Everyone agrees that 2020 was probably a horrible year for pretty much everyone and everything. Gamers, on the other hand, might have had an enjoyable time overall. There were many great AAA releases for all platforms, and the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X finally started to be sold; but especially for those who enjoy playing an old game in a new fashion, it was a great year.
Over the last decade, there were many improvements in graphics and processing in consoles – and the remakes from last year demonstrate that very well. A lot of classic, amazing games got completely refurbished, redone, or reimagined. Looking back, how good were they?
Best – Trials of Mana
It is a very positive indicator that such a good remake is not even higher on the list. The new Trials of Mana is an improved version of the original, with beautiful 3D graphics and a gorgeous soundtrack. The only problem is that it does have technical issues; the English voice acting, for example, is pretty bad – especially when compared to the Japanese original.
Worst – Resident Evil 3
A game like Resident Evil 3 amongst the worst remakes of 2020 is also an indicator of how good the year has been. The 1999 original, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, was an instant classic, and the new one is not bad.
Some of the requirements for a great remake were checked, like its predecessor Resident Evil 2 had done one year before: a lot of what worked perfectly in the original was kept and the art was improved. However, it is very rushed and disappointingly short – even the original was longer.
Best – Final Fantasy 7 Remake
Since it was released in 1997, FF7 has been considered one of the best games ever created, but its PS1-graphics have been out of date for a very long time already. Square Enix was very astute in not just playing it safe – instead of just redoing a classic, they expanded it in every way. The story, soundtrack, strategy elements, combat gameplay: everything got better. And it was already pretty great. Part 2 is very promising.
Worst – Pokémon Mystery Dungeon- Rescue Team DX
The Pokémon gaming series is still a big part of what has become a world-leading multimedia franchise. Although Nintendo keeps releasing major hit games like the Pokémon: Sword/Shield, side projects like the Mystery Dungeon titles have varying degrees of success.
Rescue Team DX has a gorgeous art style and is in many ways an improvement on its original, Blue/Red Rescue Team. But the combat system is so oversimplified and the dungeons so identical that the whole game seems to be a repetitive chore.
Best – Black Mesa
More gaming companies should be like Valve: when they discovered that a group of fans were developing their own remake of Half-Life in the Source game engine, they did not sue them. Instead, they decided to publish their game, and, after years of development by the Crowbar Collective, Black Mesa has finally been released. A game-changer, the original has very few flaws. Black Mesa respects that and delivers a beautifully polished, fully detailed experience that honors its source.
Worst – XIII
It feels like it could have been so much better: the original XIII, released in 2003, was a refreshingly visual FPS that showed great potential, but suffered a little from overly basic gameplay. When the remake was released, PlayMagic apologized for possible technical flaws, using covid-19 restrictions as justification.
But that does not justify all: the new game changed what the original had best with a new art style while simplifying the gameplay even more by limiting the number of weapons. It made more people buy the 2003 game.
Best – Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2
A series that has almost become its own little sub-genre, there have been many titles in the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater since the first game got out in 1999. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 is, in a way, a remake of the first two entries of the franchise; at the same time, it blends elements that all the successive games got right, and it results in a visually exciting, dynamic, and enjoyable experience. In the end, it feels like an unexpected improvement of something already great.
Worst – SpongeBob Squarepants Battle For Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated
The 2003 original SpongeBob game was impressive for its graphics, and its jokes and story made the player immersed in the lives of the inhabitants of Bikini Bottom. In 2020, the remake looks much better, but nothing really changed that much.
The jokes, story, gameplay, and limitations are all there. The only real reason for this game existing would be to update the original in a meaningful way, but, apart from showing the characters high definition, it just feels like a PS2 title released too late.
Best – Demon’s Souls
The original Demon’s Souls was the lesser-known predecessor for the watershed action RPG Dark Souls. Since then, FromSoftware has released painfully challenging games, the last one being the amazing Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Demon’s Souls was chosen to be one of the main releases of the PS5 launch, with development being made by Bluepoint Games this time. The result is a dazzling, fresh experience, which at the same feels like a remarkable leap forward while remaining a Souls game.
Worst – Warcraft 3 Reforged
After releasing Warcraft 3 Reforged, there were so many complaints from fans that Blizzard had to offer automatic refunds for whoever bought the game, regardless of the time they spent playing it. The huge fanbase got frustrated by the lack of many multiplayer features promised, worsened user interface overall, and an art style that sometimes looked worse than the 2002 original.