2023 brought a lot of classic games back into the fold, but I always knew one certain title would inevitably take the crown for best remake/remaster. Resident Evil 4 rides a fine line of feeling old and new to an impeccable degree, and I’ve got to admit, it’s a heck of a remake.
Resident Evil 4 is one of those games that transcends the legacy of the Resident Evil series itself. Personally, it wasn’t the first Resident Evil game I played, but it was the first one I finished. Its combination of action, RPG elements, and incredible campy dialogue just worked for me. And judging from how I’ve seen others talk about this game for almost 20 years, I’m clearly not alone there. It’s one of those games that frequently comes up in “greatest game of all time” conversations, and at one point in my life, I had it in my personal top 10.
With a legacy like that, the Resident Evil 4 remake had a lot to live up to. Yet despite that, the remake stuck the landing and garnered widespread praise. Capcom smartly decided to root the Resident Evil 4 remake in the original game, but not necessarily replace it. So it is, ultimately, a familiar nostalgic trip for fans of the horror classic. But it’s also very much its own thing, with enough surprises to keep anyone who mastered the original game on their toes.
Resident Evil 4 won by an overwhelming margin, with more than half of all voters choosing it as their pick. That said, we nominated some really good remakes and remasters, and I could see any of our other nominees winning the crown in a lesser year. Star Ocean: The Second Story R and Dead Space were our runners up, which were fantastic in their own ways. Additionally, despite the crowded pool of nominees, every game got at least one vote from our team. Even if Resident Evil 4 wasn’t your favorite game up for the title, your pick was someone’s favorite here.
Despite all the new hit games that came out this year, there were compelling reasons to revisit some classic experiences as well. And while nostalgia can be easily exploited, it’s nice to remember those good times now and then. That said, I CAN’T BELIEVE THEY TOOK OUT THE PART WHERE LEON ASKS SALAZAR “YOUR RIGHT HAND COMES OFF” THAT WAS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE RESIDENT EVIL 4 EXPERIENCE AND –
Ed. note: Timothy originally wrote 5,000 words additional words in this rant, which we have deemed impossible to read since he used no punctuation, and never turned off Caps Lock. We have retained what we believe is the gist of his message.
The nominees for the best remake/remaster of 2023.
- Resident Evil 4
- The Making of Karateka
- Quake II
- Metroid Prime Remastered
- Dead Space
- Star Ocean: The Second Story R
- Super Mario RPG
