Making What’s Old New Again – The Best Video Game Remakes and Remasters of 2024

Tomb Raider I-III Remastered

• Release Date — February 13, 2024
• Publisher — Aspyr
• Developer — Aspyr, Crystal Dynamics
• Review Aggregate Score (Remake) — 75% (Generally Favorable)
• Review Aggregate Score (Originals) —Tomb Raider – 91% (Universal Acclaim), Tomb Raider II – 85% (Generally Favorable), Tomb Raider III – 76% (Generally Favorable)
• Steam User Score — 89% (Very Positive)
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S

The original three Tomb Raider games are some of the best titles on the original PlayStation, so it was only a matter of time before someone updated them with a coat of modern polish and made them accessible on PC and modern consoles. Thanks to Aspyr, that dream is now a reality, with Tomb Raider I-III Remastered tapping into the nostalgia many have for those first three games in the series while simultaneously making them look and run as we remember through rose-tinted glasses. While these classic action adventure games’ mechanics might not have aged as gracefully as other titles from the 5th generation, it’s a commendable effort toward game preservation that we now have the first three Tomb Raider games readily accessible.

The Thing Remastered

• Release Date — December 5, 2024
• Publisher — Nightdive Studios
• Developer — Nightdive Studios, Computer Artworks
• Review Aggregate Score (Remake) — 67% (Mixed or Average)
• Review Aggregate Score (Original) — 78% (Generally Favorable)
• Steam User Score — 92% (Very Positive)
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S

Along with studios like Aspyr, one of the more prominent developers active in the work of game preservation is Nightdive Studios. Nightdive has not one, but two remasters on this list, the most recent of which is the excellent remaster of PS2 hidden gem The Thing. A curious blend of survival horror, social sim, and co-op shooter, The Thing was wildly ahead of its time in 2002, which unfortunately meant that several of its mechanics were both out of players’ comprehension and not executed efficiently. Nightdive has removed some of the more annoying aspects of The Thing while also keeping what made the original great intact. As a result, players now have easy access to the de facto sequel to John Carpenter’s seminal 1982 sci-fi horror classic.

Age of Mythology: Retold

• Release Date — September 4, 2024
• Publisher — Xbox Game Studios
• Developer — World’s Edge, Forgotten Empires, Tantalus Media, CaptureAge, Vituos Games
• Review Aggregate Score (Remake) — 83% (Generally Favorable)
• Review Aggregate Score (Original) — 89% (Generally Favorable)
• Steam User Score — 90% (Very Positive)
• Platforms — PC, Xbox Series X/S

Our perception and memories of beloved games from our childhood often paint them in a more positive light than actually going back and replaying them, which results in their remakes or remasters presenting them not as they actually were, but instead as we remember them. Interestingly, the original Age of Mythology is a fantastic strategy game whose original version still looks good even by modern standards, which is what makes the recent remaster such an achievement. Age of Mythology: Retold takes the beloved Age of Empires spin-off and puts a new coat of paint on it, making an already great-looking game even better through improvements to its presentation and performance. At its core, though, Age of Mythology: Retold is still the great game it always was.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong

• Release Date — February 16, 2024
• Publisher — Nintendo
• Developer — Nintendo Software Technology
• Review Aggregate Score (Remake) — 76% (Generally Favorable)
• Review Aggregate Score (Original) — 81% (Generally Favorable)
• Steam User Score — N/A
• Platforms — Nintendo Switch

The original Mario vs. Donkey Kong was a charming and quaint little puzzle platformer that paved the way for a new Nintendo franchise, and this year’s remake for the Switch perfectly recaptures the fun of the Game Boy Advance classic while giving the visuals a significant uplift. The puzzles are, in general, fairly simplistic, but it’s hard to deny the charm of Mario vs. Donkey Kong. The lack of difficulty makes the game a breezy experience that also happens to now look phenomenal, and the subtle additions that Nintendo has made to the remake make it the definitive edition of one of the Game Boy Advance’s more important titles. Now if only Nintendo and Camelot would do the same thing with Golden Sun.

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy

• Release Date — January 25, 2024
• Publisher — Capcom
• Developer — Capcom
• Review Aggregate Score (Remake) — 84% (Generally Favorable)
• Review Aggregate Score (Original) — 78% (Generally Favorable)
• Steam User Score — 91% (Very Positive)
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One

Like the Phoenix Wright games, the Apollo Justice courtroom simulators from Capcom are some of the more beloved titles on the Nintendo DS, making their recent remasters and collection as a trilogy on PC and modern platforms a major boon for longtime fans. The Apollo Justice games take up an important place in the larger Ace Attorney saga, with up-and-coming attorney Apollo Justice working to clear the name of the series’ trademark protagonist, Phoenix Wright. Beyond their importance in the series, though, this remastered collection of three classic Ace Attorney games features major improvements to the UI and visuals, making Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy the definitive way to experience three pivotal entries in Capcom’s Ace Attorney franchise.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

• Release Date — May 23, 2024
• Publisher — Nintendo
• Developer — Intelligent Systems
• Review Aggregate Score (Remake) — 88% (Generally Favorable)
• Review Aggregate Score (Original) — 87% (Generally Favorable)
• Steam User Score — N/A
• Platforms — Nintendo Switch

While the initial impression of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door on Switch was that it was a simple visual overhaul and remaster, the truth is that the game is actually a full remake of the original GameCube classic. In addition to the vastly improved visuals and performance, the Switch remake of The Thousand-Year Door makes major improvements to the pacing, puzzle design, and difficulty balancing, resulting in the Switch version being arguably better than the original. While it’s not without its cons in comparison to the original (including the battle system feel, in general, slower), the Switch remake of Paper Mario: TTYD is an exercise in how to remake a beloved classic while retaining everything that made the original great.

Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster

• Release Date — February 28, 2024
• Publisher — Nightdive Studios
• Developer — Nightdive Studios, LucasArts
• Review Aggregate Score (Remake) — 78% (Generally Favorable)
• Review Aggregate Score (Original) — 83% (Generally Favorable)
• Steam User Score — 90% (Very Positive)
• Platforms — PC, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

Nightdive Studios had a busy 2024, but one of the best and most celebrated remasters to come from the studio this year is undoubtedly Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster. The original Dark Forces was a pivotal entry in the first-person shooter genre as the first game to allow players to look up and down, which added a whole new dimension of strategy to its frantic FPS gameplay. In an era where most FPS titles were shameless Doom clones, Dark Forces came along and showed how the genre could continue to evolve and innovate. The remaster retains the great Star Wars-themed shooting of the original, along with its excellent story, while smoothing out the visuals and making it perform better on modern PCs.

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster

• Release Date — September 18, 2024
• Publisher — Capcom
• Developer — Capcom
• Review Aggregate Score (Remake) — 83% (Generally Favorable)
• Review Aggregate Score (Original) — 85% (Generally Favorable)
• Steam User Score — 82% (Very Positive)
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S

Like some of the other games on this list that received remakes or remasters in 2024, Dead Rising is a title that’s not that old. The original was one of the Xbox 360’s first major third-party exclusives, arriving in 2006 at the perfect window between the fourth and fifth mainline Resident Evil games. Despite the title’s cult-classic status, though, the original Dead Rising hadn’t aged that well, prompting Capcom to greenlight a remaster. Much more than just a visual overhaul, though, Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster smoothes out several of the original’s wrinkles in terms of escort missions, traversal, time management, and combat. Dead Rising now plays and looks better than it ever did, endearing itself to a whole new generation of fans sure to click with its offbeat humor and unique premise.

Sonic X Shadow Generations

• Release Date — October 24, 2024
• Publisher — Sega
• Developer — Sonic Team
• Review Aggregate Score (Remake) — 80% (Generally Favorable)
• Review Aggregate Score (Original) — 77% (Generally Favorable)
• Steam User Score — 97% (Overwhelmingly Positive)
• Platforms — PC, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

One of the more pleasant surprises of 2024 was the reveal of a Sonic Generations remake, which itself took several iconic stages and boss battles from across the Sonic the Hedgehog series and reimagined them for 7th-generation consoles. In addition to a ground-up remake of the excellent Sonic Generations, Sonic X Shadow Generations includes a brand-new adventure in its Shadow Generations half. Together, both parts of the experience deliver what’s perhaps the best Sonic game in years, proving that it’s hard to beat a great Sonic game when Sega and Sonic Team are operating at the top of their game. Sonic X Shadow Generations is an unmissable experience for even the most lukewarm of Sonic fan and one of the year’s best platformers.

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered

• Release Date — December 10, 2024
• Publisher — Aspyr
• Developer — Aspyr, Crystal Dynamics
• Review Aggregate Score (Remake) — 78% (Generally Favorable)
• Review Aggregate Score (Original) —Soul Reaver – 91% (Universal Acclaim), Soul Reaver 2 – 80% (Generally Favorable)
• Steam User Score — 94% (Very Positive)
• Platforms — PC, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

Aspyr’s other major remaster project for the year is the highly-anticipated re-release of the beloved Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver games, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered. The existence of these remasters was a poorly kept secret for several months before the title’s official reveal at SDCC 2024, with rumors of a Legacy of Kain series remaster floating around since at least 2022. Regardless, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver and its sequel remain exemplars of video game storytelling and voice acting decades out from their release, and to have both games available on PC and modern consoles is a blessing for those who never got to experience these epic vampire-themed action-adventure games back in the day.

Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven

• Release Date — October 24, 2024
• Publisher — Square Enix
• Developer — Square Enix, xeen Inc.
• Review Aggregate Score (Remake) — 79% (Generally Favorable)
• Review Aggregate Score (Original) — 71% (Mixed or Average)
• Steam User Score — 96% (Overwhelmingly Positive)
• Platforms — PC, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch

Interestingly enough, Romancing SaGa 2 already had a remaster release just a few years ago on PC and modern consoles, which made the reveal of the game’s ground-up remake all the more surprising and exciting. Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven takes what many consider to be the best game in Square Enix’s SaGa series and reimagines it as a full-3D RPG without changing the most important elements that the original game (and the SaGa franchise) is known for. Romancing SaGa 2 is a beautiful game with some excellent non-linear exploration and storytelling, a compelling “Dynasty Building” meta game, and some of the best turn-based JRPG combat in years. Anyone who is a fan of classic JRPGs owes it to themselves to give Romancing SaGa 2 a shot.

Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake

• Release Date — November 14, 2024
• Publisher — Square Enix
• Developer — Square Enix, ARTDINK
• Review Aggregate Score (Remake) — 84% (Generally Favorable)
• Review Aggregate Score (Original) — 95% (Universal Acclaim)
• Steam User Score — 71% (Mostly Positive)
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S

Persona 3 Reload

• Release Date — February 2, 2024
• Publisher — Sega
• Developer — Atlus
• Review Aggregate Score (Remake) — 87% (Generally Favorable)
• Review Aggregate Score (Original) — 89% (Generally Favorable)
• Steam User Score — 95% (Overwhelmingly Positive)
• Platforms — PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

The original PS2 version of Persona 3 and its PSP re-release stand the test of time as two of the most beloved JRPGs of all time, so it was a question of “when” and not “if” Atlus would develop and release a remake of the title using Persona 5‘s format and visual style. Sure enough, Persona 3 Reload arrived early in 2024 and immediately staked its claim as one of the year’s best JRPGs, boldly reimagining the iconic characters, setting, and conflict of the original game in an eye-catching visual style that maybe even outdoes its Persona 5 inspirations. Beyond the game’s new visuals and incredible score, though, major improvements have been made to key elements of the Persona 3 experience in Reload, including managing the game’s calendar and the layouts and appearance of the title’s main dungeon, Tartarus.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

• Release Date — February 29, 2024
• Publisher — Square Enix
• Developer — Square Enix Creative Business Unit I
• Review Aggregate Score (Remake) — 92% (Universal Acclaim)
• Review Aggregate Score (Original) — 92% (Universal Acclaim)
• Steam User Score — N/A
• Platforms — PlayStation 5

The first game in the planned trilogy of titles remaking Final Fantasy VII took the original game’s Midgar section and expanded it into a 60-hour experience, building on the lore and characters in some surprising and unexpected ways while also delivering a bold new vision of one of the most important JRPGs ever. The sequel, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, arrived this year to do something even more challenging, bringing Cloud and his companions out into the world of Gaia at large and setting them free in an open-world sandbox. To its credit, Square Enix absolutely knocked it out of the park, retelling the most emotional and poignant moments of the Final Fantasy VII story in stunning visual fidelity while also delivering an excellent action RPG with some phenomenal open-world exploration and gameplay. To say it’s one of the year’s best games is an understatement.

Silent Hill 2

• Release Date — October 8, 2024
• Publisher — Konami
• Developer — Bloober Team
• Review Aggregate Score (Remake) — 86% (Generally Favorable)
• Review Aggregate Score (Original) — 89% (Generally Favorable)
• Steam User Score — 95% (Overwhelmingly Positive)
• Platforms — PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S

While some games have the prospect of a remake as something fans beg for (just look at Final Fantasy VII and Resident Evil 2), other titles are such proverbial “sacred cows” that the mere idea of touching or altering the source material in any way makes fans cry foul. Such was the case with Silent Hill 2, which is both the best Silent Hill game and one of the most important titles in the survival horror genre.

To its credit, Bloober Team defied all expectations by bringing players not just one of the year’s best games, but one of the best video game remakes ever in its version of Silent Hill 2. Silent Hill 2 is an example of how a remake should be approached, using the benefits of modern technology to not alter the story but instead add depth and context, while also improving the gameplay in ways that make the experience feel fresh again.