So, what video game remakes you didn’t know about are coming in 2021? Scroll down below to find out.
Pokemon Snap
While most eyes were understandably on Pokémon Legends: Arceus, and Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokemon Shining Pearl at the Pokemon Presents showcase back in February, one of the titles that flew under the radars of all but the most dedicated fans is a remake of the Nintendo 64 classic title, Pokémon Snap. Bandai Namco Studios is currently developing the new Pokémon Snap title that will see players, once again, swap Pokéballs with cameras as they visit islands to try and get a chance to photograph Pokémon in their natural habitats. What sets the Pokémon Snap remake apart is that you’ll have a chance to see more than just the first generation of Pokémon. Apparently, the new Pokémon Snap game will include Pokémon from every mainline Pokémon game released so far. The New Pokémon Snap is expected to release on April 30, 2021, on the Nintendo Switch.
Ghosts ’n Goblins Resurrection
Ghosts ’n Goblins Resurrection came out in early February 2021. As expected, it gave modern audiences a lot of trouble, as its challenging gameplay is a true throwback to side-scrollers of the past. For those who are up to the task, Ghosts ’n Goblins Resurrection does reward diligence with an ending that a lot of players probably missed in the original 1985 title. Ghosts ’n Goblins Resurrection is currently available on the Nintendo Switch. However, according to a new trailer, the game will release on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, as well as the PC, at a later time.
Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD
Don’t worry, the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sequel is still on the cards. Unfortunately, it looks like we’ll have to wait for a long time before it sees the light of day. Luckily, Nintendo has a couple of ways to sate fan appetite in the meantime - like with a remake of Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, which originally released for the Nintendo Wii way back in 2011. The 2021 remake of Skyward Sword brings one of the more underrated Legend of Zelda games to the Nintendo Switch, complete with Amiibo and Joy-Con support, as well as smooth and buttery 60-frames-per-second gameplay.
House of the Dead Remake
If you had a chance to visit the arcades in the 90s and 2000s, you are probably already familiar with the House of the Dead games. The horror-themed shooter was a staple in arcades back in the days. Fast forward to 2021, and MegaPixel Studio has announced that the iconic zombie shooter is set to release on the Nintendo Switch sometime in 2021. According to the game’s publishers, Forever Entertainment, MegaPixel Studio will release a remake of both House of the Dead 1 and 2. However, this trailer only focuses on the former. For those unfamiliar with the House of the Dead games, it casts players in the role of either G or Agent Thomas Rogan in an on-rails first-person shooter that takes place throughout a massive old mansion as players confront Dr. Curien and take down all of his horrific monstrosities. Although the 2021 remake will give the classic title a massive visual upgrade, the developers promise that they will bring a “whole new entourage and gameplay changes to suit modern gaming standards.”
The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe
The Stanley Parable is one of the most mind-blowing games to ever release on any platform. It’s a narrative-driven game that uses meta-references, clever storytelling, and multiple endings, to engross you in a game that doesn’t look like much at first glance. As the name suggests, the game has players taking control of Stanley, who finds himself feeling trapped in his boring job as he suddenly finds out that someone is narrating his life. The Stanley Parable released in 2013 and the 2021 remake, The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe, will reportedly include the original title but with “one or two tweaks.” According to the developers, they’ll add a “whole bunch of new content” that they say is “interwoven with the content from the original game”. Considering how much fun the original game was as is, adding a new script that’s described as “shaping up to be roughly half the length of the script from the original game” should make The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe a must-play in 2021.
Kingpin: Reloaded
Released in the late 90s, Kingpin: Life of Crime found itself at the wrong end of public criticism after releasing just a few months following the Columbine High School massacre that saw the death of 13 individuals at the hands of two students. The media backlash to the game’s violent gameplay was so severe that retailers wanted no part of it. More than two decades later, a remake of the original game is set to release sometime in 2021. Now titled Kingpin: Reloaded, the remake will reportedly use the Quake II engine and feature better graphics, as well as controls, compared to the original. However, it will still retain the same story of a vengeful small-time thug whose goal is to rise through the criminal ranks so that he can exact his revenge against a dangerous Kingpin.
Scott Pilgrim vs The World: The Game – Complete Edition
Originally released in 2010, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game was later delisted from online stores in 2014 due to licensing issues. However, in 2021, Ubisoft announced that they were working on a remake, and soon after the game was released to generally favorable reviews. Many also loved that it came with multiple physical editions this time, with the distributors, Limited Run, releasing Classic and K.O. Edition versions of the game that came with additional merch.
Braid Anniversary Edition
Braid is a puzzle-platformer indie title developed by Number None and released way back in 2008. It received both commercial success and critical acclaim. For years, critics couldn’t help but throw praise at the game’s clever storytelling and hand-painted graphics. The former, in particular, will catch you by surprise as the game’s protagonist is unknowingly the villain all along and the princess that he is trying to save is actually trying to get away from him. All in all, Braid was and still is a seminal indie masterpiece. However, if you were to play it today, we recommend waiting for the release of the Anniversary edition. Braid Anniversary Edition is expected to release on multiple platforms. It will feature upgraded in-game graphics with the game’s original artist, David Hellman, coming back to repaint everything by hand. It will also feature added extra animations and sound for better immersion.
Resident Evil 4 VR
One of the biggest headlines from the recently-concluded Resident Evil showcase is that a Resident Evil 4 remake is in the works. Unfortunately, the bad news is that it’s not the remake that fans of the Resident Evil games have always wanted. Instead of remaking the game to modern graphical and gameplay standards, Capcom will release a first-person adaptation of the classic third-person zombie shooter for the Oculus Quest 2 VR headset.
