At the time of its release, the original PlayStation felt like a true evolution in gaming. Sony’s 32-bit machine seemed like a much larger evolutionary leap in visuals when comparing 16-bit consoles to 8-bit. This was in large part due to the system's 3D capabilities which, even though it was still in its infancy in terms of polygons, counts.
Many developers still, however, focused on gameplay over graphics and those are usually the ones that have aged better. However, there were also several very talented developers, like Square, that were able to get the best out of the little grey box. Unfortunately, not every game has stood the test of time and, as good as they were, could still do with a remake as opposed to a remaster in the vein of Final Fantasy VIII. Let’s take a look at five games that should remain untouched and five that could do with a modern remake.
10 Remake: Silent Hill
Released in 1999, Silent Hill is the debut title in one of the most beloved survival horror franchises of all time. While it remains an atmospheric and tense horror game, the technical setbacks are hard to overlook with the advancement of technology.
The developers at Konami worked well within the limitations of the machine and used a fogging effect to hide texture pop-in which worked well for Silent Hill’s dense atmospheric surroundings. A full 3D remake with today’s technology would be a huge benefit to the game and, with rumors of a return to the series, now would be as good a time as ever.
9 Leave Untouched: Alundra
Developed by Matrix Software and released for the PlayStation in 1998, Alundra is a Legend of Zelda style action-adventure about a young warrior that has the power to enter people's dreams. Its 2D visuals were beautifully designed and the gameplay, which consisted of platforming, fighting, and puzzles, is just as solid today as it was at the time of its release.
A cleaned-up remaster would certainly be appreciated by fans of the game but everything would need to remain untouched in order to retain its charm. As this is unlikely to happen, however, it can still be picked for a reasonable price on PSN for play on the PS3, PSP, and Vita.
8 Remake: Suikoden I And II
Suikoden and Suikoden II were released in 1996 and 1998 respectively in western territories. It later spawned three more numbered sequels and two spin-offs. However, the last game in the series, Suikoden: Tierkreis, was released in 2009 and effectively left the series in limbo.
Even after 24 years, the series still has a dedicated following with petitions being created in hopes of bringing it back. Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that the series will ever make a return or be considered profitable enough for Konami to bring it back. One only has to look at the popularity of the Legend of Heroes series to see that fans of the JRPG genre don’t need Final Fantasy-like production values to make a deep and expansive game worthy of the first two entries in the Suikoden series. It needs to be said, however, that Suikoden II still has some of the best 2D sprites on the system,
7 Leave Untouched: Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night
Released in 1997 for the PlayStation, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is widely regarded as the best in the series and one of the most influential action RPGs of its generation. Despite its 2D aesthetic, Symphony of the Night is very open-ended and its interconnected areas are a great influence on the Dark Souls series.
It wasn’t a big hit for Konami at the time of its release, but it became a cult hit among fans, fetching a significant asking price on selling platforms like eBay. Symphony of the Night is perfect as it is and should remain untouched.
6 Remake: Bushido Blade
Released in 1997 on the PlayStation, Bushido Blade was a fighting game like no other and twenty years on, it’s still unique in its mechanics. It’s a brutally tough fighting game with no health gauge and it focuses more on realism, body damage, and even one-hit kills.
With more modern titles implementing more realistic swordsmanship in their combat mechanics, it would be a perfect time to bring the Bushido Blade series. Titles like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, For Honor, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance have used their own risk and reward system that their fans love.
5 Leave Untouched: Twisted Metal 2
Twisted Metal 2 is a vehicular combat game released a year after the first entry in 1996. It was a significant improvement over its predecessor and a big fan favorite. The series takes inspiration from the Death Race films and combines that with Destruction Derby competitions.
It wasn’t a huge visual step up from the first game but the mechanics and the bigger level design offered excellent gameplay. Twisted Metal 2 is still a game that plays well and would only need a little polishing in the form of a remaster.
4 Leave Untouched: Final Fantasy IX
Originally released in 2000 for the PlayStation, Final Fantasy IX was the best looking game in the series until Final Fantasy X on the PlayStation 2. The art style and character design are arguably more unique and memorable than its successor, however.
Final Fantasy IX is definitely a game that doesn’t need a Final Fantasy VII style remake. The remaster only served to clean up the graphics and make it more compatible on a cosmetic level. The game’s art-style and character designs remained intact and still looks beautiful.
3 Remake: Dino Crisis
Dino Crisis was released in 1999 for the PlayStation. It is a survival horror game developed by the same makers behind the Resident Evil series and featured dinosaurs instead of zombies. Dino Crisis also heavily borrowed themes from the Jurassic Park movies for its story premise.
Regardless of its inspirations, Dino Crisis was one of the best games on the PlayStation and deserves the same treatment as the Resident Evil 2 remake in 2019. Being built using the same engine for the RE2 Remake and RE 7, a modern Dino Crisis game has the potential to be epic and cinematic.
2 Leave Untouched: Vagrant Story
Vagrant Story was released on the PlayStation in 2000. It was developed by the same team that created Final Fantasy: Tactics and Final Fantasy XII. Together with those two games, Vagrant Story has been officially listed as part of the Ivalice Alliance series.
Vagrant Story is arguably one of the best looking games on the PlayStation due to the distinct art-style which is very in line with their work seen in Final Fantasy XII. More importantly, the gameplay is still brilliant today with its Parasite Eve-like turn-based targeting system puzzle solving.
1 Remake: Xenogears
Released for the PlayStation in 1998, Xenogears is a science fiction JRPG that remains one of the deepest and most mature games ever developed. Unfortunately, due to time and budget constraints, the team was forced to finish the game’s story using cutscenes. Yet, despite this, Xenogears is a phenomenal game with a great story and character development.
Obviously, a full-blown remake would not only result in a better looking 3D game but the intended gameplay features for the second half could finally get finished. It is, however, highly unlikely that a remake of Xenogears will ever get done because the team has moved on and is working exclusively for Nintendo on its spiritual successor the Xenoblade series.
