Is PlayStation looking at the wrong games to remake? I thought to myself following the rumours of Horizon Zero Dawn being remade.
PlayStation has a plethora of amazing console exclusives that are all worthy of a remake. The most recent remake is The Last of Us: Part 1. A controversial remake of a game that was originally released for PS3 in 2013. It was then remastered for PS4 in 2014.
Don’t get me wrong, The Last of Us is an all-time great and the recent remake was wonderfully crafted. This is despite the exemption of the criminally underrated Factions multiplayer mode.
However, Naughty Dog plans to release a standalone multiplayer game set within The Last of Us universe sometime in 2023. Which probably explains why it was never included in the remake.
Does HZD deserve a PlayStation remake already?
Recently there’s been rumours that Guerrilla Games’ Horizon Zero Dawn is going to be remastered for PS5. Perhaps even remade. The reason floating around for the potential remake is to bring the game more in line with its sequel, Horizon Forbidden West. A game that was released for both PS4 as well as PS5 in 2022.
Just like The Last of Us, Horizon Zero Dawn is one of my all-time favourites. However, it’s not a game that springs to mind that is in need of a remaster, let alone a remake. For starters, this game was only released in 2017. At the time of writing, it means that the game is only five years old.
Furthermore, Horizon Zero Dawn still looks incredible on PS4 and the PS4 Pro. HZD also received a free PS5 patch that enables the game to be played in 4K, but also at 60fps. So why would this amazing title need a remake on PS5? In my opinion, it doesn’t. Especially when Sony is sitting on a library of iconic games that are desperate to be remade from the ground up.
Original PlayStation has strong candidates to remake
Let’s take it back to the original PlayStation and let’s start with Metal Gear Solid, considered to be one of the best games ever. Released in 1998, this game still holds up well today, especially with its stealth gameplay and Hideo Kojima’s signature form of storytelling. Sure, this game later got a port for PC in 2000, but due to its age, it’s certainly lacking in the visuals department.
I know, before anyone says anything, Metal Gear Solid did get a remake for the Nintendo GameCube in 2004 with Twin Snakes. Sadly, however, there is a large number of fans that never got to play this remake. To compare notes, the OG MGS has sold over seven million copies. I would imagine that Twin Snakes are nowhere near that number. This is why, in my opinion, it is an ideal candidate for a remake.
We’d take MSG and Parasite Eve remakes please!
Sticking with the PS1 era, we also have Parasite Eve. Now I can’t say a lot about this game, because I never got to play it. This iconic JRPG brought the best worlds of both classic Final Fantasy and Resident Evil.
Parasite Eve was intended to be released in the UK. Unfortunately, unlike its sequel, it was only ever released in Japan and North America. Before now, I have spoken about my desire to see Parasite Eve remade. Thankfully, just like Metal Gear Solid, there are rumours that Parasite Eve will one day receive a remake. So we continue to live in hope.
Moving on to the PS2 era, the first game that screams out to me is Ico. Developed by Team Ico and Japan Studio, in 2021 Ico celebrated its 20th anniversary. So, there would have been no better time to announce a remake. Though, we’d let Sony off if that announcement was still made today.
Ico deserves more love!
Developed by the same team that brought us Shadow of the Colossus and The Last Guardian, at this point, it almost feels criminal that Ico has seemingly been ignored by Sony. Especially when you consider that Shadow of the Colossus has already had its remake by Bloober Team.
Furthermore, Ico is such a respected game that even Dark Souls creator Hidetaka Miyazaki said that the FromSoftware series would never exist if it wasn’t for the PS2 cult classic. Ico did receive a basic remaster in 2011 for the PS3, but come on Sony, Ico needs some extra love.
Staying with the PS2 for the time being, I’d love to see full remakes of the first two God of War games. God of War Ragnarok arrives for PS4 and PS5 in November 2022. After that, the future is unclear for Kratos the god slayer. It’s a safe bet knowing that the series will still exist, however, for now, we don’t know which direction it will take.
Kratos began his journey in 2005
For many, God of War (2018) was the entry point in this series and to be honest, that’s a great place to start. However, Kratos’ journey started in 2005 and then in 2007 for a sequel considered to be even better than the original.
It might be fair to say that there are a lot of post-2018 fans that never got to play the PS2 classics. So, once we’re done with the modern Kratos era, taking it back to where it all began could make for an exciting trip back down memory lane.
Call of Duty isn’t the be-all and end-all
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, the chances are that you know of the pending $68 billion deal involving Microsoft acquiring Activision Blizzard. This would essentially make franchises such as Call of Duty, Xbox first-party titles.
PlayStation boss Jim Ryan has been very vocal letting everyone know that he’s not keen on the prospect of Microsoft having the final say on a huge, multiplatform series like Call of Duty.
Perhaps PlayStation should remake or reboot Killzone?
While not even in the same league as Call of Duty, Sony owns a very underrated FPS franchise of its own, Killzone. Surely this series deserves the PlayStation remake or even a reboot?
The first game in this series was released in 2004 for the PS2 and was dubbed the “Halo killer”. Though it never came remotely close to slaying the Master Chief, over the years that followed, the Killzone franchise evolved into a quality FPS in its own right.
Sure, by the time the last game in the series arrived for PS4 in 2013 with Killzone: Shadow Fall, it had lost a lot of its spark. That being said, this is also a series created by Horizon studio, Guerrilla Games.
Time could be better spent!
Rather than Jim Ryan and PlayStation wasting precious energy fighting Microsoft over Call of Duty (which will likely still remain multi-platform), I think time would be better spent giving the Killzone series the revival and new lease of life that it deserves.
There are so many other candidates that deserve a PlayStation remake, I could go on forever. Honourable mentions include the original Uncharted from 2007 which would benefit greatly from a full remake. Despite only releasing in 2015, FromSoftware’s Bloodborne is a highly requested remake/remaster from fans and would be a welcomed addition.
What classic PlayStation titles do you feel deserve the remake treatment? Let us know across our social media channels.
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