It’s been two whole console generations since the PS3 and Xbox 360 eras, and the generation occupies a strange middle ground. It arguably represented some of the biggest leaps in power of any console generation, but many of its games have fallen by the wayside. This is especially so for the PS3, since the console’s unique infrastructure makes emulating those games on modern consoles a tricky prospect. With that in mind, here are the top 10 PS3 and Xbox 360 Games that deserve remakes or remasters.
#10 – inFAMOUS
Superheroes are arguably bigger than ever, but the majority of superhero games are established heroes well into their careers. As such, a superhero origin story in games is a rarity.
inFAMOUS didn’t just serve as a prototype for what superhero games would become, it did so with an original hero. This alone gave it a sense of freedom somewhat missing from the likes of the Spider-Man games. Taking it to the next level was the game’s morality system. Over the course of the game, you could define Cole’s origin story as he masters his electrokinesis. Even better, becoming a villain is just as viable as becoming a hero.
As a PlayStation exclusive, inFAMOUS would benefit greatly from the DualSense’s features, such as haptic feedback. We’d be able to feel the crackle of electricity, whether we’re shocking our enemies or sliding along power lines. Even better, it could reignite passion for fresh blood in a genre increasingly dominated by a few big names. We’d love to see, say, an X-Men game in the vein of Spider-Man, or Wiccan and Hulkling teaming up to defeat the latest universe-threatening supervillain. However, there’s a simple pleasure in novelty – something an inFAMOUS remake could usher in.
#9 – Mirror’s Edge
Mirror’s Edge is a short and sweet action game where (relative) pacifism is an option. Yes, there’s gunplay, but it’s unwieldy and worth avoiding. Instead, heroine Faith utilizes her parkour skills to escape combat, running across the rooftops of a futuristic city.
The city where the game takes place is at the mercy of an oppressive regime. Faith is a runner, a courier delivering sensitive information while avoiding government security through parkour. When she discovers her sister has been accused of murder, she uncovers a plot to take down the last bastion of freedom the city enjoys.
Unfortunately, Mirror’s Edge never really caught the attention of gamers. However, the core themes are arguably more relative today than ever before, which may lead to a more enthusiastic reception. Moreover, the modern advances in graphics could see the city brought to life like never before. Mirror’s Edge is already a visually stunning game. Despite being a dystopia, the city feels like one we’d want to live in. Ray tracing could see that brought to the next level.
#8 – Heavy Rain
Quantic Dream made a name for themselves in the interactive movie genre. However, Heavy Rain often gets left in the lurch. The game follows four separate characters on the trail of The Origami Killer, a serial killer who kidnaps young boys and traps them in a pit that will gradually fill with rainwater until they drown. The latest victim, Shaun, is the son of protagonist Ethan, who receives a series of challenges to complete if he wants to save his son. These challenges gradually evolve from the already insane “Drive the wrong way on the Freeway” to “Drink this poison”.
Of course, it isn’t just Ethan. You’ll also control an insomniac journalist, an FBI agent, and a private investigator teaming up with the mother of a previous victim.
Heavy Rain manages to be a better Saw game than the actual Saw games. The storyline is deep and emotional, and apart from the occasional (and needless) sci-fi elements it’s the most grounded and realistic game Quantic Dream ever produced.
While Heavy Rain is famous for a few inadvertently hilarious bugs (such as the infamous “Press X to Shaun”) that shouldn’t take away from the fact that this is a brilliantly conceived game. In fact, it’s arguably the first one that really made an interactive movie feel like, well, a movie.
A full remake would also open the door to smoothing out some of the rough edges. Most notably, it emerges towards the end of the game that the player character Scott is the Origami Killer, something his internal monologue gave no clue about prior to this. Additionally, there were several DLC chapters planned, but only one was released. A remake could see it incorporated into the main storyline, and potentially see the unrealized ones finally developed.
#7 – Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Metal Gear Solid 4 is arguably the endpoint of the series. While other games have been made, they follow Solid Snake’s father, Big Boss, and flesh out events prior to the Solid Snake sage. Meanwhile, the spin-off Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance has a different tone entirely.
Guns of the Patriots sees Solid Snake in a world at war, infiltrating various locales around the world, including previous settings for the series. The nostalgia doesn’t end there: the obligatory quirky boss squad, The Beauty and the Beast Unit, takes inspiration from every boss squad in the Metal Gear Solid series so far.
With Metal Gear Solid 3 in line for a remake, it feels right that Guns of the Patriots would be next. While it’s far from a simple game – in fact, it’s possibly the most confusing of the notoriously complex series – it’s still a satisfying experience and a fitting end to one of gaming’s greatest heroes. There are plenty of cameos from the franchise’s characters, and it really does feel like the finale.
We’re about to see the very start of the Metal Gear Solid franchise on current gens. Seeing how it all ends would bring a lovely sense of symmetry to the occasion. If it leads to remakes of the franchise’s other games, well, that’s the opposite of a problem.
#6 – Clive Barker’s Jericho
Clive Barker is a legend in the horror scene, having created horror icons like Pinhead and Candyman. Despite his success as a filmmaker and an author, however, his work in gaming is more underground.
Jericho tells the story of the Jericho, an elite squad of soldiers with supernatural powers, as they attempt to contain the Firstborn – a creature of unimaginable power who predates Adam and Eve. Their journey to do so sees them explore some of Humanity’s darkest moments, coming face to face with those who’ve fallen under the Firstborn’s sway, from a sadomasochistic Nazi officer to a cannibalistic Roman governor.
Players control squad commander Ross, despite the notable setback of him dying early in the game. Following this, Ross gains the ability to possess his squadmates, utilizing their powers at will.
Jericho is a (relatively) short and (not so sweet) experience, failing somewhat due to subpar AI and linearity. Regardless, it became a cult hit for Barker fans – and with Barker himself getting a resurgence in popularity thanks to the Candyman and Hellraiser reboots, it could be time to bring Jericho up-to-date as well.
It’s worth noting that a sequel was in the works, and eventually canceled, so it’s clear that Clive Barker had plans for a greater Jericho universe. A remake could see those plans come to fruition or even see them explored as part of one game. The improvements in AI would also allow for more cohesive gameplay, while the graphical jump to modern gaming would let us see every gruesome detail of Barker’s macabre world in eye-gouging 3D. It wouldn’t be a comfortable experience, but then isn’t that the telltale signature of a good horror?
#5 – Eternal Sonata
Did you know that Frederic Chopin entered an alternate universe on his deathbed and ended up on a quest to save it? That’s the reality we choose to believe thanks to this charming RPG.
Eternal Sonata stars the famed composer as he enters a world inspired by classical music, teaming up with a host of wonderful characters. What starts as a simple quest to investigate the price of medicine turns into an epic tale of rebellion, political espionage, and the need for escapism. A game where the hero is literally dying throughout has never been so optimistic.
Eternal Sonata perfectly balances a lot of different aspects of both classic RPGs with modern flair. Battles are turn-based, but with heavy action elements. Most notably, the battlefield is divided into light and dark areas, with both your skills and those of your enemies changing depending on where you’re standing. This emphasis on light and shadow would be perfectly suited for the modern era of gaming, which could bring the graphics to the next level while still preserving Eternal Sonata’s wonderful designs.
#4 – Siren: Blood Curse
Okay, we know this one was already a remake, but bear with us. The Siren series (Forbidden Siren in the UK) is an utterly fascinating example of survival horror that really leans into the world of J-Horror. Siren: Blood Curse tells the story of an interconnected group of characters as they explore the village of Hanuda, which disappeared over 30 years prior. The game emphasizes stealth, with the franchise’s unique selling point being sightjacking: the ability to see through the eyes of your enemies to plan your next move.
The Siren series never really got the attention it deserved. The original game is notoriously difficult, with facial animations that often fell into the uncanny valley and inexplicable cockney accents on the majority of the exclusively Japanese cast, some of whom have spent their entire lives in the isolated village. This arguably meant the franchise never really found its feet despite spawning a sequel, a remake, and a movie.
Siren: Blood Curse did a good job of making the series more accessible, but arguably struggled to make the franchise relevant. With the recent resurgence in interest in Japanese media thanks to the likes of Alice in Borderland and Junji Ito, now could be the perfect time to bring one of the genre’s most hidden gems up to date for a new audience.
#3 – Lost Odyssey
Lost Odyssey tells the story of a group of people working together to take down a powerful sorcerer with aspirations of world domination. So far, so sci-fi. What makes Lost Odyssey stand out is the fact that half the party is immortal. They go down, they get back up again a few turns later. However, you can’t just go about with a full team of immortals: you’ll need to level up your mortal party members as well, as doing this is the only way to teach your immortal members skills.
That only scratches the surface of the impeccable turn-based action of Lost Odyssey, let alone what else the game has to offer. From the gorgeous settings to the beautifully told storyline, Lost Odyssey has gone down in the annals of history as one of the greatest RPGs of a generation.
Perhaps most famously, Lost Odyssey features the so-called Thousand Years of Dreams. The immortal heroes are all stricken with amnesia, but will occasionally remember parts of their past by seeing something in the environment. These recollections are told in short story form, and yet it works. You’ll find yourselves drawn to finding these small moments to take a break from the action and learn about their history. It’s a bold move, and one we’d love to see brought up to date – it’s currently impossible to purchase a legitimate copy of the game, but Lost Odyssey deserves anything but to be forgotten.
#2 – BioShock
It’s been almost 20 years since the original BioShock, and arguably the game’s core themes have never been more relevant. A brutal critique of objectivism, BioShock tells the nightmarish tale of Jack, a plane crash survivor who discovers the underwater city of Rapture – a world driven mad by addiction to a substance called Adam. In order to survive, Jack has to team up with the mysterious black market trader Atlas and decide whether his own advancement is worth sacrificing. The fact that these sacrifices are little girls conditioned to drink the blood of corpses and protected by hulking monstrosities in diving suits is beside the point.
The BioShock games have always stood out from the crowd, but a remake would leverage all the advancements of modern technology. Think haptic feedback as a Big Daddy lumbers towards you, or adaptive triggers if you decide to harvest a Little Sister which gets weaker as you grow more accustomed to doing so. Imagine the gorgeous settings with full ray-tracing and 4K graphics that let us see every little gory detail of the Splicers and the wonderfully designed yet horrifying world of Rapture.
#1 – The Final Fantasy XIII Trilogy
Final Fantasy XIII is arguably the most divisive in the series, despite spawning two sequels. While the sub-series was praised for its visuals and storyline, the linearity that epitomized the first game and the simplistic auto-battle system proved divisive.
Despite this, this is a trilogy with a lot to offer. The deep and fascinating storyline hits on a number of themes such as prejudice and corrupt governments that still resonate today. The characters are all well-rounded, and the overarching plot took three full games to fully explore, all telling a fascinating story of humans working together to defy the gods themselves.
We’d love to see the battle system get an overhaul. If nothing else, letting us feel more active in battle in the early games would be great. Additionally, a remake could make the games feel more open. While the series progressively moved towards an open world as it continued, Final Fantasy XIII in particular was criticized for its linearity – it takes ten of the game’s thirteen chapters before you access an open world. This aspect, combined with the intuitive but somewhat shallow battle system, means that many people may have overlooked the many things that Final Fantasy XIII does amazingly. Even better, if the series looked that good on the PS3, imagine what it’d look like on the PS5.
Want to hear more about remakes we want to see? Check out our list of the top 5 Zelda remakes we want for the Switch 2, ranked by likelihood.
