Hollywood has shown that remaking movies can lead to a dip in quality and audiences lament the dilution of the original, but when it comes to video games, gamers are more receptive. After all, improving graphics and gameplay can only mean modern audiences can appreciate an old game, without 20-year-old graphics.
This explains how the recent The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, a remaster of the 2006 original saw 4 million players in just the first week of release, and why the 2023’s Resident Evil 4 remake recently hit a milestone of surpassing 10 million units sold worldwide – if a game is a hit, remaking or remastering it can bring in fans and new audiences by offering the allure of enhanced visuals or updated features to elevate a title to the next generation.
That said, not every classic hit game lends itself to a remake, especially if the developer in charge changes too many things, removes gameplay elements, or doesn’t understand what made the original so beloved to begin with.
When it comes to remaking or remastering a video game, key importance lies in revamping a potentially outdated title for the modern audience, while still keeping the spirit of the original intact. It’s an intricate balancing act that, when done well, can help present a fresh look to a beloved classic title and reap the benefits nostalgia provides.
On the other hand, those looking to revamp a classic title have to deal with the immense expectations that come with the task, where every mistake draws immediate and strong backlash from avid fans, and unfortunately, this has been the case more often than not.
Here are 10 instances where developers tried to enhance a classic title for a new generation of players, only to offer a disappointing experience.
Titles are listed in alphabetical order.
1. Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop (2009)
Developer: Tose
Platform: Nintendo Wii
Original Release: 2006
Original Developer: Capcom
Call it a victim of a console platform that it was never designed for. The Nintendo Wii port of Capcom’s 2006 action-adventure game Dead Rising presented arguably the worst way to play the zombie-killing adventure. Originally made as an Xbox 360 exclusive, Capcom re-released a port in 2009 under the title Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop, which essentially offered the same base experience, albeit with major cutbacks owing to the inferior hardware.
Utilising the same engine as 2007’s Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition, Chop Till You Drop did provide a few new additions to the base game, such as zombie parrots and poodles, new minigames and an enhanced AI system which improves the game’s survivors, but the content removed from the original far surpassed the improvements on the port. Most notably, this extended to the game’s size and scope, as the Mall, the game’s playable space, was significantly shrunk with multiple barricades in place to limit player movement. The number of zombies on-screen was also dramatically reduced from 800 to only 100, including the removal of some survivors and Psychopath bosses. Most bafflingly, however, was the absence of its photography system, a key component in the base game (lead playable character Frank West was a photographer, after all).
Due to this, the game’s reception was understandably mixed, with most fans and critics lamenting the game’s removal of its key photography feature, although the game was praised for its Wii Remote aiming feature, calling it an improvement over the original console versions. Overall, Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop was a serviceable but largely forgettable attempt at refreshing the title, and proves that hardware limitations can temper even the greatest ambitions.
2. Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition (2021)
Developer: Grove Street Games
Platform: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Original Release: 2001 – 2004
Original Developer: Rockstar North
To say that the initial reveal of the remasters for Rockstar’s iconic Grand Theft Auto III (2001), Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002), and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004) garnered massive fan excitement would be an understatement, as it created so much hype from eager fans that it crashed Rockstar’s website. But as more footage emerged for the finished title, anticipation quickly turned to disbelief due to Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition’s new art style.
These concerns would prove warranted upon the game’s launch in late 2021, as apart from its plastic-looking character models and overall style that still seemed dated by modern standards, the title was plagued with a laundry list of bugs, glitches and other indications that it was nowhere ready for release. These issues ranged from minor and often hilarious fumbles such as the lazy use of AI-upscaling causing multiple spelling errors across textures like shop signs, to game-breaking ones like its notorious rain textures, which almost completely obstructed the player’s view, along with a major glitch that prevented players from saving their progress, further infuriating fans that it launched in such an inexcusable state.
In response, the game was subsequently removed from the Rockstar Launcher temporarily to have its issues fixed, and while the game today is in a much better state than when it launched, it still serves as an embarrassing stain on Rockstar’s flagship series, as well as the company’s reputation.
3. Resident Evil 3 (2020)
Developer: Capcom
Platform: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC
Original Release: 1999
Original Developer: Capcom
Let’s get one thing out of the way – in no way was Capcom’s 2020 remake of Resident Evil 3 a bad game, but it was simply not as good as its 1999 namesake, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. Despite revamping the original with modern graphics and controls, the game cut a host of content, leading to a far shorter experience that left many feeling it had wasted its potential.
The original Resident Evil 3 placed deep emphasis on its environments, offering players a multitude of locales to explore. In the remake, a huge chunk of these were cut to seemingly fit the game’s new action-focused pace. As a result, the title not only felt more linear, it became less scary too. While the game’s titular villain the Nemesis was a constant threat in the original, stalking the player across its location à la Resident Evil 2’s (2019) Mr X, the remake restricts his appearance to a few set scenarios, largely removing the overarching tension. Some other notable features were also removed, such as Live Selection, a feature which forced players to make split-second decisions that could lead to different paths and endings, as well as the complete absence of its Mercenaries Mode. This fan-favourite was replaced with a multiplayer component called Resident Evil Resistance, which failed to garner interest and led to Capcom ending support for the online title that same year.
Although these downsides didn’t hinder the game’s performance and most players’ enjoyment, only returning fans would truly understand just how inferior the remake was compared to its source material, and that despite its shinier exterior and modern improvements, Resident Evil 3 was simply a shell of the original.
4. Silent Hill HD Collection (2012)
Developer: Hijinx Studios
Platform: PS3, Xbox 360
Original Release: 2001, 2003
Original Developer: Team Silent
If there’s one thing Konami’s Silent Hill survival horror franchise is synonymous with, it’s atmosphere, specifically the constant thick fog players have to contend with that both obscures vision and makes gameplay claustrophobic and tense. So what happens when this very element is completely removed? This very predicament would turn out to be the exact downfall of 2012’s Silent Hill HD Collection.
With ambitious goals to remaster two classic titles in the franchise, Silent Hill 2 (2001) and Silent Hill 3 (2003), for modern audiences and hardware, development of the title hit a roadblock early on as Konami had lost the complete source code for the two original games, leaving the relatively small team at Hijinx Studios (TouchMaster, Vandal Hearts: Flames of Judgment) to work with unfinished versions of the games for the collection. Tasked with an uphill battle, it’s no surprise that the final product shipped in a sorry state, presenting choppy performance on the PlayStation 3, clumsily upscaled video cutscenes, completely different voice acting and an overall lack of effort in terms of actually remastering elements. Most notorious of all, however, was the step down concerning the game’s fog effect, thinning out the usually blanketing fog and making outdoor scenes lose all tension, as players could see much further into the distance than before.
In all, the Silent Hill HD Collection wasn’t disastrous by any means, as the two games included are still absolute survival horror classics. Rather, it serves as a rare example of a remastered game that felt less satisfying to play compared to the originals, and with the recent 2024 remake of Silent Hill 2, it seems this mishap wasn’t enough to deter the series from remaining one of the genre’s greats.
5. Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection (2024)
Developer: Aspyr
Platform: PS4, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC
Original Release: 2004, 2005
Original Developer: Pandemic Studios
The Force certainly wasn’t strong with this one, which was a shame, as Pandemic Studios’ (Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction, The Saboteur) classic 2004 multiplayer shooter, Star Wars: Battlefront, and its 2005 sequel were games that pioneered the large-scale multiplayer team battle format used in many shooters today. The Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection, meant to package both games with the added bonus of sharper graphics, should have resonated well with fans, but unfortunately, its poor technical state led to disappointment instead.
Simply put, Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection was practically broken on launch. Multiplayer servers, the game’s bread and butter, were not only in an awful state but severely lacking, at least on the PC, with only three 64-player servers available on release due to a bug. Hit registration for blaster shots was also broken, as well as controller aiming, and there were netcode issues galore, crashes – and the list goes on. Even its single-player component had its own share of issues, with the campaign missing a significant part of its cutscenes.
Understandably, fan backlash was immediate and loud, causing developer Aspyr (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic) to go into full panic mode, gradually fixing its major issues, although there are still reports from fans to this day detailing crashes, wonky aiming on consoles, and instances of broken graphical elements, ironically making the game’s original versions the best way to enjoy the authentic Star Wars: Battlefront experience.
6. Super Mario 64 DS (2004)
Developer: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo DS
Original Release: 1996
Original Developer: Nintendo
There’s no doubt that 1996’s Super Mario 64 is a classic in its own right, but like the aforementioned remake of Dead Rising for the Nintendo Wii, its 2004 remake for the Nintendo DS, Super Mario 64 DS, brought with it a series of misfires owing to the change in platform.
Perhaps the remake’s biggest gripe was its transition from full analogue movement on the original to a single D-Pad on the handheld console. The game did provide three different control options for its movement, which also utilised the console’s touchpad, but none of them proved as intuitive as using an actual controller with full 360-degree movement. Because of this, the title, which relied on precise platforming, was a pain to play, and its limitations overshadowed its many new additions, like new playable characters and stages.
It’s a shame then that the remake suffered due to its console’s hardware limitations, but thankfully, the original game did see its definitive edition come out years later, as part of 2020’s Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection. This left the Nintendo DS port blunder largely forgotten.
7. Tales of Symphonia Remastered (2023)
Developer: Bandai Namco Entertainment
Platform: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Original Release: 2004
Original Developer: Namco Tales Studio
As GameCube Japanese RPGs go, Tales of Symphonia ranks high as one of the platform’s greats, providing not only an engaging yet easy-to-follow storyline, but a unique real-time combat system which utilised elements from fighting games. It was no surprise then that the game would be picked up for a remastering effort in 2023 by Bandai Namco Entertainment (Tales of Arise, Scarlet Nexus). A classic game enhanced for modern consoles, what could go wrong? A lot, apparently.
Perhaps the biggest issue with the remaster was that it ran at 30fps even on powerful new hardware, whereas the original GameCube version ran at 60fps. This was due to the fact that the remaster adapted the 2004 PlayStation 2 version, itself a port that ran on inferior hardware, thus necessitating the lower frame rate cap. While this decision did offer a bunch of new cosmetics previously exclusive to the PS2 version, the halved frame rate negatively affected most’s enjoyment of the game, especially one so real-time-combat-focused. To make matters worse, the remaster introduced problems that didn’t exist in either of its earlier versions, including massive frame drops in certain areas, missing lines of dialogue and battle transition effects, and completely blacked-out backgrounds for its many narrative skit sections.
All these issues combined make Tales of Symphonia Remastered feel like a half-hearted rush job done merely to capitalise on the beloved franchise and make a quick buck. Its underlying game is still a classic to this day, but its subpar remastering effort that introduced more problems than enhancements still does a disservice to an original classic.
8. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD (2012)
Developer: Robomodo
Platform: PS3, Xbox 360
Original Release: 1999
Original Developer: Neversoft
Looking to revitalise the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater franchise’s ageing first two entries, 2012’s Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD was a remake of the first two games with added levels and features from later titles. Sounds great on paper, but its execution? Not so much.
Despite promising the combination of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater and its follow-up, the final product was missing many of the original titles’ levels, such as Downtown and Roswell, instead replaced by those from later games. Skater and park editors were missing entirely, however, alongside the lack of local split-screen multiplayer support. To make matters worse, the game launched in a poor technical state, plagued with bad controls, glitches and broken gameplay mechanics such as its implementation of wallriding. This garnered much negative fan feedback, which resulted in the game receiving paid DLC to add requested features instead of adding the updates for free, further angering fans. Meanwhile, while most of the game’s glitches were simply never addressed.
With all the backlash surrounding the title, the game was eventually delisted on all platforms in 2017, and while 2020’s Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 would finally offer the remake treatment fans deserved, those who forked out the cash for the failed 2012 remake would never forget the cashgrab that was Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD.
9. Warcraft 3 Reforged (2020)
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment, Lemon Sky Studios
Platform: PC
Original Release: 2002
Original Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
When Blizzard announced Warcraft 3: Reforged at BlizzCon in November 2018, excitement was at an all-time high for the remaster of the classic title that many saw as one of the greatest strategy games ever made. All these hopes and anticipation would come crashing down upon its release in 2020 though, with technical issues, broken promises and missing features resulting in the title becoming the lowest user-rated video game of all time on Metacritic.
So, where did everything go wrong? For one, many of the key features of the remaster Blizzard had promised were missing from the final product, such as updated cutscenes and re-recorded voice-overs. To make matters worse, even features from the original title were removed, such as clans, automated tournaments, LAN and offline play or ranked ladder play, and by merging the original and Reforged into one package, Blizzard not only delivered a stinker but simultaneously made the old game worse.
In fact, the fallout was so bad that the company soon started accepting refund requests from players with a no-questions-asked policy mere months after its release, with its development team being dissolved that same year. Although the game has seen its fair share of updates over the years to improve its sorry state, Warcraft 3: Reforged remains as one of the worst game remaster launches in history.
10. XIII (2020)
Developer: PlayMagic, Tower Five
Platform: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC
Original Release: 2003
Original Developer: Ubisoft
When it was released back in 2003, Ubisoft’s first-person shooter XIII quickly gained recognition for its unique cel-shaded aesthetic and comic book stylings, and became a cult classic over the years. Due to this, fan excitement was understandably high when it was announced in 2019 that the title would be receiving a long-overdue remake by developer PlayMagic, only to be crushed upon its eventual release when all its problems were laid bare.
Amidst its sea of issues, XIII Remake’s biggest crime was that its updated visuals completely removed the charm of the original, going from a cartoony, colourful aesthetic straight out of a comic book to a generic 3D style consisting of bland, playdough-like characters, even outright removing cel-shading in favour of realism. It wasn’t even just about the visuals either, as the remake was plagued with bugs, performance issues, poor audio mixing and the baffling replacement of its original comic-style cutscenes with boring in-game rendered ones. As a result, the game was panned by critics and players alike, gaining overwhelmingly negative reviews across the board, with fans crying out for a fix.
To its credit, publisher Microids (Syberia, Blacksad: Under the Skin) didn’t just abandon the project amidst the backlash, and instead decided to tackle the issue head-on, announcing in 2022 that a new development studio, Tower Five (Agatha Christie: The ABC Murders), would pick up the reins of the project to fix the issues. True enough, the new team did manage to salvage what it could, with an update launched in late 2022 that massively improved the title with reworked gunplay, audio, enemy AI and, most importantly, overhauled its art style with the cell-shading its initial release was sorely lacking.
Bonus: Conker: Live & Reloaded (2005)
Developer: Rare
Platform: Xbox
Original Release: 2001
Original Developer: Rare
While most games on this list failed due to technical issues and poor execution, developer Rare’s (Banjo-Kazooie, Battletoads) 2005 remake of the 2001 game, Conker’s Bad Fur Day, Conker: Live & Reloaded, drew criticism for something entirely different – censorship.
Anyone who played the original 2001 platform would know that the title’s charm was largely attributed to its mature writing, juxtaposing its cutesy graphics and furry squirrel protagonist Conker with its copious use of profanity, dark humour and adult themes. Conker: Live & Reloaded removed this charm by censoring swear words and removing some mature scenes entirely, a complete change in direction from its original plans of releasing an uncensored experience under the name Conker: Live and Uncut.
Despite this, the game was still received positively by critics, but with all its graphical enhancements, Conker: Live & Reloaded’s heavy censorship still left a gaping hole in its overall experience, one that only juvenile vulgarities could fill.
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
