5 HD Remasters We Need in 2018 if This Is Just Going to Continue On Forever

Mass Effect Trilogy

5 HD Remasters We Need in 2018 if This Is Just Going to Continue On Forever

We get it. We felt that horrible pang of disappointment when Mass Effect Andromeda dropped, too. But at least we’ve still got the epic Commander Shepherd trilogy to fondly look back on and wash away the bad taste of the Andromeda galaxy.

Seriously though, it seems like HD remasters of the original Mass Effect trilogy are something fans have been crying out for year after year at this point (there’re a ton more forum threads, Reddit posts, and rumor talk about the trilogy out there). Every Nov. 7 – the beloved N7 day in the Mass Effect community – seems like it’ll finally be the day BioWare and EA announce these sci-fi epics are finally coming to the PS4 and Xbox One with 4K HDR visuals, enhanced lighting and textures, and other cosmetic tweaks. And every year, fans are left disappointed.

With Andromeda coming as a huge disappointment to fans, the single-player DLC for the game getting cancelled, and sequels reported to be shelved until a later date, a finely remastered trilogy might be just what’s needed to win fans back and get them hyped for the (hopefully) exciting next chapter in the series.

Spyro the Dragon

5 HD Remasters We Need in 2018 if This Is Just Going to Continue On Forever

Sony literally made thousands of Crash Bandicoot fans’ dreams come true when they announced the N. Sane Trilogy back at E3 2016. Putting the first three and most beloved, Crash titles onto a single disc with a plethora of improvements was not only a stunning trip down memory lane for fans, but also a sign of revived interest from Sony in the iconic bandicoot. It also reminded us just how great (and tricky) old platforming titles were without us having to brave their oddly-angled, albeit charming original worlds. Watching Crash plod goofily through an array of vibrant, colorful worlds tugged at our nostalgia strings and instantly had us thinking about another anthropomorphic character we wanted to see get a bit of a facelift. And who else other than Spyro the Dragon?

Granted, what Vicarious Visions did for the N. Sane Trilogy was more of a remake than just spruce up the visuals for an HD remaster. Regardless, any kind of HD remaster for any of the Spyro games would most definitely be welcomed by fans and show the dragon is more than just the poster boy of Skylanders. We can’t be the only ones desperate to break a dragon free from stone in 4K or dying to pull off a twisted lime on our skateboard in Year of the Dragon again, right?

Fable Trilogy

5 HD Remasters We Need in 2018 if This Is Just Going to Continue On Forever

Back in the OG Xbox and 360 days, the Fable series was one of the most enjoyable, charming, and enthralling trilogy of games that players could dive into. The world of Albion, regardless of which entry in the series you play, is one of the most charming and, oddly enough, traditionally British worlds you’ll find out there. Lionhead Studios expertly crafted a wonderful fantasy world to get lost in, with a morality system that added weight to the player’s actions and a simple but competent combat system that allowed for some excellent combos.

During this slight drought of Xbox exclusives we’re currently in, an HD remaster of the trilogy certainly wouldn’t go amiss. With the cancellation of Fable Legends in 2016, the future of the series is a little unclear. Here’s hoping that if we don’t get a Fable 4 announcement this year, we’ll get to revisit Albion in beautiful 1080p (or even 4K) sometime soon.

Beyond Good and Evil

5 HD Remasters We Need in 2018 if This Is Just Going to Continue On Forever

Beyond Good and Evil 2’s trailer reveal at Ubisoft’s 2017 E3 conference will go down in history as one of those rare moments thousands of fans cried tears of joy simultaneously around the world. Though less than five minutes long, the trailer captured all of the charm and style of the original title, albeit with a brand-new cast. As such, it’s not like newcomers need to play an HD remaster of Beyond Good and Evil before jumping into the sequel, but why turn down an opportunity to play an excellent game and expand your knowledge of the world?

Beyond Good and Evil is a captivating, atmospheric game whose animation effects were second-to-none back in the day. Now, imagine all of that getting some spit and polish ahead of Beyond Good and Evil 2’s release to whet the appetite of long-term fans and newcomers alike. Plus, considering this December marks the game’s 15-year anniversary, there isn’t a much better time than this year.

NieR

5 HD Remasters We Need in 2018 if This Is Just Going to Continue On Forever

When it comes to HD remasters that we’d love to see and have a lot of signs suggesting that they will happen, NieR tops the list. Following the success of NieR: Automata last year, with all of its many, many endings, a fantastic soundtrack, and perspective-shifting combat, there’s a good chance that a bunch of series newcomers want to see where it all started.

There’s more to the strong possibility of NieR’s HD remaster in 2018 than just audience intrigue, though. Not only did Yoko Taro say he’d remaster the Drakengard Collection if Square Enix gave him the money to do so, but Square Enix itself even stated it wants to make NieR a franchise going forward. If Square Enix really is serious about that, then bringing NieR – and the rest of the Drakengard series – to the current generation of platforms would help fans get a grasp on the series’ deep narrative… before it likely gets about a thousand times more complicated in the next entry.