As we age, we often revisit past experiences to reassess their value or enjoy what we missed. Thanks to remakes and remasters, we can do both, though licensing issues often leave many games forgotten, like those in the Hitman and Mercenaries series. Here are 10 classic games desperate for remasters.
10. GUN
Before Red Dead Redemption there was Red Dead Revolver, and in between the two, we find GUN.
Neversoft’s GUN follows Colton “Cole” White, an Apache outlaw raised by his adopted father, Ned White (played brilliantly by the late Kris Kristofferson). The story centres on Cole’s vengeful mission to avenge his father and others.
The story is not dissimilar to the kinds of Westerns that your grandparents no doubt grew up around, with on exception, GUN is brutal.
Throughout the campaign, Cole shoots, stabs, blows and carves his way to vengeance. Even allowing you to scalp your enemies after blowing them into matching pieces using home-made dynamite bombs.
GUN would benefit greatly from better graphics and a control-scheme overhaul, because while GUN was a good game, it always fell short of being a great game due to its maddening control scheme.
GUN is a beautifully brutal story delivered painstakingly by Neversoft but with a new engine, GUN could be the next great remake under the right studio.
9. Scarface: The World Is Yours
Touted for so long as a “GTA Killer”, Scarface: The World Is Yours follows the story of Cuban druglord Tony Montana.
*SPOILER ALERT FOR SCARFACE: THE MOVIE*
Okay, so remember how Montana was killed at the end of the Oliver Stone’s gruesome epic? This game posits the idea of Tony Montana surviving the bloodbath at the end of the movie after Sosa betrays him.
Throughout the game, you must rebuild the once-great Montana Drug empire. This is done by taking over fronts, annihilating rival gangs, completing story missions and hunting down fan favourites from the movie like Gaspar Gomez.
Set in ’80s Miami, the game’s soundtrack, vehicles, and streets capture the era. With ray tracing on modern consoles and immersive 3D or 7.1 audio, the vibrant setting and intense sound effects would be stunning.
Unfortunately as developer Sierra is long-since dead, and the hype over Scarface is long-since past, this may never happen. But Scarface certainly does have a dedicated fan-base and with the talents of a studio like CDPR or even EA, Scarface could one day be back to bury those cock’a’roaches?
8. The Godfather
We all know the iconic familial Francis Ford Coppola crime epic. What many of you may not know is that the series also spawned 2 relatively successful video games. The games in question essentially follow the narrative of the first two movies, but with small adjustments made to allow for the inclusion of a playable character.
Godfather is an institution, anyone worth their salt either knows it, or loves it. Playing as a member of the Corleone family was always going to be a challenge due to the narrative constraints, luckily the team behind The Godfather Game found a way around this, make you play as a low-level member of the outside circle that slowly rises through the ranks and becomes a don in their own right. Throughout the game you take over district-after-district by completing racket missions and eliminating existing racket bosses and underbosses. The gameplay is very much of its time, but offers a great alternative to the whacky Saints Row games and a wonderful take on a road travelled more than most.
The atmosphere of the game is captured perfectly and the voice cast delivers every line perfectly. With The Godfather celebrating its 52nd birthday and the new tech at hand, I think it is time that we revisit the Corleone family and re-experience the amazing story of The Godfathers series, and who knows, if it sells well enough then maybe we will finally get a third game – anything has to be better than the 3rd movie right?
7. Hitman: Codename 47
Back to where it all began.
The first Hitman game, released only on PC, follows Agent 47 as he escapes captivity and embarks on an ICA-sanctioned killing spree, beginning with triad boss Lee Hong and ending in a dramatic confrontation with his creator, Ortmeyer.
6. Batman: Arkham Origins
Not the best-received Batman game, and technically not an official Arkham game due to it having been developed by Warner Brothers instead of Arkham series stalwarts Rocksteady Games, largely due to their preoccupation with Arkham Knight.
Arkham Origins enjoyed a mostly favourable reaction when it released aside from its PlayStation 3 release which was largely plagued with issues pertaining to assets not loading in and the game crashing frequently. This was not uncommon for the PS3 as it was famously a difficult platform to develop for. Elsewhere however, it played wonderfully and was largely lauded for its inclusion of a multiplayer component, original story and interesting take on the Batman’s first year as the caped crusader.
5. Call Of Duty: Black Ops
Many people will argue that Call Of Duty started the online shooter craze that has gripped the world for over twi decades now. They would of course, be incorrect. However, it would be remiss of any of us to not mention the impact that the series has had on the online shooter medium.
Call of Duty: Black Ops is set during the Vietnam War and Cuban Missile Crisis, packed with era references and cameos, including a standout performance by Chriss Anglin as John F. Kennedy, adding depth to key scenes.
It’s the perfect time to revisit Black Ops’ Vietnam setting. With modern tech, we could have 64-player matches on iconic maps like Nuketown. Fans would eagerly pay for a new version of the game, reliving their memories.
4. Fallout: New Vegas
Obsidian’s 2010 entry into the Fallout series, stands head-and-shoulders above many games of its time and is even held as a more superior entry into the series than its Bethesda helmed predecessor. The strongest features for Fallout: New Vegas are its post-apocalyptic Nevada setting and its wonderfully immersive soundtrack.
Fallout: New Vegas uses a muted orange and grey palette, highlighting the story’s key moments while staying true to the series’ melancholic tone. Its 40s and 50s-inspired soundtrack perfectly complements the game’s atmosphere.
Where Fallout: New Vegas steps away from the series staples, is in the game-play mechanics, most notably; the way in which weapons work. Weapons in Fallout: New Vegas can be upgraded and customised at any workbench. Customising weapons is useful as you never know what you’re going to encounter and using an unsuppressed weapon in the midst of a Deathclaw stampede will be the last stupid thing you ever do… trust me.
3. Burnout 3: Takedown
With an amazing soundtrack and ground-breaking gameplay, Burnout, developed by Criterion Games, shifted the focus from racing to what we all love – crashing.
The Burnout series remains critically acclaimed for its unique, thrilling gameplay, with 9 entries across 12 platforms over a decade. However, the 2018 entry, Burnout: Paradise, failed to capture the magic of its predecessors by focusing on open-world elements that didn’t mesh well with the series.
Burnout 3: Takedown was the last great instalment in the series, with stage-based races, a killer soundtrack, and stunning visuals for its time. It deserves not just a remaster, but a ground-up rebuild using the EA Glacier engine. This could help it shine again, standing out in today’s sea of standard racing games—and just imagine Crash mode in 4K!
2. Theme Park World
Since its debut in 1992, the theme park game series influenced titles like Thrillville and Rollercoaster Tycoon, with a major update in Theme Park World just five years later.
Imagine controlling every aspect of your favourite theme park, from building rollercoasters to managing prices and drink sizes to maximize profit – Theme Park World lets you do it all.
You might be wondering, “Why a new-gen version of Theme Park World?” My answer: “Graphics” – hear me out.
Theme Park World was limited by hardware, but with modern graphics technology, it could be a bigger, better experience, as seen in its spiritual successor, Planet Coaster.
In conclusion, Theme Park World deserves a remake for its fun management gameplay, offering full control over park operations. With 4K graphics, a faster frame rate, and VR support, it could reach new heights—complete with legendary real-life motion sickness!
1. Baldur’s Gate (1 and 2)
Baldur’s Gate 1 launched in 1998 to mostly favourable reviews. With publications like PCGamer (US) awarding it a 94/100, with many praising it as an “Instant classic” due to its “fluid storylines” and “promising framework for future instalments” (as we know with Baldur’s Gate 3, this would eventually come to fruition. Baldur’s Gate is one of the most culturally significant RPG experiences available on almost any platform, and many game series such as Elder Scrolls, owe their existence to Baldur’s Gate and the fine work of the folks over at Interplay.
Pulling its influence from the late 80’s-early 90’s Dungeons and Dragons – also with it being set within the Forgotten Realms of the D&D world – Baldur’s Gate seeps traditional RPG from its character selection, all the way to its – for the time at least – beautifully rendered environments and captivating storylines. I think, the time is right – especially with the success of Baldur’s Gate 3 – to revisit Baldur’s Gate 1 in glorious 4K.
What do you think? Do you agree with our picks for games that are crying out for remasters, have we missed any that you feel deserve recognition and has this list informed you of any games that you have not played/heard of before?
