Tell GR is a weekly Game Revolution community feature in which we ask you a question, and you answer it in the comments section below. Read the GR editorial team’s opinions before sharing your own responses!
The Final Fantasy 7 Remake is on its way and Capcom has now released its Resident Evil 3 remake, with both games tinkering with beloved classics and bringing them up to speed for the current generation. But there are still plenty of PS1 games that also deserve the remake treatment, and GR’s staff have been discussing old favorites they would like to see remade today.
We discussed the PS1 remakes we wanted to see below, and we want to read your opinions in the comments section. Does an old PlayStation mascot deserve to be unearthed? Or is there a niche game that could do with being brought to a wider audience? Let us know!
“What’s scarier than zombies? Dinosaurs, obviously”
Mack Ashworth, lead editor: I’d love to see a Dino Crisis remake. What’s scarier than zombies? Dinosaurs, obviously.
While the Resident Evil 3 remake was a solid effort, we’d already been treated to a similar experience the previous year with the Resident Evil 2 remake.
Let’s forget about zombies for the moment and remake some damn dinos. They’re faster, stronger, and smarter than the zombies, and seeing them rendered with the incredible-looking RE Engine would be a treat.
“A proper Silent Hill 2 remake that is terrifying by today’s standards”
Paul Tamburro, executive editor: Silent Hill 2 would be my candidate, as my only experience with the game was that terrible Silent Hill HD Collection.
I’m not great with horror games — I needed several changes of underwear during the opening minutes of Resident Evil 7 in VR — but I still want to experience Silent Hill 2 in a way that would be similar to how it impacted players back in the day. A proper remake that is terrifying by today’s standards would be ideal.
For the record, I don’t think I could actually stomach playing it. I would almost certainly buy it and then nope out in record time. But the idea of playing it intrigues me enough that I’d buy it and then let it inevitably gather dust on my shelf, only putting it back in my PS4 when I was feeling brave, before turning the console off during the first scary part and then throwing a brick through my TV as a precautionary measure. You can never be too careful.
[Paul had a brainfart and thought Silent Hill 2 was a PS1 game, but we let him have it anyway. — Michael]
“Sony could do with Ape Escape to balance out its more mature titles”
Michael Leri, lead writer: Given that Activision has already realized my nostalgic dreams and wonderfully remastered the Crash and Spyro games, I’d love to get an Ape Escape remake. Sony had teased something related to Ape Escape but never followed through. And if it isn’t going to be a sequel, then hopefully it’s a remake of that pivotal first debut.
Ape Escape represented that PS1 era because it was delightfully quirky and fun to play. Stealth is often gritty and hardcore but Ape Escape‘s sneaking was always full of primates in their underwear doing something silly. Sony could use that in its lineup to balance out the more mature titles.
The game was technically remade for the PSP but obviously the PS5 could do more than that and fully realize this ape-dominated dream. More gadgets, levels, and mechanics along with a layer of new paint and modern presentation would likely be one ape Sony shouldn’t let escape.
“A Final Fantasy 8 remake that clarified some of its shaky plot”
Jason Faulkner, senior editor: I really hope that Square Enix sets their sights on Final Fantasy 8 after they finish up FF7 Remake. FF8 was the first RPG I remember that used realistic proportions for the game design, and I think it would benefit from a remake, maybe more so than FF7.
FF8 has a great story, but I’d love for a remake to clarify some of the shakier aspects of the plot. Mostly, they could just eliminate the whole, “we were all orphans and grew up together but forgot because of GFs,” subplot, and the game would be better for it.
I think a lot of people slept on FF8 because of how far it deviated from the traditional Final Fantasy formula. It took the modern aspects of FF7 and discarded the last vestiges of western fantasy. As a result, it was a bit divisive on release, and Square Enix returned to the classic formula with FF9. I think 20 years later, players are more open-minded, and revisiting the game could win a lot of people over it didn’t the first time.
