10. Crash Bandicoot N-Sane Trilogy
Yet another timeless platforming series, the classic Crash Bandicoot trilogy has been remastered and released together - and it’s just as silly, loud and zany as ever. There’s plenty of personality packed in with the jumping and spinning. With three crazy games in one, there’s a lot of bang for your buck. Like any good platformer, it’s easy to pick up but hard to master - probably much harder than you remember it.
9. Alan Wake Remastered
Although the creators of Alan Wake don’t believe it fits squarely in the survival horror genre, this episodic story-focused thriller certainly takes a lot of spooky cues from it. Now’s the perfect chance to try it out - Alan Wake Remastered’s improved resolution and updated visual assets bring one of the best single-player stories in gaming into the modern generation and make the spooks and scares stronger than ever.
8. Crysis Remastered Trilogy
Crysis is set in a near-future sci-fi world where our main characters are soldiers with high tech nano suits - suits of armour that give them special abilities and enhance their physical attributes. Polished up to a gorgeous 4K and running at 60fps, the Remastered Trilogy makes this three-in-one collection of iconic games look stunning and gives gamers a chance to enjoy the entire series’ story all under one roof.
7. Resident Evil 2
The original Resident Evil 2 was an absolute cult classic, and in the remake, a lot more is being updated in this game than the graphics. This legendary survival horror game has only gotten better. Little bugbears like fixed camera angles and clunky controls are long gone, but they’ve perfectly preserved what made RE2 great. It’s such an extensive recreation that you can understand why they’ve omitted any ‘remastered’ subtitles.
6. Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection
The Uncharted series showed the world that Naughty Dog has a lot more going on under the hood than just Crash Bandicoot. This collection is an absolute steal, bringing together the first three instalments in the Nathan Drake quadrilogy. The storytelling, the platforming, the puzzle-solving - it’s all golden. These games are like Hollywood movies in the best ways - truly a treasure worthy of Sir Francis Drake himself.
5. Resident Evil 3
After the success of the Resident Evil 2 remake, it only made sense to give the same treatment to its more controversial sequel. It lovingly recreates the original experience into a modern, polished product that feels as vital as it did when it first wreaked havoc on consoles in the late 90s. A much more action-packed affair, it might not have the outright spooks of its predecessor, but more than makes up for it with balls-to-the-wall action.
4. The Last Of Us Remastered
The Last Of Us is one of those timeless games that will never not cut straight to your heart. The unforgettable story of Joel and Ellie in a world ravaged by a zombie apocalypse is told through engaging and strategic survival action gameplay that starves out resources enough to mean that you’re always on edge in any confrontation. The game’s harder modes are especially punishing, but even more rewarding.
1. Shadow of the Colossus
Shadow of the Colossus is a remake of a 2005 game that even at the time, was ambitious. It’s an action-adventure game, where the only goal is to defeat gargantuan enemies called Colossi. It’s refreshingly minimalistic; you’ve got nothing but a sword, a bow and a horse. The 16 Colossi are the only enemies in a largely empty world. It’s a beautiful modernisation of an absolute classic; a perfect gift for the ‘person who’s played everything’.
2. Mass Effect: Legendary Edition
Fans anticipated the chance to return to the world of Mass Effect for years, and Legendary Edition did not disappoint. The game has been given improved 4K graphics, a huge number of quality of life changes that unify the gameplay experience game to game, and also includes every DLC ever made for the series. Hundreds of hours of nostalgic sci-fi action RPG adventures await. This is my favourite remake on the Citadel!
1. Final Fantasy VII Remake
FF7R has raised the bar on remakes forever. A complete ground-up reimagining of the world of the classic Final Fantasy 7, FF7R reworks everything from the combat (which feels incredible) to the visuals (which look incredible). Square Enix has crafted a remake that feels as entirely new as it does familiar. Good news too - this unmissable game already has sequels on the horizon, so now’s the perfect time to play!