrate a nuclear weapons facility, taking down terrorists and liberating hostages.

The game saw a remake in the form of Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, released for GameCube in 2004. While a good game of its own was met with some criticism due to it including a lot of gameplay mechanics directly lifted from Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty.

Performance issues also plagued the game, with framerate drops flogging in certain areas with larger crowds. The level design has also not changed at all, leading to many of the challenges being taken away and even ruining one of the boss fights in the game.

5) Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Fans of the GTA series still love the original San Andreas video game, despite how outdated it might look. However, fans were skeptical but excited when an HD remake of three older GTA games was announced. However, this was turned around when the GTA Trilogy: Definitive edition was finally released.

While all three video games in this rerelease suffered intensely, San Andreas had the most glaring problems. One of the indefensible changes made was to the game’s character designs. In the overhaul to HD, these lost many important details which gave the characters their iconic looks.

In addition, the game had a litany of bugs, such as rain physics, which made it look like milk drops falling from the sky, various clipping issues, and the draw distance.

If players climbed to a high enough building, the entire game map could be seen, along with an endless void stretching beyond. An existential crisis is not what they were expecting when booting up San Andreas in 2021.

Video games that are due for a remake

1) Bully

Rockstar Games’ foray into an academic setting following the life of a school student was a great success and was received very positively by fans. He tells the story of Jimmy Hokins as he continues his studies in a new boarding school called Bullworth Academy. Released in 2006, after over a decade, it is still a great game to play.

Yet, a remake of the game would be very appreciated by fans, with a new graphical overhaul and mechanics betting on the times. Rockstar’s recent games have shown great capacity to tell intriguing stories that can get players invested in their characters, and Jimmy Hopkins is a great contender.

While Bully was a great video game in its own right, the story definitely can be improved. Set in the small-scale open-world of Bullworth town, the map is immersive enough that a good recreation, in a slightly larger capacity, might also prove to be a great choice. With Rockstar seemingly working on re-releasing past projects for a new audience, this could be in the cards.

2) Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines

An RPG set in the world of Vampires sounds like a lot of fun. With players able to create their vampire avatar, complete with a class system, and different abilities, this is precisely what Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines is.

Set in a fictional Los Angeles, the video game follows the player's character as they are taken into the hidden world of the vampires that populate every corner of the city. With an exciting story regarding a plot to eliminate all kinds of the living dead from the planet, this game lets players role-play their favorite vampire trope.

With a sequel in the works, this would be an excellent time for a remake to hit the shelves, which could familiarise people with the original game. While games like Swang Song and Bloodhunt already exist in The Masquerade universe, nothing quite like Bloodlines has ever been done since.

3) Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

The Star Wars Force Unleashed games were some of the best Star Wars had to offer in late 2000s. The first video game was arguably the better of the two, released in 2008 and featuring Starkiller as the protagonist, a secret apprentice of Darth Vader.

While delivering a lackluster story, the game was still entertaining to play, as Starkiller had access to a host of Force powers, like Push, Grip, Lightning, and Lightsaber throw. He was also a fascinating character, played spectacularly by Sam Witwer of Star Wars fame. However, once Disney acquired Star Wars, this game and plenty of other extended media were pushed out of the canon.

Yet many fans still wish to see Starkiller return, and a remake of the original Force Unleashed game would be a great way to reintroduce the character back into canon. With a retooled story to fit into the new lore, Starkiller can still function in Star Wars, serving as an origin story for the Rebel Alliance and the Galactic War, just like the original game.

4) Darksiders

The original Darksiders saw the horseman of the apocalypse, War, ride out to answer the call. The game saw a third-person hack and slash perspective, which features some fun combat and great set pieces, set amidst an adaptation of the Biblical end of the world.

The sequel to the game saw the other riders of the apocalypse, namely Death, Fury, and Strife, take the stage as playable protagonists.

With it being a few years since a mainline Darksiders game was released, a good remake of the original game could bring this series back into the limelight. The best bit about this game was the combat, which significantly improved in the 3rd game after THQ Nordic acquired the IP.

A remake of the very first video game, with a better-written story, and decent combat, would be an excellent experience for fans of the series, who would be delighted to play as War again.

5) GoldenEye 007

Ticking off this list with the same entry as the first one, GoldenEye 007 is a video game that still needs a proper remake. This might come to fruition shortly. With more than a few leaks available on the internet, many clues point to the fact that the original developer Rare was working on bringing this N64 classic to new consoles.

One of the most recent news is the list of achievements that made its way onto Xbox’s official site, leading many to believe that the game is nearly done. While it was much looked after in the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase event, GoldenEye 007 did not make an appearance. Yet, many are still hoping it could appear at a future Nintendo Direct event.

As Rare is developing, it seems to be in good hands, possibly being a faithful recreation and one that old and new fans might enjoy. The essential element will be to retain the ingenuity of the original, letting players explore levels at their leisure, with possible added support for an online multiplayer.