The PlayStation 2 era still holds a special place in the hearts of gamers across the world, with a plethora of classic titles still be referred to today as being some of the greatest video game experiences ever made. From Resident Evil 4 and Silent Hill 2 to licensed titles like Spider-Man 2 and Simpsons: Hit and Run, the PS2 had no shortage of unique and groundbreaking games. But while most of these games are confined to their console generation, a few standouts have been remastered or remade over the years, and the upcoming Destroy All Humans 2: Reprobed is one of the lucky few.
Originally released in 2006 for both the PS2 and the original Xbox, Destroy All Humans 2 took the chaotic fun of its predecessor, and expanded upon it in almost every way, from better visuals to more weapons and means of destruction. August is jam-packed with new releases, and Destroy All Humans 2: Reprobed rounds out the month with a bang, but a good deal of fans are still unsure whether this is a fully-fledged remake or just a remaster.
Is Destroy All Humans 2: Reprobed a Remake?
Generally speaking, Destroy All Humans 2: Reprobed is technically a remake of the original 2006 game, but that really depends on the player's personal definition of the term. Destroy All Humans 2: Reprobed, according to the game's official website, has been rebuilt from the ground-up using Unreal Engine 4. For most people, this is what defines a remake, and ensures it isn't just a remaster. While a remaster tends to use the same engine, mechanics, and visual style, albeit given a fresh coat of paint, a remake is a classic title that's been made from scratch with a new engine.
That being said, Destroy All Humans 2: Reprobed looks like it'll be nearly identical to the original 2006 game. Before the sequel, Black Forest Games released a remake of the first Destroy All Humans game. This remake, again, built the game from the ground-up using a new engine, but it carried over the exact same mechanics, objectives, dialogue, and weapons as the original, with little to no new content. While this does create a faithful experience, carrying over the exact same gameplay elements left the remake feeling a little dated, especially when it came to the difficulty of some objectives.
While it's yet to be seen, it seems pretty likely that Destroy All Humans 2: Reprobed will be a similar case, meaning that the graphics and physics have been updated significantly, but the same general gameplay mechanics are going to be exactly the same as they were when the game made its debut back in 2006. And as far as new content goes, Black Forest Games has only officially announced that the Crypto skins from the first game will be present in this sequel, and that players can now switch up their flying saucer paint jobs on the fly.
For those expecting a Final Fantasy 7 level of remake, where the game's received an extensive overhaul of both gameplay, visuals, and storytelling, Destroy All Humans 2: Reprobed probably won't fulfill those desires. But for those old fans looking to relive a classic in all its modern technical glory, then Reprobed should be a worthwhile purchase come its August 30 release date.
Destroy All Humans 2: Reprobed launches August 30 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
