The trend of cranking out tons of remakes and remasters of old games continues in 2024; this year might take the crown as one of the most prolific. In fact, some of the most anticipated games in general for 2024 are remakes, such as the TGA award-winner Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.
Whether you’re annoyed at incessant re-releases like The Last of Us, or hyped for long-dormant games to finally get a fresh coat of paint, 2024 has you covered. Here are the 10 most anticipated remasters & remakes of 2024.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
As the award winner for TGA “Most Anticipated Game” it’s impossible not to put Final Fantasy VII Rebirth high on this list. But awards aren’t the sole reason it’s here. The recent gameplay demonstrations at the 2023 Tokyo Game Show have shown tremendous potential for the game-of-the year-candidate.
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth is the sequel to the Remake from 2020. The game takes place outside of the steampunk city of Midgar, finally exploring the wider world of Gaia. Rebirth features an open-world map and has a ton of exploration and mini-games to try out. The fields outside the city of Kalm are home to Chocobo Farms and more nooks and crannies than you can shake a chunk of Materia at. And let’s not forget that Rebirth is the chapter featuring the fan-favorite theme park chock full of minigames, the Golden Saucer.
We can’t wait to play the action RPG remake of Final Fantasy VII’s second chapter when it finally launches on February 29th.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Word is still out whether or not the best Paper Mario game will end up being a remaster or a remake built from the ground up, but we’re beyond thrilled no matter the result. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is easily my favorite game on the Nintendo GameCube, and it’s been console-locked ever since its release. Add to that the frustration of rarity and high resell prices for physical copies of the game and you have a cult classic that few modern gamers have the opportunity to experience.
The console-locked status of The Thousand-Year Door ends in 2024. Word is still out when the concrete release date will be, but the recent ESRB rating for the game points to it coming very soon. Seriously, you’re gonna want to play this, if for any reason just to see Rock Hawk in the arena sequence or where the Vivian sensation originated from.
Persona 3 Reload
Persona 3 Reload is a full remake of the PS2 turn-based RPG that kicked off the Persona craze. This remake includes several new features such as gardening and new Junpei social links. There’s also a lot of new voice acting that will cover the large amounts of unspoken text the original had.
But what really has us excited is the graphical overhaul. Persona 3 Reload uses a modified engine that Atlus used for Persona 5, and we all know how mind-bendingly stylish Persona 5 is. The menus for Persona 3 now have transition animations and full HD swank, and the characters themselves even move their mouths when speaking. Battles are going to be fully redesigned with the modern engine to be fast-paced and masterfully animated as well. What we’ve seen of Persona 3 Reload from trailers and presentations has us confident the remake of Persona 3 will burn our bread more than it ever has before (come on, you get that reference, right?)
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered
The original Tomb Raider games are classics, yes, but they’re also rough to go back to. Tank controls and janky PS1 graphics render these games difficult to recommend to new players. But that all changes with Tomb Raider I-III Remastered. With improved controls and HD clarity, these remasters of the three first Tomb Raider games may just become classics all over again in 2024.
One of the big reasons this is so high on this list is because it’s been a LONG time since we’ve had a classic Tomb Raider experience. Lara Croft’s adventures in the rebooted series from 2013 don’t feature the same platforming emphasis and general action gameplay the originals did. Fans of classic action games and platformer-puzzlers shouldn’t sleep on Tomb Raider I-III Remastered. I know I’ll want to revisit the glory days of Lara Croft in HD splendor come February 14th.
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons was one of the breakaway indie hits of the early 2010s. It helped propel the trend of indie co-op story games such as A Way Out and TGA winner It Takes Two. There are several new features this remake is bringing to the table that make it one of 2024’s most anticipated. First, there’s the addition of full co-op, which the original didn’t have. Even though Brothers is focused on two siblings overcoming puzzles on an emotional journey, the game was originally strictly single-player.
We’re really excited to grab a partner this time around, especially since we’ll be journeying in full 4K glory. The Brothers remake is made in Unreal Engine 4 and has a much higher budget than the original. This is a ground-up remake that we’re looking forward to playing when it releases on February 28th.
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy
The original trilogy of Ace Attorney games got a lovingly made remaster a while back, so the next trilogy in the series was a sure bet. Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy contains the fourth, fifth, and sixth main games of the series in one remastered bundle. Several noteworthy additions earn this package a worthy spot on this list.
First, the translation from 3DS to console and PC. The original games featured a dual-screen interface and was locked on handheld systems, so this remaster is very welcome in that respect. There’s a new animation studio feature that puts custom scenes at the players’ fingertips with movable props and backgrounds. The orchestra hall and art library features provide full soundtracks and images to peruse in detailed menus. Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy is the definitive way to play these games and it releases on January 25th.
Gothic Remake
Okay, I’ll be real with you, the Gothic Remake isn’t set in stone for a 2024 release, but it’s still projected for 2024, so we’ll let it fly. Gothic was a fascinating alternative to games like Morrowind and The Witcher when it was released in 2001. The complex mechanics and interconnected storytelling were ahead of their time and paved the way for all-time greats like The Witcher 3.
Gothic Remake is going to be built from the ground up with triple-A graphics and polished gameplay. The screenshots we’ve seen look mouth-watering, especially if you’re a fan of Western RPGs. While the exact release date is unknown at this time, the developers’ transparency through the development process has been refreshing and positive. Check out the latest Gothic Remake developer podcast from THQ Nordic to see how passionate they are about bringing the classic German RPG to a modern audience.
Braid: Anniversary Edition
I’ll be honest with you, I wasn’t initially over the moon when I first heard about a Braid remaster, but then I read what it’ll include and now I’m sold. Braid Anniversary Edition is an updated remaster of the 2008 indie puzzle platformer Braid. Braid kinda started the indie game boom back in the day, and now it’s getting a fancy remaster on modern systems.
But it’s not just a straight port. Updated visuals, redone music, developer commentary, and all-new puzzles are featured in this remaster. Braid was known for its brilliant time reversal level design, so having new ones to play has me stoked. Braid Anniversary Edition releases on April 30th on all modern systems.
The Last of Us Part II Remastered
Hear me out, I don’t actually hate The Last of Us Part II; the only reason it’s this low on the list is because a remaster of a three-year-old game is just plain silly. I know Sony wants that The Last of Us cash, but come on.
This remastered version includes various enhancements catered specifically for the PS5 such as full DualSense functionality and visual upgrades. The biggest addition to this remaster is a new roguelike survival mode called No Return. Little is known about the new mode, but we don’t have to wait long since The Last of Us Part II Remastered comes out on January 19th.
Clock Tower
Horror game fans rejoice, the classic Clock Tower is finally releasing outside of Japan! What’s that? The first Clock Tower already came out on Playstation back in 1997? Well, no, that was actually Clock Tower 2. 1995’s Clock Tower 1 is getting a spruced-up remaster for the first time in the West. Clock Tower has you running away from the deadly Scissorman while navigating a dark mansion. It’s a point-and-click horror game that has you hiding, solving puzzles, and screaming in equal measure. Look forward to this updated Super Famicom horror game when it releases sometime in 2024.
That’s our list of 10 most anticipated remakes & remasters of 2024. There are obviously some games we didn’t add to this list, so let us know which ones you felt got snubbed. For all your reviews and guides for games in 2024 and beyond, check back here on Twinfinite!
