We are squarely in the age of remasters and remakes, with every studio wanting to cash in on the nostalgia that comes from rereleasing fan-favorite games. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with this approach, as it lets old fans and newcomers alike experience the game, the constant release of remakes and rereleases can get tiring for fans who want something new.
For the most part, remakes attempt to recreate the original game using a modern engine, including new mechanics or content, fixing aspects of the original, remastering music, updating graphics, and so on. However, this doesn’t always work out, as we’ll see below. These remakes somehow turned out worse than the original game they’re based on.
XIII is an FPS with a cel-shaded art style that is loosely inspired by a graphic novel series of the same name. The original game came out in 2003 and was met with generally mixed reviews, but had enough of a following to warrant a remake in 2020, which was reviewed even less favorably.
The stylized cel-shading that set the game apart from other FPS games was replaced with a fairly generic art style, and the remake introduced dozens of bugs that interrupted the entire experience. Things were so bad that the publisher, Microids, issued an apology and promised to update and fix the game, which eventually came out two years later.
This means that XIII has essentially received two remakes, as the updated version did fix a lot of problems with the first remake, but the best way to play XIII is still the original.
Warcraft 3: Reforged is technically in the remaster camp as opposed to a full remake, but the changes are significant enough to be meaningfully distinct from the original. Warcraft is a timeless series that has spawned some of the most popular video games in existence, like World of Warcraft and Hearthstone.
However, Warcraft 3: Reforged, released in 2020, is infamous for its changes from the original. At launch, the game was a buggy mess, with technical issues plaguing not only the campaign but custom games and multiplayer lobbies, too. The game was essentially released in an unfinished state, which is concerning considering it’s based on a game that is over two decades old.
The worst part is that Warcraft 3: Reforged has entirely replaced the original Warcraft 3, meaning there is no longer a legal method for playing the original. If you want to experience Warcraft 3, you’re stuck with Reforged.
With how well-received the Resident Evil 2 and 4 remakes are, it may come as a surprise to learn that the Resident Evil 3 Remake is not as widely loved. It’s actually because of how good the other two remakes are that makes RE3R stand out, and not in a good way.
The game itself is good, but it’s extremely short. A lot of content from the original was also cut, making the entire experience a lot shorter than the original. The updated graphics and cutscenes definitely make the game worth playing for fans of the original, but don’t expect to have the same amount of game here.
Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes is a remake of the original Metal Gear Solid with updated graphics, new cutscenes, and updated gameplay mechanics from Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. It also included a full re-recording using almost all of the original cast.
While these changes sound great at first, the most glaring issue with this remake is the inclusion of gameplay elements from MGS2, which don’t fit with the environment of the original, which remained unchanged. Some of the added cutscenes also feel out of place, so the original is probably the best option between the two.
The 2016 Ratchet & Clank remake is both a remake of the original game, and a tie-in game for the movie of the same name that came out the same year. As a movie tie-in game, there are some negatives that are to be expected, such as the seemingly random inclusions of scenes from the movie into parts of the game where they don’t fit.
Ratchet & Clank 2016 isn’t a bad game. It retains the fun of the original: using a variety of guns to shoot enemies and collect their bolts will always be enjoyable, remake or no. But the lifeless feeling of this remake definitely makes it worse than the original, from its uninspired music to cringy dialogue.
2Fire Emblem: New Mystery Of The Emblem
Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the Emblem is a remake of the third game in the Fire Emblem series, and is more of a mixed bag in terms of its quality compared to the original. Gameplay-wise, New Mystery of the Emblem enhances many of the original game’s shortcomings, but its writing changes are overall weaker.
The biggest change in New Mystery of the Emblem is the introduction of Kris, a player-created avatar that serves as the game’s new protagonist. While avatar characters have worked well in other Fire Emblem games like Awakening and Fates, Kris is an extremely generic character narratively, and overpowered mechanically, making them a not-so-great inclusion.
The original Pokemon Diamond and Pearl are by no means perfect games, but the Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl remakes are definitely the worst way to experience the Sinnoh region. Rather than modernizing the original games, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl serve as almost direct ports but with an updated art style, and boy, do they look bad.
Ever since Pokemon’s inevitable shift to 3D, the Pokemon have lost that bit of charm and character found in their original sprites, and that is definitely felt in these remakes. Plus, the chibi character models are just ugly. Paired with clunky controls that have you getting stuck on every corner, lackluster quality of life inclusions, and almost no new content, it’s easy to see how these are some of the worst remakes of beloved games.
