Remaster games that warrant it!

[Snowy]

Just seen a thread about a remaster of Shadowman, a game I wasn't aware had even been originally mastered. Not that my ignorance of a title is in any way relevant (game could be brilliant for all I know) but why are software houses not capitalising on the 'remaster' trend by doing it to titles that really deserve it and would sell like hot cakes?

For me there are some obvious candidates:
- TIE Fighter/X-Wing
- Crimson Skies
- Dune 2
- Paradroid
- Speedball 2
- Test Drive Unlimited
- Tribes 2
- Deus Ex
- HL2

I would buy all of those in the blink of an eye. Now all I need is the licences and a tame development house (and the budget ofc...)

[Achtung Englander]

MOHAA. It's a crime this game has not been remastered

HL2 is still very much playable today. That game looks old but the Source engine is still better than some other engines today

[Sly Boots]

Anachronox

[Wrathbone]

Dark Forces, with very few changes other than graphical and quality-of-life improvements. While we're at it, might as well give Jedi Knight I and II a lick of paint.

[Alan]

Obvious - Syndicate, System Shock 2, Fallout 1/2, IWar2, Realms Of The Haunting

Curveball - Hunter Hunted
I seem to remember it getting 4% in PC Gamer when it was released but I loved that game and the multiplayer was great fun if you did some split screen blocking.

[DjchunKfunK]

Because most of those games you list wouldn't sell Snowy.

On a more serious note remasters are often carried out on games that are either too old to play on modern systems, where you have easy access to the source code or license, or to make a quick buck on games from the previous generation. In the case of Tie Fighter, Dune 2, Tribes 2 and Speedball 2 I'm betting there are licensing issues and source code issues that mean you would almost be making the game from scratch which at that point why not just make a modern game. Surely with Test Drive Unlimited you can still play that? Also the developer is currently making a new game.

One series that I do think would be fairly pain free to remaster and would also sell is Max Payne.

EDIT: Oh and Deus Ex has a mod that does a pretty good job of remastering it.

[Wrathbone]

One series that I do think would be fairly pain free to remaster and would also sell is Max Payne.

You mean to say that this face could be improved?

[Snowy]

Because most of those games you list wouldn't sell Snowy.

On a more serious note remasters are often carried out on games that are either too old to play on modern systems, where you have easy access to the source code or license, or to make a quick buck on games from the previous generation. In the case of Tie Fighter, Dune 2, Tribes 2 and Speedball 2 I'm betting there are licensing issues and source code issues that mean you would almost be making the game from scratch which at that point why not just make a modern game. Surely with Test Drive Unlimited you can still play that? Also the developer is currently making a new game.

One series that I do think would be fairly pain free to remaster and would also sell is Max Payne.

EDIT: Oh and Deus Ex has a mod that does a pretty good job of remastering it.

Oi stop pouring that cold water

[Raid]

I can think of many games I'd like to replay from my childhood, but to be honest most of them would require a full remake, not just an upres.

-Jedi Knight (& Mysteries of the Sith): This didn't use a mass market graphics engine from what I remember, so it can't just be ported over to the latest version of Unreal engine; you'd need the original dev tools and source code. As with a lot of early 3D games, this looks hideous now and would desperately need improved environment and model detail. And let's face it, remaking this now in a world where the Star Wars expanded universe has been completely rewritten is likely to cause licensing issues with Disney.

-X-Wing and TIE FIghter: Space sims probably need far less work to bring up to date, as once you have the engine built the actual mission design is relatively simple. This one should definitely be possible, but again there would be continuity problems. Grand Admiral Thrawn for example is now an official part of canon, and he's presumed missing before the events of the original trilogy, so I don't think TIE Fighter is likely either. I don't remember the story of X-Wing well enough to comment.

-Super Mario Sunshine: There's a rumour this actually will be getting a re-release for the Switch this year, which I'd be grateful for. Being a Gamecube game, it doesn't need a huge amount of work, just some tweaks to the controls or camera, and maybe some remodeling work for key assets.

-Unreal: I'd really like a full-on remake of this. It was one of those graphics engine showcases that wasn't an especially amazing shooter, but the alien world and sense of foreboding it created made it worthy of praise. Can you imagine Na Pali with the level of detail that UE5 demo from a week or two ago showed?

-Descent: I don't think anyone ever did the 6DoF shooter better than the original Descent and its immediate sequel. Forsaken wasn't bad and there was a pretty recent remake of that, but it just didn't have the same atmosphere to it. Full on remake please.

-Tiberian Sun: I really hope that the popularity of the C&C / Red Alert remakes gives traction to a remake of the sequel, which I'll always remember as the original vapourware. I think it's the last C&C game that could really do with a rerelease - Red Alert 2 is still playable today, and it doesn't need as much work doing as the original two.

[Wrathbone]

Ooh, Mechwarrior 2, but with a control system that doesn't require you to be an octopus.

[Sly Boots]

Morrowind... great game for its time, but it just looks too terrible (and also other old-school terribleness like combat) to play again now.

[Raid]

Ooh, Mechwarrior 2, but with a control system that doesn't require you to be an octopus.

Oof, how could I forget Mechwarrior. Yes, this, but as a proper sim please; full joystick support, AI that makes use of locational damage and such.

[Maturin]

Deus Ex for sure would be a great candidate for a graphical facelift, since I love the gameplay mechanics/story just as they are.

HL2 actually looks surprisingly snazzy and detailed for its age. Unlike Deus Ex, I can still play it today without grimacing like I'd just seen an old dude with a pot belly wearing a thong on the beach.

[Animalmother]

Thief 1 & 2

With a new engine that takes full advantage of lighting effects, would be glorious. I know it was remade recently but that was wank. Also keep the same voice acting.

No One Lives Forever

Still a very playable game if you can find it. Some of the huge open areas where nothing happens would to be tightened up. The humor is great with the idle conversations between npcs.

Vietcong

This was an ugly game even when it came out but the gunfights were great with some balls to the wall battles. Creating huge forest and jungle enviroments isn't a problem anymore so this could look amazing. Just ditch the ridiculous tunnel levels and maybe tone back on the racial slurs a wee bit...

Hidden & Dangerous 2

Why this has never got a part 3 or a remaster is beyond me. A more realistic and tactical Ghost Recon set in WW2 is a no brainer to me. It had huge sprawling missions with scores of enemies, stealth, vehicles, customisable uniforms and an rpg element. Remade as an open world game set in occupied Europe with different environments and missions would be amazeballs.

[Alan]

Vietcong

Thats a real good shout!