If rumors are to be believed, then a premier PlayStation title is gearing up for a next-gen remake. Recently, there have been some online rumblings that Horizon Zero Dawn will be getting a remake for the PS5, but this has yet to be verified. Yes, you read that correctly; a remake, not a remaster. It’s a surprising revelation given the fact that Horizon Zero Dawn has only been out for approximately six years and still remains a visual tour de force on the PS4 and PS5, clearly not in any pressing need of a remake. However, a potential remake of Guerrilla’s fan-favorite IP is not necessarily surprising, given that Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us Remake was released for the PlayStation 5 in early September 2022 despite similar objections.
Increasingly, it seems that Sony is reaching into its back catalog of classics and modern gems to capitalize on nostalgia and fan loyalty to create surefire next-gen hits through remakes. Unfortunately, the profitability and critical acclaim that arrives with these remakes seem to come at the expense of some of PlayStation’s dormant, long-shunned franchises in dire need of refurbishment. Even though Horizon Zero Dawn is a great game, rather than remaking recent titles that feel like borderline cash grabs, here is a rundown of varied blast from the past PlayStation exclusives that deserve remakes over the first entry in the Horizon series. While this list isn’t exhaustive for every PlayStation game deserving of a remake, it will highlight some of the most notable titles, sorted alphabetically, including reasoning as to why they should be remade for the current generation of PlayStation.
Bloodborne
Genre: RPG, Soulsborne
Release Date: March 24, 2015
Why it should be remade instead of Horizon Zero Dawn: Let me be clear, Bloodborne does not need a remake, but it unquestionably deserves one far more than Horizon Zero Dawn. Although Bloodborne is merely two years older than Zero Dawn and similarly is more in need of a next-gen remaster or “upgrade” than a full-blown remake, it only appears on this list courtesy of the BluePoint Games’ Demon’s Souls Remake. BluePoint’s masterclass reconstruction of the FromSoftware’s Soulsborne classic became the most renowned launch title of the PS5 and helped to bring 2009’s Demon’s Souls to a new generation of fans in its 2020 launch. If Bloodborne were to receive the BluePoint treatment a la Demon’s Souls (or Shadow of the Colossus), the generation-defining RPG from the PS4 would pick up where it left off in the PS5 generation.
God of War I & II
Genre: Action-Adventure
Release Dates: March 22, 2005 and March 13, 2007
Why they should be remade instead of Horizon Zero Dawn: The God of War series is coming off its most commercially successful title to date in God of War: Ragnarok. Despite the fact that some of the earliest games of the series are available on PlayStation Plus in the Premium tier, many current players’ first experience with the series was in the Norse mythology-inspired God of War 2018. What better way to give newer players insight into Kratos’ backstory than a return to Greek Mythology in a remake of the mid-2000s hack n’ slash classics?
Related: God of War Ragnarok Sales Numbers Compared to Previous Entries
ICO
Genre: Action-Adventure
Release Date: September 24, 2001
Why it should be remade instead of Horizon Zero Dawn: The Team ICO-led PS2-era debut is consistently ranked among the best games on PlayStation’s second console. While the 2011 HD remaster is available on PlayStation Plus Premium, the action-adventure platformer is a perfect companion remake to Team ICO’s later work, Shadow of the Colossus, which was remade by BluePoint Games in 2018 to critical acclaim.
inFAMOUS Series
Genre: Action-Adventure
Release Date: 2009-2015
Why they should be remade instead of Horizon Zero Dawn: inFAMOUS is a PlayStation exclusive series that has been sidelined for nearly a decade, with the last two entries, Second Son and First Light, being released in 2014. However, any remakes should likely focus on the Cole McGrath-led inFAMOUS and inFAMOUS 2 from 2009 and 2011, respectively. In an era where superhero media is at an all-time high in popularity, PlayStation should capitalize on this with remakes of their own exclusive superhero-esque series. But for now, it seems that Spider-Man is PlayStation’s go-to exclusive superpowered protagonist for the foreseeable future.
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy
Genre: Platform
Release Date: December 3, 2001
Why it should be remade instead of Horizon Zero Dawn: Naughty Dog’s PS2 era icons, Jak and Daxter, seem to have fallen by the wayside thanks to the popularity of the Uncharted and Last of Us series, making the series’ first game a perfect candidate for a next-gen remake. Outside of some HD remaster compilations in 2012 and 2017, the series has not had a new entry since 2009’s Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier for the PS2 and PSP.
Metal Gear Solid
Genre: Stealth
Release Date: September 3, 1998, and June 12, 2008
Why it should be remade instead of Horizon Zero Dawn: For multiple years, rumors have swirled about a potential Metal Gear Solid next-gen remake, but so far remain unsubstantiated. Metal Gear Solid was released as a PlayStation exclusive in 1998, led by legendary Metal Gear creator and director Hideo Kojima, earning accolades from critics and selling over seven million copies. While technically not a true PlayStation exclusive, as it would later be adapted for a few other platforms, the game is considered one of the most consequential releases in the history of video games. With Metal Gear Solid only available on the PS3 digital store, as well as through buying used physical editions for the PS1, or emulators, it seems like a remake could help bring some new fans into the Metal Gear fold.
Parasite Eve
Genre: JRPG
Release Date: September 9, 1998
Why it should be remade instead of Horizon Zero Dawn: The PS1-era JRPG might be more under the radar than some other PlayStation IPs, but this cult classic series sold over three million units between its first two games in the late ’90s. The series hasn’t had a new entry since 2011’s PlayStation Portable spinoff, The 3rd Birthday, making a remake a great way to introduce a new generation of gamers to the series and diversify Sony’s product offerings.
PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale
Genre: Fighting
Release Date: November 20, 2012
Why it should be remade instead of Horizon Zero Dawn: In a gaming landscape with popular crossover fighting games like MultiVersus and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, maybe there isn’t room for another market entrant, but PlayStation’s 2012 multiplayer fighting game is a great remake candidate among Sony’s catalog. With an ever-growing cast of iconic characters, PlayStation would be far better served to diversify its offerings with a family-friendly fighting game than repackaging a 2017 product.
Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal
Genre: Platform
Release Date: November 2, 2004
Why it should be remade instead of Horizon Zero Dawn: Even though Ratchet & Clank games seem to have abandoned their raunchy, double-entendre titles of the past, the PS2 era third entry of the Ratchet & Clank series was lauded by critics at launch and is consistently ranked among the series’ top experiences by fans. Following Ratchet & Clank’s 2016 reboot and 2021’s Rift Apart, Insomniac seems focused on creating new series experiences instead of revisiting old ones. Still, it doesn’t change the fact that some of the Lombax & Robot’s earlier titles (like Up Your Arsenal) are more deserving of remakes than Horizon Zero Dawn.
Resistance: Fall of Man
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Release Date: November 17, 2006
Why it should be remade instead of Horizon Zero Dawn: Resistance: Fall of Man was a defining exclusive FPS for the early PS3 console and was followed by two successful sequels and two spinoff games for the PSP and Vita. It has been over ten years since PlayStation’s last release of the alternate history alien invasion shooter series, making a remake a worthwhile investment to revive a beloved, PlayStation-exclusive FPS franchise.
Resogun
Genre: Side-scrolling, Shooter
Release Date: November 15, 2013
Why it should be remade instead of Horizon Zero Dawn: Before the highly acclaimed Returnal, the newly Sony-owned studio Housemarque released several impressive twin-stick shooters, including Resogun, a PS4 launch title. The frenetic sci-fi side-scrolling shooter was praised by critics and loved by fans. A next-gen remake could further improve the graphics and maybe even utilize the DualSense controller to provide a tactile experience to go with the addictive, fast-paced combat.
Silent Hill
Genre: Survival Horror
Release Date: February 23, 1999
Why it should be remade instead of Horizon Zero Dawn: While Silent Hill 2 will be getting a remake reportedly arriving in 2023 or 2024, the first game in the quintessential horror series is still nearly impossible to find, let alone play. Without using emulators, a physical copy of the original Silent Hill costs prospective players hundreds of dollars. You’ll need a PS1 or PS2 to play the game, creating further barriers to entry for many newer gamers. A remake could be a win-win for PlayStation and its consumers, as Sony could recapture secondary market revenue, and players could get a chance to experience the first Silent Hill game at a fair price on the latest PlayStation hardware.
Related: Every Silent Hill Game Announced at the Silent Hill Transmission
Sly Cooper Series
Genre: Mascot Platformer
Release Date: 2002-2013
Why it should be remade instead of Horizon Zero Dawn: 2023 marks over twenty years since the start of Sucker Punch’s Sly Cooper mascot platformer series with Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus in 2002. It has also been nearly a decade since the series’ last entry, Thieves in Time, which launched in February 2013. While a port of the first three games in the series is available on PlayStation Plus Premium, it seems that PlayStation resources would be better invested in bringing back one of its classic characters rather than remaking a game that came out only half a decade ago.
Twisted Metal: Black
Genre: Vehicular Combat
Release Date: June 18, 2001
Why it should be remade instead of Horizon Zero Dawn: Twisted Metal: another series that PlayStation has ignored for over a decade. However, with a TV show in the works starring Will Arnett, Neve Campbell, Anthony Mackie, and Thomas Haden Church, it seems like the right time to bring back the psychotic vehicular combat title. While Twisted Metal 2 is also a contender for being the best game in the series, the recognizability and popularity of Black, the series’ fifth entry, make it a slightly better choice for a mass audience.
Uncharted 1-3
Genre: Action-Adventure
Release Date: 2007-2011
Why they should be remade instead of Horizon Zero Dawn: Despite the fact that BluePoint created an excellent remaster of the first three Uncharted games in 2015’s Nathan Drake Collection, it would be nice to see Drake’s Fortune, Among Thieves, and Drake’s Deception join A Thief’s End and The Lost Legacy, which received PS5 remasters in 2021’s Legacy of Thieves Collection. 2009’s Uncharted 2, widely considered the best in the series, would be a particularly great candidate to take advantage of 4K, 60 frames-per-second visuals, and the PS5’s DualSense controller with a next-gen remake.
War of the Monsters
Genre: Fighting
Release Date: January 14, 2003
Why it should be remade instead of Horizon Zero Dawn: Almost exactly 20 years ago, PlayStation introduced a niche monster-fighting game called War of the Monsters from Sony Computer Entertainment and Capcom. Featuring a mix of unique creature creations and clear Hollywood parodies, the title remains somewhat of a cult classic thanks to its monster fighting action inside of large, destructible environments. While fans never got to see a War of the Monsters sequel, the game can be played in its remastered form on PlayStation Plus. A next-gen remake could ratchet up the action and build on all the things that made the game great two decades ago, creating the next best thing to a sequel.
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Published: Jan 11, 2023 09:38 pm