TOP 5 Remastered Games with Respect and Style
When nostalgia meets modern technology, the result can be magic.
For a while now, I keep hearing about a new remaster of a game from the '90s or 2000s. They've become so frequent that I've started to wonder if the industry knows how to do anything else besides audio-visual refreshes of our beloved titles.
However, I've often noticed a major difference between how I remembered some games looking and how they actually were. The shock was often great, and that made me accept that maybe we do need some remasters. Plus, there are many players who haven't had the chance to experience works stuck in the retro realm.
As a result, the GRIND editorial team has prepared 5 remastered titles for you that we consider must-plays, regardless of whether you played the original version or not.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
Release date: 22 April 2025
Developer: Virtuos & Bethesda
Available on: PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X
For Bethesda fans, the Easter Bunny only arrived on the third day of Easter — but it was worth the wait. Daddy Todd, along with the gang of developers from Virtuos, has finally blessed us with the release of Oblivion Remastered.
Cyrodiil has never looked better (not even with mods), although we have to make a small compromise regarding the brownish colour palette chosen by the developers. You might be wondering: why a remaster and not a remake? Although it was ported to the Unreal Engine 5 graphics engine, the game remains, for the most part, the masterpiece many of us grew up with. The classic bugs are still there, some systems have been modernised, and the story has remained the same. The much-maligned armour, which caused (some say) the current collapse of the industry, is present, and the original recordings are preserved in all their glory — including those funny moments where actors asked to repeat their lines.
And if you were worried that the release of this remaster would mean the death of the Skyblivion project, rest easy: Bethesda has promised not to touch the fan project, and furthermore, has offered everyone involved a copy of this remastered version.
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered
Release date: 10 December 2024
Developer: Aspyr & Crystal Dynamics
Available on: PC, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series S/X
Until December 2024, I had completely forgotten that history detests paradoxes. But if you're more tolerant, I invite you to play through the two games in this epic package prepared by Aspyr Media and Crystal Dynamics!
We have not one, but two superb titles (each from a different console generation), plus a complete digital encyclopaedia of Nosgoth included in the collection.
For true fans, the bonus content brings unfinished levels, concepts, scenarios, and never-before-seen recordings. And another important detail: both games allow switching between original and new textures with a single button, without reloading the level. A simple but extremely effective feature to appreciate how much work went into this remaster.
Diablo II: Resurrected
Release date: 13 August 2021
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Available on: PC, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series S/X
After secular struggles and millennia of waiting, Blizzard finally gave us what we wanted: the same classic game from 25 years ago (or 24, if we include the expansion), with a modernised graphical presentation.
The sound has been improved, the graphics look excellent on current monitors, and compatibility with latest-generation systems is perfect. What more could you want in your sacred mission to confront the mysterious Wanderer? Perhaps some more beautiful cinematic sequences? We're in luck: all of them have been remade almost 1:1, on modern engines, with minor adjustments that better highlight key moments.
Of course, minor changes have also been made behind the scenes: Quality of Life improvements, new Runewords, and skill rebalances (so we don't keep using the same bowazon or Olympian barbarian builds that throw spears). The paladin's holy hammer, however, remains a solid 7.
Ōkami HD
Release date: 12 December 2017
Developer: Capcom
Available on: Luna, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Steam, Xbox One
If you didn't play Okami on PlayStation 2 in 2006, I wholeheartedly recommend trying the HD version. I encourage you to play it on Nintendo Switch, but it's also available on other modern platforms.
The title is, literally, proof that video games can be considered art. This magnum opus by Hideki Kamiya resonates with everyone, regardless of age or education level. The story weaves Japanese myths into a memorable narrative thread.
And honestly… who wouldn't want to play as the Sun Goddess? The story is a reinterpretation of some of the most important myths of Shintoism, including elements like the epic confrontation between Susanoo and Yamata no Orochi or Yata no Kagami. And before I forget, the game has a unique way of allowing us to interact with its world. The so-called Celestial Brush destroys the classic barriers between player and title, allowing us to make "any" changes we want through painting. Got an annoying enemy? Use the brush to cut them down! Tired of playing at night? Paint the sun in the sky! The only limit of the brush is the player's imagination. And the reason I recommend experiencing it on Nintendo Switch is because in handheld mode we can use the brush via the touchscreen.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection
Release date: 11 November 2014
Developer: 343 Industries, Splash Damage, Ruffian Games, Bungie, Saber Interactive
Available on: Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, Steam
Cortana/Siri/Alexa, play Halo theme…
Okay, now that we have the music in the background, I honestly ask you: do you need any argument to play this collection? It contains six games: Halo: Reach, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 2: Anniversary, Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, and Halo 4. You get them all for the price of a single title!
The multiplayer mode returns in full force (and just as epic), the single-player campaigns are as legendary in 2025 as they were in 2001, and the Master Chief saga is almost complete (if we disregard Halo 5 and Infinite).
The collection is, by far, the best way to relive the events that kept us on the edge of our seats for over a decade. And the graphical, audio, and cinematic improvements raise everything to a new level.
We hope these recommendations have been helpful. Don't forget: remasters aren't exclusive to the video game industry. We also find them in films, TV series, or music. We at GRIND Magazine even had a remastered version of our first issue — https://grnd.ro/grind-editia-definitiva/.
