Despite having a colossal bag of classic video game titles under its belt, Sony decided to remaster Horizon Zero Dawn. To be honest, I’d rather see remasters of older games that are crying out for some love, instead of a re-release of a seven-year-old game that still looks great.
Bloodborne
Let’s get this one out of the way first. Yes, Bloodborne begs for a remaster and yes, I’d love to play said remaster. Heck, I’d be more than happy with even a simple 60 FPS patch, which is already in the wild in an unofficial form. I’d gladly pay to be able to play Bloodborne at 60 FPS; heck, I’d buy a PS5 since I sold my PS4 years ago.
That said, I’d like more if Sony would bless Bloodborne fans with a proper remaster, giving it a graphical update and a PC port.
I had hoped that Sony would pull the Bloodborne remaster out of the hat during the PS5 Pro announcement, but no dice. Sony’s refusal to remaster a game that needs it the most wouldn’t be unreasonable if it weren’t for the fact that PC gamers would buy Bloodborne Remastered like hotcakes.
Killzone 2, Killzone 3, and Killzone Shadow Fall
Before the ill-fated Concord, Sony hadn’t released a first-person shooter for almost 11 years. Killzone Shadow Fall, while flawed, was a fun game with great visuals and lots of quality action.
Now that Guerilla is knees-deep developing multiple Horizon games and that Sony has turned into a third-person action-adventure factory, there’s a slim chance that we’ll ever see a hot new Killzone game.
The next best thing would be to remaster the PS3 and PS4 titles. Give them a new coat of paint, improve some of the worst levels, perhaps even include a 120 FPS mode, and call it a day.
If the remaster proves successful enough, maybe we’d end up getting a new Killzone game focused on multiplayer for those of us who can’t play single-player campaigns anymore. I’m certain it would run circles around Concord, not that this would be a crowning achievement, but still.
The Jak and Daxter PS2 Trilogy
All three Jak and Daxter games are brilliant. They feature some of the best 3D platforming gameplay ever, brilliant level design, and tons of charm.
While we have the PS3 remaster collection, I wouldn’t mind a PS5 collection that would bring the crafty duo to PS5 and, most likely, finally give PC players a way to enjoy these games without the need for an emulator. I know I’d play the hell out of them on PC.
Gran Turismo 4
For a 20-year-old game, Gran Turismo 4 slaps. The driving model is super satisfying, there are PCSX2 patches that allow you to use analog triggers as the gas and brake pedals, the game looks amazing in HD even when compared to PS3 and X360-era racers, and the single player campaign is among the best I’ve ever played in a racing game.
When you think about it, remastering Gran Turismo 4 would be a super cool thing to do. Update the car models, provide new track versions for tracks that found their way to the sequels, and update the ones that haven’t found their way into later Gran Turismo titles. Sony could also slightly rework the UI to be in line with modern Gran Turismo games. The one thing Sony shouldn’t touch, though, is the car selection.
The end result would be a retro racer that looks and plays like a modern one—this is me saying that Gran Turismo 4’s driving model still gives modern racers a run for their money. Gran Turismo 4 Remastered would also keep the humongous campaign and a progression model that puts many modern racers to shame.
The Resistance Trilogy
The PS3 had not one, but two massive FPS series, and we haven’t seen a sequel to either in over a decade. Since the people at Insomniac are busy working on games that don’t have anything to do with first-person shooters, why not remaster the Resistance trilogy instead?
You’ve got old-school-level design that would be a breath of fresh air compared to the deluge of open-world titles we’ve been receiving lately. The shooting’s fun, the story’s not that shabby, and the co-op experience is among the best in the genre.
A Remaster of the Sly Collection
Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus landed on PS5 a few months ago, and despite its age, the game looks fine and plays great. It’s a classic PS2 title that you can finish in a day and then replay for months.
The only thing better than bringing the rest of the titles from the Sly series would be to re-release the Sly Collection, which features the first three games of the series. The collection was released for PS3 and PS Vita and was a huge success.
As a cherry on top, Sony could make room on the disk for the fourth game, 2011’s Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time. I’m confident the collection would sell quite well, especially if it was released on both PS5 and PC.
The Legend of Dragoon
While it didn’t receive praise from critics back when it was originally released in 1999, The Legend of Dragoon has become a cult classic in the years since. It’s now regarded as one of the best PS1 games, despite its glaring weaknesses.
As such, it begs for a remaster. Sony could update the visuals, sure, but considering the release date, The Legend of Dragoon is a prime candidate for a full-blown remake. The remake could update the level design to the 21st-century standard, rework the nagging quick-time events, and deliver a grand comeback of this cult classic game in the vein of Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth.
The Original God of War Trilogy
When it comes to the OG God of War trilogy, I’ve only played God of War 3 Remastered on the PS4 and I loved it. I wouldn’t mind beating it again, but this time as part of a God of War remastered trilogy for PS5 and PC.
The only thing I’d like to see here, aside from a light graphical upgrade, is the removal of quick-time events and the redesign of the last part of God of War 3. That ending sucked, and now that we’ve got the soft reboot, Sony could rework the ending and tie it to God of War 2018.
inFAMOUS 1 and inFAMOUS 2
inFAMOUS 1 and inFAMOUS 2 are still among the best superhero games to date. That’s kind of sad considering that we’re more than 15 years into Marvel’s cinematic universe. Solid stories, cool powers, fun ways to traverse the cities, engaging gameplay mechanics, a mostly well-thought Karma system, and top-notch mission design are just some of the duology’s highlights.
Sure, the first game was a bit of a snooze-slash-frustration fest during its opening hours, but a remaster could improve the opening and also give the game a much-needed technical makeover.
PS2 and PS3 Ratchet & Clank Games
The PS2 and PS3 have a ton of excellent Ratchet & Clank games, but only the first one received a PS4 remake. The rest are now trapped on old platforms you cannot easily purchase anymore.
If we do not take into account the first game and the shoddy Full Frontal Assault, there are 10 Ratchet & Clank games, including the PSP titles, that Sony could remaster. If they opt for a one-a-year release frequency we could get a new Ratchet & Clank game each year for the next decade.
There are so many other PlayStation game remakes that would cheer millions of gamers up—too many for this list. So instead of creating a 10,000-word list, I’ll just quickly mention some of the personal favorites I didn’t include above: Ico (duh), Ape Escape, Motorstorm (a Motorstorm Remastered Collection would be cool to see), and Twisted Metal 2 or Twisted Metal: Black.
I know I didn’t include a good deal of PlayStation first-party classics on this list, but there’s so much to choose from. For some game recommendations that actually exist, check out my list of perfect summer chill games (they’re great to play in any season). If you’ve got loads of free time, read our humongous list featuring 50 games you can replay forever.
If this list has given you the urge to replay some PS1 and PS2 classics, you might benefit from a PlayStation Plus Premium subscription.
