Best Remasters & Remakes of 2018
It’s award season here at Twinfinite! Let’s look back at the best remasters and remakes of 2018. Voted on by our editors, these were the games that our team felt were the best at updating classic games.
Let’s start with our runner-ups, and finally, of course, our overall winner!
Second Runner-Up: Yakuza Kiwami 2
Staff Writer Keenan McCall: It’s rare for a remake of a title to feel like the de facto way to play it, but that’s exactly what happened with Yakuza Kiwami 2 thanks to the stellar amount of effort put into it.
Taking everything that made Yakuza 2 one of the best entries in the series and applying new gameplay mechanics alongside a graphical upgrade, Kiwami 2 realizes all of the original’s potential. Fights are more visceral, cutscenes are more impactful and nuances in characters’ performances are shown to full effect.
Using the gorgeous Dragon Engine implemented with Yakuza 6, Kiwami 2 brings much more variety to the combat system from the previous game. A number of new options and substories are also included, like the RTS-style Clan Creator for Majima Construction, or the return of the fan-favorite Cabaret Club minigame.
It’s arguably the best experience a Yakuza game can provide, and easily one of the best places for newcomers to the series to jump in. For anyone who has ever been curious about the series, there’s no better place to jump in.
Best Remasters & Remakes of 2018
First Runner-Up: Shadow of the Colossus
Senior Editor Hayes Madsen: Shadow of the Colossus is widely lauded as one of the very best games ever made, so it’s no small task taking on a remaster of something with that much prestige. Yet, this is exactly what Bluepoint Games did, and they sure did a bang-up job of it.
Shadow of the Colossus on PS4 is the same core experience that fans loved back on the PS2, but it’s been given an absolutely phenomenal coat of paint. Bluepoint rebuilt the game’s assets from the ground up in stunning detail, and Shadow of the Colossus PS4 is one of the best looking games you’ll find period, not just for a remake.
Vegetation looks fresh and lush, dust clouds kick up as you ride through the wasteland, and the fur on the Colossi shimmers and sways. Of course, the visual upgrade isn’t the only thing added, as there are a few new features thrown into the mix.
The UI has been cleaned up and made clearer and a new control scheme works a little better for new players to get into the game. A photo mode lets you snap gorgeous pictures of your journey, while a stats page displays all of your numbers in a handy place.
There’s even a hidden weapon to uncover by finding the new collectibles, 79 gold coins scattered across the game. Shadow of the Colossus is so much more than just a simple upgrade, and it provides a serious argument for remaking the classics.
Best Remasters & Remakes of 2018
Winner: Spyro Reignited Trilogy
Senior Editor Hayes Madsen: The Crash Bandicoot N’Sane Trilogy was a massive success when it launched in 2017, successfully bringing the classic platformers to the modern age. Since then, everyone has been dying to see the adorable purple dragon, Spyro, get the same treatment. As it turns out, the Spyro Reignited Trilogy is an even better remaster effort than the N’Sane Trilogy was.
Growing up, I played all three original Spyro games countless times. Despite my familiarity with each game, playing the Spyro Reignited Trilogy felt like an entirely new experience, purely because of the sheer amount of personality and detail put into each and every aspect of the remasters.
Toys for Bob has done an incredible job at re-imagining the world and characters of Spyro, and the games almost feel like you’re playing a Saturday morning cartoon. There are a host of small changes and additions made to the experience, however.
A new control scheme makes the games easier to play, while a re-recorded soundtrack and voice lines help even more to give it that modern, fresh feel.
More than the N’Sane Trilogy, the Spyro Trilogy feels like they could be new games released on modern systems, if you didn’t know any better. Reignited is an admirable effort to bring classic titles back, and hopefully it leads to a bright future for Spyro.
