Most of the time, remasters tend to come off as cash grabs. Take a classic and well-loved game, update some textures here, throw in some half-baked multiplayer there, and voila: You have a new money-making machine. Sometimes, though, a well-crafted remaster or remake can drum up more anticipation than a new game or sequel. These are the seven remakes and remasters that we simply cannot wait to get our hands on. Mark your calendars; these are going to kick a lot of ass.
Voodoo Vince
Voodoo Vince is a name that only a very lucky few will recognize. This game was unfortunately confined to Xbox exclusivity when it came out 13 years ago, and it never reached the audience it deserved. It’s one of my favorite platformers, right up there with the likes of Ratchet & Clank, Sly Cooper , and Jak & Daxter . It also has a phenomenal original soundtrack – search for “Back Stoop” on YouTube for a taste of what you can expect. A remastered version built from the ground up to run at 1080p and 60 FPS is coming to Xbox One and Windows 10 early 2017. Don’t miss it again.
Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age
Final Fantasy XII represents a very common gap in many Final Fantasy fans’ completion logs. It came out at the very end of the PS2’s life, and presented a more mature and political story. In the West it also lacked a few key updates that came to the Japanese version of the game, but that’s all changed with The Zodiac Age , which will bring with it the famed Zodiac job system. The Zodiac job system completely changes how each character progresses, which in turn changes how the player plans for every engagement. Of course you can expect all of the usual visual and performance upgrades when The Zodiac Age arrives next year.
Crash Bandicoot 1, 2, and Warped
After months of teasing, Sony finally committed to bring Crash back. Sony put on an incredible conference this past E3, and for many long-time PlayStation players the biggest moment of the show was Shawn Layden walking onto the stage followed by a long animated shadow in the shape of Crash himself. Not only are we getting the first Crash Bandicoot , but its sequel and Crash Bandicoot: Warped as well. All three games are being remastered from the ground up for PS4, and we can’t wait to see some gameplay footage.
Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection
The Ezio Collection is a trilogy of remasters that represent the essence of the Assassin’s Creed franchise. Everything might have started with Altair, but it was Ezio who stole our hearts. In this collection we’ll see visually enhanced versions of Assassin’s Creed II, Brotherhood, and Revelations along with all of their respective DLC. For all of you lore nuts out there, Ubisoft is also throwing in four short films which will shed more light on Ezio’s backstory. I envy anyone about to experience Assassin’s Creed II for the first time. It truly is a masterpiece.
Skyrim: Special Edition
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim represents the ultimate time sink for many of you. Hailed as one of the greatest Western RPGs, it certainly remains one of the most beloved and most revisited. On October 28, Bethesda is giving all of us an irresistible incentive to return to Skyrim yet again with Special Edition . This remaster comes with all of the post-launch DLC, beautifully upgraded visuals, and mod support across the board. Yes, I did say across the board. Bethesda recently confirmed that mod support for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition will be coming to PS4 after all, so get pumped.
Final Fantasy VII Remake
This is the game we all wanted, but none of us thought we’d ever see it. Final Fantasy VII isn’t a game you can neatly remaster – it’s simply too dated. In order to do right by fans a complete remake is necessary, and that is such a tall order. Square Enix is rising to the occasion, and it won’t be long before we start seeing waves of gameplay footage. I’m nervous. Every time I think about this game my heart beats faster. It could be the ultimate remake, or it could turn out to be a disaster.
Modern Warfare Remastered
I can tell you from experience that this remaster is everything we wanted and more. Raven has gone above and beyond the call of duty (so to speak) in their treatment of this timeless gem. This is a game that you have to see to believe – it’s like playing through the campaign for the first time all over again. Raven even gave us a real reason to seek out and collect all of the hidden intel throughout the game: collecting them unlocks a long list of cheats that can be activated upon your subsequent replays of each mission. Some cheats turn enemies’ heads into giant watermelons, some enable a cinematic slow-motion mode, and others turn your grenades into lemons which explode into torrents of lemonade. They’re incredible, and so is this remaster.