Top remasters to play in 2024
Remakes and remasters are all the rage in gaming circles. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth was named one of the most awaited titles of 2024, while the remake of Resident Evil 4 was a top contender for Game of the Year at the Game Awards.
Despite this commercial and often critical success, the subject remains divisive among gamers. Some lament remakes as missing the heart of the original. Others decry them as overtly cash-grabby attempts at conquering new audiences with minimal effort.
While these concerns can sometimes ring true, many remastered games can be legitimate means of allowing new players to enjoy a classic from years past. When done right, adding new quality-of-life features and revamped visuals, remasters are well worth giving a chance. So, let’s look at some of the strongest remasters to play in 2024.
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy
The Ace Attorney series celebrated its twentieth anniversary in 2021, but Capcom’s iconic legal franchise has never been going as strong. Three years ago, the rerelease of the original trilogy on virtually every gaming platform in the book had given new momentum to the courtroom adventures of legendary attorney Phoenix Wright.
The recent launch of the three subsequent installments in the series has done even more to put this visual novel pioneer back into the spotlight. As we explored on Twisted Voxel, this 2024 remaster revitalizes the series brilliantly as all mainline entries are now available on every modern platform.
Localization efforts in languages like German, French, and Korean have made this Apollo Justice-centric trilogy even more accessible to international audiences, a feature sorely lacking on Nintendo 3DS versions for such text-heavy games. Other quality-of-life extras, including a Story Mode, further cement this remaster as a must-have for fans of solid murder mysteries and hilarious courtroom antics.
The Last of Us Remastered
The Last of Us Remastered came out merely a year after the release of the original. While most PS3 owners didn’t rush to buy this survival horror masterpiece again, launching a remastered version on PS4 felt justified to take advantage of this new console’s hardware capabilities.
Three DLCs expanded on an already meaty story, some of which made their way into HBO’s acclaimed adaptation. Visually, The Last of Us Remastered also looked more jaw-dropping than ever in all its next-gen glory, with a brand-new Photo Mode allowing gamers to capture gorgeous images throughout their postapocalyptic journey.
Naughty Dog’s latest PS5 remake looks even crisper, bringing extensive graphical enhancements to the 2013 original. For all the backlash it received for its steep price, The Last of Us Part I is an equally valid introduction to one of the best stories ever told in the gaming medium.
Like a Dragon: Ishin!
Halfway between a full-on remake and a remaster, Like a Dragon: Ishin! took diehard fans of the Yakuza series by surprise when it dropped in 2023. First released a decade prior, this historical spin-off was yet to be localized outside Japan. On the face of it, foreign gamers were all too eager to get their hands on that samurai tale, as this remaster sold remarkably well globally.
Telling the story of samurai – and Kazuma Kiryu lookalike – Sakamoto Ryōma, Ishin transports players to the tumultuous Bakumatsu period. That said, the plot quickly takes a backseat to heated action and wacky side quests and minigames scattered around seedy red-light districts, ranging from bounty-hunting jobs to gambling. The casino options at Rakugai’s gambling hall might even have players craving a real winning streak.
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Remasters can be controversial, but there is no denying that they contribute to bringing new audiences to an established series, breathing new life into it in the process. The recent success of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, which sold over a million copies upon its launch, might not have been as resounding if not for titles like Yakuza Kiwami or Like a Dragon: Ishin! So, from legacy games to more obscure titles, many remasters await to be discovered or revisited.
