Retrospective: All the 2023 Video Game Remakes
It’s December, and with it the end of an amazing year for gaming in general, and remakes in particular. In 2023 alone, ten games were remade across all modern platforms and showcased a great variety of genres. If you want a quick glimpse at how these games compare to the original, what changes and improvements were made, and whether they’re worth your time (spoiler alert: they all are), then check out below for a complete chronological breakdown of all the video game remakes released in 2023.
Dead Space (January 27, 2023)
Originally unleashed upon players in 2008 on PlayStation 3, EA’s Dead Space was praised for its impressive atmosphere, strategic gameplay mechanics and intriguing story. In 2023, the remake brought back the story of Isaac Clarke aboard the USG Ishimura to a new generation on PS5, Xbox Series X/S & Windows. Maintaining the thrills and aura of the original game, the remake superbly modernizes its technical and artistic design in Frostbite Engine, while adding lore, voice acting for our lead character, and interesting gameplay features. A notable one is the “Intensity Director”, an engine that “customizes the player experience on-the-fly” with randomized environmental changes, making every playthrough stressful, even for the game’s creators. The result is a feeling that is hard to put into words, and that can only truly be experienced. Dead Space is simply one of the best remakes of the year, and a spine-chilling delight for both veterans and newcomers.
Like A Dragon: Ishin! (February 21, 2023)
Released on PS3 in 2014, Ryu Ga Gotoku: Ishin! was a unique – and frustrating – entry in the Yakuza series. Many of us learned to love the quirky humor, exhilarating combats and iconic characters of the franchise since the first installment’s international release in 2006. And many of us were disappointed when we learned that we wouldn’t be able to do witness all of this, but as a samurai in 19th-century Japan. The Japan-only release of the original led us to miss on what ended up being an excellent spin-off to the series, pushing some to even kickstart petitions. Nine years later, our wishes were finally answered with the release of Like a Dragon: Ishin! on February 21, 2023 for PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. It is true that the remake’s changes to the original game are modest: an upgraded engine and visuals, a few UI tweaks, new and expanded minigames, and secondary characters taking the traits and voice of characters featured in the more recent entries in the Yakuza series. The gameplay also overall feels smoother, faster, and more responsive, which was a concrete wish by the developers. But it is first and foremost the localization work – that in itself is quite an achievement given the richness of both Yakuza games and the Edo period – that makes this remake well worth checking out.
Kirby’s Return To Dream Land Deluxe (February 24, 2023)
Kirby’s Return To Dream Land, a delightful adventure from 2011 on the Wii, returns on Nintendo Switch in 2023 with a Deluxe remake that will please all generations of players. The original game is mostly remembered for having introduced a four-player co-op feature, making it a very family-friendly game and a perfect addition to the Wii library. The remake kept the inherent qualities of the gameplay and progression of the original game, while making plenty of additions and improvements. Technically, the use of cell-shading, new character models, altered animations, and remastered music and sounds nicely modernized the original game without losing touch with the colorful and beautiful artistic direction of the original. Gameplay-wise, developers have been generous too: new abilities, new epilogue game mode, control adjustments, While some didn’t really see the point in remaking or even remastering this game, the story goes that the original game’s popularity in Japan, as well as the special place it had in the heart of current franchise director, Shinya Kumazaki. The result is an effective, but perhaps too simple remake. But if like me you are among those older players who want to share their passion with their kids, the co-op features and very accessible difficulty are simply perfect for good family-time. In that, the remake stayed very true to the original.
Resident Evil 4 (March 23, 2023)
Resident Evil 4, originally released in 2005 for the GameCube, created a new standard not only for the Resident Evil series but also for survival-horror and third-person action games in general. In fact, it was such a masterpiece that when Capcom sought Yasuhiro Ampo to direct a remake, he “didn’t want to do it”. Fortunately for us, after roughly 5 years of development, the remake came out on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam. And it really paid off. The remake retains the narrative and action-packed gameplay of the original while delivering an artistically stunning and immersive experience. Sound design, graphics and environments are extremely detailed, and while the overall progression of the game is identical to the original, quite a few additions can be mentioned: rewritten dialogues, improved AI, new enemies, a more “open exploration” area with different side quests, and a parry system, to name but a few. The fact that this game – a remake – ended up being nominated for Game of the Year at the Game Awards 2023, is proof of its quality and ability to bring even further the legacy of the original game.
Advance Wars & Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising (April 8, 2023)
You may end up counting nine entries in this retrospective, but we in fact at some point got two remakes in one! Released on April 8, 2023, after a series of delays, Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp is a refreshing and nostalgic return to the beloved tactical series. The game, developed by WayForward, is a faithful remake of the original Advance Wars and its sequel, Black Hole Rising, which were initially released on the Game Boy Advance. The core gameplay remains intact, but with a modern new look and a few new features like online multiplayer and a map maker. The remakes have been praised for their faithful recreation of the original games. The added voice acting and animations to the characters are very welcome, making the narrative progression less “static” than on Game Boy Advance. While a few technical aspects such as graphics and AI could have benefitted from a deeper upgrade, the overall gameplay is as solid as ever and introduces noteworthy features such as online play, custom map creation, and alternative missions. In the end, the remake stays true to the original’s aura: behind its simple looks lies a very rich and addictive tactical-RPG.
System Shock (May 30, 2023)
Launched on Windows on May 30, 2023, System Shock was a distinctive and challenging entry in the immersive sim genre. Not a lot of players had the chance to experience, back in 1994, the original game’s intricate level design, atmospheric storytelling, and its AI antagonist, SHODAN. And, to be fair, the game’s dated graphics and complex user interface made it less accessible to modern audiences. The remake is in this regard a welcome addition to the library of Linux, macOS, PlayStation 4 & 5, and Xbox Series X/S. The engine, obviously, was remade from scratch and now allows for much more enhanced character models and detailed environments, giving due credit to the artistic direction of the original. While the main story remains largely unchanged, some additional RPG elements and new conversation options provide more depth and context to the lore. Gameplay- and level design-wise quite a few optimizations have been made, without reducing the fairly high difficulty of the original. Despite its complicated development – kick-started in 2015 and witnessing several changes in direction, engine, & development teams – the 2023 remake of System Shock is a must-play for fans of the original and a fascinating entryway into videogame history for new players.
Front Mission 2: Remake (October 5, 2023)
Front Mission 2, a PlayStation gem from 1997 has been resurrected in 2023 with a remake bringing back the fairly niche tactical mecha-warfare genre. Like its prequel, also remade by Forever Entertainment last year, the original game was exclusive to Japan, making this remake the first time this game is available to a global audience. Front Mission 2: Remake preserves the mature story, strategic turn-based combat, and Wanzer customization options of the original while introducing updated visuals and new features and enhancements. As explained in an interview, particular efforts were made by the developers to keep the gameplay and progression as close to the original as possible in order to “ensure that existing official game guidebooks, FAQs, Wiki information, and strategies remained relevant”. While some features could have been more polished, in particular some combat mechanisms and the script’s translations, the game remains a solid and loyal T-RPG that will satisfy long-time amateurs of the series, or newcomers who enjoyed the raw, mature approach taken by its more recent prequel.
Star Ocean: the Second Story R (November 2, 2023)
Star Ocean: The Second Story R, released on November 2, 2023, is a remake of the highly acclaimed second installment in the Star Ocean series. Developed by Gemdrops, Inc. and published by Square Enix, the game is available on multiple platforms including Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC. In an interview, developers stressed how difficult it was for them to strike the right balance between the nostalgic elements they wanted to retain from the 1999 original game – including its visual components – and the modern features that would also please today’s audience. The result exceeds all expectations. The original’s game narrative – which greatly contributed to its success back then – is pretty much untouched. Some old-school, a bit “grindy” but ultimatelly really fun mechanisms (skills, talents, etc.) have also witnessed little to no changes. But the packaging around it is really where the remake shines. The most impressive feature is the graphical overhaul, introducing a beautiful 2.5D aesthetic combining 2D pixel characters with 3D environments. Beyond that, many useful features have been added: new battle mechanics, new Japanese and English voice-acting, and fast travel. Each player can choose to switch between older and new versions of voices, character art, and music, at any time during our playthrough. Star Ocean: the Second Story R delivers exactly what it promised: an old-school J-RPG vibe and depth in a beautifully revamped package that could attract a newer audience who would really miss on something if they didn’t try it out.
Super Mario RPG (November 17, 2023)
That one dropped like a bomb during September’s Nintendo Direct: Super Mario RPG, a classic from 1996 on the SNES, would come back just a few months later on Nintendo Switch. This remake was not a given, as the original marked essentially the end of any exclusive partnership between SquareEnix (then Squaresoft) and Nintendo for three decades. Developed by ArtePiazza, the remake is a very faithful recreation of the original game with several modern enhancements. The graphics have been significantly improved, with full 3D graphics, updated character and enemy names, and the option to switch between the original music and a newly arranged soundtrack – as is the case with the other old-school J-RPG remake we just discussed. The gameplay & progression were kept largely identical to the SNES original, but you’ll notice plenty of the more archaic elements were streamlined once you start playing: autosaving, the ability to switch out party members mid-battle, and an extra storage bin for item drops, among other things. The result is a simple – sometimes too simple – RPG but a great remake that will satisfy many: nostalgic gamers who actually discovered RPGs through Mario, European players who never got a chance to play the original, or more modern audiences who simply now have a chance to discover this light-hearted, funny, and somehow still very unlikely fusion between Mario and SquareEnix.
What can we look forward to?
It is safe to say that 2023 was a very productive year in terms of quality videogame remakes. No hard flops, all games that managed to stay true to the spirit and quality of the originals, with some AAA productions that really brought those stories to new heights.
2023 was a fascinating time to be a gamer, old or young. Personally, I was thrilled to rediscover the classics of my youth, and sometimes games I didn’t have the maturity to appreciate enough then. For new generations of players, if you never got into retrogaming, you now have a chance to discover some of the classics that made the video game landscape what it is today.
And guess what…? Next year is also packed with promising remakes!
