Highlights
- Fans were disappointed when Rockstar announced a new port of the first Red Dead Redemption for last-gen consoles instead of a remaster or remake for next-gen platforms.
- Despite the negative feedback received for the GTA Trilogy Definitive Edition remaster, there is still hope for potential remakes or remasters of older games in the future.
- Fans remain hopeful for a remake of these Rockstar classics.
After months of rumors and speculation regarding Rockstar either remastering or remaking the first Red Dead Redemption game, it turned out to be the worst option of all in the eyes of fans. Rather than a remaster or remake for next-gen platforms and PC, Rockstar revealed a new port of the classic title for last-gen's PlayStation 4 and the Nintendo Switch.
While disappointment remains, the plethora of classic titles Rockstar maintains always leaves the door open for a potential remake or remaster in the future. Based on previous remasters, more notably GTA Trilogy Definitive Edition, fans may not be so hopeful for any future revisions of older games, but still have a wishlist for which titles should receive developers' attention.
5 GTA San Andreas (Remake)
Despite its inclusion in the collective remaster GTA Trilogy Definitive Edition, GTA San Andreas and its fellow titles were met with a barrage of negative feedback. What fans had assumed would be a full-fledged remaster, upscaling every aspect and component of the beloved title, turned out to be one that was arguably worse than the original port.
As it is now unlikely for Rockstar to attempt another remaster of San Andreas aside from patches and updates, the only hope left is a remake. Given Rockstar's history of releases and a huge focus on brand-new titles, a remake would be a huge surprise for many, and it would be an opportunity for redemption.
4 GTA Vice City (Remake)
Sticking with the topic of the GTA Trilogy Definitive Edition and its backlash, Vice City was unfortunately placed within the same category as San Andreas. From a plethora of bugs, lack of optimization for platforms, and poor character models, fans felt that developers at Grove Street could have done much better within this region.
Although a remake of Vice City is even more unlikely and difficult, with the unfortunate passing of Ray Liotta who voiced Tommy Vercetti, fans remain hopeful that the beloved title can make a major comeback sometime in the future. Given the major focus on the development of Grand Theft Auto 6, any discussion surrounding this being greenlit would be seen as far too soon.
3 Red Dead Redemption (Remaster or Remake)
As aforementioned, before its reveal rumors had suggested that Red Dead Redemption would at the very least be receiving a next-gen remaster, with some hinting at a remake. To fans' dissatisfaction, none of these suggestions turned out to be correct, as the title has only been ported to PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. Not only have next-gen console users been left frustrated, but PC players are still left to resort to means of emulation rather than an official release for the platform.
Whilst this heavily decreases the chances of a future remaster for next-gen platforms and PC, this does not completely shut the door to it. With re-releases of Naughty Dog's The Last of Us Part 1 first as a remaster on PlayStation 4, to a current remake on PlayStation 5 and PC, the same could be replicated at Rockstar with Red Dead Redemption.
2 Bully (Remake)
Out of all of Rockstar's beloved IPs over the years, Bully is among those that have received the least amount of attention. Whilst its Scholarship Edition remaster which introduced better graphics and new content has been enough to suffice for some, fans have been awaiting any updates on a potential sequel or remake of the title.
When considering the potential content that could be introduced in a remake, it could turn out to be one of Rockstar's best releases, especially if developers were to use the template of Red Dead Redemption 2. While it certainly won't be as graphic or violent as Red Dead Redemption 2 considering the more age-friendly rating, the mechanics and core elements of Rockstar's 2018 blockbuster could prove highly beneficial for a remake of Bully.
1 GTA 4 (Remaster)
Despite rumors of a remaster in store for Grand Theft Auto 4, fans were once again left disappointed with the suggestion that it was scrapped due to the development focus on Grand Theft Auto 6. Left with neither a remaster nor remake, players on PC have taken it upon themselves to create an enhanced and upscaled experience of the old port, with a variety of mods and graphical tweaks. These range from new vehicles, tweaked driving controls, ENB mods, realistic gunplay, and much more that all have the intention of pushing the title toward a modern standard.
Closer to Grand Theft Auto 5 in the aspect of its mechanics and realism out of the rest of the franchise's entries, fans have been wondering what a full remaster of GTA 4 would contain. Whether this would be an addition of new in-game content with new sites, locations, or activities to partake in, or just a port to consoles as the aforementioned Red Dead Redemption received, is unknown to fans. It is still possible for Rockstar to surprise fans with a remaster of the title before the release of GTA 6, but fans will be hoping this time around, it would be in-house developers at Rockstar and a remaster that will separate itself from predecessors.