Like the HD remakes of the last generation, it’s clear that remastered versions of popular games are going to be a part of this new generation. Gamers are eager to revisit more polished and refined experiences that they already know they love. Single-game releases – like Tomb Raider and The Last of Us – have gotten most of the attention so far. However, publishers also have an opportunity to capitalize on their popular franchises (like Microsoft is doing with the Master Chief Collection) by releasing remastered anthologies for the new consoles.
Of course, on the development side of things, this is easier said than done. Just getting a game to run on a new platform is difficult and time-intensive – and that’s without any new enhancements. Adding in improved visuals, a silky smooth framerate, and other tweaks would be even more work. Those concerns aside, these are the new-gen collections of last-gen games that we would be playing in an ideal world.
5. Batman’s Arkham Adventures
With the upcoming Arkham Knight, rereleasing Batman’s last-gen games would be a great opportunity to get new fans caught up on the action. Of course, even those who played through Arkham Asylum, City, and Origins would love to see the caped crusader’s exploits with improved visuals. Not that they didn’t look great already, but a new coat of paint would be enough of a reason to put the cape and cowl back on. Include all of the DLC characters and challenge rooms, and this would be the perfect package.
4. Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Trilogy
The Assassin’s Creed universe is always expanding with new characters and timelines, but the three games starring Ezio tell a clear and complete story about the master assassin. Remastered versions of Assassin's Creed II, Brotherhood, and Revelations would let players experience Ezio’s life – from his birth to his death – in the best way possible. Plus, already gorgeous locations like Venice and Rome could definitely benefit from a graphical upgrade. All of the DLC missions, like the Bonfire of the Vanities and The Da Vinci Disappearance, would make this the definitive way to see the events that shaped Ezio into the series’ most popular hero.
3. The Two Witchers
The Witcher 2 released on multiple platforms, but the original game never made its way to console (despite original plans for a port). With The Witcher III: Wild Hunt on the horizon, now is the perfect time to rectify that. Not only would a remastered collection make the first game available to a whole new audience, but it would also provide those gamers with the background necessary to fully appreciate the sequel, which in turn primes the pump for The Witcher III. Geralt is a complicated character and his world is dark, but getting this collection would make things seem less bleak.
2. The Souls
The discrepancy between Dark Souls II’s pre-release footage and the final version left many fans disappointed. The transition to a new-gen platform could allow all of those beautiful lighting effects to remain intact, letting the game (and its predecessor) shine in full glory. The main temptation to avoid with a collection of the Souls games would be monkeying with the difficulty. Given that From Software doesn’t add a “super easy” mode to appeal to delicate gamers, everything will be fine. As long as we’re dreaming, we’d also love to see Demon’s Souls included, but that would require a miracle.
1. Mass Effect Trilogy
You can already get a collection of all three Mass Effect games for PS3, 360, and PC, but this isn’t just about playing each game. It’s about assembling Commander Shepard’s full saga, including all of the DLC missions and characters. Here’s where things get even trickier: What we really want out of a new-gen Mass Effect collection is consistency between games. The gunplay, skills, and encounter design in Mass Effect 3 were the best of the series; we’d want to see those principles retroactively applied to Mass Effect 1 and 2, creating a more uniform gameplay experience across the entire trilogy. Yes, it would be a lot of work. But it would be so worth it.
What remastered collections would you like to play? Share your picks in the comments section below.
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