What games or series do you wish would get the Remaster/Remake treatment?

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Sun Jan 31, 2021 4:55 pm

With so many classic games getting the remaster or remake treatment these days, it feels like there are still a ton out there that I would love to see what they could do with on today's systems. Curious which games and/or series you'd like to see revisited with current gen tech. My top 5:

1. Chrono Series. This one is honestly a real headscratcher as to why it hasn't happened yet. Chrono Trigger is widely considered as the best RPG of the 16-bit era. Chrono Cross, while flawed, was still a pretty spectacular game on the PS1. Since Square seems to be giving everything else under the sun a remaster (I just bought Trials of Mana today, a current gen remake of Seiken Densetsu 3), it baffles me that they've simply let the Chrono games gather dust on the shelf.

2. Tenchu series. The first two Tenchu games were an absolute blast on PS1, and the PS2 version was very fun as well. From Software has obviously moved on, but I would really love to see this series get a remaster. A few games have come close (Aragami is probably the best "spiritual successor" we have), but nothing has nailed ninja stealth quite like Tenchu did. (And yes, I'm going to pretend that Tenchu Z never existed.

)

3. Xenosaga series. These were easily the most epic JRPG's of the PS2 era. They told an incredible story, the characters and world-building was fantastic, and the soundtrack was amazing. The Xenoblade games scratch a little bit of the same itch, but don't have any characters who even come close to KOSMOS, Shion, Albedo, and Jin.

4. Shadow Hearts series. The first two games in this PS2 series were quirky, bizarre, horror(ish)-themed JRPGs that were simultaneously completely absurd and utterly brilliant. Sadly, the third game was a wreck, and likely killed the series. Would love to see something revived, especially Shadow Hearts: Covenant, which was amazing.

5. Anachronox. Still one of the funniest games ever, but really tough to go back and play at this point. A new coat of paint on this one would b awesome.

Rumpy · Post by **Rumpy** » Sun Jan 31, 2021 5:37 pm

Oh man, yeah, I'd love for Anachronox to get a remake. Loved that game, but it was dated even when it originally came out, but it was amazing just how much they did with the Quake II engine. They were hoping to make a sequel, but then the game got overshadowed by Daikatana's controversy, and still to this day, I don't think Anachronox is fully appreciated, even when it was technically a better game.

Carpet_pissr · Post by **Carpet_pissr** » Sun Jan 31, 2021 7:02 pm

HOMM III
Warcraft I and II
The original Thief game
Unreal (not Tournament, the single player/campaign game)
Wizardry 7/8
Dark Forces I & II
No One Lives Forever and 2
DA: Origins
Call of Duty
Black and White
Deus Ex (maybe already has a remaster? Not sure)
Freedom Force
Sacrifice

I would say Fallout 1 and 2 but I have replayed those for the last time in the past few years, and I am done. Even a remaster would likely not get me to replay those amazing, beloved games.

Original X-Com No idea why this has not happened yet. It boggles the mind considering the popularity at the time of the games, the resulting follow up games and THEIR popularity, and the general reverence most gamers hold towards the originals. I know, LOTS of "likes" but no one has simply redone the original, which would be brilliant.

The first graphical Zorks (can't remember the titles)
Mechwarrior (2 or 3, can't remember which was the first one that would use the first Monster 3D add on video cards)
Caesar III
Comanche (helicopter game)
The very first Tomb Raider
Operation Flashpoint - Cold War Crisis (the original, first one)
Rise of Nations
Silent Storm

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Sun Jan 31, 2021 7:15 pm

None. I loved them then as they were and dont need to revisit them with tweaked graphics. Make new ones if you must but leave the originals alone.

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Sun Jan 31, 2021 7:27 pm

Carpet_pissr wrote: ↑Sun Jan 31, 2021 7:02 pm HOMM III
The original Thief game

Fully agree on both of those.

I tried going back to DA Origins recently. It was...rough.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Sun Jan 31, 2021 10:50 pm

Thief & Thief 2
Deus Ex
NOLF 1 & 2
Alien vs Predator 2
Hidden & Dangerous 2
Fallout 2
Ghost Recon (the original)
Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear or Raven Shield
GTA San Andreas
Jagged Alliance 2
Medieval Total War 2 (Ok, that's a lie - I want the sequel.)

dbt1949 · Post by **dbt1949** » Sun Jan 31, 2021 11:07 pm

The only one I can think of is Star General.

Lordnine · Post by **Lordnine** » Sun Jan 31, 2021 11:31 pm

I worry how many of my old favorites would translate to a remaster but assuming it was handled perfectly....

Alpha Centauri (I would love a true sequel but even the original designers admitted that it was basically a prefect storm that created this game so probably never happening.)
Dawn of War II (This one isn't even that old but I want the multiplayer community revitalized and some of the clunk removed!)
Thief 1 (Keep the sword fighting mechanic!)
Crimson Skies (The original PC game, not the Xbox "sequel".)
Sacrifice
Giants: Citizen Kabuto

Carpet_pissr wrote: ↑Sun Jan 31, 2021 7:02 pm
Caesar III

Pretty sure this one is happening soon.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Sun Jan 31, 2021 11:32 pm

Oh, Crimson Skies and Alpha Centauri would be excellent.

Jolor · Post by **Jolor** » Sun Jan 31, 2021 11:57 pm

A lot of great memories here.

Anachronox: A wonderful game. I'd love to see an update to bring it up to current specs but doubt I would replay. The desire would be to open it up to a new generation.

Freedom Force: Loved this series. All it needs is a graphics refresh and I'm in.

NOLF: Never played but I keep hearing that it's a classic so I'm intrigued. Would definitely play a remaster.

Black and White: Ridiculously intriguing. Well done! Very interested!

Sacrifice +1

Giants: Citizen Kabuto +1

Adding for your consideration:
Alpha Protocol
Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura
Jade Empire
Nox
Rise of Nations
Total Annihiliation: Kingdoma

TheMix · Post by **TheMix** » Mon Feb 01, 2021 1:34 am

I would definitely be in for NOLF. I had so much fun with those games.

Tampa_Gamer · Post by **Tampa_Gamer** » Mon Feb 01, 2021 9:11 am

Megatraveller (yes, Stellar Tactics is going to come close)
M.A.X. (not #2)
Paradroid (C64 version)
SC:Forged Alliance
Jagged Alliance 2
Silent Storm
Star General (been waiting for a good sci-fi strategy with good ground combat integration). Distant Worlds comes close. Stellaris had potential but then retreated entirely from a decent ground combat presentation.
Car Wars/Auto-Duel (C64 version)

Jaddison · Post by **Jaddison** » Mon Feb 01, 2021 10:21 am

I would add Terra Nova to the list and perhaps the Gold Box games as well including the scii-fi one...was that Buck Rodgers or Flash Gordon?

$iljanus · Post by **$iljanus** » Mon Feb 01, 2021 10:29 am

I really liked this RTS game called Ground Control. No resource management but you have a selection of units with certain skills and off you go. Your units can gain experience and the specialized units can really turn the tide of battle if integrated correctly. Artillery and terrain also played a big part in your strategy.

Sometimes I don't want to deal with capturing "mines, gems, mana, etc" and just want to deploy troops and fight. This fit the bill perfectly.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Mon Feb 01, 2021 10:35 am

Off the top of my head:

Freedom Force I and II
Clive Barker's Undying
Arcanum
Temple of Elemental Evil
Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader
Crusader No Remorse
Shogo
Nox
Mech Assault
Mission Force Cyberstorm
Fallout Tactical
Thief 1 and 2
Silent Storm
Terra Nova
Aliens vs. Predator
NOLF 1&2

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Mon Feb 01, 2021 10:46 am

$iljanus wrote: ↑Mon Feb 01, 2021 10:29 am I really liked this RTS game called Ground Control. No resource management but you have a selection of units with certain skills and off you go. Your units can gain experience and the specialized units can really turn the tide of battle if integrated correctly. Artillery and terrain also played a big part in your strategy.

Sometimes I don't want to deal with capturing "mines, gems, mana, etc" and just want to deploy troops and fight. This fit the bill perfectly.

Ground control was fun, although something about it really dampened the experience for me (maybe it was no saving during a mission and a loss meant starting from scratch? It's been years.) Still, I finished it, and played Ground Control 2 twice. There was also a modern warfare game that came out using the same systems (World in Conflict, maybe?)

$iljanus · Post by **$iljanus** » Mon Feb 01, 2021 11:07 am

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Mon Feb 01, 2021 10:46 am
$iljanus wrote: ↑Mon Feb 01, 2021 10:29 am I really liked this RTS game called Ground Control. No resource management but you have a selection of units with certain skills and off you go. Your units can gain experience and the specialized units can really turn the tide of battle if integrated correctly. Artillery and terrain also played a big part in your strategy.

Sometimes I don't want to deal with capturing "mines, gems, mana, etc" and just want to deploy troops and fight. This fit the bill perfectly.
Ground control was fun, although something about it really dampened the experience for me (maybe it was no saving during a mission and a loss meant starting from scratch? It's been years.) Still, I finished it, and played Ground Control 2 twice. There was also a modern warfare game that came out using the same systems (World in Conflict, maybe?)

Is World in Conflict the one where Russia invades the US and the final battle is at the Statue of Liberty? I really liked that game too and wouldn't mind a remake.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Mon Feb 01, 2021 11:17 am

Carpet_pissr wrote: ↑Sun Jan 31, 2021 7:02 pm Original X-Com No idea why this has not happened yet. It boggles the mind considering the popularity at the time of the games, the resulting follow up games and THEIR popularity, and the general reverence most gamers hold towards the originals. I know, LOTS of "likes" but no one has simply redone the original, which would be brilliant.

I think the new XCOM is basically what I would have wanted out of a remake of the original, which matches my opinion of what a remake should be. If you just remake it with 1440p or 4k support and better textures you won't get any new audience because of all of the Quality of Life stuff we expect these days. Once you add in all the more modern niceties, well, you have XCOM: Enemy Unknown. I don't want a scene for scene, map for map remake because it just doesn't seem to ever translate. Give me a "faithful" reimagining, which I know some of you wouldn't find faithful, but I don't want to play the same thing again...

Except for Interstate '76, come on guys, what the hell!

Side note: I completely missed the original XCOM games (I was a Jagged Alliance guy) so I am basically talking out my ass.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Mon Feb 01, 2021 11:21 am

Jaddison wrote: ↑Mon Feb 01, 2021 10:21 am I would add Terra Nova to the list and perhaps the Gold Box games as well including the scii-fi one...was that Buck Rodgers or Flash Gordon?

Buck Rogers. Both games.. Matrix Cubed and Countdown to Doomsday.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Mon Feb 01, 2021 12:45 pm

coopasonic wrote: ↑Mon Feb 01, 2021 11:17 am Except for Interstate '76, come on guys, what the hell!

Oooh....add that to my list too. Can't believe I forgot about that one.

Paingod · Post by **Paingod** » Mon Feb 01, 2021 1:38 pm

Lots of good choices here.

I'd like to add MechCommander (the first one, not the second). I always loved save-scumming the first Mad Cat you ran into. You could lure it into an open area with a 5t scout car and then after it killed the car it was possible to cleanly erase the pilot (and cockpit) with a small artillery strike and leave the Mech largely intact for use through the rest of the campaign. Just had to drop the artillery right. on. the. perfect. pixel!

$iljanus · Post by **$iljanus** » Mon Feb 01, 2021 2:49 pm

I want a good Jagged Alliance remake. The post apocalypse games like Wasteland are all well and good but I'd like to play in the shady world of merc contracts using cool 20th-21st century weaponry.

Rumpy · Post by **Rumpy** » Mon Feb 01, 2021 2:55 pm

Yes on NOLF! Sadly though, it likely won't ever happen as Nightdive Studios was trying to do a remaster, but ran into legal red tape regarding IP ownership (Nobody could figure out who owned what out of the companies involved) and they had to give up.

https://kotaku.com/the-sad-story-behind ... 1688358811

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/a-toas ... h-birthday

Eel Snave · Post by **Eel Snave** » Mon Feb 01, 2021 3:55 pm

I still hold out hope that someone, somewhere will do something with Lords of the Realm II and update it for the modern day. There was so much there and LOTR3 just pissed it all away.

Carpet_pissr · Post by **Carpet_pissr** » Mon Feb 01, 2021 4:20 pm

Gah, can't believe I left off JA - it more than any game on that extensive list would to me, benefit greatly from JUST a remaster (mostly graphical, but maybe some UI touchups and bug squashing as well)

But I DO hear and believe the counter-arguments against remasters of golden oldies. I can count on one hand the number of titles that I have played (remasters of originals) that lived up to their past glory (in my head).

Command and Conquer most recently. I have such fond memories of that game, so I thought the remaster would be amazing (AFAIK, they ONLY touched up the graphics and sound and nothing else). Ugh. Mechanically, those games are so crude in comparison to modern game design, that it's just too painful. Simplifying a bit, but it's like remastering old C64 games. Sure, they enthralled us for hours on end at the time, because that was the latest and greatest in game design, out there. But man, just the movement and options (or lack thereof) and simplicity of say a Dr. J vs. Larry Byrd would be awful...and 4k resolution and modernized sound wouldn't be able to save it.

Exceptions: Fallout 1 and 2 hold up amazingly well, in my opinion. And having tried to go back to SO many games that I loved, and failed, I am starting to realize I (now) have a VERY low tolerance for old school game mechanics and UI.
Another exception: Majesty - but it's on the borderline.

raydude · Post by **raydude** » Mon Feb 01, 2021 4:22 pm

Yes please to NOLF and Ground Control. And I'd like to add:

Myth: The Fallen Lords. Real-time fantasy strategy with dwarves throwing exploding Molotov cocktails. The draw for me was that the game moved slowly enough to not be hectic but there was still an incredible amount of tension. Nothing like seeing a slow motion zombie line head slowly towards your troops.

Outlaws: FPS shooter in the wild west. Yeah, we have games like Red Dead Redemption 2 but after watching Justified I'd rather be the marshall than the outlaw. Especially the lone marshall with a vendetta or with a singular purpose, like saving his little girl.

M1 Tank Platoon. Give me the ability to command my own platoon with realistic tactics against an AI. Or with multiplayer but make the catch that I'm the only human player in a platoon of 4 tanks and I have to direct the other tanks in my platoon with realistic commands. I.e. I can tell them to go "hull down by this hill" but I can't micromanage their exact placement.

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Mon Feb 01, 2021 4:26 pm

This thread is yet another glaring reminder of just how few console gamers and/or JRPG fans we have at OO.

Montag · Post by **Montag** » Mon Feb 01, 2021 10:36 pm

Syndicate

Lordnine · Post by **Lordnine** » Tue Feb 02, 2021 1:00 am

Skinypupy wrote: ↑Mon Feb 01, 2021 4:26 pm This thread is yet another glaring reminder of just how few console gamers and/or JRPG fans we have at OO.

I would say that most games from the NES / SNES / Genesis era hold up just fine for repeat plays. Spites are far easier on the eyes than early 3D. I can't think of too many "classics" from the PS1 / N64 era that deserve a remake that haven't already received one.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Tue Feb 02, 2021 3:51 am

Outlaws was okay, but I thought Call of Juarez Gunslinger kinda scratched that itch for me.

I agree that there should be a M1 Tank Platoon or any other tank game remake. Armored Fists was totally arcade and unplayable with any realistic tactics. But it seems game makers decided to make MMO games (read: Battlefield series, War Thunder, World of Tanks, etc.) instead. Modeling AI is indeed a bit complicated when you make the terrain more realistic.

In fact, when have we seen another serious military helo game? Closest you got was Bohemia's Take On Helicopters, which is more civvie than military.

Please don't count the Commanche remake. It has NOTHING to do with the existing series at all except the name. Apparently EVERYBODY gets the Commanche and AI drones to play with, so it's basically an aerial team-shooter.

Even IL-2 Sturmovik turned into a series, and Ace Combat never was about realism.

It's almost as if making a military sim is lame nowadays except for Bohemia Interactive (Arma series) and MMO's (Dice's Battlefield series, and whatever the next COD / RB6 game is)

Sudy · Post by **Sudy** » Tue Feb 02, 2021 6:41 am

I wish I had a list of every game I'd ever played, because I know I'd find an interesting game or two from each era/console that I'd love to revisit.

Anachronox - Good choice! It occurred to me before I read SP's initial post. I never beat it, but I loved the environment. I went back to it a few years later, and the engine was just so clumsy. The combat, of course, sucked from the beginning.

90s/2000s CRPGs: FO/FO2, Arcanum, Planescape: Torment, etc. - PS:T's been "remastered", but I want to see these in modern isometric engines and for their rough edges/outdated interface elements to be sanded away. Arcanum and PS:T in particular desperately need revised combat. The FOs I'm OK with as-is, but some of their repetitive and drawn-out encounters need to be tweaked. I don't want FO/FO2 remade in a modern 3D engine. Well, that might be really nice too. But mainly just want an updated iso engine/sprites.

Vandal Hearts II (PS) - I enjoyed it almost as much as Final Fantasy Tactics, but I think most dismissed it as an inferior knockoff. It may not have had the FF personality, but in at least my teenaged mind, it told just as good of a tale and had interesting systems.

Giants: Citizen Kabuto/Armed and Dangerous - Developer Planet Moon Studios went on to work on some fairly crappy titles through 2011, at which point they were bought out. It's not clear (from Wikipedia, anyway) who has the licenses.

Jagged Alliance/Silent Storm/etc. - Also wisely mentioned above. Non-janky remakes or sequels to these tactical titles. Yeah, we have the new XCOMs and they're amazing, and there are a few other decent titles in this vein since then. But we're missing some thematic variety.

NBA Jam - The internet suggests the 2010 version was pretty good... I never got a chance to play it. Something close to the original with both classic and modern rosters would be sufficient, though. Modern arcade basketball games don't cut it, at least the ones I've tried.

Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey '98 (N64) - Which reminds me of this.... Kind of sad I traded mine in. Can't remember if it went toward All Star Baseball '99, Goldeneye, or Final Fantasy Tactics. I'd definitely worn it out at the time though.

Mario Kart (SNES) - The modern ones are great, but I think there was a special charm to the 16-bit version and it's less flashy tracks. The GBA version also satisfied this itch. The N64 version, as much as I loved it at the time, really sent the series down a different path IMO. I think you could do a lot with a slightly more complex game in the vein of the original.

Tales of Destiny (PS) - I loved the world of this game and its storytelling at the time. I'm not sure if it would hold up, but I'd like to see. I haven't been able to get into the couple of Tales games I've tried since then. Unfortunately, I don't typically get along with the anime aesthetic, and ToD was back in the day when it wasn't yet fully translating to console RPGs. Instead, we played in playgrounds defined by the sprites and early 3D, even if the anime influence was there.

Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition -

raydude · Post by **raydude** » Tue Feb 02, 2021 11:27 am

Skinypupy wrote: ↑Mon Feb 01, 2021 4:26 pm This thread is yet another glaring reminder of just how few console gamers and/or JRPG fans we have at OO.

I could also go for a Fatal Frame II remake.

Archinerd · Post by **Archinerd** » Tue Feb 02, 2021 4:14 pm

Lemmings

...and not a specific game, but a good turn-based, single payer, party based crpg/dungeon crawler.

Kasey Chang · Post by **Kasey Chang** » Tue Feb 02, 2021 8:11 pm

Archinerd wrote: ↑Tue Feb 02, 2021 4:14 pm Lemmings

...and not a specific game, but a good turn-based, single payer, party based crpg/dungeon crawler.

Hellcard (from the folks who brought you Book of Demons) may come close, except the combat is kinda card-based.

Starcrawler is a Dungeon Crawler, but scifi -ish.

Didn't someone try Gloomhaven? How was it?

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Tue Feb 02, 2021 8:27 pm

Kasey Chang wrote: ↑Tue Feb 02, 2021 8:11 pm
Didn't someone try Gloomhaven? How was it?

It’s very good, if you’re looking for a faithful adaptation of the board game. It’s card-based combat, and I’m not sure how much it would appeal to those looking for a traditional party-based dungeon crawl.

It’s still in Early Access and has quite a while until the 1.0 release, from what I understand.

Archinerd · Post by **Archinerd** » Tue Feb 02, 2021 10:01 pm

Gloomhaven is fine, maybe even good, but it's not really what I'm looking for. Hellcard looks fun, but not what I'm looking for either.

dfs · Post by **dfs** » Wed Feb 03, 2021 12:12 am

I was going to say that I would rather have most studios try something new than try and recreate old magic. They can't win. If they stray too far from the old formula it's not a close enough remake and if they just remake the old game we'll whine about that.

But then I thought of Merchant Prince which was also called Machiavelli. There were versions in 94,95 and 01. I think there's a really good game embedded in there.
I wouldn't mind having a modern version of Merchant Prince with a bit less emphasis on trade and a bit more emphasis on intrigue within the city. There were events where you needed to band together with other players to protect the city from outside events. Of course 2 minutes later you were having their senators hung and they were burning your warehouses. I think there' a decent game in there and would like to see it. These were the guys that did the empire of the fading suns and they brought a lot of that kind of sensibility to that game as well.

Sudy · Post by **Sudy** » Wed Feb 03, 2021 1:18 am

Ooh! Gazillionaire! And it's variants. We did get a Steam release a couple years ago, but I'd love a real update and expansion with better multiplayer features. I know it's just a glorified spreadsheet/choose your own adventure, but I had so much fun with this as a kid with my best friend. Of course, the art, sound effects, and music must stay. But they could be added to. I imagine something like this would be fairly easy to develop (outside of the assets), but there wouldn't be as much of a market for such a simple game these days.

Redfive · Post by **Redfive** » Thu Feb 04, 2021 12:49 am

Gunship 2000 or Jane's Longbow
Raid on Bungeling Bay
7 Cities of Gold (no way this gets done in 2021)

gbasden · Post by **gbasden** » Thu Feb 04, 2021 2:37 am

Crush, Crumble and Chomp - I've wanted a remake of this for 30 years.
Sudy is so right about Arcanum. A remade version with bugs squashed would be fantastic.
Absolutely Jagged Alliance and NOLF.