This year is completely stuffed with video game remakes and remasters, like the gaming world is an overgrown hermit crab stubbornly holding onto a little cone-shaped shell. While you might wish to be born again every month or so, video games aren’t afraid to rehash what they are again, and again. To make sorting through games’ self-assured recapitulation easier, though, I put together a list of every major remake and remaster you’ll be able to play in 2023.
Some of these games are already available and feature only small changes, like the updated Persona 3 Portable or sharpened Kirby’s Return To Dreamland Deluxe, but other projects were hit by more rejuvenating waves, like the overhauled Dead Space and forthcoming Resident Evil 4 remake. So take a trip to 10 years ago. Learn how to make the old new again. Keep reading.
Read More: “Here’s Every Video Game Release Date For 2023”
Persona 3 and 4
Re-releases Persona 3 Portable and Persona 4 Golden don’t only bring the games — originally released in 2009 and 2012, respectively — to more currently accessible, modern consoles. The updated role-playing games also have improved graphics, controls, a more flexible save system so players can save whenever they want rather than only at certain sections, and added scenes.
Release date: January 19
Available to play on: PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Dead Space
Fan-favourite alien shooter Dead Space got its 2008 paint scraped off and reloaded earlier this year, its dedicated remake bringing sharp, gory graphics, and — gasp! — commanding voice acting for its originally tight-lipped protagonist Isaac. The remake also features level-based security clearance, which racks up naturally with experience and helps unlock all kinds of goodies, including for your gun, and more lore and sidequests to discover in unwelcoming, black shadows.
Release date: January 27
Available to play on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Like a Dragon: Ishin!
Samurai-themed action-adventure Like a Dragon: Ishin! was originally released in 2014, but its recent remake was so solid, Kotaku staff writer Sisi Jiang called it the “best samurai game ever” way out here in 2023. That was mostly due to the appeal of the original game’s absorbing historical fiction, inspired by Japanese history, and not necessarily its “lacklustre graphical fidelity,” Jiang said.
“Water can be too shimmery, and hair can look like plastic in some real-time rendered scenes,” they continued. Even so, “Most of the time, it doesn’t feel like it matters because the small artistic details in the clothes and props look so damn impressive.”
Release date: February 21
Available to play on: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Metroid Prime Remastered
2002 shooter and intergalactic adventure Metroid Prime was lovingly remastered for the accurately titled Metroid Prime Remastered. The Switch exclusive provides perfect upgrades for the classic game, including remarkably tidied-up graphics, an impressive suite of customisable controls, and a wealth of helpful accessibility features.
Release date: February 22
Available to play on: Switch
Kirby’s Return To Dream Land Deluxe
Kirby’s Return To Dream Land Deluxe stays true to the cotton candy original, released for the Wii in 2011, with exacting platformer capabilities and an easy, dreamy story about Kirby being too trustworthy. The graphics are boosted while keeping everything in the original’s wistful shades of sea glass, and Kirby gets the never-before-seen Copy Abilities Sand and Mecha, a double, extra-easy setting, and a carnival world with mini-games to explore.
Release date: February 24
Available to play on: Switch
Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse
Though from its choppy cutscenes and big booby teenagers, you can tell that Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is a game from 2008, today’s release nonetheless marks the inventive survival horror’s international debut and its first official English translation. And if you need the blood drained from your face, like, now, I’m glad to inform you that even the game’s hopeless controls can’t take away from its entrancing, psychedelic scares.
Release date: March 9
Available to play on: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC
Resident Evil 4
Speaking of scary, Capcom has been hiding a beautiful skeleton in its closet — a plucked and polished remake of its 2005 monster shooter Resident Evil 4. This forthcoming version will add side-quests, rebalanced weapons, a modest-is-hottest skort for tag-along protagonist Ashley Graham.
Despite all the changes, the remake seems to hold onto the original’s mass of sputtering, mangled monsters and — I say this with affection — corny dialogue.
Read More: “GameStop Employees Freak Out As All Resident Evil 4 CE Store Pre-Orders Get Cancelled [Update]”
Release date: March 24
Available to play on: PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
System Shock
Indie developer and abandonware enthusiast Nightdive Studios is working on overhauling the 1994 first-person action adventure System Shock. According to the remake’s Steam description, it will combine the original game’s Hackers-ish gameplay, which involves hiding from the rogue, sentient software SHODAN and discovering plot through emails, “with all-new HD visuals, updated controls, an overhauled interface and all-new sounds & music.” The original SHODAN voice actress, Terri Brosius, will also return for this version.
Release date: March TBA
Available to play on: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp
Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp combines 2001 turn-based strategy game Advance Wars and 2003 sequel Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising to form one battle with Farmville squares of tufted grass.
The Nintendo store describes it as a “from-the-ground-up remake” with “two campaigns that cover the events of Advance Wars and Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising,” decorated with colourful cartoons, a departure from the original game’s blocky pixel art.
Release date: April 21
Available to play on: Switch
Risk of Rain Returns
The 2013 action platformer Risk of Rain never really left, but developer Hopoo Games is planning a “carefully designed, beautifully remastered” interpretation “loaded with new ways to play,” Returns’ Steam description says. “Dive into the iconic roguelike full of unique loot combinations, enhanced with new Survivors, overhauled multiplayer, fan favourite content from Risk of Rain 2, and more!”
Release date: 2023 TBA
Available to play on: Switch, PC
Silent Hill 2
Layers of Fear developer Bloober has not yet confirmed a release date for its next-gen revision of 2001 survival horror Silent Hill 2, but the game is available to wishlist on the PlayStation store and on Steam.
The game’s Steam description is bare: “Experience a master-class in psychological survival horror,” is all it really says, “on the latest hardware with chilling visuals and visceral sounds.” But based on screenshots and its available trailer, it looks sweaty and eerie, everything buried in tension-building mist. James is still ugly to me, though, LOL.
Release date: 2023 TBA
Available to play on: PS5, PC
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Square Enix’s revival of its 1997 role-playing game was supposed to come out this winter, but now it’s spring, so that’s kind of awkward. Square Enix keeps talking it up though, telling us Rebirth will span three games, so maybe patience is a virtue, in this case. Instead of chewing on your nails in anticipation, hose off your nervous anime energy with Powerwash Simulator’s free Final Fantasy VII-themed DLC.
Release date: 2023 TBA
Available to play on: PS5
Lollipop Chainsaw
There isn’t a lot of information available on Dragami Games’ remake of cheerleader hack-and-slash Lollipop Chainsaw yet. Studio head Yoshimi Yasuda confirmed some basic aspects in 2022, like better graphics and different music, but the rest is up to your imagination, which hopefully isn’t as gross as it was in 2012.
Release date: 2023 TBA
Available to play on: TBA
What remake are you most looking forward to?
Leave a Reply