#Nominees for Destructoid’s Finest Remake/Remaster of 2023
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Nominees for Destructoid’s Finest Remake/Remaster of 2023
The excellence between a “remake” and “remaster” turned particularly blurred in 2023. In some instances, we noticed some actually complete remakes. These titles reimagined the video games they’re based mostly on from the bottom up, including a lot new stuff that even longtime followers had no concept what to anticipate. Conversely, we noticed some remakes that felt extra like very fairly remasters. These had been video games that labored extra time to really feel as very like the unique titles as potential, typically specializing in visuals and music over sweeping gameplay adjustments.
And, in fact, we noticed many video games that sat someplace between these two extremes. Which method ought to a remake take? Who is aware of! It’s all subjective, on the finish of the day. However for higher or for worse, we’re right here to see which one takes the highest slot in Destructoid’s personal reputation contest, so let’s see the nominees.
Resident Evil 4
Kicking off our checklist is the large certainly one of 2023: Resident Evil 4. Leon “SmallSoda” Kennedy’s story of survival and horror has seen rerelease after rerelease after rerelease since its authentic launch in 2005. Even I discovered myself asking “is that this remake even vital?” with how nicely the unique title holds up. However, as soon as I performed the sport myself, I turned a believer. Whereas I’ll all the time adore the camp of the unique title, Capcom’s new tackle Resident Evil 4 put rather a lot on the desk for each veterans and newcomers to dig into. It won’t do a lot for you in the event you didn’t love the unique, however Resident Evil 4’s mixture of recent and acquainted appears to have resonated with players this 12 months.
The Making of Karateka
In a whole change of tempo, our following nominee is The Making of Karateka. Regardless of my snark about nostalgia above, this is likely one of the most enjoyable takes on a remake I’ve seen. Principally, take Jordan Mechner’s basic preventing recreation and GIF-inspiration Karateka, embody a ton of behind-the-scenes footage and prototypes of the sport, and slap a correct remade model of the sport on high. The result’s functionally an interactive documentary that our native retro fanatic Zoey “Kick It With A Tasty Groove” Handley strongly recommends. Test it out if this one slipped below your radar.
Quake II
Subsequent on our checklist is Quake II. And… look, I’m not going to faux I grew up taking part in shooters like Quake II. I most likely ought to have, however that’s neither right here nor there. What I can let you know is that NightDive Studios has been knocking it out of the park with remasters this 12 months. Even middling video games like Turok III have gotten extra love from the studio than many publishers give to their most memorable titles. And within the case of Quake II, NightDive went in and compiled expansions, restored minimize content material, and even improved the AI. You may learn extra about it in Zoey “Not A Boomer” Handley’s full overview.
Metroid Prime Remastered
Metroid Prime Remastered. Oh, sorry, did you need some heads-up or introduction for this nominee? Nintendo stealth dropped this one again in February, so I felt it acceptable to simply plop it on right here too. Regardless of years-long rumors that we’d see a Swap port of the Metroid Prime Trilogy assortment, Metroid Prime Remastered doesn’t disappoint. The visuals have obtained a surprisingly complete overhaul, and you’ll select to play the sport with a management scheme that doesn’t really feel many years previous. The truth that this launched at $39.99 helped its case too. Additionally, Metroid Prime is a very good recreation! To not sound like a damaged document, however our personal Zoey “Prime Rib” Handley reviewed this as nicely.
Lifeless House
Okay, so forgive me in how I’m going to speak about our subsequent contender: Lifeless House. The PS3/Xbox 360 model of the sport got here out a number of years earlier than I obtained into horror, and this 12 months’s remake completely handed me by. Destructoid Senior Editor Eric “Celery Man” Van Allen did overview it although, and he discovered that the sci-fi horror basic nonetheless holds up immediately. It appears like EA Motive did justice to Visceral Video games’ authentic work.
Star Ocean: The Second Story R
Now, you recognize what I can discuss? Star Ocean: The Second Story R, our subsequent nominee. I went my entire life with barely an individual to speak about any Star Ocean recreation with, so it’s been good to wax poetic about The Second Story with Destructoid’s Chris “Don’t Spell My Identify With A Ok” Carter and Andrea “Have I Been Given A Humorous Nickname But” Shearon. And for this crowd of Star Ocean nerds, The Second Story R certain did ship. That is such an bold remake of the perfect recreation within the Star Ocean collection. It retains what made the unique recreation so particular whereas including a plethora of recent minigames and mechanics to entertain longtime followers. In actual fact, Andrea “Now With Two Nicknames” Shearon gave this remake excessive marks in her overview.
Tremendous Mario RPG
And rounding out our checklist, we lastly come to one thing I reviewed: Tremendous Mario RPG. Of us, at this level I don’t know what to let you know. Tremendous Mario RPG is a stone-cold basic title, and it’s been such a deal with to revisit it with this remake. It does add its personal twists to the SNES journey, however for probably the most half, you’re taking part in this remake for the revamped visuals and the spectacular music. It’s a fantastic remake of a incredible recreation, and I personally rank it within the high 5 of video games I performed this 12 months. I’m so pleased to lastly discuss one thing I reviewed right here. It’s a great recreation!
The nominees for the perfect remake/remaster of 2023.
Extra Tales by Timothy Monbleau
