Normally, I would agree in cases like movies and TV shows. However, as the years go by I realize that there are vast swaths of games that are essentially inaccessible through any legal means....
Normally, I would agree in cases like movies and TV shows. However, as the years go by I realize that there are vast swaths of games that are essentially inaccessible through any legal means. While an overwhelming majority of these games aren't worth re-releasing in any form, there are many interesting and fun games that are just non-existent at this point in time.
Additionally, unlike TV and movies who seem to be stuck just making the same over and over again, video games have no such problem. The current era of video games is not ruled by monolithic corps with AAA budgets. Independent developers are creating countless iterations of stories and ideas that they think are interesting. For every rehash Call of Duty and Madden/FIFA, there's countless other games that are forging their own path and creating new experiences.
There is plenty of "new stuff" being made. Sometimes it's good to also revisit stuff that worked in the past so newer audiences can experience them as well.
I agree completely. Some recent examples of fantastic remakes of games that were already beloved: Dead Space System Shock Resident Evil 2 and 4 (I personally enjoyed 3 as well, but I recognize its...
I agree completely. Some recent examples of fantastic remakes of games that were already beloved:
Dead Space
System Shock
Resident Evil 2 and 4 (I personally enjoyed 3 as well, but I recognize its flaws)
The Last of Us (Arguably the least "necessary" remake, but it was great nonetheless)
Demon's Souls
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
Final Fantasy VII
etc etc.
I'm glad that these remakes exist. They were great both new and old audiences, and as you say there are already a plethora of amazing original games to play so it's not like we were "robbed" of something else.
Remakes are great if they expand access to more platforms. The Last of Us is a great example where the game didn't really need a graphical overhaul (but it is appreciated) but now it's available...
Remakes are great if they expand access to more platforms. The Last of Us is a great example where the game didn't really need a graphical overhaul (but it is appreciated) but now it's available on modern platforms without the need to emulate.
Anything on the PS3/Xbox 360 era that was console exclusive deserves a port in my opinion. PS3 emulation is notoriously heavy, so we miss out on games like MGS4, Last of Us (until now), Uncharted 1-3, Killzone, etc.
The problem is also WHAT games get remade. It is not the hidden pearls, it is the AAA games from yesteryear. So are we gonna get a C&C rework? Sure. Dune? Of course. Will we get a new Sacrifice?...
The problem is also WHAT games get remade.
It is not the hidden pearls, it is the AAA games from yesteryear.
So are we gonna get a C&C rework? Sure. Dune? Of course.
Will we get a new Sacrifice?
Captain Blood, reimagined?
Kult? (Well,... that one seems to be an acquired taste)
Will we get a new carrier command?
A new take on Katakis?
Gods?
I would like to see more remake effort put into games that had potential but couldn't live up to it because of technical or budgetary constraints. I want to see the same in the film industry....
I would like to see more remake effort put into games that had potential but couldn't live up to it because of technical or budgetary constraints.
I want to see the same in the film industry. There was no reason to remake Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, the original is already perfect as-is. But you know what mediocre '60s movie could totally use a modern remake? Fantastic Voyage. The original isn't nearly enough of a classic to feel "ruined" by a disappointing remake, and the entire premise would benefit immensely from modern special effects.
Yeah sure, but OTOH I don't feel like people would need to watch 60s comedy shows to appreciate modern comedy shows. In the same vein, I don't feel you need to play System Shock 1 (or its remake,...
However, as the years go by I realize that there are vast swaths of games that are essentially inaccessible through any legal means.
Yeah sure, but OTOH I don't feel like people would need to watch 60s comedy shows to appreciate modern comedy shows.
In the same vein, I don't feel you need to play System Shock 1 (or its remake, hence it being a good example) to appreciate Prey. Remakes are neat, but at the same time, I'd still rather see the effort, game design and resources poured into new games. They can still be spiritual sequels/reimplementations. But if SS1R has shown me one thing, it's that while I love playing the actual SS1, a remaster is... kinda meh. Because the genre has evolved from there. Trying to remaster it into a modern game just shows how outdated it is, and naturally would be. I would totally be for someone remaking a new immersive sim on a space station with a rogue AI trying to murder me, but I wouldn't want it to just be SS1 Remaster v2 or something. Give me something new at least.
I think a healthy mix of both would be great. We are at a point in time where we have some astounding games out there which many of us have never gotten around to. By the time we do get a chance...
I think a healthy mix of both would be great.
We are at a point in time where we have some astounding games out there which many of us have never gotten around to.
By the time we do get a chance to play them, they feel dated - especially the UI and controls. I often feel that older control schemes and lack of maneuverability are a bigger struggle than the parts of the game that developers intended to be the actual challenge.
But we have had a pretty severe lack of original, high-quality AAA releases in recent years. I can count maybe 5 that I've enjoyed in the last 3 years. Elden Ring is the only one I can think of that was truly a masterpiece. I'd like to see that remedied. Luckily, indie games are at an all-time high right now though, and they're filling the hole nicely.
At the same time some older games had amazing controls and gameplay that kind of fell out of fashion. Mount and Blade, and Bushido Blade had amazing melee controls that were quite in depth. M&B...
At the same time some older games had amazing controls and gameplay that kind of fell out of fashion.
Mount and Blade, and Bushido Blade had amazing melee controls that were quite in depth. M&B had four basic attacks, left/right slashes, stab, and overhead. You could block which gave you a brief stun to counter attack, and you could block attacks on the backswing of a normal attack if you matched the backswing of your later attack against their incoming attack. Super simple inputs, but very complex skill at higher skill levels. Bushido Blade wasn't quite as complex, but if you hit someone in an arm or leg they lost use of that limb to the point where you might have a fight where one player is rolling around on the ground, you could even throw sand in the enemy's eyes.
Tribes obviously with it's unique skiing, projectile weapons and mid-air lead time shots.
Tron 2.0 had an amazing sub-game that was the disc combat from the movie. Simple controls, but more complexity than at first glance. Throw the disc and control it's trajectory slightly. Block with the disc when not thrown, and rebound enemy disc back at them, knock out walls/floors.... Bounce your disc off the back wall and hit the enemy from behind..........Bounce your disc of the back wall, into a destructible ground piece, then block and rebound the enemy disc back at them so they dodge backwards into the pit you just created.
Mirror's Edge with super simple gunplay, but amazing parkour and disarming enemies.
MechWarrior Online with it's significantly more detailed hitboxes than just head and body. Instead head, torso, arm, and leg armor, plus internals, plus the ability to headshot if the cockpit window was hit. Loss of internal components based on placement.
So many action games now have been simplified too much imo. It's either chain headshots, entirely positioning and first shot advantage, and/or abuse glitchy instantaneous acceleration movement mechanics.
Edit: Not an old one, but Pathfinder's grapple physics in Apex was top notch. Apparently Titanfall 2 had amazing movement too, but I never played it.
Titanfall 1 even more so. TF2 was already quite dumbed down in that regard. TF1 was the true "Tribes successor". It didn't have skiing but it's wall-running, vaulting, Mech traversal and general...
Edit: Not an old one, but Pathfinder's grapple physics in Apex was top notch. Apparently Titanfall 2 had amazing movement too, but I never played it.
Titanfall 1 even more so. TF2 was already quite dumbed down in that regard. TF1 was the true "Tribes successor". It didn't have skiing but it's wall-running, vaulting, Mech traversal and general speed of motion evoked exactly the same feel.
And using the Kraber for 1-shots mid-air despite its projectile travel time was exactly what Spinfusor aerial combat in Tribes was! 🤩
Ah I didn't play so maybe what I meant (but didn't know) was TF1. I've only jealousy watched YT videos as I was in between gaming computers when it was popular.
Ah I didn't play so maybe what I meant (but didn't know) was TF1. I've only jealousy watched YT videos as I was in between gaming computers when it was popular.
I think what you’re tired of is remakes that are mere remasters of a game from 6-10 years ago. True remakes of old games such as Spyro Reignited are much fewer and further between, and I...
I think what you’re tired of is remakes that are mere remasters of a game from 6-10 years ago. True remakes of old games such as Spyro Reignited are much fewer and further between, and I definitely wouldn’t mind more like them. We don’t need a remake of The Last of Us, but I’d kill for a true remake (not the enhanced port we got) of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
I’d like to see a remake of the first Dark Cloud (PS2). Or a Dark Cloud 3. I’m currently waiting for the Silent Hill 2 remake as I barely played the original.
Oh. I have moved away from AAA games a long time ago, and I don't own a console. This is a grievance I am carrying around for a looong time, tho. Remember the Amiga? Yeah... I hated Populous II,...
Oh.
I have moved away from AAA games a long time ago, and I don't own a console.
This is a grievance I am carrying around for a looong time, tho. Remember the Amiga? Yeah... I hated Populous II, Sim City 2000, etc... back then already.
If a movie or a game, creating a sequel, a third part, a 5th, a prequel, a spinoff... all of this stifles creativity.
Make something new, I beg you.
I mostly agree with you. I see many people asking for a remake of FO:New Vegas, Morrowwind or Starcraft. I would rather see a new Fall out, Elder scrolls and Starcraft III that use the positives...
I mostly agree with you. I see many people asking for a remake of FO:New Vegas, Morrowwind or Starcraft. I would rather see a new Fall out, Elder scrolls and Starcraft III that use the positives of these older games and combine them with modern technology into something new.
I bought the command and conquer remake a year ago. While I loved playing C&C 1 and 2 and Red alert 1 & 2, I would have rather see a new C&C or Red alert game, with the principles of the old game. C&C 3 was a mixed bag and 4 was a fuck-up. Red alert 3 was also highly disappointing. But C&C generals was very refreshing, a modern take on an older game (although Generals probably now is considered an 'old game by itself).
There are exceptions though. Mass Effect Legendary edition greatly benefits from the remaster. Especially the ME:1, although only 16 years old, was very dated. Combine that with most of the DLCs included and its worth the money. It is also hard to build a new ME game. The story of Shepard has a start and finish and is difficult to expand. The shitshow Andromeda demonstrated that.
In general, I feel remakes are an easy way to make money for publishers, and I rather have them spend their time on new content.
I dunno, I'd like to see a Days Gone sequel where the heroes try to reach Portland, whereupon they meet a former govt group that needs to test a cure and they help make that happen, using...
I dunno, I'd like to see a Days Gone sequel where the heroes try to reach Portland, whereupon they meet a former govt group that needs to test a cure and they help make that happen, using different methods to tranq undead and wrangle them during a given window. Could introduce some fun elements where you scavenge parts, materials, organics even to help sustain the efforts of the cure group.
And then you can contrast that with leftover government/military elements that want to essentially nuke everything and move people underground, and you could have some sort of questline choice where you go along with that plan or try to stop the destruction, where your choices affect what happens.
You could have a well-armed, non-crazy doomsday cult opposing your efforts to save the old world status quo, as well as federal elements giving you hard choices to help or get dead. Given our hero's less-than-friendly disposition towards authority, you could make some seriously compelling choices happen.
That game didn't get its due, and I'd love to see a second segment.
Some games can do with a second part... However, why we need overwatch 2 (is a 3 in the works?) or a diablo iV or V, a need for speed 29, and a battlefield 13 eludes me.
Some games can do with a second part...
However, why we need overwatch 2 (is a 3 in the works?) or a diablo iV or V, a need for speed 29, and a battlefield 13 eludes me.
This is what I want as well. Seeing what people are writing in the diablo subreddit is so incredibly frustrating. They want rifts. I was shocked when I kept hearing a call for it. Is it too much...
This is what I want as well. Seeing what people are writing in the diablo subreddit is so incredibly frustrating.
They want rifts. I was shocked when I kept hearing a call for it.
Is it too much to want diablo 4 to be different? Have a different endgame and different game play loop? Why must we rehash rifts? If people want to play rifts, there's already a game for that.
If they want to endlessly group the same boss over and over there's a game for that also. I guess I just wanted diablo 4 to be something it can never be.
I really wish game companies would try and break new ground. NM dungeons being the endgame for d4 really killed the momentum for me.
Remakes, definitely. I've enjoyed a few, like Capcom's Resident Evil remakes, but on the whole I generally prefer to revisit old favorites with mods that fix up PC versions or high quality...
Remakes, definitely. I've enjoyed a few, like Capcom's Resident Evil remakes, but on the whole I generally prefer to revisit old favorites with mods that fix up PC versions or high quality remasters.
I think sequels are one place where video games can really shine though. Unlike film, there is a pretty strong trend of a video game series' 2nd or 3rd entry being better than the original. I think there are two main reasons for this.
Software development is highly iterative, unlike film. When you are working on what is essentially a new major version of your last product, it is a lot easier to look back at what worked and what didn't. You can refine features that were undercooked, you can expand on systems that worked well, and fix design problems that may not have been readily apparent until after millions of people got their hands on it. It also means faster turnaround, since your foundation is already there and proven.
Video games can rest more easily on technical execution. A game can do really well despite a lackluster story as long as the gameplay itself is fun and engaging and the presentation is polished. Movies on the other hand struggle a lot more if their slick cinematography and special effects aren't backed by a compelling narrative. The usual difficulties that come with writing a sequel to an already concluded story can be compensated for elsewhere more readily.
I'm fine with remakes when the original game is either no longer available or even playable on new systems. Ditto for when a game honestly was less than stellar on release but had enough going for...
I'm fine with remakes when the original game is either no longer available or even playable on new systems. Ditto for when a game honestly was less than stellar on release but had enough going for it and enough of a fanbase to warrant making a better version without having to suffer the compromises the original devs may have had to make. What I'm against is remaking/remastering games that aren't even a decade old, like Layers of Fear.
As a fan of old retro FPS games, I'd like to see a remake of something like Last Rites which had okay gameplay and creepy atmosphere - the intermission pictures showing the zombie apocalypse alone are the stuff of nightmares. The game is kind of a mess so it would benefit greatly from a remaster/remake. Since it has no source ports, it's next to impossible to play now unless you use DOSBox, which is far from ideal. The recent Rise of the Triad remaster was nice because until now, there wasn't a really good way to play it.
I'm genuinely shocked at how many random games Sony keeps porting to PC instead of just doing Bloodborne. Like, how many people were really asking them to port Sackboy A Big Adventure before...
I'm genuinely shocked at how many random games Sony keeps porting to PC instead of just doing Bloodborne. Like, how many people were really asking them to port Sackboy A Big Adventure before Bloodborne? Not that there's anything wrong with the former, but the latter feels a lot more like what the typical PC gamer interested in Playstation IPs would want to buy.
there must be some sort of contractual or legal red tape keeping them from doing so I doubt they're looking at it and going "wow we really don't want all of that money though"
there must be some sort of contractual or legal red tape keeping them from doing so
I doubt they're looking at it and going "wow we really don't want all of that money though"
Definitely this, or it's a technical disaster. They didn't even patch it for PS4 Pro or PS5, which I feel like they would have as they did with every other first party title. I'd wager that...
Definitely this, or it's a technical disaster. They didn't even patch it for PS4 Pro or PS5, which I feel like they would have as they did with every other first party title.
I'd wager that they're holding off to give it the Bluepoint treatment at some point instead of porting it as is.
Look into Fata Deum, it got kickstarted several years ago as a modern day entry into the god game genre, and if I recall correctly, has a free demo on steam you can check out.
Look into Fata Deum, it got kickstarted several years ago as a modern day entry into the god game genre, and if I recall correctly, has a free demo on steam you can check out.
Have they fixed the super lag that happens after playing for a bit? I remember being shocked by how bad it slowed down to a slide show after a few minutes of playing the demo.
Have they fixed the super lag that happens after playing for a bit? I remember being shocked by how bad it slowed down to a slide show after a few minutes of playing the demo.
I know there have been several major updates since the demo was released, but I haven't actually sat down and played the game since then, my backlog is just far too big unfortunately.
I know there have been several major updates since the demo was released, but I haven't actually sat down and played the game since then, my backlog is just far too big unfortunately.
My love for this game is endless. And honestly, I would just kill for a new game in this spirit. We need more FPS corridor shooter campaigns in 2023. Add in the squad control and I'll buy day one.
My love for this game is endless. And honestly, I would just kill for a new game in this spirit. We need more FPS corridor shooter campaigns in 2023. Add in the squad control and I'll buy day one.
I just love shooters where you can boss around an AI squad in general. I'm still waiting for a modern incarnation where someone combines squad control and semi-open hubs (basically a variation of...
I just love shooters where you can boss around an AI squad in general. I'm still waiting for a modern incarnation where someone combines squad control and semi-open hubs (basically a variation of the classic big arenas linked by corridors level design) like God of War where you have some freedom to tackle missions with your squad.
A sequel set during Order 66 where your now Imperial Commando squad gets dropped into Coruscant and you get tasked to find and hunt down Jedi as boss fights would be something.
Look into Ghost Recon Wildlands. It's god a truly massive open world and squad controls. I do still wish we'd get a Rainbow Six game that's a Rainbow Six game, but Wildlands is the best I've seen...
Look into Ghost Recon Wildlands. It's god a truly massive open world and squad controls.
I do still wish we'd get a Rainbow Six game that's a Rainbow Six game, but Wildlands is the best I've seen in a few years.
I wish it were possible to revisit some of the early era of casual mobile and web gaming, before free to play monetization sucked the joy out of all of it.... I'm talking stuff like Gen1 Angry...
I wish it were possible to revisit some of the early era of casual mobile and web gaming, before free to play monetization sucked the joy out of all of it.... I'm talking stuff like Gen1 Angry Birds and Cut the Rope. Plants v. Zombies. Peggle. That other one where you'd shoot the ball into a long row of balls as they roped towards you.
It was an era of simple but effective mechanics and a total naivety when it came to monetizing or productizing those purified game mechanics. Almost all those products still exist, but they are grotesque descendants of a beautiful ancestor.
Angry Birds is actually an interesting example because after the original was removed from app stores (in 2019), it was brought back in it's original form (in 2022). Sadly in 2023 it was again...
Angry Birds is actually an interesting example because after the original was removed from app stores (in 2019), it was brought back in it's original form (in 2022).
Sadly in 2023 it was again removed "due to the game’s impact on our wider games portfolio".
Which, reading between the lines, means that people weren't playing/paying as much for their other games, because the classic version is all people really wanted to play.
It looks like iOS still has a version available, but Android users are SOL.
There's some not entirely rational mechanism in my mind that makes me quite angry at someone who starts asking money for something that used to be free. Rationally I get it in some cases, for...
There's some not entirely rational mechanism in my mind that makes me quite angry at someone who starts asking money for something that used to be free. Rationally I get it in some cases, for example when Nadeo released Trackmania Nations Forever with so many features that people stopped buying their paid games so they had to gradually gimp it (misjudging the featureset was clearly their fault, but shit happens). Or when the Black Mesa Source guys got the option to release it commercially. Despite rationally getting it, it was such a turnoff for me that I have never paid for such product and I doubt I ever will.
With Rovio it's just kind of sad because before Angry Birds they used to make pretty unique and compared to other phone games of that time relatively high effort games.
Much like earlier web days in general, not just gaming. Makes me wonder, where does it all go? Is it still there, but harder to find? Is it dried up completely? By that I mean, the people who were...
Much like earlier web days in general, not just gaming. Makes me wonder, where does it all go? Is it still there, but harder to find? Is it dried up completely? By that I mean, the people who were making weird, funny or unique content way back in the day before there was Youtube and Twitch etc. before there was algorithms and people begging for likes and subscriptions and what not, what was behind the interest or motivation for people to do those things? Is that same thing out there still now, or not because those people are giving up money if they do shit like that rather than grinding on the big content creator platforms? I guess before there was sort of content creator platforms too, Newgrounds being a big one, shit I don't even remember the names of the other ones. As I was writing this I remembered Albino Blacksheep which appears to still exist which brings me to my other point, do all the things we remember from the past still exist to some extent and it's the people who were browsing, viewing or playing this stuff that are now sucked into the hellscape that mega content farming platforms of today are? Probably a bit of both I'd suspect.
But most definitely some of the early gaming too, whether it was addictingames.com or armorgames.com for me, I remember a lot of those flash games and its interesting to me because the type of play of those games are almost like perfect fits for mobile games, and certain some have become mobile games of sorts but some haven't which I also find interesting. In fact, Angry Birds probably doesn't exist without Crush the Castle by ArmorGames, and that game only exists because of an earlier flash game I played on ArmorGames called Castle Clout that was pretty clunky but obviously ArmorGames saw potential in it and wanted to make a better version.
At least as far as flash goes, it is basically dead as far as the browser goes. Adobe gave up and it's no longer maintained and shot through with vulnerabilities. That said, you can relive many of...
At least as far as flash goes, it is basically dead as far as the browser goes. Adobe gave up and it's no longer maintained and shot through with vulnerabilities. That said, you can relive many of the games with community projects like BlueMaxima Flashpoint which make them available offline. I haven't looked at this in a while though so not really sure what the current state of the project is.
As for iOS games, many of those have been delisted as Apple requires that they be rebuilt for later versions of iOS. Older stuff just doesn't work for a variety of reasons (screen size changes, API additions or removals, etc). It's not trivial to do, and many developers don't bother since the code is so old at this point and most people aren't buying the game anymore. Not to mention that Apple requires devs to pay a $100 yearly fee to be a developer and publish on the App Store.
I miss both though. Flash games were what I played in school during free time and are clearly the inspiration for some modern games or game mechanics. Old school iOS games were just fun because everyone was so new to multipoint touchscreen with built in accelerometers and gyroscopes that they were just trying stuff. No microtransactions or gacha mechanics either...
I get that the old stuff isn't easily accessible or in some cases possibly not accessible at all anymore, more so I'm wondering about the ideas behind that stuff and to some extent the people. Not...
I get that the old stuff isn't easily accessible or in some cases possibly not accessible at all anymore, more so I'm wondering about the ideas behind that stuff and to some extent the people. Not necessarily the specific people who made specific games or apps, but the group or category of people that were doing those things. Like the people who were making flash games back then, what was the motivation for those people to make those games? Was there actually money being made? To what extent, if at all, is there any similar type of action happening these days? Are there people making mobile games in the same way people were making flash games back then that were free to play and not designed around monetization? If there are people making them, is it just the case that we don't see them as easily because we as the consumers have changed? Maybe kids these days do find them and I'm too old, I don't know, asking out of curiosity at this point as to how much has changed and what in particular the changes could be. I'm sure its a mixture of things, there was no real monetization platforms before so the people that made shit did it because they wanted to try things and they probably used it to skill themselves up and get paying jobs or something like that, and now why would they go that route when they could monetize their game or create content favored by algorithms on Youtube or Twitch etc. rather than shit people were making before these monetization platforms existed.
I know another big thing is probably the curation element as well. In theory, browsing the Play Store or such should be similar to browsing ArmorGames or what not to find new games, but the Play Store is horrendous to actually browse games. Their curation is solely based on monetization, which is to be expected of course, but it's not the same as how curation worked on Flash game sites back in the day. ArmorGames didn't list a new flash game on it's front page because it had a monetization model that could bring them the most money, they did it because it could be something people would enjoy and it would keep people coming back to the site and presumably they were making some ad revenue plus some other sources of revenue somehow but it didn't really have any influence over how the games were designed other than it was easier to find good games. Nowadays it doesn't matter how good your game is, Google generally doesn't give a fuck about it unless it can make them money off a good monetization model and they aren't going to feature those games anywhere someone will find them because it's taking up space on another game that would make them money. Presumably Apple is similar with the iOS app store but probably not as bad as Google.
I'm just kinda curious if these things that used to exist without being driven by monetization back in the day existed, how come they don't exist now, or do they exist now and we just can't find them as easily anymore, or some of this or some of that.
Flash Games I would lean toward passion projects and clout. Newgrounds especially was driven by being the dude that made X game/animation. I think these still exist to some degree, but have moved...
Flash Games I would lean toward passion projects and clout. Newgrounds especially was driven by being the dude that made X game/animation. I think these still exist to some degree, but have moved on to other platforms. My understanding is that Roblox probably has more of this type of community now.
I’d argue that in terms of the early App Store that it was still profit driven. Sure there would be a game that released free, but big companies like EA were releasing small projects like Mass Effect and Dead Space spin offs. They just didn’t know what price the market would support at the time and would usually charge <$10 for stuff. The understanding of the market for mobile games has matured and the companies now realize it’s infinitely more profitable to release free games with a intro period were things are free before quickly ratcheting up the micro transactions to keep the game fun.
I feel like indie games have sort of taken over this space. With the ease and availability of publishing on platforms like steam, most people like that might as well throw it up for $3 or...
I feel like indie games have sort of taken over this space. With the ease and availability of publishing on platforms like steam, most people like that might as well throw it up for $3 or something, for fun if nothing else.
The idea that springs to mind for me is Vampire Survivors: it started as a project to be practice coding that the dev through on steam because why not, and by the genius of the simple game design and a good helping of happenstance blew up and was the most sold game on steam for a good while. It's since received tons of free updates and two very cheap and full DLCs, and it would've been so easy to fit it to a micro transaction or freemium model but the dev just didn't, and was happy making a fun little game for $5
I keep an old machine around and at this point its sole purpose is to be my NAS and a Flash player. It never sees the wider internet, so I don't care about security vulnerability. I just want to...
I keep an old machine around and at this point its sole purpose is to be my NAS and a Flash player.
It never sees the wider internet, so I don't care about security vulnerability. I just want to play all those old Flash games I remember!
I had the same feeling for my oldest who would love og plants vs zombies... So I got a DS. Most of the popular games got ports. You can even emulate DS on a miyoo now (no touch screen), but plenty...
I had the same feeling for my oldest who would love og plants vs zombies...
So I got a DS. Most of the popular games got ports.
You can even emulate DS on a miyoo now (no touch screen), but plenty of devices to emulate with
A Spore remake where the science team won with a giant EA war chest behind them and the cute team stays in the corner and plays with their crayons. It’s probably because it was during my formative...
A Spore remake where the science team won with a giant EA war chest behind them and the cute team stays in the corner and plays with their crayons. It’s probably because it was during my formative years but I will never not be angry about what could have been. Playing with the Alpha and beta models for that game before it released has left an evolution simulator game sized hole in my heart. Thrive and games like it are great and props to the dedication of those teams keeping the dream alive but it’ll always feel like we were on the precipice of something truly special and whiffed at the very last minute.
I'm with you. But I'm also wondering if the science team didn't so much lose as, there just wasn't enough computer power and game software engine maturity to pull it off back in the day. That they...
I'm with you. But I'm also wondering if the science team didn't so much lose as, there just wasn't enough computer power and game software engine maturity to pull it off back in the day. That they weren't sidelined, they just couldn't deliver.
I want what they promised in Robin Williams' demo, not so much a straight remake.
My understanding from back in the day was that they had it all mapped out but then EA got worried at the last few hurdles and thought a ‘cute’ would sell better. Will Wright left EA over it to...
My understanding from back in the day was that they had it all mapped out but then EA got worried at the last few hurdles and thought a ‘cute’ would sell better. Will Wright left EA over it to never lose control like that again and start a think tank. May just be rumors though it seems like EA is a share holder in that think tank.
I'll always cite Spore as my biggest gaming disappointment. Bought that opening day and it was nothing like what ibwas promised. I didn't by a new game on day 1 till the remake of XCom came out.
I'll always cite Spore as my biggest gaming disappointment. Bought that opening day and it was nothing like what ibwas promised. I didn't by a new game on day 1 till the remake of XCom came out.
It’s a lesson every gamer has to learn eventually unfortunately. The trick is to not fall for the hype ever again, there is no scarcity in new games anymore. Patient gaming is the only way I can...
It’s a lesson every gamer has to learn eventually unfortunately. The trick is to not fall for the hype ever again, there is no scarcity in new games anymore. Patient gaming is the only way I can truly enjoy a game these days (minus Nintendo because of loyalty and family). It also helps that my back catalogue is ridiculously backed up for years at this point.
Remake for Alpha Protocol! For those that have never heard of it, it's a spy espionage action game that tries to respect what kind of cool guy you want to be. The developers had the philosophy of...
Remake for Alpha Protocol! For those that have never heard of it, it's a spy espionage action game that tries to respect what kind of cool guy you want to be. The developers had the philosophy of the "three JB's" - James Bond, Jack Bauer, and Jason Borne. The reason it isn't known as one of the best games of all time is because it's quite buggy, unbalanced (pistol super OP), and the ending isn't fully baked.
That said, I remember playing this game and thinking to myself, "this game has so much heart." I really felt like the game went out of your way to respect the narrative you were trying to create for yourself. Every choice you make has an associated incentive attached which is something games with good and bad choices don't do. You get perks for getting everyone to love you, sure, but how many games give you a buff because you made everyone hate you?
It's a bit short but I didn't think that was a bad thing. In fact, I saw it as a positive because it facilitates multiple replays without feeling fatigue. There were some choices I didn't realize were choices until I got blindsided by certain characters dying.
Although I would rather developers pursue spiritual successors rather than remakes, I think Alpha Protocol has enough cult classic status for a remake to be a guaranteed success. Even if it never does, I encourage people to give it a shot!
I tried to go the charisma route and that shit was basically impossible. I hated the combat system and eventually gave up. I remember getting through the yacht mission after 846294620 attempts but...
I tried to go the charisma route and that shit was basically impossible. I hated the combat system and eventually gave up. I remember getting through the yacht mission after 846294620 attempts but I knew my bullets just wouldn't do enough damage and that I was going to be forced into combat way too often.
Other reasons it's not considered the best game of all time is that the combat is pretty horrible and the presentation is not very good. But those can be very easily fixed with a remake. The story...
Other reasons it's not considered the best game of all time is that the combat is pretty horrible and the presentation is not very good.
But those can be very easily fixed with a remake. The story of the game and the voice acting and RPG aspects are fantastic.
That game has great presentation and has the excuse of being much older. When Alpha Protocol came out I think the standards for combat were much higher.
That game has great presentation and has the excuse of being much older. When Alpha Protocol came out I think the standards for combat were much higher.
I'll never stop hoping for Obsidian to make at least a spiritual sequel to this. I'm not attached to the IP, but it seems crazy that there aren't other "James Bond" RPGs out there.
I'll never stop hoping for Obsidian to make at least a spiritual sequel to this. I'm not attached to the IP, but it seems crazy that there aren't other "James Bond" RPGs out there.
Warcraft IV as an RTS or solo RPG that picks up where WCIII left off, treating WoW as an alternate universe of sorts. As much fun as I've had in WoW over the years (especially during its earlier...
Warcraft IV as an RTS or solo RPG that picks up where WCIII left off, treating WoW as an alternate universe of sorts.
As much fun as I've had in WoW over the years (especially during its earlier half), the MMO-with-expansions format is incredibly ill-suited for writing purposes because it requires the narrative to contort itself to provide an endless stream of new world-ending threats to turn into raids. The franchise badly needs a single player game of some kind where writing can take priority and breathe some life back into it.
I just commented myself, I'd love to see a WoW2 made from the ground up with the 20+ years of content and game dev knowledge able to be built into the foundation rather than continually trying to...
I just commented myself, I'd love to see a WoW2 made from the ground up with the 20+ years of content and game dev knowledge able to be built into the foundation rather than continually trying to add it onto the content we already have.
And the fact that new WC games never got made after wow came out is a crime. Let us play the moments that happened in between expansions, let me feel invested in the content and characters that each expansion then is built on.
I think a lot of these live service games that go for a very long time, like 10 years or more, should at some point just make a sequel. I saw some videos about the new Team Fortress 2 update and...
made from the ground up with the 20+ years of content and game dev knowledge able to be built into the foundation rather than continually trying to add it onto the content we already have.
I think a lot of these live service games that go for a very long time, like 10 years or more, should at some point just make a sequel. I saw some videos about the new Team Fortress 2 update and how they added support for 100 player lobbies, but it's hard to do that because of the entity limit in Source 1. Also, the game has serious spaghetti code because it's been updated for so long. Then there's also Destiny 2, which is so bloated they had to remove the launch content, so new players can't even catch up anyways. Maybe it's just time to move on to Team Fortress 3 or Destiny 3?
I loved TF2 when it came out, but then they kept adding content that moved it farther away from the original design and now I haven't touched it in well over a decade. I'd rather go back to TF1...
I loved TF2 when it came out, but then they kept adding content that moved it farther away from the original design and now I haven't touched it in well over a decade.
I'd rather go back to TF1 than TF2 for the balance and simplicity.
Up until March this year you could still play a very early version on ps3 with the orange box. There were basically no updates on the console version. It was like stepping into a time machine.
Up until March this year you could still play a very early version on ps3 with the orange box. There were basically no updates on the console version. It was like stepping into a time machine.
Sequels to services games will always have the same problem: a community that will complain about how little content there is compared to the first game. WoW is coming up on 20 years of content...
Sequels to services games will always have the same problem: a community that will complain about how little content there is compared to the first game. WoW is coming up on 20 years of content that is still growing with continued updates and expansions. How does hypothetical WoW2 even attempt to launch with a fraction of the content? Your user forums will be loaded with users complaining about missing random feature X that they absolutely loved in the first game. That will color the games early reception in a negative light. It will be a constant game of catching up to the old game instead of just being its own thing.
The way that most MMOs are designed probably doesn't help. You get this cycle of [content release] → [content relevancy] → [content trivialization] → [content irrelevancy] that ensures that only...
The way that most MMOs are designed probably doesn't help. You get this cycle of [content release] → [content relevancy] → [content trivialization] → [content irrelevancy] that ensures that only the most newly added stuff matters, and that becomes an increasingly smaller share with each expansion. For long running MMOs like WoW that's like 2% of everything the game has to offer.
To make this worse, as MMOs age, casual players tend to get pushed out leaving a population that mostly consists of voracious players who burn through everything the expansion/patch/etc has to offer ever more quickly.
This setup seems like it'd be nearly impossible to keep sustainable, even discounting the possibility of sequels. The only way I can see winning with an MMO in the long term is to target audiences that don't play as heavily, keep content rollouts on a slower drip, and do more to keep existing content relevant.
As much shit as New World gets for being a blatantly unfinished game, I really liked its combat. I think my current dream game is a WoW 2 (or solo RPG too, sure) with those mechanics!
As much shit as New World gets for being a blatantly unfinished game, I really liked its combat.
I think my current dream game is a WoW 2 (or solo RPG too, sure) with those mechanics!
Yes please this would be incredible! I spent thousands of hours growing up playing custom maps like sheep tag, tower wars, farmers vs hunters, helms deep, etc on WC3. It was incredibly fun and the...
Yes please this would be incredible! I spent thousands of hours growing up playing custom maps like sheep tag, tower wars, farmers vs hunters, helms deep, etc on WC3. It was incredibly fun and the custom maps and mod scene kept it fresh for many many years. I haven't played the remastered version yet, at launch I heard it had a lot of issues and wasn't that great, maybe I'll check it out again.
I never got into WoW. I don't like grinding and endless content. The only MMO I ever actually enjoyed was star wars galaxies, but they killed that off after my first year of play.
That they stopped developing WC RTS Games was very disappointing to me. StarCraft 2 was a great rts, but its quite sweaty and doesn't have the really fun casual side of things which I miss. Bring on WC4 and ensure it has as good a map editor as WC3 and I'll drop all my money on it.
Gotta be Custom Robo. It was a GameCube game where you competed in little top-down 3rd person shooting battles that pit your custom- built robot against up to 3 others. You got new parts as you...
Gotta be Custom Robo. It was a GameCube game where you competed in little top-down 3rd person shooting battles that pit your custom- built robot against up to 3 others. You got new parts as you went, so you could tweak individual parts of your loadout (the torso, gun, legs, etc) individually for each battle. Was awesome finding new combos and the story was actually pretty neat.
There was a DS version that got wide release, but nothing since then. I feel like they could really crush it with newer hardware.
This is a great pick as it seems to have been totally forgotten. I loved these games though I never knew anyone who actually played or even heard of them aside from me. The DS game was a great...
This is a great pick as it seems to have been totally forgotten. I loved these games though I never knew anyone who actually played or even heard of them aside from me. The DS game was a great follow-up to the original, but yeah, I wish we got a newer one as well.
I agree that this series needs a continuation. There have actually been a few games since the 2000~2004 era. The most well known is Synaptic Drive (2020) but, despite being made by some of the...
Custom Robo, really crush it with newer hardware
I agree that this series needs a continuation. There have actually been a few games since the 2000~2004 era. The most well known is Synaptic Drive (2020) but, despite being made by some of the original people as Custom Robo, there is no story mode and so the raison d'etre is missing so it feels a bit soulless. There's also Hyper Jam (2019) which some people online are comparing to Synaptic Drive.
It's not enough to update the graphics and crush it on better hardware. Reasons why Custom Robo is still a great game:
The game is calm despite being about destruction.
Levels are challenging but not stressful. Simple but still interesting.
Each customization option feels unique without any specific combination being overpowered. You need to use strategy and each customization option create different affordances for strategy.
Story and music are engaging without being distracting.
Oh man, Golden Sun and GS2 were amazing. I still whip out the Game Boy Advance emulator every few years to replay it. The story and the world building had so much heart. It's really a shame that...
Oh man, Golden Sun and GS2 were amazing. I still whip out the Game Boy Advance emulator every few years to replay it. The story and the world building had so much heart. It's really a shame that what was probably one of the top 10 RPGs of all time was limited to such a niche handheld console.
I don't think it needs a sequel though, the game is still very playable, if a bit grindy.
No One Live Forever 1/2, lost in legal limbo and probably will never have another sequel or remake of the originals. Just like with Black Mesa v Half Life, a remaster / remake could work well to...
No One Live Forever 1/2, lost in legal limbo and probably will never have another sequel or remake of the originals. Just like with Black Mesa v Half Life, a remaster / remake could work well to bring a great storyline into modern day graphics.
Well if its any consolation they're making a new Skate game right now. Somehow a free to play title, but the playtests look good https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9gAlobY9dg
Well if its any consolation they're making a new Skate game right now. Somehow a free to play title, but the playtests look good https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9gAlobY9dg
I would love to see a revival of Bioware's most neglected property, Jade Empire. The gameplay was far from perfect and the mortality system may have been a little underbaked but it set out to do...
I would love to see a revival of Bioware's most neglected property, Jade Empire. The gameplay was far from perfect and the mortality system may have been a little underbaked but it set out to do something quite different in the RPG space resulting in a very fun Wuxia adventure set in a charming world that still has a ton of untapped potential.
Damn, I remember binging trough this game in a few weeks and loved it. But then forgot about it until reading your comment. I'm gonna set up the old xbox again and replay the game. Thanks for...
Damn, I remember binging trough this game in a few weeks and loved it. But then forgot about it until reading your comment.
I'm gonna set up the old xbox again and replay the game. Thanks for reminding me!
Your abilities have grown immensely. But it does my heart good to see that you have remembered the basics of what I taught... even the flaws. Great choice and totally agree. Definitely a lot of...
Your abilities have grown immensely. But it does my heart good to see that you have remembered the basics of what I taught... even the flaws.
Great choice and totally agree. Definitely a lot of untapped potential in this one still.
My dream is that they remake and expand the first Mirror's Edge, it's one of my favorites and since it's so short I'll play it a couple times a year. Didn't care for Catalyst, gameplay was fine...
My dream is that they remake and expand the first Mirror's Edge, it's one of my favorites and since it's so short I'll play it a couple times a year. Didn't care for Catalyst, gameplay was fine but the story was just bad and the open world didn't add enough to make it worth it.
It might sound silly, but World of Warcraft. I recently started back up on classic for nostalgia, but man nothing will ever compare to the first few years of it. And the world is still amazing,...
It might sound silly, but World of Warcraft.
I recently started back up on classic for nostalgia, but man nothing will ever compare to the first few years of it. And the world is still amazing, the lore is so fun, not too serious but also interesting.
The game feels so outdated though. The level design is very sparse and definitely comes from a time where you were still expected to fill in the gaps with your imagination. The combat is nothing more than hotkeys and auto attacks.
The MMO genre has more potential than ever, imo, right now, and is being wasted on legacy content that won't die and games too inspired by that legacy content to stand out on their own.
I want classic+, like a lot of the community, but only because I doubt a WoW2 is likely to be made instead.
Some aspects of that are worth preserving I think, though. The polar opposite is what you have in modern WoW, where every square inch of the map is dedicated to some objective or another and...
The level design is very sparse and definitely comes from a time where you were still expected to fill in the gaps with your imagination.
Some aspects of that are worth preserving I think, though. The polar opposite is what you have in modern WoW, where every square inch of the map is dedicated to some objective or another and nothing exists just to exist, which feels stilted and artificial and shrinks the world. Though Classic's world feels sparse, it in also feels more living and organic in some ways.
Sparseness can also be used to great effect sometimes. It was entirely unintentional, but because the devs ran out of time and couldn't properly populate Vanilla Azshara with content for example, the vanilla version of the zone feels much more like an ancient, eerie, and dangerous no man's land at the edge of the world (which narratively, it was) than it would have if it had been filled to the brim with quests and outposts.
I certainly don't want zones just filled with crap to fill it with crap, but I do want zones that have substance. I think a good example is (I'll butcher the names, bare with me lol) Tinaris and...
I certainly don't want zones just filled with crap to fill it with crap, but I do want zones that have substance.
I think a good example is (I'll butcher the names, bare with me lol) Tinaris and Feralis.
One is a desert, "empty and barren" but every part of it feels natural. Feralis is a wild forest, but really like half of the zone feels pointless.
I'd love to see them revisit this world with more time and money to really flesh it out to its fullest extent.
Can't edit my other post, but I hate double posting... I think Sin'Jin village is the best example I can think of. Supposedly it's the new home of the trolls, but it's forever stuck being 6 huts...
Can't edit my other post, but I hate double posting...
I think Sin'Jin village is the best example I can think of. Supposedly it's the new home of the trolls, but it's forever stuck being 6 huts with a lvl 6 tiger problem across the water.
I think it's just that it's too expensive and time-consuming to make MMO's from the bottom nowadays as games need so much more attention to detail than they did 20 years ago. The "Titan" MMO that...
I think it's just that it's too expensive and time-consuming to make MMO's from the bottom nowadays as games need so much more attention to detail than they did 20 years ago. The "Titan" MMO that Blizzard did work on got turned into Overwatch instead because they thought it just wasn't feasible to finish it.
It's too bad because I would really love another take on WoW as well, but also highly doubt it's ever happening. We will continue to get expansions though, with a handful of new zones every two years. It's 10.1 now which is insane to think about - the game is unrecognisable from vanilla so it may as well be WoW2. But the changes have been so gradual throughout the iterations of the game that it doesn't feel that way. But comparing vanilla to Dragonflight really is completely different games
I think that is a bit of a cop-out though, certainly Activision blizzard can afford to make any MMO they want. I get they also have to balance out the cost vs value, but if they don't do something...
I think that is a bit of a cop-out though, certainly Activision blizzard can afford to make any MMO they want. I get they also have to balance out the cost vs value, but if they don't do something WoW will continue to die. And cost/value was just as much a risk, if not more so, for WoW at launch in the mid 2000's when MMO's were still very niche.
Been playing MMOs since EQ in 99 and honestly, I don't like the modern move to "action combat" style. I'm not sure if I can really elucidate this point well, but I love the slow pace of old style...
Been playing MMOs since EQ in 99 and honestly, I don't like the modern move to "action combat" style. I'm not sure if I can really elucidate this point well, but I love the slow pace of old style MMO combat, because it makes for a game I don't really need to be wholly invested in while I play.
Which isn't to say that I didn't spend hundreds of hours staring at the screen when I played MMOs, but the ones where I felt like I really needed to be paying all my attention to it and really trying hard never really stuck with me. I like the simplicity and slow pace of an old style MMO.
Again, I'm not explaining myself well, but aside from all the other issues with modern MMOs, this is a big one for me. Really stands out to me when I go back and play on private WoW servers.
Strong agree here. There’s a time and place for more “twitchy” gameplay, and I don’t think it’s in MMOs. Let them be their simplistic low-APM tab-target selves, the sort of thing that might feel...
Strong agree here. There’s a time and place for more “twitchy” gameplay, and I don’t think it’s in MMOs. Let them be their simplistic low-APM tab-target selves, the sort of thing that might feel nice to play after coming in from a taxing day at work or school.
Also, it’s not as if there can’t occasionally be tense moments with old school MMO combat. Vanilla WoW can produce those moments reliably. They’re just centered around things like resource management and situational awareness (don’t let that Defias Looter run and grab his friend!) instead of movement, ability spam, and precise timing.
Think you hit the nail on the head and put into writing what I was struggling with. There were absolutely intense moments in old games, but it was about that resource management and short term...
Think you hit the nail on the head and put into writing what I was struggling with. There were absolutely intense moments in old games, but it was about that resource management and short term strategizing with maybe a sudden moment of improvisation when something broke down.
You'd enjoy Classic WoW. I understand and agree with you in spirit, but classic rotation based combat is extremely repetitive and easily solvable. You either use an addon or memorize the rotations...
You'd enjoy Classic WoW.
I understand and agree with you in spirit, but classic rotation based combat is extremely repetitive and easily solvable. You either use an addon or memorize the rotations and repeat them ad infinitum.
Oh, I do, though I tend to play on private servers instead. But I've also played WoW for...probably thousands of hours since 2004 at this point and between that and life changes over the past 20...
Oh, I do, though I tend to play on private servers instead. But I've also played WoW for...probably thousands of hours since 2004 at this point and between that and life changes over the past 20 years, I don't play anymore.
Solving something doesn't mean it's bad or needs to be tossed out. Plenty of things are solved the instant they arrive on the scene, look at how people analyze data the minute a game comes out and find the "optimal" path through it. It's the same with something like Magic the Gathering or Warhammer 40k; people rapidly "solve" it to find the best thing in all scenarios. This takes the fun out of the game for me and I don't care to play or interact with people who enjoy the game that way, but they have a tendency to make things their way or the highway; that is to say, you must do it their way, because they've optimized it and if you don't, you're at a disadvantage so you may as well not bother.
That said, there's a reason we have things such as "Comfort Food" & "Cozy Games"; yeah, we know the score, but we keep coming back to those things because they're simple and uncomplicated. We can simply sit down with a cup of tea and enjoy the thing to relax without having to think too hard about builds or optimization, we can just do as children do and play, no strings attached.
What I'm trying to say, I suppose, is that in the modern push to modernize everything, streamline everything, make everything fast paced and more complex, we've lost something. Look at how popular WoW was at its peak, which was in large part, when it was a very simple game; you had normal people getting into WoW, because it was simple to play and you really didn't need knowledge of builds or quick reflexes or hell, even memorization of rotations. You could just play and have a good time. Look at the popularity of other simple games, Farmville, Vampire Survivors, Tetris, Minecraft. All very simple, straightforward games a normal person can get into and relax with.
While Blizzard has done a decent job keeping a 20 year old game updated, there's only so much they can do. Parts of the game are still very fun, but then there are others, such as exploration,...
While Blizzard has done a decent job keeping a 20 year old game updated, there's only so much they can do. Parts of the game are still very fun, but then there are others, such as exploration, visiting old zones, etc., and the game just feels dated again, like you said.
I do think there are still some fun aspects in WoW as it is, but I don't see myself playing it much more unless there's a sequel or a remake or something in order to inject some modern gameplay in.
I'm in enough with the remakes group personally. However, I'd love to see sequels to the Ogre series and Quintet games like the Gaia series or ActRaiser (the latter needs to have the sim elements...
I'm in enough with the remakes group personally. However, I'd love to see sequels to the Ogre series and Quintet games like the Gaia series or ActRaiser (the latter needs to have the sim elements otherwise what's the point IMO).
I'd love to see new games in the Ogre series! I haven't seen how well the remake sold, but the fact that they even did a remake recently gives me at least a little hope for new entries. But tbh, I...
I'd love to see new games in the Ogre series!
I haven't seen how well the remake sold, but the fact that they even did a remake recently gives me at least a little hope for new entries. But tbh, I only want them if the creator comes back to lead it. Otherwise, make a new series with the same design philosophy.
The other older 2D Zelda games besides Link’s Awakening, but in that same style. Zelda 1, 2, and 3, Oracle of Ages, Oracle of Seasons, and Minish Cap. If also like to see all of the original NES...
The other older 2D Zelda games besides Link’s Awakening, but in that same style. Zelda 1, 2, and 3, Oracle of Ages, Oracle of Seasons, and Minish Cap.
If also like to see all of the original NES and SNES Mario games similarly remade, as well.
2D Zelda games are my favorite. To me that is the Zelda experience, as much as I love OoT, MM, WW, & TP. I couldn't get into BotW so I haven't even tried the new one, yet.
2D Zelda games are my favorite. To me that is the Zelda experience, as much as I love OoT, MM, WW, & TP. I couldn't get into BotW so I haven't even tried the new one, yet.
I also really miss 2D Zelda! I made a comment to that effect a month or so ago. But to be honest, I think remakes/remasters are the reason we aren’t getting new 2D Zelda: Nintendo knows that...
I also really miss 2D Zelda! I made a comment to that effect a month or so ago.
But to be honest, I think remakes/remasters are the reason we aren’t getting new 2D Zelda: Nintendo knows that remakes/remasters sell just as well as (if not better than) original games.
It’s been a decade since A Link Been Worlds! The only upside to the drought is that it’s forced me to go back and play every single 2D Zelda (TLoZ, Zelda 2, ALTTP, Link’s Awakening DX (1998), Oracle of Ages/Seasons, the Minish Cap) outside of the DS games. At this rate, though, I may have to try them too 😭
Morrowind. I hear people say it's better than Skyrim but it's too dated for me to be willing to try. Could certainly scratch the itch for a Skyrim-esque RPG.
Morrowind. I hear people say it's better than Skyrim but it's too dated for me to be willing to try. Could certainly scratch the itch for a Skyrim-esque RPG.
Morrowind blows Skyrim out of the water on every metric barring graphics, imo. The definition of an open world RPG, and definitely my favourite of the series. I replayed it a few years ago and...
Morrowind blows Skyrim out of the water on every metric barring graphics, imo. The definition of an open world RPG, and definitely my favourite of the series.
I replayed it a few years ago and there are a heap of mods over on Nexus Mods like this enhanced textures one which make a big difference.
Skyrim graphics already feel dated to me at this point haha But I'll consider. Can play it when I'm in a retro mood or when I can only game on my lousy laptop.
Skyrim graphics already feel dated to me at this point haha
But I'll consider. Can play it when I'm in a retro mood or when I can only game on my lousy laptop.
Little Big Adventure, both 1 and 2. I always just played games casually and never really got deep into any particular game or genre but the LBA games sucked me right in. I must have played through...
Little Big Adventure, both 1 and 2. I always just played games casually and never really got deep into any particular game or genre but the LBA games sucked me right in. I must have played through each one at least half a dozen times now.
Ah, that game it starts in asylum, from which you have to escape by fighting, but the terrible controls make that experience terrible for beginner. Once you master it, it is quite nice. If they...
Ah, that game it starts in asylum, from which you have to escape by fighting, but the terrible controls make that experience terrible for beginner. Once you master it, it is quite nice.
If they ever make remake of it, I hope they will fix those controls.
I would love to see a new version of Bungie's Marathon. Rogue AI computer malfunctions and takes over the ship and tries to kill you... Or multiple ships? I don't remember the details. I think it...
I would love to see a new version of Bungie's Marathon. Rogue AI computer malfunctions and takes over the ship and tries to kill you... Or multiple ships? I don't remember the details. I think it was about 30 years ago.
Oh wow, I was really excited for about 2 seconds, but that's really not what I was hoping for in a new Marathon game. I'll keep an eye on it, but I'm sceptical it's going to be my type of game....
Oh wow, I was really excited for about 2 seconds, but that's really not what I was hoping for in a new Marathon game. I'll keep an eye on it, but I'm sceptical it's going to be my type of game. Like @Subvocal said it looks like a reskin of Marathon on the Destiny 2 engine or something.
I'm not a big Bungie fan by any means but if there's one thing I'll give them some credit for, it's that they always put in a lot of lore and story into their work. They're the last developers I'd...
I'm not a big Bungie fan by any means but if there's one thing I'll give them some credit for, it's that they always put in a lot of lore and story into their work.
They're the last developers I'd expect to do a simple paint job. If they say this is a Marathon game, there's probably going to be tons of lore involved that will update the canon of the series.
A remake or remaster of Sonic Adventure. A proper remake, for that matter - none of that SADX stuff. Just go right back to the Dreamcast version and use it as a basis, don't bother with any of...
A remake or remaster of Sonic Adventure. A proper remake, for that matter - none of that SADX stuff. Just go right back to the Dreamcast version and use it as a basis, don't bother with any of DX's "enhancements". A modernized version of SA1 with improved controls and better visuals is the dream.
(also, while not exactly a remake/sequel, a PC port of Unleashed HD would be very nice, too)
I know it'll never happen because of the Disney takeover, but a Dark Forces/Jedi Knight remake, with the light saber mechanics from Jedi Academy and a modern engine makeover would be the bees knees.
I know it'll never happen because of the Disney takeover, but a Dark Forces/Jedi Knight remake, with the light saber mechanics from Jedi Academy and a modern engine makeover would be the bees knees.
I want the original Dark Forces remade. I've always been the one lone weirdo who hated Dark Forces II. I never much liked the first person lightsaber/Force usage. But I could shoot Stormtroopers...
I want the original Dark Forces remade. I've always been the one lone weirdo who hated Dark Forces II. I never much liked the first person lightsaber/Force usage. But I could shoot Stormtroopers all day.
Bungie's Marathon. I dont want to sound ungrateful to the open source, volunteer, maintainers of these games these days but if we could get a more modern engine that could tighten up the controls...
Bungie's Marathon.
I dont want to sound ungrateful to the open source, volunteer, maintainers of these games these days but if we could get a more modern engine that could tighten up the controls and improve the overall feel to align with the Doom/idtech1 or Duke Nuk'em/Build engines that have iterated over the years I would be stoked. They look/feel so weird to me because of the engine's constraints that I never play more than the first ten minutes.
I'm thinking more of a Nightdive-style update where it's the same game, same feel, but modernized without compromising what made the original so great.
Would love to see a sequel to Battletech 2018. The game is still good, but I want to see a sequel on a new engine that can actually handle the game. The original is great, but it's built on Unity...
Would love to see a sequel to Battletech 2018. The game is still good, but I want to see a sequel on a new engine that can actually handle the game. The original is great, but it's built on Unity and it's just so damn slow, especially once you start using mods, which is another thing that needs addressing.
All the mods are sort of hacked in, so it would be nice to see a new game with proper mod support.
One of my favorite games is "Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines (1998)" (and it's standalone expansion, "Beyond the Call of Duty") which obviously has it's age and doesn't play that well, so I would...
One of my favorite games is "Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines (1998)" (and it's standalone expansion, "Beyond the Call of Duty") which obviously has it's age and doesn't play that well, so I would love a remake/remaster. Moreover, I would like sequels with new missions, sure we got the famed Commandos 2 (and later Commandos 3) but I found these sequels to be far too complicated and I very much prefer the original game mechanics.
Mail Order Monsters. My favorite game from the Commodore 64 era. I loved how the graphics would change as you upgraded your monster on the build screen. An amoeba with fangs was particularly...
Mail Order Monsters. My favorite game from the Commodore 64 era. I loved how the graphics would change as you upgraded your monster on the build screen. An amoeba with fangs was particularly hilarious.
As far as I'm aware, there weren't any follow-ons, from the original creators, or anyone else.
(And no, Pokemon does not count. Completely different play loop.)
Another Tex Murphy game, every one has been a delight, the latest one is starting to feel a bit janky on modem hardware and can't be played with a controller. Honestly those are my only critiques.
Another Tex Murphy game, every one has been a delight, the latest one is starting to feel a bit janky on modem hardware and can't be played with a controller. Honestly those are my only critiques.
Seconded. I backed the Kickstarter for Tesla Effect, which turned out great. But it really sucks that the next game, The Poisoned Pawn, got cancelled. I wish they had Kickstarted that one too,...
Seconded. I backed the Kickstarter for Tesla Effect, which turned out great. But it really sucks that the next game, The Poisoned Pawn, got cancelled. I wish they had Kickstarted that one too, since maybe then they might have had enough incentive to work out their "creative differences" and actually finish it. :(
Martian Memorandum was a masterpiece. It does feel like a series that was a product of its time in retrospect but I'm sure there would be a way to modernize it effectively.
Martian Memorandum was a masterpiece. It does feel like a series that was a product of its time in retrospect but I'm sure there would be a way to modernize it effectively.
I would love a remake or revival of the Jet Moto franchise. The amount of hover bike themed racing games in the modern video game industry is staggeringly low and it bums me out.
I would love a remake or revival of the Jet Moto franchise. The amount of hover bike themed racing games in the modern video game industry is staggeringly low and it bums me out.
In no particular order: Custom Robo Arena from the DS to the Switch. GameFreak has used its last chance after S&V and im done with their laziness. CRA would fill that void nicely until they get...
In no particular order:
Custom Robo Arena from the DS to the Switch. GameFreak has used its last chance after S&V and im done with their laziness. CRA would fill that void nicely until they get their act together.
Section 8 from xbox 360 to PC or current Gen. There's a few things from that game that we're really cool concepts - basically a budget Halo but with some interesting weapon mechanics.
there was a pilot game that I used to play on DS that I can't remember the name of now, but you were basically a fighter jet or plane and you were tasked with bombing the enemy units before they destroyed yours. That would be nice to see remade a little.
Jet Set Radio Future from the original Xbox. I know BombRush CyberFunk is coming as a spiritual successor, but I'd love to complete the original before I start that, and short of emulating, there's not really a way to play a stable version anymore.
Midnight Club 3 DUB edition from the PSP to PC. I still hold this as the standard for arcade racing games; so much customisability, plenty of fun quirks to the racing, and a decent selection of areas to race in with each area being a decent size itself!
Ty the Tazmanian Tiger from PS2 to current gen or PC. I recently lost my Grandad, and about 15ish years ago when he was looking after me once, he brought his PS2 with him and this game, and we had an absolute blast playing it. Nothing but nostalgia for this one.
Firstly, sorry for your loss. Whilst they're not remakes, the trilogy was ported to PC within the last few years, so unlike the Jet Set Radio example there is at least a modern way you can play...
Ty the Tazmanian Tiger
Firstly, sorry for your loss. Whilst they're not remakes, the trilogy was ported to PC within the last few years, so unlike the Jet Set Radio example there is at least a modern way you can play through them if you were so inclined! The first two were crowdfunded if I recall correctly, and are even on PS4, Xbox, and Switch. The second one was Steam Deck verified in February, even adding a couple of new boomerangs and outfits!
Hey, thanks for the kind words and sharing this information! I'll check Steam and if they're there, I'll wish list and then make them my first non-essential purchases after I finish the process of...
Hey, thanks for the kind words and sharing this information! I'll check Steam and if they're there, I'll wish list and then make them my first non-essential purchases after I finish the process of buying my house. Thank you man!
Its incredible how nothing ive experienced has really come close to that game. I wanted to give The Crew a try but never found the time. Shame R* canned the studio that made the MC games.... Edit:...
Its incredible how nothing ive experienced has really come close to that game. I wanted to give The Crew a try but never found the time.
Shame R* canned the studio that made the MC games....
Edit: Forza Horizon 4 came closest I think. But maybe its childhood nostalgia making MC seem better?
I would really like to see a sequel made for Middle Earth: Shadow of War. The combat in that game was viscerally satisfying, the skill and armor progression was excellent, the army building/enemy...
I would really like to see a sequel made for Middle Earth: Shadow of War. The combat in that game was viscerally satisfying, the skill and armor progression was excellent, the army building/enemy collecting was a unique experience, and the nemesis system was truly fun. Having an enemy return to try an assassination attempt on you, while bearing the scars of your previous battle was super interesting. Unfortunately Monolith patented the nemesis system, so they are the only studio that can remake the game.
I'd like to see one for War In Middle Earth, a combination RPG and strategy game. The mechanics were interesting: you start off controlling the hobbits escaping The Shire, and nothing stops you...
I'd like to see one for War In Middle Earth, a combination RPG and strategy game. The mechanics were interesting: you start off controlling the hobbits escaping The Shire, and nothing stops you from moving them anywhere on the map. But if you want to actually survive, you'll want to follow more or less the path they do in the story (so you can get Aragorn, Glorfindel, etc to help protect you).
Some of the armies are available for control right away, but others must be activated through other means which are, frankly, a bit buggy or too difficult to do within the means you're given. But it does allow for interesting alternate histories for the War of the Ring; it just really needs updates to all of the battle mechanics to make it more interesting.
Alternatively, it could be remade as two separate games - one a stealth game with small parties trying to destroy the Ring and one with just the large format battles but I like that both come into play because they both affect each other's outcomes in the original.
A ton of PS2 era games didn't age well, but I would love a graphics upgrade to the Xenosaga trilogy. I would do dirty immoral things for them to complete the last three parts.
A ton of PS2 era games didn't age well, but I would love a graphics upgrade to the Xenosaga trilogy. I would do dirty immoral things for them to complete the last three parts.
My contributions to this topic would both be PS2 series that both 'technically' had sequels but that... deviated heavily from the formula. Jak and Daxter (I'm one of the weirdos who loved Combat...
A ton of PS2 era games
My contributions to this topic would both be PS2 series that both 'technically' had sequels but that... deviated heavily from the formula. Jak and Daxter (I'm one of the weirdos who loved Combat Racing but I was looking over 'lost frontier' and by god it didn't seem like a J&D game) and Mercenaries (had a Mercs 2 but the PS2 version was so disgustingly watered down I doubt I'll try it on other platforms if I get a next gen console... Plus they made Peng take a complete 180 and everything fun about the first game was like a caricature of itself... oof)
Then again I've missed out on a lot of gaming; taking notes in this thread on beloved titles to play :)
Honestly the 'platform' I'm likely to build or get next will probably be a dedicated thing to play old flash games haha.
That, and also maybe just a switch port of Xenoblade Chronicles X, because now that the store is gone you can't download the optimization files that makes it playable on the WiiU, so it's not very...
That, and also maybe just a switch port of Xenoblade Chronicles X, because now that the store is gone you can't download the optimization files that makes it playable on the WiiU, so it's not very accessible anymore.
I'd love a sequel or even a remake to Sleeping Dogs. One of my all time favourite open world games. The story and characters were great and the martial arts combat system was unbelievably fun and...
I'd love a sequel or even a remake to Sleeping Dogs. One of my all time favourite open world games. The story and characters were great and the martial arts combat system was unbelievably fun and refreshing.
Coming in to say my number one choice would be Alpha Centauri, because Beyond Earth didn't count. It was basically Civ if humanity had managed to settle on another planet in the not too distant...
Coming in to say my number one choice would be Alpha Centauri, because Beyond Earth didn't count. It was basically Civ if humanity had managed to settle on another planet in the not too distant future. I loved the science fiction inspired tech tree, the classic 4x Civ format, mixed with unique and distinctive idealogical leaders. It was rich in lore and great for roleplay. Is expansion a divine right? Are you just out for profit? Are you pursuing knowledge at all costs, damn the ethics or are you willing to sacrifice your own growth in the short term to protect the new planet's ecology, but possibly harness it? There was so much replayability that I still like to go back to it every now and then. However some of the tech is no longer science fiction, there are some new approaches to extraterrestrial settlements that could be modeled, and the hex format is way better than squares. I would love a (real) sequel.
This is easily my #1 choice. There is still so much that is relevant about the game, but as you say, the tech tree could probably use both a huge expansion and a reality update. The overall...
This is easily my #1 choice. There is still so much that is relevant about the game, but as you say, the tech tree could probably use both a huge expansion and a reality update.
The overall mechanics of the game could stay mostly identical so long as a significant AI update commensurate with the difficulty level was also introduced. Some of the fan mods have solved for this stuff, but I've found it all to be of mixed success.
Obviously the cutscenes could be redone with modern graphics and the game map itself, too, though I really wouldn't monkey with it too much. Idk if they could track down the original voice actors to record new stuff for new tech projects.
I really wish Tyrian 2000 had a sequel. The graphics don't even need to be upgraded, but the game feels a little short by modern standards. I bet you could really fit in a ton of extra content,...
I really wish Tyrian 2000 had a sequel. The graphics don't even need to be upgraded, but the game feels a little short by modern standards. I bet you could really fit in a ton of extra content, ships, weapons, levels and complex boss designs.
Chrono Trigger has to be one of my all time favorite games. I had it when it first came out and fell in love with the game. It was the first game I played that had multiple endings
Chrono Trigger has to be one of my all time favorite games. I had it when it first came out and fell in love with the game. It was the first game I played that had multiple endings
Man, I remember renting this game with my older brother and just losing our shit at what we could do. Picking up a guard and smashing them against a wall repeatedly felt brutal in ways that not...
Man, I remember renting this game with my older brother and just losing our shit at what we could do. Picking up a guard and smashing them against a wall repeatedly felt brutal in ways that not many games can replicate! And the progression system was pretty good too if I recall.
Man, when we unlocked the "head go boom" ability...
It probably couldn't be topped. And any attempt to do so might just ruin the magic. But it would be great if there were more content for Infamous Second Son / Infamous First Light.
It probably couldn't be topped. And any attempt to do so might just ruin the magic. But it would be great if there were more content for Infamous Second Son / Infamous First Light.
StarCraft and/or Homeworld. StarCraft was so fun online and Homeworld as stand-alone was great. Would love a new release of either (especially on an iPad) or to see someone take them as a baseline...
StarCraft and/or Homeworld. StarCraft was so fun online and Homeworld as stand-alone was great. Would love a new release of either (especially on an iPad) or to see someone take them as a baseline and create something totally new.
I'd love to see a third Overlord game. Just thinking of what could be done with that franchise and a modern game gets me all excited. The closest I think I've seen to a modern Overlord is the...
I'd love to see a third Overlord game. Just thinking of what could be done with that franchise and a modern game gets me all excited. The closest I think I've seen to a modern Overlord is the Shadows of Mordor games but of course it's missing a lot of the Pikmin-like puzzles or any humor at all.
Game remakes are the only remakes I'm in favor of due to the number of games that are effectively lost because they were only released for unpopular/underperforming systems and are expensive to...
Game remakes are the only remakes I'm in favor of due to the number of games that are effectively lost because they were only released for unpopular/underperforming systems and are expensive to own/play legally.
The main ones for me would be a remake/re-release of DragonForce and DragonForce 2 (the original was a JP release only) from the Sega Saturn. The first game was incredible for its time and it's the reason I still have my Saturn.
It has sequels (the second of which I think is fairly good), but I desperately want a sequel to Life is Strange 2 centered on Max and Chloe again. Bonus points if the original developers made it,...
It has sequels (the second of which I think is fairly good), but I desperately want a sequel to Life is Strange 2 centered on Max and Chloe again. Bonus points if the original developers made it, not that that'd ever happen.
I saw a few for bungies marathon but let's remake the one true bungie series that is myth and myth 2. A version with some modernization along with the same plot and presentation would be quite...
I saw a few for bungies marathon but let's remake the one true bungie series that is myth and myth 2. A version with some modernization along with the same plot and presentation would be quite amazing. There really has not been another game in this genre at all either and it is sorely missed.
I think Breath of Fire could translate well to a 3D remake. I loved the first two games and play them often over the years. The games had a lot of charm. I didn’t play any of the others (I think...
I think Breath of Fire could translate well to a 3D remake. I loved the first two games and play them often over the years. The games had a lot of charm. I didn’t play any of the others (I think there are more, at least), so I can’t speak for those.
My other favorite game I wanted remade is actually happening! Dragon Quest III! So very excited for that one.
Games that I want to enjoy but don't have the patience for: Fallout 1 & 2 redone as a 3d first person adaptation would be amazing, but the originals are too clunky and dry for me to fully enjoy...
Games that I want to enjoy but don't have the patience for:
Fallout 1 & 2 redone as a 3d first person adaptation would be amazing, but the originals are too clunky and dry for me to fully enjoy today. Same for Daggerfall and even morrowind although already first person.
I say this in a vaccum though, I have no doubt that the modern adaptations of these games as done by Bethesda would be awful, and you can see this in ESO already. But a faithful, labor-of-love adaptation would be nice.
This is what I wish for over and over again, the Fable series. I know that I could buy an xbox series x and just play it on that since I still own the original 360 disc (and I plan to, however...
This is what I wish for over and over again, the Fable series. I know that I could buy an xbox series x and just play it on that since I still own the original 360 disc (and I plan to, however life has another plan for me). I miss the atmosphere of the game the most there hasn’t been any game like it since. There is something magical about its settings and story, even though I admit that I am seeing it through the red tinted glasses of nostalgia. Nevertheless, I want the remake of all three games, especially Fable 2 since that is the best and the most difficult to find. (Lionhead Studio Fable 2 was never ported to Steam but Fable 1 Remastered and Fable 3 did as far as I know). Admittedly, I want the remake of the trilogy just as a way to preserve a part of my childhood.
Edit: I forgot to mention there is a game that sort of recreated part of the charm of the game on steam named Kynseed. If I recall correctly, it was made by ex-Lionhead Studio developers. Its a Stardew Valley-esque game with (this is with my limited testing the game but I haven’t fully invested my time in it yet) the charm of the Fable series. It was the music and the feel of the game that reminded me so heavily of Fable.
I loved Blast Corps. A remake with improved levels and maybe some ability for player created levels would be fantastic, but even a re-release of the N64 version with gently polished graphics and...
I loved Blast Corps. A remake with improved levels and maybe some ability for player created levels would be fantastic, but even a re-release of the N64 version with gently polished graphics and improved controls would be great. The game had a great mix of puzzle-solving, with a bit of time tension, and some fun "smash stuff up" gameplay. Adding co-op and player-generated levels would be amazing.
I'd also really like Bomber HehHe to be re-released with English translation. It's a game where you set explosive charges to demolish buildings and you're scored based on how much of the building you destroy, with points deducted if you create too much dust or noise disruption to neighbours. (I think, I played it 20 years ago so my memory is a bit hazy). It released at the wrong time (2001 / 2002 was very sensitive about "buildings being destroyed") so it went under the radar for many years, but it's a fun game and I haven't seen anything like it.
I'd also really like to see Crash Mode from the Burnout series get its own game, but done properly. I don't know what properly would look like, but I spent hours playing this mode in the main series.
Seconding Blast Corps, but I also think a proper sequel to Red Faction: Guerilla could scratch the same itch. I never played the last one (Armageddon, I think?), but I got a sense it went in a...
Seconding Blast Corps, but I also think a proper sequel to Red Faction: Guerilla could scratch the same itch. I never played the last one (Armageddon, I think?), but I got a sense it went in a different direction.
I would have loved to see Impossible Creatures 2. I have a memory of my friend from middle school making the weirdest creatures we could think of one afternoon.
I would have loved to see Impossible Creatures 2. I have a memory of my friend from middle school making the weirdest creatures we could think of one afternoon.
I have a few ideas that I didn't see here: Stuntman Final Fantasy III (US)/VI (Japan) in that HD 2D style all the kids are talking about. Would also love to see Chrono Trigger in that style. A...
I have a few ideas that I didn't see here:
Stuntman
Final Fantasy III (US)/VI (Japan) in that HD 2D style all the kids are talking about. Would also love to see Chrono Trigger in that style.
A Gitaroo Man sequel that uses the plastic Guitar Hero/Rock Band guitar controllers (probably 10 years too late on this one 😅)
Nox
Everquest, Dark Age of Camelot, City of Heroes, and Ultima Online- Let's revive the MMO!
Burnout 3: Takedown would be my vote, and also Burnout Revenge, but that's less of a priority for me. Granted, I'm not sure I'd trust EA to do a good remake these days, but if they kept true to...
Burnout 3: Takedown would be my vote, and also Burnout Revenge, but that's less of a priority for me.
Granted, I'm not sure I'd trust EA to do a good remake these days, but if they kept true to the original just with upgraded graphics, it would be my dream game. Especially so if they added extra, good content.
Azure Dreams. There have been a number of projects that attempted to capture the same feel and idea, even a supposed spiritual successor. Unfortunately, none of them ever really rang true to the...
Azure Dreams.
There have been a number of projects that attempted to capture the same feel and idea, even a supposed spiritual successor. Unfortunately, none of them ever really rang true to the original.
The Matrix Online. Any in depth experience of the world of the Matrix - single player or online/multiplayer. I had so much fun with this series when it was out in the 1990s or 2000s as a kid.
The Matrix Online. Any in depth experience of the world of the Matrix - single player or online/multiplayer. I had so much fun with this series when it was out in the 1990s or 2000s as a kid.
Golden Axe needs the Steets of Rage 4 treatment ASAP. Actually I wish a lot of Sega’s dead IPs could get modern games (that continue their original styles of gameplay and presentation)… ESWAT,...
Golden Axe needs the Steets of Rage 4 treatment ASAP. Actually I wish a lot of Sega’s dead IPs could get modern games (that continue their original styles of gameplay and presentation)… ESWAT, Shinobi… the list goes on
Would love a remake of the original Quake, and remasters of the early WW2 CoD games especially CoD2 and World at War.
A modern command and conquer game. Red Alert might be the first game I ever played in like 2000, I played it on windows 98. But yeah I adore command and conquer games and would love a good remake...
A modern command and conquer game. Red Alert might be the first game I ever played in like 2000, I played it on windows 98.
But yeah I adore command and conquer games and would love a good remake in a modern engine.
Enemy Zero! I would watch my dad play it as a kid and thought it was terrifying. Seeing it today I think it shows its age a bit so it would benefit from a bit of redesign rather than just a...
Enemy Zero! I would watch my dad play it as a kid and thought it was terrifying. Seeing it today I think it shows its age a bit so it would benefit from a bit of redesign rather than just a straightforward rerelease with tarted up graphics, but the idea of having an invisible enemy only detectable through sound felt pretty innovative at the time.
I would love to see a remake of Rayman 2: The Great Escape. That game is one of my childhood favorites and probably one of Ubisoft's best games ever. I think Ubisoft was at their very best in...
I would love to see a remake of Rayman 2: The Great Escape. That game is one of my childhood favorites and probably one of Ubisoft's best games ever. I think Ubisoft was at their very best in those days. As a kid I really enjoyed this game, but I always got stuck at some point. I've only recently actually beaten it for the first time, and really enjoyed playing it as an adult as well!
It has such a great atmosphere. The music and characters are wonderful. EVERY level feels unique and none of the levels felt like filler-content: The game is filled with great content form the beginning to the end. I can't believe they did such a great job at transitioning from a 2D platformer to a 3D platformer at the dawn of 3D games with Rayman 2.
But that's also the reason why the game could use a remaster. The graphics and lightning look great for their time, but it looks dated nowadays, esspecially if you don't have any nostalgia to this game. The camera angles and controls can also be a bit awkward at times. I believe this game would do amazing if it had a proper true to the original remake, like Spyro and Crash Bandicoot had.
Additionally, Rayman 3 deserves a remake as well. As I kid I couldn't even finish the tutorial, but I'm planning on playing and finishing this game as well. Rayman 3 also has amazing music that I like to listen to from time to time and a very cool world. I would love to see it in a modern engine with reworked models
I've also played Rayman 1 a lot (or actually Rayman Advance), but that game doesn't need a remake. Not because I don't like that game, I love it. It doesn't need a remake because there is already a very, very impressive fanmade remake called Rayman Redemption. It's by far the best fan-project that I've ever seen for a videogame. Would recommend playing it.
A combination of Freelancer and Privateer, or something similar in levels of worldbuilding. Unmodded Freelancer doesn't have a lot of mission variety, the factions are exaggerated caricatures of...
A combination of Freelancer and Privateer, or something similar in levels of worldbuilding.
Unmodded Freelancer doesn't have a lot of mission variety, the factions are exaggerated caricatures of countries, the ship handling is intentionally arcadey, hardpoint choices are pretty simplistic, but it eases you nicely into a pre-existing fleshed out world where you can be the titular freelancer Alpha 1-1.
I just love the things you just find from exploring around not mentioned in the campaign (which might be a happy accident of MS pushing Chris Roberts to get the game out the door). It had a JRPG design where the campaign only unlocks a part of the map and you're on your own to discover the rest.
I've likely already played the alternatives that people mention and none of these capture what Freelancer attempted to do with its world or they're doing their own thing.
Theres like 10 old halflife mods that I would love to play again. Natural Selection, Science and Industry, would be my top two. Both really creative unique games and there's no way to ever play...
Theres like 10 old halflife mods that I would love to play again. Natural Selection, Science and Industry, would be my top two. Both really creative unique games and there's no way to ever play them again.
I am ready for Left 4 Dead 3. Same player dynamics that incentivize cooperation, maybe from early in the zombie apocalypse (say the 14 days before Left 4 Dead in Philly where everything had...
I am ready for Left 4 Dead 3.
Same player dynamics that incentivize cooperation, maybe from early in the zombie apocalypse (say the 14 days before Left 4 Dead in Philly where everything had already collapsed).
Say, small Southern town big enough to have people but not in a big city with an airport. Extra points for two of the characters being Ellis and his buddy Keith.
A classic from the Flash Game era - Motherload. It was incredibly addicting and while the design doesn't need much improvement(and arguably could easily make it worse!) a remake would be amazing.
A classic from the Flash Game era - Motherload. It was incredibly addicting and while the design doesn't need much improvement(and arguably could easily make it worse!) a remake would be amazing.
Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines (and BTCOD) remake. The best game in the series IMO as I really hate how chaotic and unreadable Commandos 2 is to me. This or NFS: Porsche Unleashed.
Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines (and BTCOD) remake. The best game in the series IMO as I really hate how chaotic and unreadable Commandos 2 is to me. This or NFS: Porsche Unleashed.
Any of the Way of the Samurai games would be way cool to me. Fun as they are though they can feel very clunky to play and a graphical uplift is always nice. By 4 some of that had been ironed out,...
Any of the Way of the Samurai games would be way cool to me. Fun as they are though they can feel very clunky to play and a graphical uplift is always nice. By 4 some of that had been ironed out, but a fresh attempt at getting the combat system right might yield really good results.
I want Final Fantasy VI with the graphical fidelity and polish of Final Fantasy VII Remake. Flesh out some of the party members who got less depth the first time around and generally put some meat...
I want Final Fantasy VI with the graphical fidelity and polish of Final Fantasy VII Remake. Flesh out some of the party members who got less depth the first time around and generally put some meat on the bones of that old 16 bit presentation to overcome the shortcomings that game has from being a 12 month dev project.
I want to see a modern take on the Creatures series, updated to take advantage of modern hardware and AI research. I feel like it has got to happen relatively soon, surely. But I've been thinking...
I want to see a modern take on the Creatures series, updated to take advantage of modern hardware and AI research.
I feel like it has got to happen relatively soon, surely. But I've been thinking that for years and it never has.
I .. actually wish everyine would stop doing that.
Please, just make new stuff.
Normally, I would agree in cases like movies and TV shows. However, as the years go by I realize that there are vast swaths of games that are essentially inaccessible through any legal means. While an overwhelming majority of these games aren't worth re-releasing in any form, there are many interesting and fun games that are just non-existent at this point in time.
Additionally, unlike TV and movies who seem to be stuck just making the same over and over again, video games have no such problem. The current era of video games is not ruled by monolithic corps with AAA budgets. Independent developers are creating countless iterations of stories and ideas that they think are interesting. For every rehash Call of Duty and Madden/FIFA, there's countless other games that are forging their own path and creating new experiences.
There is plenty of "new stuff" being made. Sometimes it's good to also revisit stuff that worked in the past so newer audiences can experience them as well.
I agree completely. Some recent examples of fantastic remakes of games that were already beloved:
I'm glad that these remakes exist. They were great both new and old audiences, and as you say there are already a plethora of amazing original games to play so it's not like we were "robbed" of something else.
Remakes are great if they expand access to more platforms. The Last of Us is a great example where the game didn't really need a graphical overhaul (but it is appreciated) but now it's available on modern platforms without the need to emulate.
Anything on the PS3/Xbox 360 era that was console exclusive deserves a port in my opinion. PS3 emulation is notoriously heavy, so we miss out on games like MGS4, Last of Us (until now), Uncharted 1-3, Killzone, etc.
Preservation is great.
Didn't realize they remastered this! Downloading now, thanks!
If you're interested in other platformers from the same era, they also did a remake of Spyro Reignited Trilogy!
The problem is also WHAT games get remade.
It is not the hidden pearls, it is the AAA games from yesteryear.
So are we gonna get a C&C rework? Sure. Dune? Of course.
Will we get a new Sacrifice?
Captain Blood, reimagined?
Kult? (Well,... that one seems to be an acquired taste)
Will we get a new carrier command?
A new take on Katakis?
Gods?
No. It will be a new streetfighter.
Some good news for you: Carrier Commander got a sequel, it’s on Steam and well rated.
I would like to see more remake effort put into games that had potential but couldn't live up to it because of technical or budgetary constraints.
I want to see the same in the film industry. There was no reason to remake Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, the original is already perfect as-is. But you know what mediocre '60s movie could totally use a modern remake? Fantastic Voyage. The original isn't nearly enough of a classic to feel "ruined" by a disappointing remake, and the entire premise would benefit immensely from modern special effects.
Yeah sure, but OTOH I don't feel like people would need to watch 60s comedy shows to appreciate modern comedy shows.
In the same vein, I don't feel you need to play System Shock 1 (or its remake, hence it being a good example) to appreciate Prey. Remakes are neat, but at the same time, I'd still rather see the effort, game design and resources poured into new games. They can still be spiritual sequels/reimplementations. But if SS1R has shown me one thing, it's that while I love playing the actual SS1, a remaster is... kinda meh. Because the genre has evolved from there. Trying to remaster it into a modern game just shows how outdated it is, and naturally would be. I would totally be for someone remaking a new immersive sim on a space station with a rogue AI trying to murder me, but I wouldn't want it to just be SS1 Remaster v2 or something. Give me something new at least.
I think a healthy mix of both would be great.
We are at a point in time where we have some astounding games out there which many of us have never gotten around to.
By the time we do get a chance to play them, they feel dated - especially the UI and controls. I often feel that older control schemes and lack of maneuverability are a bigger struggle than the parts of the game that developers intended to be the actual challenge.
But we have had a pretty severe lack of original, high-quality AAA releases in recent years. I can count maybe 5 that I've enjoyed in the last 3 years. Elden Ring is the only one I can think of that was truly a masterpiece. I'd like to see that remedied. Luckily, indie games are at an all-time high right now though, and they're filling the hole nicely.
At the same time some older games had amazing controls and gameplay that kind of fell out of fashion.
Mount and Blade, and Bushido Blade had amazing melee controls that were quite in depth. M&B had four basic attacks, left/right slashes, stab, and overhead. You could block which gave you a brief stun to counter attack, and you could block attacks on the backswing of a normal attack if you matched the backswing of your later attack against their incoming attack. Super simple inputs, but very complex skill at higher skill levels. Bushido Blade wasn't quite as complex, but if you hit someone in an arm or leg they lost use of that limb to the point where you might have a fight where one player is rolling around on the ground, you could even throw sand in the enemy's eyes.
Tribes obviously with it's unique skiing, projectile weapons and mid-air lead time shots.
Tron 2.0 had an amazing sub-game that was the disc combat from the movie. Simple controls, but more complexity than at first glance. Throw the disc and control it's trajectory slightly. Block with the disc when not thrown, and rebound enemy disc back at them, knock out walls/floors.... Bounce your disc off the back wall and hit the enemy from behind..........Bounce your disc of the back wall, into a destructible ground piece, then block and rebound the enemy disc back at them so they dodge backwards into the pit you just created.
Mirror's Edge with super simple gunplay, but amazing parkour and disarming enemies.
MechWarrior Online with it's significantly more detailed hitboxes than just head and body. Instead head, torso, arm, and leg armor, plus internals, plus the ability to headshot if the cockpit window was hit. Loss of internal components based on placement.
So many action games now have been simplified too much imo. It's either chain headshots, entirely positioning and first shot advantage, and/or abuse glitchy instantaneous acceleration movement mechanics.
Edit: Not an old one, but Pathfinder's grapple physics in Apex was top notch. Apparently Titanfall 2 had amazing movement too, but I never played it.
Titanfall 1 even more so. TF2 was already quite dumbed down in that regard. TF1 was the true "Tribes successor". It didn't have skiing but it's wall-running, vaulting, Mech traversal and general speed of motion evoked exactly the same feel.
And using the Kraber for 1-shots mid-air despite its projectile travel time was exactly what Spinfusor aerial combat in Tribes was! 🤩
Ah I didn't play so maybe what I meant (but didn't know) was TF1. I've only jealousy watched YT videos as I was in between gaming computers when it was popular.
I think what you’re tired of is remakes that are mere remasters of a game from 6-10 years ago. True remakes of old games such as Spyro Reignited are much fewer and further between, and I definitely wouldn’t mind more like them. We don’t need a remake of The Last of Us, but I’d kill for a true remake (not the enhanced port we got) of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
I’d like to see a remake of the first Dark Cloud (PS2). Or a Dark Cloud 3. I’m currently waiting for the Silent Hill 2 remake as I barely played the original.
There’s like a thousand new games every day.
Your statement only looks true if your idea of the gaming world is just the latest AAA console release.
Oh.
I have moved away from AAA games a long time ago, and I don't own a console.
This is a grievance I am carrying around for a looong time, tho. Remember the Amiga? Yeah... I hated Populous II, Sim City 2000, etc... back then already.
If a movie or a game, creating a sequel, a third part, a 5th, a prequel, a spinoff... all of this stifles creativity.
Make something new, I beg you.
I mostly agree with you. I see many people asking for a remake of FO:New Vegas, Morrowwind or Starcraft. I would rather see a new Fall out, Elder scrolls and Starcraft III that use the positives of these older games and combine them with modern technology into something new.
I bought the command and conquer remake a year ago. While I loved playing C&C 1 and 2 and Red alert 1 & 2, I would have rather see a new C&C or Red alert game, with the principles of the old game. C&C 3 was a mixed bag and 4 was a fuck-up. Red alert 3 was also highly disappointing. But C&C generals was very refreshing, a modern take on an older game (although Generals probably now is considered an 'old game by itself).
There are exceptions though. Mass Effect Legendary edition greatly benefits from the remaster. Especially the ME:1, although only 16 years old, was very dated. Combine that with most of the DLCs included and its worth the money. It is also hard to build a new ME game. The story of Shepard has a start and finish and is difficult to expand. The shitshow Andromeda demonstrated that.
In general, I feel remakes are an easy way to make money for publishers, and I rather have them spend their time on new content.
I dunno, I'd like to see a Days Gone sequel where the heroes try to reach Portland, whereupon they meet a former govt group that needs to test a cure and they help make that happen, using different methods to tranq undead and wrangle them during a given window. Could introduce some fun elements where you scavenge parts, materials, organics even to help sustain the efforts of the cure group.
And then you can contrast that with leftover government/military elements that want to essentially nuke everything and move people underground, and you could have some sort of questline choice where you go along with that plan or try to stop the destruction, where your choices affect what happens.
You could have a well-armed, non-crazy doomsday cult opposing your efforts to save the old world status quo, as well as federal elements giving you hard choices to help or get dead. Given our hero's less-than-friendly disposition towards authority, you could make some seriously compelling choices happen.
That game didn't get its due, and I'd love to see a second segment.
Some games can do with a second part...
However, why we need overwatch 2 (is a 3 in the works?) or a diablo iV or V, a need for speed 29, and a battlefield 13 eludes me.
It is too early for me to discuss the travesty of OW2.
Blizzard went from being the greatest PC game company ever to sharing a septic tank with EA.
This is what I want as well. Seeing what people are writing in the diablo subreddit is so incredibly frustrating.
They want rifts. I was shocked when I kept hearing a call for it.
Is it too much to want diablo 4 to be different? Have a different endgame and different game play loop? Why must we rehash rifts? If people want to play rifts, there's already a game for that.
If they want to endlessly group the same boss over and over there's a game for that also. I guess I just wanted diablo 4 to be something it can never be.
I really wish game companies would try and break new ground. NM dungeons being the endgame for d4 really killed the momentum for me.
Remakes, definitely. I've enjoyed a few, like Capcom's Resident Evil remakes, but on the whole I generally prefer to revisit old favorites with mods that fix up PC versions or high quality remasters.
I think sequels are one place where video games can really shine though. Unlike film, there is a pretty strong trend of a video game series' 2nd or 3rd entry being better than the original. I think there are two main reasons for this.
Software development is highly iterative, unlike film. When you are working on what is essentially a new major version of your last product, it is a lot easier to look back at what worked and what didn't. You can refine features that were undercooked, you can expand on systems that worked well, and fix design problems that may not have been readily apparent until after millions of people got their hands on it. It also means faster turnaround, since your foundation is already there and proven.
Video games can rest more easily on technical execution. A game can do really well despite a lackluster story as long as the gameplay itself is fun and engaging and the presentation is polished. Movies on the other hand struggle a lot more if their slick cinematography and special effects aren't backed by a compelling narrative. The usual difficulties that come with writing a sequel to an already concluded story can be compensated for elsewhere more readily.
I'm fine with remakes when the original game is either no longer available or even playable on new systems. Ditto for when a game honestly was less than stellar on release but had enough going for it and enough of a fanbase to warrant making a better version without having to suffer the compromises the original devs may have had to make. What I'm against is remaking/remastering games that aren't even a decade old, like Layers of Fear.
As a fan of old retro FPS games, I'd like to see a remake of something like Last Rites which had okay gameplay and creepy atmosphere - the intermission pictures showing the zombie apocalypse alone are the stuff of nightmares. The game is kind of a mess so it would benefit greatly from a remaster/remake. Since it has no source ports, it's next to impossible to play now unless you use DOSBox, which is far from ideal. The recent Rise of the Triad remaster was nice because until now, there wasn't a really good way to play it.
Bloodborne 60fps / Bloodborne 2 / or both! 😀
I'm genuinely shocked at how many random games Sony keeps porting to PC instead of just doing Bloodborne. Like, how many people were really asking them to port Sackboy A Big Adventure before Bloodborne? Not that there's anything wrong with the former, but the latter feels a lot more like what the typical PC gamer interested in Playstation IPs would want to buy.
there must be some sort of contractual or legal red tape keeping them from doing so
I doubt they're looking at it and going "wow we really don't want all of that money though"
Definitely this, or it's a technical disaster. They didn't even patch it for PS4 Pro or PS5, which I feel like they would have as they did with every other first party title.
I'd wager that they're holding off to give it the Bluepoint treatment at some point instead of porting it as is.
Black and White
My kingdom for a modern God game.
Look into Fata Deum, it got kickstarted several years ago as a modern day entry into the god game genre, and if I recall correctly, has a free demo on steam you can check out.
LFTL: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1330360/Fata_Deum/
Have they fixed the super lag that happens after playing for a bit? I remember being shocked by how bad it slowed down to a slide show after a few minutes of playing the demo.
I know there have been several major updates since the demo was released, but I haven't actually sat down and played the game since then, my backlog is just far too big unfortunately.
Republic Commando
My love for this game is endless. And honestly, I would just kill for a new game in this spirit. We need more FPS corridor shooter campaigns in 2023. Add in the squad control and I'll buy day one.
I just love shooters where you can boss around an AI squad in general. I'm still waiting for a modern incarnation where someone combines squad control and semi-open hubs (basically a variation of the classic big arenas linked by corridors level design) like God of War where you have some freedom to tackle missions with your squad.
A sequel set during Order 66 where your now Imperial Commando squad gets dropped into Coruscant and you get tasked to find and hunt down Jedi as boss fights would be something.
Look into Ghost Recon Wildlands. It's god a truly massive open world and squad controls.
I do still wish we'd get a Rainbow Six game that's a Rainbow Six game, but Wildlands is the best I've seen in a few years.
I wish it were possible to revisit some of the early era of casual mobile and web gaming, before free to play monetization sucked the joy out of all of it.... I'm talking stuff like Gen1 Angry Birds and Cut the Rope. Plants v. Zombies. Peggle. That other one where you'd shoot the ball into a long row of balls as they roped towards you.
It was an era of simple but effective mechanics and a total naivety when it came to monetizing or productizing those purified game mechanics. Almost all those products still exist, but they are grotesque descendants of a beautiful ancestor.
Angry Birds is actually an interesting example because after the original was removed from app stores (in 2019), it was brought back in it's original form (in 2022).
Sadly in 2023 it was again removed "due to the game’s impact on our wider games portfolio".
Which, reading between the lines, means that people weren't playing/paying as much for their other games, because the classic version is all people really wanted to play.
It looks like iOS still has a version available, but Android users are SOL.
https://www.theverge.com/2023/2/21/23609181/angry-birds-rovio-classics-delisted-google-play-app-store-reds-first-flight
https://m.apkpure.com/angry-birds-classic/com.rovio.angrybirds
For Android Tilders. It kinda makes me sad the direction they took this.
There's some not entirely rational mechanism in my mind that makes me quite angry at someone who starts asking money for something that used to be free. Rationally I get it in some cases, for example when Nadeo released Trackmania Nations Forever with so many features that people stopped buying their paid games so they had to gradually gimp it (misjudging the featureset was clearly their fault, but shit happens). Or when the Black Mesa Source guys got the option to release it commercially. Despite rationally getting it, it was such a turnoff for me that I have never paid for such product and I doubt I ever will.
With Rovio it's just kind of sad because before Angry Birds they used to make pretty unique and compared to other phone games of that time relatively high effort games.
Much like earlier web days in general, not just gaming. Makes me wonder, where does it all go? Is it still there, but harder to find? Is it dried up completely? By that I mean, the people who were making weird, funny or unique content way back in the day before there was Youtube and Twitch etc. before there was algorithms and people begging for likes and subscriptions and what not, what was behind the interest or motivation for people to do those things? Is that same thing out there still now, or not because those people are giving up money if they do shit like that rather than grinding on the big content creator platforms? I guess before there was sort of content creator platforms too, Newgrounds being a big one, shit I don't even remember the names of the other ones. As I was writing this I remembered Albino Blacksheep which appears to still exist which brings me to my other point, do all the things we remember from the past still exist to some extent and it's the people who were browsing, viewing or playing this stuff that are now sucked into the hellscape that mega content farming platforms of today are? Probably a bit of both I'd suspect.
But most definitely some of the early gaming too, whether it was addictingames.com or armorgames.com for me, I remember a lot of those flash games and its interesting to me because the type of play of those games are almost like perfect fits for mobile games, and certain some have become mobile games of sorts but some haven't which I also find interesting. In fact, Angry Birds probably doesn't exist without Crush the Castle by ArmorGames, and that game only exists because of an earlier flash game I played on ArmorGames called Castle Clout that was pretty clunky but obviously ArmorGames saw potential in it and wanted to make a better version.
At least as far as flash goes, it is basically dead as far as the browser goes. Adobe gave up and it's no longer maintained and shot through with vulnerabilities. That said, you can relive many of the games with community projects like BlueMaxima Flashpoint which make them available offline. I haven't looked at this in a while though so not really sure what the current state of the project is.
As for iOS games, many of those have been delisted as Apple requires that they be rebuilt for later versions of iOS. Older stuff just doesn't work for a variety of reasons (screen size changes, API additions or removals, etc). It's not trivial to do, and many developers don't bother since the code is so old at this point and most people aren't buying the game anymore. Not to mention that Apple requires devs to pay a $100 yearly fee to be a developer and publish on the App Store.
I miss both though. Flash games were what I played in school during free time and are clearly the inspiration for some modern games or game mechanics. Old school iOS games were just fun because everyone was so new to multipoint touchscreen with built in accelerometers and gyroscopes that they were just trying stuff. No microtransactions or gacha mechanics either...
I get that the old stuff isn't easily accessible or in some cases possibly not accessible at all anymore, more so I'm wondering about the ideas behind that stuff and to some extent the people. Not necessarily the specific people who made specific games or apps, but the group or category of people that were doing those things. Like the people who were making flash games back then, what was the motivation for those people to make those games? Was there actually money being made? To what extent, if at all, is there any similar type of action happening these days? Are there people making mobile games in the same way people were making flash games back then that were free to play and not designed around monetization? If there are people making them, is it just the case that we don't see them as easily because we as the consumers have changed? Maybe kids these days do find them and I'm too old, I don't know, asking out of curiosity at this point as to how much has changed and what in particular the changes could be. I'm sure its a mixture of things, there was no real monetization platforms before so the people that made shit did it because they wanted to try things and they probably used it to skill themselves up and get paying jobs or something like that, and now why would they go that route when they could monetize their game or create content favored by algorithms on Youtube or Twitch etc. rather than shit people were making before these monetization platforms existed.
I know another big thing is probably the curation element as well. In theory, browsing the Play Store or such should be similar to browsing ArmorGames or what not to find new games, but the Play Store is horrendous to actually browse games. Their curation is solely based on monetization, which is to be expected of course, but it's not the same as how curation worked on Flash game sites back in the day. ArmorGames didn't list a new flash game on it's front page because it had a monetization model that could bring them the most money, they did it because it could be something people would enjoy and it would keep people coming back to the site and presumably they were making some ad revenue plus some other sources of revenue somehow but it didn't really have any influence over how the games were designed other than it was easier to find good games. Nowadays it doesn't matter how good your game is, Google generally doesn't give a fuck about it unless it can make them money off a good monetization model and they aren't going to feature those games anywhere someone will find them because it's taking up space on another game that would make them money. Presumably Apple is similar with the iOS app store but probably not as bad as Google.
I'm just kinda curious if these things that used to exist without being driven by monetization back in the day existed, how come they don't exist now, or do they exist now and we just can't find them as easily anymore, or some of this or some of that.
Flash Games I would lean toward passion projects and clout. Newgrounds especially was driven by being the dude that made X game/animation. I think these still exist to some degree, but have moved on to other platforms. My understanding is that Roblox probably has more of this type of community now.
I’d argue that in terms of the early App Store that it was still profit driven. Sure there would be a game that released free, but big companies like EA were releasing small projects like Mass Effect and Dead Space spin offs. They just didn’t know what price the market would support at the time and would usually charge <$10 for stuff. The understanding of the market for mobile games has matured and the companies now realize it’s infinitely more profitable to release free games with a intro period were things are free before quickly ratcheting up the micro transactions to keep the game fun.
I feel like indie games have sort of taken over this space. With the ease and availability of publishing on platforms like steam, most people like that might as well throw it up for $3 or something, for fun if nothing else.
The idea that springs to mind for me is Vampire Survivors: it started as a project to be practice coding that the dev through on steam because why not, and by the genius of the simple game design and a good helping of happenstance blew up and was the most sold game on steam for a good while. It's since received tons of free updates and two very cheap and full DLCs, and it would've been so easy to fit it to a micro transaction or freemium model but the dev just didn't, and was happy making a fun little game for $5
I keep an old machine around and at this point its sole purpose is to be my NAS and a Flash player.
It never sees the wider internet, so I don't care about security vulnerability. I just want to play all those old Flash games I remember!
I had the same feeling for my oldest who would love og plants vs zombies...
So I got a DS. Most of the popular games got ports.
You can even emulate DS on a miyoo now (no touch screen), but plenty of devices to emulate with
A Spore remake where the science team won with a giant EA war chest behind them and the cute team stays in the corner and plays with their crayons. It’s probably because it was during my formative years but I will never not be angry about what could have been. Playing with the Alpha and beta models for that game before it released has left an evolution simulator game sized hole in my heart. Thrive and games like it are great and props to the dedication of those teams keeping the dream alive but it’ll always feel like we were on the precipice of something truly special and whiffed at the very last minute.
I'm with you. But I'm also wondering if the science team didn't so much lose as, there just wasn't enough computer power and game software engine maturity to pull it off back in the day. That they weren't sidelined, they just couldn't deliver.
I want what they promised in Robin Williams' demo, not so much a straight remake.
My understanding from back in the day was that they had it all mapped out but then EA got worried at the last few hurdles and thought a ‘cute’ would sell better. Will Wright left EA over it to never lose control like that again and start a think tank. May just be rumors though it seems like EA is a share holder in that think tank.
I'll always cite Spore as my biggest gaming disappointment. Bought that opening day and it was nothing like what ibwas promised. I didn't by a new game on day 1 till the remake of XCom came out.
It’s a lesson every gamer has to learn eventually unfortunately. The trick is to not fall for the hype ever again, there is no scarcity in new games anymore. Patient gaming is the only way I can truly enjoy a game these days (minus Nintendo because of loyalty and family). It also helps that my back catalogue is ridiculously backed up for years at this point.
I thought modders were making this happen, using the FO4 engine? Or am I imagining things?
Edit: a letter.
Edit2:a word.
No but the mod could be modded to have that.
Remake for Alpha Protocol! For those that have never heard of it, it's a spy espionage action game that tries to respect what kind of cool guy you want to be. The developers had the philosophy of the "three JB's" - James Bond, Jack Bauer, and Jason Borne. The reason it isn't known as one of the best games of all time is because it's quite buggy, unbalanced (pistol super OP), and the ending isn't fully baked.
That said, I remember playing this game and thinking to myself, "this game has so much heart." I really felt like the game went out of your way to respect the narrative you were trying to create for yourself. Every choice you make has an associated incentive attached which is something games with good and bad choices don't do. You get perks for getting everyone to love you, sure, but how many games give you a buff because you made everyone hate you?
It's a bit short but I didn't think that was a bad thing. In fact, I saw it as a positive because it facilitates multiple replays without feeling fatigue. There were some choices I didn't realize were choices until I got blindsided by certain characters dying.
Although I would rather developers pursue spiritual successors rather than remakes, I think Alpha Protocol has enough cult classic status for a remake to be a guaranteed success. Even if it never does, I encourage people to give it a shot!
I tried to go the charisma route and that shit was basically impossible. I hated the combat system and eventually gave up. I remember getting through the yacht mission after 846294620 attempts but I knew my bullets just wouldn't do enough damage and that I was going to be forced into combat way too often.
Other reasons it's not considered the best game of all time is that the combat is pretty horrible and the presentation is not very good.
But those can be very easily fixed with a remake. The story of the game and the voice acting and RPG aspects are fantastic.
Look at the first Deus Ex. (A game it's often compared to.) It also had weird junky combat and its remembered as one of the greatest games ever.
That game has great presentation and has the excuse of being much older. When Alpha Protocol came out I think the standards for combat were much higher.
I'll never stop hoping for Obsidian to make at least a spiritual sequel to this. I'm not attached to the IP, but it seems crazy that there aren't other "James Bond" RPGs out there.
Hopefully IO interactive does a good job with the James Bond game.
Warcraft IV as an RTS or solo RPG that picks up where WCIII left off, treating WoW as an alternate universe of sorts.
As much fun as I've had in WoW over the years (especially during its earlier half), the MMO-with-expansions format is incredibly ill-suited for writing purposes because it requires the narrative to contort itself to provide an endless stream of new world-ending threats to turn into raids. The franchise badly needs a single player game of some kind where writing can take priority and breathe some life back into it.
I just commented myself, I'd love to see a WoW2 made from the ground up with the 20+ years of content and game dev knowledge able to be built into the foundation rather than continually trying to add it onto the content we already have.
And the fact that new WC games never got made after wow came out is a crime. Let us play the moments that happened in between expansions, let me feel invested in the content and characters that each expansion then is built on.
I think a lot of these live service games that go for a very long time, like 10 years or more, should at some point just make a sequel. I saw some videos about the new Team Fortress 2 update and how they added support for 100 player lobbies, but it's hard to do that because of the entity limit in Source 1. Also, the game has serious spaghetti code because it's been updated for so long. Then there's also Destiny 2, which is so bloated they had to remove the launch content, so new players can't even catch up anyways. Maybe it's just time to move on to Team Fortress 3 or Destiny 3?
I loved TF2 when it came out, but then they kept adding content that moved it farther away from the original design and now I haven't touched it in well over a decade.
I'd rather go back to TF1 than TF2 for the balance and simplicity.
Up until March this year you could still play a very early version on ps3 with the orange box. There were basically no updates on the console version. It was like stepping into a time machine.
Sequels to services games will always have the same problem: a community that will complain about how little content there is compared to the first game. WoW is coming up on 20 years of content that is still growing with continued updates and expansions. How does hypothetical WoW2 even attempt to launch with a fraction of the content? Your user forums will be loaded with users complaining about missing random feature X that they absolutely loved in the first game. That will color the games early reception in a negative light. It will be a constant game of catching up to the old game instead of just being its own thing.
The way that most MMOs are designed probably doesn't help. You get this cycle of [content release] → [content relevancy] → [content trivialization] → [content irrelevancy] that ensures that only the most newly added stuff matters, and that becomes an increasingly smaller share with each expansion. For long running MMOs like WoW that's like 2% of everything the game has to offer.
To make this worse, as MMOs age, casual players tend to get pushed out leaving a population that mostly consists of voracious players who burn through everything the expansion/patch/etc has to offer ever more quickly.
This setup seems like it'd be nearly impossible to keep sustainable, even discounting the possibility of sequels. The only way I can see winning with an MMO in the long term is to target audiences that don't play as heavily, keep content rollouts on a slower drip, and do more to keep existing content relevant.
As much shit as New World gets for being a blatantly unfinished game, I really liked its combat.
I think my current dream game is a WoW 2 (or solo RPG too, sure) with those mechanics!
I haven’t played WoW in years but I’d play the shit out of a single player RPG with WoW controls.
Yes please this would be incredible! I spent thousands of hours growing up playing custom maps like sheep tag, tower wars, farmers vs hunters, helms deep, etc on WC3. It was incredibly fun and the custom maps and mod scene kept it fresh for many many years. I haven't played the remastered version yet, at launch I heard it had a lot of issues and wasn't that great, maybe I'll check it out again.
I never got into WoW. I don't like grinding and endless content. The only MMO I ever actually enjoyed was star wars galaxies, but they killed that off after my first year of play.
That they stopped developing WC RTS Games was very disappointing to me. StarCraft 2 was a great rts, but its quite sweaty and doesn't have the really fun casual side of things which I miss. Bring on WC4 and ensure it has as good a map editor as WC3 and I'll drop all my money on it.
Gotta be Custom Robo. It was a GameCube game where you competed in little top-down 3rd person shooting battles that pit your custom- built robot against up to 3 others. You got new parts as you went, so you could tweak individual parts of your loadout (the torso, gun, legs, etc) individually for each battle. Was awesome finding new combos and the story was actually pretty neat.
There was a DS version that got wide release, but nothing since then. I feel like they could really crush it with newer hardware.
This is a great pick as it seems to have been totally forgotten. I loved these games though I never knew anyone who actually played or even heard of them aside from me. The DS game was a great follow-up to the original, but yeah, I wish we got a newer one as well.
I agree that this series needs a continuation. There have actually been a few games since the 2000~2004 era. The most well known is Synaptic Drive (2020) but, despite being made by some of the original people as Custom Robo, there is no story mode and so the raison d'etre is missing so it feels a bit soulless. There's also Hyper Jam (2019) which some people online are comparing to Synaptic Drive.
It's not enough to update the graphics and crush it on better hardware. Reasons why Custom Robo is still a great game:
GOLDEN SUN!!!
Oh man, Golden Sun and GS2 were amazing. I still whip out the Game Boy Advance emulator every few years to replay it. The story and the world building had so much heart. It's really a shame that what was probably one of the top 10 RPGs of all time was limited to such a niche handheld console.
I don't think it needs a sequel though, the game is still very playable, if a bit grindy.
There’s a fan remake happening. One of my buddies is doing some voice acting work for it this summer.
could you link me to this so i can learn more?
No One Live Forever 1/2, lost in legal limbo and probably will never have another sequel or remake of the originals. Just like with Black Mesa v Half Life, a remaster / remake could work well to bring a great storyline into modern day graphics.
Oh wow, that's a deep cut. Those were fun, and I'd completely forgotten about them. Great call.
The good news is that because of the legal limbo, they are free to play now if the low graphics don't bother you too much
http://nolfrevival.tk/
Thanks!
Thought I'd check out Nexus Mods and the only mod, released this past March, was not what I was expecting!
Sweet! Loved the first one but never played the 2nd
Skate 2 + 3 on PC, same with Bloodborne. I wouldn't even need to play other games anymore at that point.
Well if its any consolation they're making a new Skate game right now. Somehow a free to play title, but the playtests look good https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9gAlobY9dg
Zoombinis
Zoombinis did actually receive a remake back in 2015.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/397430/Zoombinis/
<3
I would love to see a revival of Bioware's most neglected property, Jade Empire. The gameplay was far from perfect and the mortality system may have been a little underbaked but it set out to do something quite different in the RPG space resulting in a very fun Wuxia adventure set in a charming world that still has a ton of untapped potential.
Damn, I remember binging trough this game in a few weeks and loved it. But then forgot about it until reading your comment.
I'm gonna set up the old xbox again and replay the game. Thanks for reminding me!
Your abilities have grown immensely. But it does my heart good to see that you have remembered the basics of what I taught... even the flaws.
Great choice and totally agree. Definitely a lot of untapped potential in this one still.
Every "Not-E3" press conference season, I prepare myself for the full-on sobs when they announce a new Sly Cooper.
Hasn't happened yet.
This is how I feel about the Jak & Daxter franchise.
My dream is that they remake and expand the first Mirror's Edge, it's one of my favorites and since it's so short I'll play it a couple times a year. Didn't care for Catalyst, gameplay was fine but the story was just bad and the open world didn't add enough to make it worth it.
It might sound silly, but World of Warcraft.
I recently started back up on classic for nostalgia, but man nothing will ever compare to the first few years of it. And the world is still amazing, the lore is so fun, not too serious but also interesting.
The game feels so outdated though. The level design is very sparse and definitely comes from a time where you were still expected to fill in the gaps with your imagination. The combat is nothing more than hotkeys and auto attacks.
The MMO genre has more potential than ever, imo, right now, and is being wasted on legacy content that won't die and games too inspired by that legacy content to stand out on their own.
I want classic+, like a lot of the community, but only because I doubt a WoW2 is likely to be made instead.
Some aspects of that are worth preserving I think, though. The polar opposite is what you have in modern WoW, where every square inch of the map is dedicated to some objective or another and nothing exists just to exist, which feels stilted and artificial and shrinks the world. Though Classic's world feels sparse, it in also feels more living and organic in some ways.
Sparseness can also be used to great effect sometimes. It was entirely unintentional, but because the devs ran out of time and couldn't properly populate Vanilla Azshara with content for example, the vanilla version of the zone feels much more like an ancient, eerie, and dangerous no man's land at the edge of the world (which narratively, it was) than it would have if it had been filled to the brim with quests and outposts.
I certainly don't want zones just filled with crap to fill it with crap, but I do want zones that have substance.
I think a good example is (I'll butcher the names, bare with me lol) Tinaris and Feralis.
One is a desert, "empty and barren" but every part of it feels natural. Feralis is a wild forest, but really like half of the zone feels pointless.
I'd love to see them revisit this world with more time and money to really flesh it out to its fullest extent.
Can't edit my other post, but I hate double posting...
I think Sin'Jin village is the best example I can think of. Supposedly it's the new home of the trolls, but it's forever stuck being 6 huts with a lvl 6 tiger problem across the water.
I think it's just that it's too expensive and time-consuming to make MMO's from the bottom nowadays as games need so much more attention to detail than they did 20 years ago. The "Titan" MMO that Blizzard did work on got turned into Overwatch instead because they thought it just wasn't feasible to finish it.
It's too bad because I would really love another take on WoW as well, but also highly doubt it's ever happening. We will continue to get expansions though, with a handful of new zones every two years. It's 10.1 now which is insane to think about - the game is unrecognisable from vanilla so it may as well be WoW2. But the changes have been so gradual throughout the iterations of the game that it doesn't feel that way. But comparing vanilla to Dragonflight really is completely different games
I think that is a bit of a cop-out though, certainly Activision blizzard can afford to make any MMO they want. I get they also have to balance out the cost vs value, but if they don't do something WoW will continue to die. And cost/value was just as much a risk, if not more so, for WoW at launch in the mid 2000's when MMO's were still very niche.
Been playing MMOs since EQ in 99 and honestly, I don't like the modern move to "action combat" style. I'm not sure if I can really elucidate this point well, but I love the slow pace of old style MMO combat, because it makes for a game I don't really need to be wholly invested in while I play.
Which isn't to say that I didn't spend hundreds of hours staring at the screen when I played MMOs, but the ones where I felt like I really needed to be paying all my attention to it and really trying hard never really stuck with me. I like the simplicity and slow pace of an old style MMO.
Again, I'm not explaining myself well, but aside from all the other issues with modern MMOs, this is a big one for me. Really stands out to me when I go back and play on private WoW servers.
Strong agree here. There’s a time and place for more “twitchy” gameplay, and I don’t think it’s in MMOs. Let them be their simplistic low-APM tab-target selves, the sort of thing that might feel nice to play after coming in from a taxing day at work or school.
Also, it’s not as if there can’t occasionally be tense moments with old school MMO combat. Vanilla WoW can produce those moments reliably. They’re just centered around things like resource management and situational awareness (don’t let that Defias Looter run and grab his friend!) instead of movement, ability spam, and precise timing.
Think you hit the nail on the head and put into writing what I was struggling with. There were absolutely intense moments in old games, but it was about that resource management and short term strategizing with maybe a sudden moment of improvisation when something broke down.
You'd enjoy Classic WoW.
I understand and agree with you in spirit, but classic rotation based combat is extremely repetitive and easily solvable. You either use an addon or memorize the rotations and repeat them ad infinitum.
Oh, I do, though I tend to play on private servers instead. But I've also played WoW for...probably thousands of hours since 2004 at this point and between that and life changes over the past 20 years, I don't play anymore.
Solving something doesn't mean it's bad or needs to be tossed out. Plenty of things are solved the instant they arrive on the scene, look at how people analyze data the minute a game comes out and find the "optimal" path through it. It's the same with something like Magic the Gathering or Warhammer 40k; people rapidly "solve" it to find the best thing in all scenarios. This takes the fun out of the game for me and I don't care to play or interact with people who enjoy the game that way, but they have a tendency to make things their way or the highway; that is to say, you must do it their way, because they've optimized it and if you don't, you're at a disadvantage so you may as well not bother.
That said, there's a reason we have things such as "Comfort Food" & "Cozy Games"; yeah, we know the score, but we keep coming back to those things because they're simple and uncomplicated. We can simply sit down with a cup of tea and enjoy the thing to relax without having to think too hard about builds or optimization, we can just do as children do and play, no strings attached.
What I'm trying to say, I suppose, is that in the modern push to modernize everything, streamline everything, make everything fast paced and more complex, we've lost something. Look at how popular WoW was at its peak, which was in large part, when it was a very simple game; you had normal people getting into WoW, because it was simple to play and you really didn't need knowledge of builds or quick reflexes or hell, even memorization of rotations. You could just play and have a good time. Look at the popularity of other simple games, Farmville, Vampire Survivors, Tetris, Minecraft. All very simple, straightforward games a normal person can get into and relax with.
While Blizzard has done a decent job keeping a 20 year old game updated, there's only so much they can do. Parts of the game are still very fun, but then there are others, such as exploration, visiting old zones, etc., and the game just feels dated again, like you said.
I do think there are still some fun aspects in WoW as it is, but I don't see myself playing it much more unless there's a sequel or a remake or something in order to inject some modern gameplay in.
I'm in enough with the remakes group personally. However, I'd love to see sequels to the Ogre series and Quintet games like the Gaia series or ActRaiser (the latter needs to have the sim elements otherwise what's the point IMO).
I'd love to see new games in the Ogre series!
I haven't seen how well the remake sold, but the fact that they even did a remake recently gives me at least a little hope for new entries. But tbh, I only want them if the creator comes back to lead it. Otherwise, make a new series with the same design philosophy.
I agree with you, either would be good with me. :)
The other older 2D Zelda games besides Link’s Awakening, but in that same style. Zelda 1, 2, and 3, Oracle of Ages, Oracle of Seasons, and Minish Cap.
If also like to see all of the original NES and SNES Mario games similarly remade, as well.
I appear to be getting my wish that the SNES Super Mario RPG be remade: https://www.ign.com/articles/original-super-mario-rpg-composer-yoko-shimomura-returning-for-remake
2D Zelda games are my favorite. To me that is the Zelda experience, as much as I love OoT, MM, WW, & TP. I couldn't get into BotW so I haven't even tried the new one, yet.
I also really miss 2D Zelda! I made a comment to that effect a month or so ago.
But to be honest, I think remakes/remasters are the reason we aren’t getting new 2D Zelda: Nintendo knows that remakes/remasters sell just as well as (if not better than) original games.
It’s been a decade since A Link Been Worlds! The only upside to the drought is that it’s forced me to go back and play every single 2D Zelda (TLoZ, Zelda 2, ALTTP, Link’s Awakening DX (1998), Oracle of Ages/Seasons, the Minish Cap) outside of the DS games. At this rate, though, I may have to try them too 😭
Morrowind. I hear people say it's better than Skyrim but it's too dated for me to be willing to try. Could certainly scratch the itch for a Skyrim-esque RPG.
Morrowind blows Skyrim out of the water on every metric barring graphics, imo. The definition of an open world RPG, and definitely my favourite of the series.
I replayed it a few years ago and there are a heap of mods over on Nexus Mods like this enhanced textures one which make a big difference.
Skyrim graphics already feel dated to me at this point haha
But I'll consider. Can play it when I'm in a retro mood or when I can only game on my lousy laptop.
Soul Reaver could use a remake. Loved that game but it's incredibly dated and cumbersome to play now.
Little Big Adventure, both 1 and 2. I always just played games casually and never really got deep into any particular game or genre but the LBA games sucked me right in. I must have played through each one at least half a dozen times now.
Ah, that game it starts in asylum, from which you have to escape by fighting, but the terrible controls make that experience terrible for beginner. Once you master it, it is quite nice.
If they ever make remake of it, I hope they will fix those controls.
Mate, I have some excellent news for you.
Unbelievable...! How did this come about, it's amazing. Thank you so much for the heads up, I really appreciate it.
I would love to see a new version of Bungie's Marathon. Rogue AI computer malfunctions and takes over the ship and tries to kill you... Or multiple ships? I don't remember the details. I think it was about 30 years ago.
They recently announced a new Marathon game.
Oh wow, I was really excited for about 2 seconds, but that's really not what I was hoping for in a new Marathon game. I'll keep an eye on it, but I'm sceptical it's going to be my type of game. Like @Subvocal said it looks like a reskin of Marathon on the Destiny 2 engine or something.
It’s not the same type of game though. It’s just a new game with a Marathon paint job.
I'm not a big Bungie fan by any means but if there's one thing I'll give them some credit for, it's that they always put in a lot of lore and story into their work.
They're the last developers I'd expect to do a simple paint job. If they say this is a Marathon game, there's probably going to be tons of lore involved that will update the canon of the series.
A remake or remaster of Sonic Adventure. A proper remake, for that matter - none of that SADX stuff. Just go right back to the Dreamcast version and use it as a basis, don't bother with any of DX's "enhancements". A modernized version of SA1 with improved controls and better visuals is the dream.
(also, while not exactly a remake/sequel, a PC port of Unleashed HD would be very nice, too)
I know it'll never happen because of the Disney takeover, but a Dark Forces/Jedi Knight remake, with the light saber mechanics from Jedi Academy and a modern engine makeover would be the bees knees.
I want the original Dark Forces remade. I've always been the one lone weirdo who hated Dark Forces II. I never much liked the first person lightsaber/Force usage. But I could shoot Stormtroopers all day.
Bungie's Marathon.
I dont want to sound ungrateful to the open source, volunteer, maintainers of these games these days but if we could get a more modern engine that could tighten up the controls and improve the overall feel to align with the Doom/idtech1 or Duke Nuk'em/Build engines that have iterated over the years I would be stoked. They look/feel so weird to me because of the engine's constraints that I never play more than the first ten minutes.
I'm thinking more of a Nightdive-style update where it's the same game, same feel, but modernized without compromising what made the original so great.
Would love to see a sequel to Battletech 2018. The game is still good, but I want to see a sequel on a new engine that can actually handle the game. The original is great, but it's built on Unity and it's just so damn slow, especially once you start using mods, which is another thing that needs addressing.
All the mods are sort of hacked in, so it would be nice to see a new game with proper mod support.
One of my favorite games is "Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines (1998)" (and it's standalone expansion, "Beyond the Call of Duty") which obviously has it's age and doesn't play that well, so I would love a remake/remaster. Moreover, I would like sequels with new missions, sure we got the famed Commandos 2 (and later Commandos 3) but I found these sequels to be far too complicated and I very much prefer the original game mechanics.
I think a new version of Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic would be amazing. Both of those games were fantastic
This is always my first answer.
My wife and I tried to get our daughter to try it out, and it was just way, way too dated for her.
Mail Order Monsters. My favorite game from the Commodore 64 era. I loved how the graphics would change as you upgraded your monster on the build screen. An amoeba with fangs was particularly hilarious.
As far as I'm aware, there weren't any follow-ons, from the original creators, or anyone else.
(And no, Pokemon does not count. Completely different play loop.)
Wow! I did NOT expect to see this. Thank you for the flood of memories! A remake of this would be great - real-time duels would be great!
Another Tex Murphy game, every one has been a delight, the latest one is starting to feel a bit janky on modem hardware and can't be played with a controller. Honestly those are my only critiques.
Seconded. I backed the Kickstarter for Tesla Effect, which turned out great. But it really sucks that the next game, The Poisoned Pawn, got cancelled. I wish they had Kickstarted that one too, since maybe then they might have had enough incentive to work out their "creative differences" and actually finish it. :(
Martian Memorandum was a masterpiece. It does feel like a series that was a product of its time in retrospect but I'm sure there would be a way to modernize it effectively.
I would love a remake or revival of the Jet Moto franchise. The amount of hover bike themed racing games in the modern video game industry is staggeringly low and it bums me out.
In no particular order:
Firstly, sorry for your loss. Whilst they're not remakes, the trilogy was ported to PC within the last few years, so unlike the Jet Set Radio example there is at least a modern way you can play through them if you were so inclined! The first two were crowdfunded if I recall correctly, and are even on PS4, Xbox, and Switch. The second one was Steam Deck verified in February, even adding a couple of new boomerangs and outfits!
Hey, thanks for the kind words and sharing this information! I'll check Steam and if they're there, I'll wish list and then make them my first non-essential purchases after I finish the process of buying my house. Thank you man!
Yeessss... I have been itching for something to scratch the Midnight Club itch.
Its incredible how nothing ive experienced has really come close to that game. I wanted to give The Crew a try but never found the time.
Shame R* canned the studio that made the MC games....
Edit: Forza Horizon 4 came closest I think. But maybe its childhood nostalgia making MC seem better?
I would really like to see a sequel made for Middle Earth: Shadow of War. The combat in that game was viscerally satisfying, the skill and armor progression was excellent, the army building/enemy collecting was a unique experience, and the nemesis system was truly fun. Having an enemy return to try an assassination attempt on you, while bearing the scars of your previous battle was super interesting. Unfortunately Monolith patented the nemesis system, so they are the only studio that can remake the game.
I'd like to see one for War In Middle Earth, a combination RPG and strategy game. The mechanics were interesting: you start off controlling the hobbits escaping The Shire, and nothing stops you from moving them anywhere on the map. But if you want to actually survive, you'll want to follow more or less the path they do in the story (so you can get Aragorn, Glorfindel, etc to help protect you).
Some of the armies are available for control right away, but others must be activated through other means which are, frankly, a bit buggy or too difficult to do within the means you're given. But it does allow for interesting alternate histories for the War of the Ring; it just really needs updates to all of the battle mechanics to make it more interesting.
Alternatively, it could be remade as two separate games - one a stealth game with small parties trying to destroy the Ring and one with just the large format battles but I like that both come into play because they both affect each other's outcomes in the original.
A ton of PS2 era games didn't age well, but I would love a graphics upgrade to the Xenosaga trilogy. I would do dirty immoral things for them to complete the last three parts.
My contributions to this topic would both be PS2 series that both 'technically' had sequels but that... deviated heavily from the formula. Jak and Daxter (I'm one of the weirdos who loved Combat Racing but I was looking over 'lost frontier' and by god it didn't seem like a J&D game) and Mercenaries (had a Mercs 2 but the PS2 version was so disgustingly watered down I doubt I'll try it on other platforms if I get a next gen console... Plus they made Peng take a complete 180 and everything fun about the first game was like a caricature of itself... oof)
Then again I've missed out on a lot of gaming; taking notes in this thread on beloved titles to play :)
Honestly the 'platform' I'm likely to build or get next will probably be a dedicated thing to play old flash games haha.
That, and also maybe just a switch port of Xenoblade Chronicles X, because now that the store is gone you can't download the optimization files that makes it playable on the WiiU, so it's not very accessible anymore.
I'd love a sequel or even a remake to Sleeping Dogs. One of my all time favourite open world games. The story and characters were great and the martial arts combat system was unbelievably fun and refreshing.
Coming in to say my number one choice would be Alpha Centauri, because Beyond Earth didn't count. It was basically Civ if humanity had managed to settle on another planet in the not too distant future. I loved the science fiction inspired tech tree, the classic 4x Civ format, mixed with unique and distinctive idealogical leaders. It was rich in lore and great for roleplay. Is expansion a divine right? Are you just out for profit? Are you pursuing knowledge at all costs, damn the ethics or are you willing to sacrifice your own growth in the short term to protect the new planet's ecology, but possibly harness it? There was so much replayability that I still like to go back to it every now and then. However some of the tech is no longer science fiction, there are some new approaches to extraterrestrial settlements that could be modeled, and the hex format is way better than squares. I would love a (real) sequel.
This is easily my #1 choice. There is still so much that is relevant about the game, but as you say, the tech tree could probably use both a huge expansion and a reality update.
The overall mechanics of the game could stay mostly identical so long as a significant AI update commensurate with the difficulty level was also introduced. Some of the fan mods have solved for this stuff, but I've found it all to be of mixed success.
Obviously the cutscenes could be redone with modern graphics and the game map itself, too, though I really wouldn't monkey with it too much. Idk if they could track down the original voice actors to record new stuff for new tech projects.
I really wish Tyrian 2000 had a sequel. The graphics don't even need to be upgraded, but the game feels a little short by modern standards. I bet you could really fit in a ton of extra content, ships, weapons, levels and complex boss designs.
Chrono Trigger has to be one of my all time favorite games. I had it when it first came out and fell in love with the game. It was the first game I played that had multiple endings
Chrono Trigger did get a re-release! On mobile with added content. A pretty good port, honestly.
Man, I remember renting this game with my older brother and just losing our shit at what we could do. Picking up a guard and smashing them against a wall repeatedly felt brutal in ways that not many games can replicate! And the progression system was pretty good too if I recall.
Man, when we unlocked the "head go boom" ability...
It probably couldn't be topped. And any attempt to do so might just ruin the magic. But it would be great if there were more content for Infamous Second Son / Infamous First Light.
StarCraft and/or Homeworld. StarCraft was so fun online and Homeworld as stand-alone was great. Would love a new release of either (especially on an iPad) or to see someone take them as a baseline and create something totally new.
There already is a Homeworld + Homeworld 2 Remastered. And Homeworld 3 is expected some time next year. No iPad versions though, AFAIK.
Thanks! I hadn’t heard about HW3!
Star Citizen because the original game will never be finished... 😭🤦🏻♂️💀
I'd love to see a third Overlord game. Just thinking of what could be done with that franchise and a modern game gets me all excited. The closest I think I've seen to a modern Overlord is the Shadows of Mordor games but of course it's missing a lot of the Pikmin-like puzzles or any humor at all.
Game remakes are the only remakes I'm in favor of due to the number of games that are effectively lost because they were only released for unpopular/underperforming systems and are expensive to own/play legally.
The main ones for me would be a remake/re-release of DragonForce and DragonForce 2 (the original was a JP release only) from the Sega Saturn. The first game was incredible for its time and it's the reason I still have my Saturn.
It has sequels (the second of which I think is fairly good), but I desperately want a sequel to Life is Strange 2 centered on Max and Chloe again. Bonus points if the original developers made it, not that that'd ever happen.
I saw a few for bungies marathon but let's remake the one true bungie series that is myth and myth 2. A version with some modernization along with the same plot and presentation would be quite amazing. There really has not been another game in this genre at all either and it is sorely missed.
I think Breath of Fire could translate well to a 3D remake. I loved the first two games and play them often over the years. The games had a lot of charm. I didn’t play any of the others (I think there are more, at least), so I can’t speak for those.
My other favorite game I wanted remade is actually happening! Dragon Quest III! So very excited for that one.
Games that I want to enjoy but don't have the patience for:
Fallout 1 & 2 redone as a 3d first person adaptation would be amazing, but the originals are too clunky and dry for me to fully enjoy today. Same for Daggerfall and even morrowind although already first person.
I say this in a vaccum though, I have no doubt that the modern adaptations of these games as done by Bethesda would be awful, and you can see this in ESO already. But a faithful, labor-of-love adaptation would be nice.
This is what I wish for over and over again, the Fable series. I know that I could buy an xbox series x and just play it on that since I still own the original 360 disc (and I plan to, however life has another plan for me). I miss the atmosphere of the game the most there hasn’t been any game like it since. There is something magical about its settings and story, even though I admit that I am seeing it through the red tinted glasses of nostalgia. Nevertheless, I want the remake of all three games, especially Fable 2 since that is the best and the most difficult to find. (
Lionhead StudioFable 2 was never ported to Steam but Fable 1 Remastered and Fable 3 did as far as I know). Admittedly, I want the remake of the trilogy just as a way to preserve a part of my childhood.Edit: I forgot to mention there is a game that sort of recreated part of the charm of the game on steam named Kynseed. If I recall correctly, it was made by ex-Lionhead Studio developers. Its a Stardew Valley-esque game with (this is with my limited testing the game but I haven’t fully invested my time in it yet) the charm of the Fable series. It was the music and the feel of the game that reminded me so heavily of Fable.
I loved Blast Corps. A remake with improved levels and maybe some ability for player created levels would be fantastic, but even a re-release of the N64 version with gently polished graphics and improved controls would be great. The game had a great mix of puzzle-solving, with a bit of time tension, and some fun "smash stuff up" gameplay. Adding co-op and player-generated levels would be amazing.
I'd also really like Bomber HehHe to be re-released with English translation. It's a game where you set explosive charges to demolish buildings and you're scored based on how much of the building you destroy, with points deducted if you create too much dust or noise disruption to neighbours. (I think, I played it 20 years ago so my memory is a bit hazy). It released at the wrong time (2001 / 2002 was very sensitive about "buildings being destroyed") so it went under the radar for many years, but it's a fun game and I haven't seen anything like it.
I'd also really like to see Crash Mode from the Burnout series get its own game, but done properly. I don't know what properly would look like, but I spent hours playing this mode in the main series.
Seconding Blast Corps, but I also think a proper sequel to Red Faction: Guerilla could scratch the same itch. I never played the last one (Armageddon, I think?), but I got a sense it went in a different direction.
I would have loved to see Impossible Creatures 2. I have a memory of my friend from middle school making the weirdest creatures we could think of one afternoon.
I have a few ideas that I didn't see here:
Burnout 3: Takedown would be my vote, and also Burnout Revenge, but that's less of a priority for me.
Granted, I'm not sure I'd trust EA to do a good remake these days, but if they kept true to the original just with upgraded graphics, it would be my dream game. Especially so if they added extra, good content.
Azure Dreams.
There have been a number of projects that attempted to capture the same feel and idea, even a supposed spiritual successor. Unfortunately, none of them ever really rang true to the original.
The Matrix Online. Any in depth experience of the world of the Matrix - single player or online/multiplayer. I had so much fun with this series when it was out in the 1990s or 2000s as a kid.
I'm still waiting for Dungeon Keeper 3
I would love a sequel to...well, Skies of Arcadia! Maybe that takes place 20, 30 years after the original.
Golden Axe needs the Steets of Rage 4 treatment ASAP. Actually I wish a lot of Sega’s dead IPs could get modern games (that continue their original styles of gameplay and presentation)… ESWAT, Shinobi… the list goes on
Would love a remake of the original Quake, and remasters of the early WW2 CoD games especially CoD2 and World at War.
A modern command and conquer game. Red Alert might be the first game I ever played in like 2000, I played it on windows 98.
But yeah I adore command and conquer games and would love a good remake in a modern engine.
Enemy Zero! I would watch my dad play it as a kid and thought it was terrifying. Seeing it today I think it shows its age a bit so it would benefit from a bit of redesign rather than just a straightforward rerelease with tarted up graphics, but the idea of having an invisible enemy only detectable through sound felt pretty innovative at the time.
I would love to see a remake of Rayman 2: The Great Escape. That game is one of my childhood favorites and probably one of Ubisoft's best games ever. I think Ubisoft was at their very best in those days. As a kid I really enjoyed this game, but I always got stuck at some point. I've only recently actually beaten it for the first time, and really enjoyed playing it as an adult as well!
It has such a great atmosphere. The music and characters are wonderful. EVERY level feels unique and none of the levels felt like filler-content: The game is filled with great content form the beginning to the end. I can't believe they did such a great job at transitioning from a 2D platformer to a 3D platformer at the dawn of 3D games with Rayman 2.
But that's also the reason why the game could use a remaster. The graphics and lightning look great for their time, but it looks dated nowadays, esspecially if you don't have any nostalgia to this game. The camera angles and controls can also be a bit awkward at times. I believe this game would do amazing if it had a proper true to the original remake, like Spyro and Crash Bandicoot had.
Additionally, Rayman 3 deserves a remake as well. As I kid I couldn't even finish the tutorial, but I'm planning on playing and finishing this game as well. Rayman 3 also has amazing music that I like to listen to from time to time and a very cool world. I would love to see it in a modern engine with reworked models
I've also played Rayman 1 a lot (or actually Rayman Advance), but that game doesn't need a remake. Not because I don't like that game, I love it. It doesn't need a remake because there is already a very, very impressive fanmade remake called Rayman Redemption. It's by far the best fan-project that I've ever seen for a videogame. Would recommend playing it.
A combination of Freelancer and Privateer, or something similar in levels of worldbuilding.
Unmodded Freelancer doesn't have a lot of mission variety, the factions are exaggerated caricatures of countries, the ship handling is intentionally arcadey, hardpoint choices are pretty simplistic, but it eases you nicely into a pre-existing fleshed out world where you can be the titular freelancer Alpha 1-1.
I just love the things you just find from exploring around not mentioned in the campaign (which might be a happy accident of MS pushing Chris Roberts to get the game out the door). It had a JRPG design where the campaign only unlocks a part of the map and you're on your own to discover the rest.
I've likely already played the alternatives that people mention and none of these capture what Freelancer attempted to do with its world or they're doing their own thing.
Theres like 10 old halflife mods that I would love to play again. Natural Selection, Science and Industry, would be my top two. Both really creative unique games and there's no way to ever play them again.
The Sierra series Quest for Glory
Nox
I am ready for Left 4 Dead 3.
Same player dynamics that incentivize cooperation, maybe from early in the zombie apocalypse (say the 14 days before Left 4 Dead in Philly where everything had already collapsed).
Say, small Southern town big enough to have people but not in a big city with an airport. Extra points for two of the characters being Ellis and his buddy Keith.
A classic from the Flash Game era - Motherload. It was incredibly addicting and while the design doesn't need much improvement(and arguably could easily make it worse!) a remake would be amazing.
Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines (and BTCOD) remake. The best game in the series IMO as I really hate how chaotic and unreadable Commandos 2 is to me. This or NFS: Porsche Unleashed.
Fear Effect, I loved the art style and the crazy anime style story of these games.
Any of the Way of the Samurai games would be way cool to me. Fun as they are though they can feel very clunky to play and a graphical uplift is always nice. By 4 some of that had been ironed out, but a fresh attempt at getting the combat system right might yield really good results.
My son thinks a new F-Zero game is long overdue and I agree.
You guys were probably all sorts of hyped about the new F-Zero 99, then?
A very nice, immersive and fun old Flash game: Wasted Youth Pt.1.
Part 2 never came out, the developer either lost interest or got into other things.
I want Final Fantasy VI with the graphical fidelity and polish of Final Fantasy VII Remake. Flesh out some of the party members who got less depth the first time around and generally put some meat on the bones of that old 16 bit presentation to overcome the shortcomings that game has from being a 12 month dev project.
I want to see a modern take on the Creatures series, updated to take advantage of modern hardware and AI research.
I feel like it has got to happen relatively soon, surely. But I've been thinking that for years and it never has.