TOP 5 Best Upcoming Video Game Remakes/Remasters of 2022 & 2023

by Mike Alexander / Lists, Articles / 06 May 2022

At this point, if you’ve been gaming since the early 2000s, you’ve probably seen your favorite game or series be remade or rebooted for more modern hardware. It’s a phenomenon that serves multiple purposes. 1.) To introduce a new generation of gamers to a series from the past, 2.) Hopefully make the game better as a result of technology that wasn’t available at the time it was developed, and 3.) Perhaps most importantly, to generate those sweet, sweet nostalgia sales from the gamers who connected with the game upon its original release.

We have seen examples of this remaster concept going horribly wrong recently with the Grand Theft Auto Trilogy remaster, but there have been countless successful remakes and remasters. In the near future, we will be graced with some classic franchises getting the remaster treatment, and you’ll find some of the most anticipated ones on this list of the Top 5 Best Upcoming Video Game Remakes/Remasters. So, when you’re ready to dive back into an old game you love or even try it for the first time, put on your nostalgia glasses, and let’s get started!

Max Payne 1 & 2 Remake

Originally released in 2001, Remedy Entertainment’s Max Payne series revolutionized gunplay in video games. The developers wowed the gaming industry with a slow-motion “bullet-time” system that could be activated to take down difficult enemies in style. Max quickly became an industry icon, and the subsequent sequel games were very successful while also expanding upon the hard-boiled action/Noire story. While the rights for the game were transferred over to Rockstar Games for the third entry and remain there, a deal was struck in April of 2022 that would allow Remedy Entertainment and Rockstar Games to collaborate on a remake of the first two Max Payne games. With the remakes being handled by the original studio, Max Payne fans everywhere have high hopes for this one.

System Shock Remake

1994’s System Shock by Looking Glass Studios was another highly influential game when it was released. The way System Shock delivers its story through the environment and its complex gunplay and associated systems inspired games for decades, including the beloved Bioshock franchise. Now after almost 30 years, Nightdive Studios is remaking that cornerstone experience for fans new and old. Video game technology has come a long way since 1994, and comparisons being made between the original and the remake are night and day. Nightdive has been responsible for a number of excellent remakes already, so it would appear System Shock is in good hands.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake

Developed by Bioware under the watchful eye of legendary video game director Casey Hudson, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic redefined not just Star Wars games, but action RPGs as a whole when the game was released in 2003. The original entry was so successful that it inspired a sequel and an MMO spinoff that has made over $1 billion in revenue in its lifetime. After many years of dormancy (outside of the MMO, which continues to run), Aspyr Media has been tasked with remaking the iconic game for new hardware, the PlayStation 5 in particular. The game is being remade from the ground up, allegedly even altering how combat works to be more in line with modern action games, so hopefully, this remake will be able to stack up next to its progenitor.

Splinter Cell Remake

Ah, Splinter Cell. For many, the adventures of Sam Fisher and Third Echelon are a happy distant memory. But for a few, like myself, the stealth action gameplay provided by the Splinter Cell series is still unmatched to this day, and the long-awaited return of the trident-goggled hero can’t come soon enough. While an entirely new entry in the series is still unannounced, Ubisoft did recently announce a remake of the first Splinter Cell game, which was originally released in 2022. Even at the time of its release, Splinter Cell had advanced mechanics that hadn’t been seen in a game at that point. The shadow/light system in particular wowed players and made the stealth in the game feel real and tangible. There’s no word on when the remake will be made available, but a Ubisoft Showcase scheduled for later this year should enlighten us.

Dead Space Remake

EA Games really destroyed the Dead Space franchise with the third game. Unrealistic sales expectations, forced additions, and developer hassling led to a game that didn’t even touch the previous sequel. Now, after almost a decade, They are going back to the well with a remake of the original Dead Space game. It is considered by many to be a horror game classic, so hopefully, the new developers at Motive Studio can update the visuals and gameplay while maintaining the atmosphere and sense of dread that made Visceral Games’ original title so influential.

Mike Alexander

Mike has been playing video games since he was able to hold a controller, having been fascinated by Sonic 2 on his mom’s Sega Genesis. That fascination and passion for the art form has grown exponentially nearly 30 years later, and he doesn’t see that fading away anytime soon.
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